Four of SBJ’s Champions Class of 2026 were honored in person during a luncheon and panel discussion on Wednesday. After a video showcasing the previous Champions honorees, SBJ’s Abe Madkour stressed how these were the pioneers of the industry.
“Without their efforts, there likely would be no events like the CAA World Congress of Sports,” he said.
He introduced Proskauer’s Brad Ruskin, whose firm has sponsored the luncheon for years, and Ruskin noted how each of the honorees “are giants of this industry.”
Friends and family were seated in the front at reserved tables — Levy’s Andy Lansing had his wife, Ellyn, and children Liza and Jason; Steve Greenberg had his wife, Myrna, and sat with fellow honoree Chris Plonsky. Arn Tellem sat with his wife, Nancy, and sons Matt and Eric, both working in sports.
Greenberg stressed the power of relationships and noted his long-time friendship with Tellem, and how special it was they were being honored in the same year; Lansing stressed how family and relationships were the key to any success he’s had; Plonsky noted the importance of college athletics and urged everyone to do what they can to make the system more sustainable; and Tellem grew emotional when discussing his relationship with Greenberg, which goes back decades, to his love of representing talent and how sports makes a difference in society.
The four then took part in a panel led by Proskauer’s Joe Leccese that included videos from the two honorees unable to make it: James Brown and Billy Payne (his Champions profile ran in early April).
