- "West Virginia University athletic officials spent most of Tuesday preparing to leave the Big East Conference for the Big 12. The Mountaineers’ athletic director, Oliver Luck, was so sure of the move that he tipped off Big East colleagues Monday night and told staff members Tuesday. But everything changed Tuesday evening, as the Big 12 backed off its assurances to West Virginia. Hard lobbying from another candidate from the Big East, Louisville, has created a heated race for the remaining slot in the Big 12 that Missouri is expected to vacate soon. (Missouri is still headed to the Southeastern Conference after it sorts through its exit issues with the Big 12.) A person with direct knowledge of the situation said it was “too close to call” between West Virginia and Louisville. Two other people with direct knowledge said that the lobbying of the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, had helped Louisville.
[New York Times] - "Groupon’s IPO roadshow pitch is revving into high-gear this week. But CEO Andrew Mason and the rest of the crew might want to first convince its own clients of the company’s benefits. Seviche, the merchant prominently featured in Groupon Inc’s now-trundling IPO roadshow, is no longer keen on jumping on the daily deals bandwagon. Worse, one of its general managers is mildly contesting Mason’s account of the benefits of their promotion run in 2010.
Hap Cohan, general manager of the Louisville, Kentucky-based restaurant, said on Tuesday the Groupon was in fact run by previous management (the restaurant brought in new investors over the past year). The new owners do not immediately see the benefits of a Groupon, at least not now." [Reuters via Insider Louisville] - "Louisville-based racing and gambling company Churchill Downs Inc. reported record revenues and earnings for the three-month period that ended Sept. 30. Earnings from continuing operations for the period more than quadrupled to $19.7 million, or $1.16 per share, versus $3.7 million, or 22 cents per share a year ago." [Courier-Journal]
Photo: Courtesy Office of Mitch McConnell
