Forget Hawks, Thrashers — J.B. Smith has other issues (UPDATED)
Ed Peskowitz, Michael Gearon and Bruce Levenson are among the Atlanta Spirit owners looking to sell Hawks and Thrashers.
(UPDATED BELOW: 4:15 p.m.)
It remains to be seen if the Thrashers are sold and moved to Winnipeg, or if the Hawks and Philips Arena operating rights are sold to new ownership. But that’s the way to bet.
Also, don’t bet on J.B. Smith.
I’m not going to spend a lot of time on Smith because appearances are that he’s just one more name in a sea of pretenders who claim to be interested in one or all of the Atlanta Spirit properties. But he and others have never taken the necessary steps to prove their financial worth (assuming they have sufficient worth).
Smith has been pimped by some as this shadowy, mysterious figure who was going to swoop in and buy the teams and arena and save the day. One of his mouthpieces is a guy named Jay Clemons, who has written about fantasy football for SI.com. Clemons, however, now doesn’t hide the fact that he is Smith’s spokesperson. He has informed all on Twitter that all media inquiries for Smith can go through him.
So much for objectivity. At least now, he’s not pretending to not have an agenda.
(UPDATE: Clemons has changed the name of his Twitter account and no longer works for SI.com.)
Anyway, back to Smith. The Journal-Constitution has been aware of him and other potential bidders for some time, but we like to practice this thing called responsible journalism. I know, go figure. Believe it or not, a line does exist between news and Twitter.
But now that Smith’s name is out — thanks to my pal and former AJC staffer Craig Custance of The Sporting News, who did some terrific reporting and was able to reach Smith — I thought this was worth mentioning.
Two companies, iSekurity and Equity 11, have put out a news release, disassociating themselves with Smith. In fact, the headline on website reads, “JB Smith Not Associated With Equity 11 and iSekurity.”
An Equity 11 website still lists Smith as managing partner, but the news release was issued by chief operating officer Matt Bitonti and quotes chairman Jim Juliano. According to the release, the Oakland County (Mich.) Circuit Court has a $1.9 million judgement against Smith.
Here’s the release:
WARREN, MI–(Marketwire – May 18, 2011) – Equity 11, Ltd. and iSekurity, an identity theft security and restoration firm comprised of former United States Federal Agents, announced today that media reports about JB Smith’s association with Equity 11 and iSekurity are untrue.
“The shareholders of Equity 11 and iSekurity removed JB Smith from all positions he held with our companies in June 2010,” said Jim Juliano, Equity 11’s and iSekurity’s Chairman. “In addition, the Oakland County Circuit Court entered a $1.9 million judgment against JB Smith, banned him from all positions with Equity 11 and iSekurity and ordered him to relinquish any ownership in these companies. JB Smith has not made any payments on this judgment. Several other creditors are also seeking payment from JB Smith.” The Court took this action in Oakland County Circuit Court Case No. 10-1100121-CB.
♦
UPDATE: For those inquiring about Smith’s name still being on the Equity 11 website, I just spoke to Bitonti. His comments: “Equity 11 is not operating any longer. We’re in the process of getting the website taken down.”
Bitonti acknowledged that Smith once ran Equity 11, which was over iSekurity, but that hasn’t been the case since June of 2010. “This happened a long time,” Bitonti said, adding that the news release was issued Wednesday only because Smith’s name came up as being connected with the company.
He declined to answer any other questions about Smith or his interest in the teams.
♦
One postscript. Clemons claims on his Twitter feed that Smith plans to attend a Thrashers’ select-a-seat day Saturday at Philips Arena, assuming such an event still takes place. Don’t hold your breath.
By Jeff Schultz
♦
– Earlier: Hawks’ decision to bring back Rick Sund was expected
– Earlier: Hawks save Braves, who are in a position to make a move
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143 comments Add your comment
hasJKleft yet
May 19th, 2011
8:16 am
I will have to be told when John Kincade leaves 680 the fan.Why?Because the radio is always turned off when I know this guy is on the air!!!
Ray Ferraro's Bobble Head Doll
May 19th, 2011
8:16 am
Dear Mr. Kincade -
Could you invite Mr. Schultz to appear on your radio show today to discuss issues associated with the Thrashers and JB Smith?
