Courtesy of Lawn Club Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter celebrated with Colorado teammates Dec. 14 at a party hosted by SMAC Entertainment and Young Money APAA Sports at Lawn Club NYC.
Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers coach Matt LeFleur handed a game ball to team President/CEO Mark Murphy after the Dec. 23 game against the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field. Murphy, who also was recognized during halftime, will retire in July after more than 17 years leading the team.
SMWW Sports Management Worldwide mentor Dan Duquette, a member of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame, and former MLB standout Nelson Cruz joined SMWW Staff Dec. 9 during the MLB Winter Meetings at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.
Noam Galai The NYC Metro Chapter of WISE hosted its annual Women of Inspiration Awards Reception on Dec. 4 at the Hard Rock Cafe, Times Square, in New York City. From left: Van Adams, chapter president and founder, Gathering on the Greens; honorees Lauren Cohen, VP, NBA; Amanda Kraus, CEO of USRowing; and Christina LaBrie, SVP, MLS; Sarah Crennan, WISE NYC Metro board member; and Caitlin Sheridan, event chair and NYRR head of event business operations and experience.
Brett Van Ort USWNTPA Player Plus: Media Academy at USC Annenberg, designed to prepare athletes for post-soccer careers in media, communication and content creation, concluded its inaugural session on Dec. 12 at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in Los Angeles. From left: Jessica McDonald, Omar Gonzalez, Fox Sports’ Stu Holden (seated), Kevin O’Toole, Merritt Mathias, Elizabeth Eddy, Ashley Hatch, Becky Sauerbrunn, McCall Zerboni, Fox Sports Radio’s Rob Parker, Dax McCarty, Kei Kamara.
NYSE Ahead of PBR’s 18th visit to Madison Square Garden, the organization and the 2024 PBR Teams league champion Austin Gamblers opened the NYSE on Jan. 3. Team owners Egon and Abby Durban and PBR CEO and Commissioner Sean Gleason joined Gamblers teammates and others in ringing the opening bell.
Seyferth PR MLS Next Pro announced its sixth independent team on Dec. 17. The club, which plans to begin play in 2027, will be based in Grand Rapids, Mich., and led by the Van Andel and DeVos families. From left: Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington; Kent County Commission Chair Stan Stek; Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss; Guillermo Cisneros, president/CEO, West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; team co-owners Dan DeVos, Cole DeVos, David VanAndel and Christian Van Andel; and MLS Next Pro President Charles Altchek.
New York Red Bulls David Lane (left), CEO of Sports Illustrated Tickets, and Marc de Grandpré, president of New York Red Bulls, on Dec. 12 celebrated their long-term partnership that includes the home venue for the New York Red Bulls in Harrison, N.J., being renamed Sports Illustrated Stadium.
