NFL suspends Dolphins owner for tampering with Brady, Payton
The NFL has suspended Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and fined him $1.5 million for tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton following a six-month investigation stemming from Brian Flores’ racial discrimination lawsuit against the league.
Amazon's Bezos tops list of richest charitable gifts in 2020
– The world's richest person made the single-largest charitable contribution in 2020, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy's annual list of top donations, a $10 billion gift that is intended to help fight climate change. Amazon's founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, whose “real-time” worth Forbes magazine estimates at roughly $188 billion, used the contribution to launch his Bezos Earth Fund. According to the left-leaning Americans for Tax Fairness and the Institute for Policy Studies, from March 18 through Dec. 7, 2020, Bezos' wealth surged by 63%, from $113 billion to $184 billion. Bezos and the Zuckerbergs made up the next spots on last year's top 10 list, with $100 million donations — Bezos for Feeding America to aid food banks across the country and the Zuckerbergs to the same election security group. In February, the Chronicle will publish its list of the 50 biggest donors, which counts cumulative donations, not individual gifts.
From Kobe to Maradona, a year of staggering losses in sports
FILE - In this Nov. 14, 1993, file photo, Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula is carried on his team's shoulders after his 325th victory, against the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia. Not long after came a seismic jolt, the helicopter crash of Kobe Bryant in the fog-shrouded California hills that reverberated across sports and across continents. Football lost a big piece of its heart: Don Shula, Gale Sayers, Paul Hornung, Bobby Mitchell. The losses, of course, came against a backdrop of a pandemic, its number of fatalities rolled out daily on TV screens. Kurt Thomas in 1978 became the first U.S. male gymnast to win a world title but lost an Olympic shot in 1980 because of the boycott.
Coach: Message in Dolphins' video is 'we can all do better'
MIAMI – Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores says the team's new video addressing racial injustice was player-driven, had the team owner's support and sought to send a message that “we can all do better.”The 2-minute, 15-second video features nearly 20 players trading stern rhymes about the nation’s social protest movement. Flores, who speaks at the end of the video, said it was directed “at everyone.”“I think every individual in this country can do a little bit better,” he said Friday. Flores said team owner Stephen Ross was supportive of the video, which was posted on social media Thursday. Kaleb Thornhill, the Dolphins' director of player engagement, worked with the team's social justice committee to create it, Flores said. “The message is to try to create unity, not divide,” he said.
US Justice Department warns FIFA on international ban
WASHINGTON The U.S. Justice Department has entered into a sports dispute involving the company of a longtime friend of President Donald Trump, warning FIFA that a prohibition against staging league matches internationally could violate American antitrust laws. The letter from the Justice Department was included in a filing by Relevent on Tuesday seeking permission to amend its complaint by adding FIFA, soccer's governing body, as a defendant. Relevent alleges the stakeholders committee on Feb. 27 recommended the policy against international league matches be added to FIFA's statutes. Relevent withdrew its state court suit and filed this latest action in federal court, citing antitrust law. Delrahim wrote the department is raising the concerns to protect competition for the benefit of American consumers and soccer players."
University of Michigan Ross School of Business to receive $6 million for diversity initiative
ANN ARBOR, Mich. The University of Michigan Ross School of Business is expected to receive a $6 million donation for its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative. This will include students from low-income who are interested in a career in investing or real estate through the Michigan Ross School of Business. The Blau Initiative will also integrate existing U of M and Michigan Ross School of Business initiatives. This summer I announced a Commitment to Action related to diversity, equity, and inclusion at Michigan Ross, and one of our commitments is to expand support for students from diverse backgrounds at the school, Michigan Ross Dean Scott DeRue said. This new gift from Stephen Ross and Jeff Blau will help Michigan Ross create opportunities for students who are underrepresented in business leadership.
Dolphins owner: There definitely will be an NFL season
MIAMI Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross says he's confident the NFL will play in 2020, with or without spectators. I think there definitely will be a football season this year, Ross said Tuesday during an interview on CNBC. I dont think a lot of people realize it until they no longer have it. Certainly the NFL, I think, will be ready to go. Weve done a lot of things down in Miami," Ross said.
Ann Arbor Farmers Market 100th birthday bash; A2 Blues Fest turns 50; EMU buyouts
ANN ARBOR - Happy Friday! The Ann Arbor Farmers Market will be celebrating its 100th birthday on Saturday with free ice cream from Washtenaw Dairy, live music and more. On the music side, the Ann Arbor Blues Festival turns 50 this weekend. - Meredith (@meredith_A4)What's been happening: As Eastern Michigan University struggles with declining enrollment, 142 EMU employees recently accepted early retirement buyouts. All About Ann Arbor is powered by ClickOnDetroit/WDIV.