Thanks,
Bobble Head
(Jeff – are you available to discuss this in an intelligent manner with Mr. Kincade?)
Geemack
May 19th, 2011
8:18 am
Whatever it takes, get the Thrashers out of here.
Atlanta is not a hockey town.
They should have learned that with the Flame.
Loss of Class
May 19th, 2011
8:54 am
One thing this charade has done is sour my opinion of Canadians. On my trips to Whistler and Mont Tremblant, I found the people warm and friendly. However, that has changed. The Canadians are as arrogant, flippant and condescending as anyone. I do not understand why Canadians are so resentful of the NHL’s work to expand the fan base to new areas. You would think that people who grew up loving the game would be thrilled to see it growing. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Fool me once.
Jeff
May 19th, 2011
9:18 am
JB smith has done the several times before. He is a crook and has several people that he scammed out of millions of dollars. He is probably at a “new money” country club right now trying to round up some new targets. He will rent a house because he has no income or credit and pretend like he is married (last time he used a stripper with kids). By the way, if he was so wealthy, why wouldn’t he get those moles removed from his face?
Thrasher Tony
May 19th, 2011
9:20 am
I have to admit, by attending a little less than 100 games over the life of the franchise, I didn’t do my part to keep the team in Atlanta. While I am gravely disappointed over the turn of events that is seemingly taking the NHL away from the city for a second time, the ones I truly hate it for are the team employees, many of whom poured their life’s blood, hearts and souls into the franchise only to be left holding the bag. So I say to these employees, particularly, but certainly not limited to, broadcasters Dan Kamal and Darren Eliot, thank you for all you did to promote the Thrashers.
ASG did not, but you people did, deserve a far better fate.
JB
May 19th, 2011
9:52 am
Jeff , I welcome your interest now that the Thrashers are news worthy. It no big seceret that you and Don Waddell are not on the best of terms. If you put more passion in your reporting to put a sense of being gratful to even have a pro NHL team in Atlanta I could have a bit more respect for articles. Get behind the team. Help don’t hurt. If you do show up this weekend show some heart or just write a article to inspire not just Atlantan but the nationally. Are you with us or against us ?
AtlFlamesFan
May 19th, 2011
10:06 am
@Thrasher Tony,
You have falsely bought into the garbage that it is the fans’ fault. It is 100% ASG’s fault that we got to this position, and now they have added their co-conspirator, the $60M hooker Gary Bettman.
AtlFlamesFan
May 19th, 2011
10:21 am
WOA! This just posted on facebook. If this is true, there needs to be some investigation!!
“Moores, the man currently in exclusivity to purchase the Hawks and Philips arena, is also part of a firm that has a stake in Jobing.com arena. This is the same arena the Phoenix Coyotes hockey club plays in. Isn’t this a conflict of interest?”
What?
May 19th, 2011
10:28 am
I’m laughing at Schultz’s idea that the AJC is a responsible publication. Most especially the sports department.
When’s the last time you wrote about an F1 race? How about ANYTHING that goes on at Road Atlanta? Not every race fan is a incestous hillbilly NASCAR fan.
Responsible Journalist
May 19th, 2011
10:47 am
The AJC has never even had this much coverage for the Thrashers until now, they are like buzzards circling a carcass, it’s no secret Schultz and DW have a spat and that Chris Vivlamore (Winnipeg’s journalist of the year award recipient) has an ongoing spat with Kincade. Mark Bradley even wrote a “Thrasher article” –> a sure sign the world is ending or that miracles do happen.
Hillbilly Deluxe
May 19th, 2011
10:59 am
Looks like I’ll be able to say that by attending the Thrashers vs. Penguins game, I saw the last Thrasher game in Atlanta. It’s a shame.
Basketball Jones
May 19th, 2011
11:00 am
At the end of all of this, true Hockey fans will find an outlet for that love. Whether it’s the Gladiators, some other team that may rent the Lightbulb, or street hockey with the kids, hockey will be a part of my life with or without the Thrashers.
I’d rather they stay, but it sure seems that ASG is hellbent on screwing over us fans in EVERY way possible.
