Last Week's Wins #16
Three wins from the sports & entertainment world to start your work week
Welcome to Last Week’s Wins #16! Happy Victory Monday to my Ravens’ fans out there!
I said last week that the months ahead will have challenges and opportunities. Well, there is no doubt that the malicious and vile events that occurred at the Capitol on January 6th will present even more challenges than anticipated.
I also have no doubt that this Win-Win-Win community was galvanized and inspired to fight against what we all saw on TV last Wednesday. This can be done by continuing our work, holding people accountable, supporting others, and amplifying positive initiatives. No matter what, we cannot stop or be discouraged from driving change.
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King Jr
WINS THIS WEEK
76ers and Jazz Owners Act with Purpose
Baltimore’s Port Covington Construction Green Light
Bianca Smith Becomes 1st Black Woman to Coach Pro Baseball
WHY THESE WINS MATTER
SPORT TEAM OWNERS ACT WITH PURPOSE
Innovative leaders can inspire from the top-down.
Michael Rubin, billionaire owner of the 76ers and head of Fanatics, as well as Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith have been “putting their money where their mouth is.”
As soon as the pandemic hit, Rubin ordered all Fanatics plants to begin production of PPE. They were able to distribute 1 million masks to first responders in 13 states as well as 10 million to various prisons across the country.
“Sports have an obligation to step up and make a difference. And in this case, it definitely did.” - Michael Rubin
Rubin utilized his influence among celebrities to start the All In Challenge. Rubin was able to get celebrities to participate and raise $60 million to combat food insecurity after coming together for an online auction.
Each celebrity donated an item to be auctioned off. Some of the participants included:
Meek Mill’s Rolls Royce
Kevin Love’s Home Gym Design
Dwayne Wade’s Napa Valley Tour
Mark Cuban’s One-Day Maverick Contract
Carmelo Anthony’s “Very Melo NYC Weekend”
Tom Brady’s Tickets to Bucs Game
Bo Jackson’s Fishing Trip
Rubin’s $100,000 Fanatics Gift Card
Meanwhile, Jazz Owner Ryan Smith, who was featured in Last Week’s Wins #7, recently announced via a WojBomb that for every Jazz win, the team will offer a college scholarship to an “underrepresented or minority” student.
Rubin is using his network to build a social movement that sparks change. Smith is creating an innovative way to attract Jazz fans and to connect with universities so that more kids can get the opportunity to attend a four-year college.
Both are using their platforms to inspire others and create positive changes.
BALTIMORE’S PORT COVINGTON GETS GREEN LIGHT
Residents of Baltimore and followers of Under Armour remember the excitement around Port Covington that started years ago.
(Sagamore Development Original Port Covington Rendering)
Since that excitement, the only news from Port Covington has involved controversial tax financing deals, bonds with Baltimore City, and potential investors.
The Patapsco River waterfront in South Baltimore has felt like a forgotten land for some time. After relatively slow construction was shut down in March 2020, there were many questions about the project’s viability.
Now, with over $650 million of financing in place, construction is preparing to get back underway. This construction phase, expected to be completed by late 2022, will include 1.1 million square feet of mixed-use space (Office, Residential, Retail, Parking), and 10 acres of park space.
(Current Construction Phase Rendering via Weller Development Co.)
The completed Port Covington project will be more than 18 million square feet of mixed-use space, 2.5 miles of restored waterfront, and 40 acres of parks.
Weller Development Co. has been dedicated to supporting the South Baltimore community. The group and other investors announced last week that they provided the South Baltimore Seven Coalition, a community group, with $9 million in funding.
“There are many things to be proud of, but what rises to the surface most is the emphasis the team has put on equity and diversity of participation in the project — minority owned businesses, women owned businesses, local hiring, and all the jobs that are being created. We have worked alongside the South Baltimore community for years to ensure that the rising tide of Port Covington does in fact lift all boats in Baltimore.” - Marc Weller
BIANCA SMITH BECOMES 1ST BLACK WOMAN TO COACH PRO BASEBALL
The Boston Red Sox recently announced that Bianca Smith would be joining their minor league system as an assistant coach.
Bianca Smith, who was the hitting coach at Carroll University, will become the second woman and the 1st Black woman to coach professional baseball in the United States.
Smith’s experience in baseball coaching and operations runs deep:
J.D. in Sports Law and master’s in business administration from Case Western Reserve University
Director of Baseball Operations at Case Western Reserve University for 5 years
Assistant Coach at University of Dallas
Hitting Coordinator at Carroll University
Cincinnati Reds & Texas Rangers Front Office Internships
While there are an abundance of opportunities in the sports industry, there is an equal amount of barriers that have blocked scores of qualified individuals. These barriers must be analyzed and refined by leaders in order to open doors for the qualified and diverse candidate field that is out in the market.
Bianca Smith, Alyssa Nakken (San Francisco Giants Assistant Coach), and Kim Ng (Miami Marlins General Manager) are breaking barriers for more than just women in baseball by stepping into their roles.
These get better and better every week. Nice work, Eric!