People and Pop Culture

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — Spring meetings tend to be mixed as to whether anything actually gets accomplished, but considering the existential crises facing college sports these days, there was plenty of depth to conversations around the Ritz Carlton the last few days at the ACC’s annual gathering here.

In every period of economic headwinds, the playbook says the same thing: When consumers get squeezed, discretionary spending slows. Entertainment is always among the first casualties. Someone should tell sports fans.

The Islanders on Monday announced D MATTHEW SCHAEFER and Northwell Health have partnered, through a $150,000 gift from the Islanders Children’s Foundation, to “open the Jennifer Schaefer Child Support Center in October.” Northwell Health reached out to “discuss a partnership almost as soon as Schaef...

Fanatics Commerce named JAMIE GERSCH CMO. She will be based in San Mateo, Calif. and report to Fanatics Commerce CEO ANDREW LOW AH KEE. Gersch most recently served as CMO at Rothy’s and prior to that, she served as SVP & CMO at Old Navy (Fanatics Commerce).

“In 1454 the future Pope Pius II saw the work of this man at the Frankfurt Fair & marveled at the ‘extreme elegance & accuracy.’”

René Cárdenas, the first Spanish-language broadcaster for the Dodgers, Astros and Rangers during a 60-year career, has died at 96. The Astros on Monday said that Cárdenas “died Sunday at his home in Houston.” Cárdenas joined the Dodgers when they moved to L.A. in 1958. He was part of the first Spani...

Trail Blazers Assistant GM MIKE SCHMITZ is leaving the team to become GM of the Mavericks, joining the front office of new President MASAI UJIRI. Schmitz arrived in Portland in June 2022. He spent years in international basketball circles as a member of the media before joining the Blazers, first as...

Bucks co-owner WES EDENS has been caught in an “alleged extortion plot” after a “brief relationship spiraled,” according to Fanelli & Ramey of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. CHANGLI “SOPHIA” LUO was “indicted last year for allegedly trying to shake down Edens for more than” $1B by “threatening to publ...