Thrasher Tony
May 19th, 2011
11:02 am
@ATLFlamesFan
I didn’t buy into that nonsense any more than you did; I fail to see how you could even make that connection. I’m simply saying I wish I had done more even though I know it wouldn’t have made a damn bit of difference. The point of my post was to say that the fans aren’t the only victims of the treachery perpetrated by the ASG.
What?
May 19th, 2011
11:06 am
And anyone ever figure out why David McDavid was assured he would be the owner of the Thrashers, Howks and Phillips arena only to have it yanked away awarded to the Atlanta Stupid Group at the last moment?
Anyone?
AtlFlamesFan
May 19th, 2011
11:15 am
McDavid and AOL had come to an agreement. AOL took that agreement and gave it to insiders (Guerin, Seydel, Beau Turner).
What?
May 19th, 2011
11:18 am
Here you go:
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-08-31/time-warner-s-tbs-settles-mcdavid-suit-over-atlanta-team-sales.html
How come McDavid’s name has not surfaced? Not as a potentional buyer, but as someone else who got screwed over by the Atlanta Stupid Group.
Will Muschamp back in Georgia (and other nuggets) | Jeff Schultz
May 19th, 2011
11:19 am
[...] – Earlier: Forget Hawks, Thrashers — J.B. Smith has other issues [...]
JSS
May 19th, 2011
11:27 am
It rained and stormed in NYC; now I have to come home to this stuff? Kincade! SMDH, you just never learn!
JSS
May 19th, 2011
11:32 am
McDavid is persona non grata, MLB rejected him. The NBA and NHL have rejected him. And the McDavid Car Group has been in the crosshairs of the Texas AG and Consumers Affairs for the last decade. McDavid is a non-entity…
JSS
May 19th, 2011
11:36 am
“”Intelligent manner” and “Kincade,” I can’t stop laughing!!!
illputitoncspan
May 19th, 2011
11:39 am
Stewart Cink’s take on all this and a pretty good article from the Winnipeg Sun.
http://atlanta.sbnation.com/atlanta-thrashers/2011/5/18/2177884/stewart-cink-buying-thrashers-fans-interview
http://www.winnipegsun.com/2011/05/18/nhls-calm-before-the-storm
Max Power
May 19th, 2011
11:43 am
So as fans, we were better off with the ASG buying the Hawks, Thrashers and Phillips instead of McDavid?
JSS
May 19th, 2011
1:03 pm
Max Power
May 19th, 2011
11:43 am
“So as fans, we were better off with the ASG buying the Hawks, Thrashers and Phillips instead of McDavid?”
That is like asking whether you’re happier being in bloodied water with a Humboldt Squid or a Great White Shark! Neither situation will leave you feeling better of your chances of seeing a brighter tomorrow!
Scratch Lil’ John off your list of potential Atlanta-based investors for Thrashers | ProHockeyTalk
May 19th, 2011
1:30 pm
[...] for the team. While one name that has come up was investor J.B. Smith it was found out that Smith has some financial troubles of his own that would make him a less-than optimal candidate to try and keep hockey in [...]
Max Power
May 19th, 2011
1:57 pm
Well, with McDavid, we would not have the 7 stooges. My first reaction to hearing the ASG were chosen as the owners was NO!….Too many chefs…..Or in thecase of the7 stooges, too many idiots with hammers and saws.
Bobby Hull
May 19th, 2011
2:30 pm
As an inaugural STH I was the type of fan the NHL was looking for when locating in Atlanta. Born and raised in Indiana, I was a Blackhawks fan/ Re Wings hater and relished the opportunity to re-engage with the game I played as a kid in the winter on frozen farm ponds. I forgot how much fun we had going to a Ft. Wayne Comets game or a Notre Dame college game. Being able to adopt the Thrashers was a dream come true.
After a few years of expected expansion team growing pains, the team’s development stalled. A combination of inept ownership and the complete and udder incompetence of Don Waddell was to blame. Imagine a team with Kovalchuk, Hossa, Savard, Coburn, Brunette, etc., today in our fair city.
After 9 years, I finally threw in the towel on my ST but followed the team on TV and by attending a few games each year while waiting anxiously for a new owner that truly wanted to bring a winning team to Atlanta take over. I was holding out for a reason to become a STH once again. Alas, that looks like it will never happen.
