2nd Annual CSPN Awards Ceremony

The 2nd Annual CSPN Awards Ceremony was held last night, April 9, 2008, in the beautiful Hall of Mirrors of the Hilton Netherland Plaza. The ceremony recognizes key individuals in the Cincinnati sports market. The guest speaker was the Hall of Famer Gale Sayers.

Prior to the event a VIP reception was held in one of the salons:

Mr. Sayers meets with some of the VIPs

The LaRosa brothers, Mark and Michael

Mr. and Mrs. Dennison, parents of Bill "Seg" Dennison, radio personality.

The award recipients gather for a group shot before heading out to the banquet to be publicly recognized for their incredible contributions to the sports industry in Cincinnati.

Mr. Sayers and his wife were presented the key to the city by Councilman David Crowley.

The VIPs moved to the Hall of Mirrors where the banquet was held. It was a well-attended event:

Leslie Spencer, Executive Director of the Greater Cincinnati Sports Corporation.

Wayne Box Miller, radio personality of 1230 WBDZ the Buzz, was the emcee, who kept things moving with his great humor. Check out his MySpace page and blog.

Todd Portune, County Commissioner, offered some remarks.

Mr. Sayers gave the keynote address and, at the end, answered some questions from the audience. Everyone listened intently as he shared his experiences on the field and in life.

The guests of honor were recognized:

Sports Executive Life Time Achievement: Northern Kentucky University athletic director Jane Meier

Corporate Citizen of the Year: Buddy LaRosa (Michael LaRosa accepts the award for his father who was unable to attend)

Sports Executive of the Year: Miami RedHawks hockey coach Enrico Blasi

Sports Event of the Year: Bengals vs. Ravens Monday Night Football & UFC Championship

Event of the Year: Bengals vs. Ravens Monday Night Football & UFC Championship

Sports Media Personality of the Year: WLW's Bill "Seg" Dennison

Story of the Year: UC's football team

CSPN Scholarship Recipient: NKU's Michael Mertle

The evening finisehd out with Mr. Sayers signing his book for his fans.

Mr. Sayers said at some point during his talk that he was surprised that after 30 plus years he still had fans, given that his career was cut short due to an injury. That he still does have fans is a testament to the character of this man.