Author: Don Muret

Wanted Your Picture in ‘Jackpots’? Tom Was the Guy to Talk To

Wanted Your Picture in ‘Jackpots’? Tom Was the Guy to Talk To

Posted by | Mar 2, 2020 |

Tom Powell is flanked by hall of famers John Havlicek (left) and Joe DiMaggio. (Courtesy Kevin Powell) Years before cellphones, the old Amusement Business magazine equipped its staffers with cameras and black-and-white film to document their travels to arenas, stadiums, fairs, amusement parks, carnivals and concerts. As part of taking photographs for the trade publication, AB editor Tom Powell enforced a strict rule: Two people were required to be in a picture. It sounds simple, but finding a second person could be difficult at a key moment in time. It could also lead to a potentially embarrassing situation for those having their picture taken. Just ask Bill Lester. Lester, retired executive director of the old Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, recalled AB’s “two-person” photo rule during the recent Stadium Managers Association seminar in Phoenix. “One year, I was walking out of the stadium after a big event, Super Bowl… Continue Reading Wanted Your Picture in ‘Jackpots’? Tom Was the Guy to Talk To

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In Memoriam: Tom Powell 1933-2020

In Memoriam: Tom Powell 1933-2020

Posted by | Feb 29, 2020 |

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Tom Powell flanked by The Judds. (All photos courtesy Kevin Powell) If longtime industry journalist ‘couldn’t write something nice about you, he wasn’t going to write it at all’ Tom Powell helped form the business of documenting the sports and live entertainment industry. In his 35 years as a reporter and editor at the old Amusement Business magazine, Powell mentored many journalists working across multiple trade publications, including VenuesNow and Pollstar. Powell died Jan. 21 in Nashville. He was 86. At the time of his death, Powell was still writing weekly columns for the Outdoor Amusement Business Association, the trade organization for the carnival industry. It was a testament to his work ethic, plus his love of live entertainment and the personalities that make it a compelling endeavor. Nobody had more fun doing his job than Powell, fondly called “TP” by his family, friends and colleagues.… Continue Reading In Memoriam: Tom Powell 1933-2020

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Stadium Managers Get Gomez’s Diamond View

Stadium Managers Get Gomez’s Diamond View

Posted by | Feb 27, 2020 | , ,

BALLS AND STRIKES: ESPN’s Pedro Gomez, whose son is a minor leaguer, weighed in on potential contraction. (Courtesy SMA) Longtime reporter shares thoughts on computer umpires and paring minor league teams, but not his Hall of Fame ballot The electronic strike zone is coming to Major League Baseball, but whether that’s a good thing for the game is up for debate, according to ESPN broadcaster Pedro Gomez.  Gomez, a longtime baseball reporter, was keynote speaker for the recent Stadium Managers Association seminar in Phoenix. Gomez, a local resident, told some humorous stories tied to his 30 years working for newspapers and TV networks, followed by a Q&A session. Among the highlights: The calling of balls and strikes by computer is inevitable in MLB. “Be careful what you wish for,” Gomez said. “I don’t know that it’s necessarily going to be the greatest thing. We’ve already seen managers have the arguing… Continue Reading Stadium Managers Get Gomez’s Diamond View

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When Kobe Came to Play

When Kobe Came to Play

Posted by | Feb 27, 2020 |

Kobe Bryant salutes the crowd after his last game at Atlanta in December 2015. (Getty Images) Venues industry veterans shared their unique perspectives on Kobe Bryant’s impact both on and off the basketball court. Mike McGee, former general manager of the Houston Summit and part owner of the NBA’s Rockets, recalled that Bryant’s father Joe played for the team in 1982-83 and Kobe was a ball boy. “I used to run him out of the Summit after practice and after games because he’d just want to sit out there and shoot,” McGee said. “He’d get all the other ball boys and they’d be out there with a pickup game going on.” McGee said he ran into Bryant four years ago at a Dick’s Sporting Goods in Newport Beach, Calif., near where Kobe lived, “and I walked over to him and said, ‘Hey Kobe, you probably don’t remember me,’ and he… Continue Reading When Kobe Came to Play

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‘Something I’ll Never See Again in My Life’

‘Something I’ll Never See Again in My Life’

Posted by | Feb 27, 2020 |

SHARING THEIR SADNESS: Mourners gather outside Staples Center to pay tribute to Kobe Bryant after his death in a helicopter crash. (Getty Images) Lee Zeidman on how Staples Center helped a city deal with its grief after Kobe Bryant’s death Over his 35-year career, Staples Center President Lee Zeidman has coordinated six memorials for sports personalities, musicians and other dignitaries.  First, it was Los Angeles Lakers play-by-play legend Chick Hearn in 2002, followed by pop icon Michael Jackson (2009), Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss (2013), longtime Grammys producer John Cossette (2014) and rapper Nipsey Hussle (2019). For Zeidman, though, no tribute had more impact than the one after the death of former Lakers star Kobe Bryant, a future basketball hall of famer and a beloved figure in Los Angeles sports history. Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, died Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash.  Zeidman and Bryant… Continue Reading ‘Something I’ll Never See Again in My Life’

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