These Canadian trolls that trash Atlanta fans need to learn the real history of what happened with the Flames and understand that it was more a case of ownership abuse/disinterest and managerial incompetence that drove the Thrashers fans away. The hockey devlopment base of youth and high school programs in Atlanta continues to grow exponentially. It’s the NHL’s long-term loss if the Thrashers leave due to the charade this bunch of losers commonly known as the ASG has pulled on the hockey fans of this region.
Smith reiterates interest in Thrashers, will speak to media “shortly” – Examiner.com | Watch News Daily
May 20th, 2011
1:32 am
[...] COO Matt Bitonti told the AJC’s Jeff Schultz on Wednesday that Smith hasn’t been in charge of Equity 11 since June [...]
John info
May 20th, 2011
1:47 pm
Copy and pasted directly from Equity11 website showing JB SMITH affiliation and for the record in case it gets taken down
JB Smith, Managing Partner
Smith has worked at the executive level in venture capital for ten years, playing a key role in the development of many companies. Smith was integral in the growth of Web Group, LLC, recognized in 2002 as one of Inc. Magazine’s Fastest Growing Private Companies in America (#189). Smith is an active investor with a focus on, but not limited to, security-related businesses and hedge funds. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice from The Pennsylvania State University. Also known as the creator of the “Philanthropic Investmentsm,” Smith is currently a partner in WM Reign, Ltd., an investment model solely dedicated to helping finance churches and Christian causes by utilizing Smith’s “Philanthropic Investmentsm” concept.
James M. Juliano – Partner
Prior to joining Equity 11, Juliano was the founder of Omega Development Corporation, a 27-year old, full-service general contractor that develops projects in the retail, governmental and institutional sector throughout the Midwest. Under Juliano’s management, Omega has generated over $300 million in revenue since its inception. Previously, Juliano spent four years as an advisor and cost analyst for the rehabilitation of government apartments and housing. He holds licenses in real estate, building and contracting in several Midwestern states. His resume also includes U.S. military service from 1969 to 1972, when he was a paratrooper in Germany to reconnaissance in Vietnam.
Matt Bitonti – Partner
Bitonti is currently a Partner with Equity11, and is focused on management of the firm’s security industry interests. After receiving a Bachelors Degree from the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University, Bitonti has thrived as an entrepreneur including but not limited to creating and producing “STATE CHAMPS!” High School Sports show, now in its 8th season. Bitonti’s STATE CHAMPS! received an Emmy Award in 2008 for Best Youth Program; Bitonti has a broad level of experience in the insurance industry, cleantech, entertainment, and security. Bitonti was a 4 year member of The Michigan State University Football Team, and played a key role in what ultimately led to a revival of the program. Bitonti is also a founding partner of 9 Ventures, a premier venture capital management company.
Larry D. Lee, Partner
Prior to joining Equity 11, Lee was the director of capital development for Greystone Management Group. Lee also spent eight years as vice president of football operations with The Detroit Lions and was a member of Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue’s Player Advisory Committee. Lee starred as an All American Football Player at UCLA where he earned a bachelor’s degree in U.S. History. He was drafted by The Detroit Lions in 1981, and he participated in Super Bowl XXII with the Denver Broncos. Lee has been active with and served as vice chairman of the Detroit chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Ralph Terry, Partner Emeritus
Prior to joining Equity 11, Terry spent nearly forty years concentrated in the oil and gas industry, as well as almost a decade of experience in the venture capital industry. Terry has played major roles in the success and development of both The Hulen Oil Company in Oklahoma and Sky Blue Ventures, an independent investment fund. Terry is perhaps best known for his twelve-season career as a Major League Baseball player with the New York Yankees, where he earned the Most Valuable Player honor in the 1962 World Series. Terry played on seven pennant-winning seasons with the Yankees side-by-side with of some of Baseball’s greatest players including Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Roger Maris and Whitey Ford.
Kellie M. Kern, Chief Counsel
Prior to joining Equity 11, Kern was employed by the U.S. Secret Service as well as two law firms: Steinberg, Shapiro, and Clark; and Biber, O’Toole, Fowler, and Clarkson. Kern has experience in the Federal District Court and the Michigan District Court. Kern has wide ranging experience including, but not limited to, bankruptcy, commercial transactions, contracts, trademarks, valuations and business law. Kern earned her bachelor’s degree in Public Law and Government with a minor in Mathematics from Eastern Michigan University, and she received her J.D. from Wayne State University.
Michelle Macdonald, Associate
Macdonald has spent seven years in the venture capital industry, with extensive experience in real estate development, swing trading and research analysis. Macdonald has a proven track record utilizing statistical analysis to create a profitable trading platform. Macdonald serves Equity 11 in a multitude of facets and holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Eastern Michigan University.
John info
May 20th, 2011
1:52 pm
Equity11 investments listed on website also web copied for record:
iSekurity, Stealth Holdings, WM Reign, Reign Sports, Ecology Coatings
John info
May 20th, 2011
2:13 pm
PLEASE READ THROUGH THE WHOLE COMPLAINTS BOARD THAT SOMEONE POSTED:
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/isekurity-identity-protection-c331760.html
Here is part of a complaint: “He currently has Equity 11 Holdings LLC registered to an RR Smith, Equity 11 Admin LLC registered to RR Smith and Equity 11 LTD registered to Richard R Smith Jr. He has Sky Blue Ventures LLC registered to John Smith, Isekurity Holdings (Nevada), Seven Capital registered again to RR Smith, Angels on the Fairway registered again to RR Smith. Who the hell is RR Smith??? Trust me I will find out.”
I believe RR SMITH is John Brett Smith’s father who is being sued in the Oakland County Circuit Court in Michigan under the Equity 11 lawsuit. Apple never does fall very far away from the tree does it?!
More John info
May 20th, 2011
2:19 pm
1
John
May 20th, 2011
2:29 pm
FROM COMPLAINTS BOARD: Lost my original ID for here but its me again, Not A Fool 37.
Well, I have done some additional digging on Mr. Ball (Balless who doesn’t pay his bills and scams people out of money) and his scam artist best buddy JB Smith. Smith (John) pretends to be this high roller and hangs around a lot of people at the golf club in Rochester Hills, MI and a few Vegas Casinos. I am still tracking down what Casino’s he has spent investor money at, so be patient.
Here is the angle that JB uses. He has surrounded himself with guys like Reginald who carry retired law enforcement credentials from the federal government. This adds validity to his scams because an investor thinks that guys like Ball have truly checked this guy out.
He currently has Equity 11 Holdings LLC registered to an RR Smith, Equity 11 Admin LLC registered to RR Smith and Equity 11 LTD registered to Richard R Smith Jr. He has Sky Blue Ventures LLC registered to John Smith, Isekurity Holdings (Nevada), Seven Capital registered again to RR Smith, Angels on the Fairway registered again to RR Smith. Who the hell is RR Smith??? Trust me I will find out.
What it seems like to me is that this guy has multiple companies tied to him and diverts investments from Equity 11 to these other firms. I have some contacts that I am going to tap in a few weeks and find out exactly how much money this guy is stealing…sorry I mean investing.
Typically anyone that has a lot of companies with no revenue are using the companies to do business because they need to hide money or a good way to scam people.
A general web search identified Smith as purchasing the Pittsburgh Steelers. This guy is so believable that he made it on TV folks…national TV!!! Google JB Smith and Pittsburgh Steelers (paste this link)
http://www.cnbc.com/id/29057114/VC_Man_Finds_Steelers_A_Real_Steel
he has tied up all these retired feds with him and I am sure none of them have a clue. I wonder if the guys and gals at Isekurity know what they have gotten themselves into.
Ball has plenty of dirt out there and he is a very good BS artist. His company RB Industries was a cluster f**** and he apparently ran the company in the ground. While he was stealing money from his own company and he and his wife riding in style RBI was going under. This guy has to be one of the worst business people on the planet and I have no idea how he skated through the secret service. I don’t typically believe everything I read unless I check it out for myself, so that’s what I did.
He has another company called RBA and the complaint listed on this site from CLV states that he screwed him on a deal. If you are reading this blog CLV, please list your concern with the company that issued the check to Ball as well as BBB. He got away with it at RBI and this Isekurity thing but I will make his life hell and dig up every piece of dirt I can find on this guy.
I have more digging to do on Balless and Smith and will definitely be reporting my findings.
To the other readers and contributors, keep on checking and lets try to stop people like Ball and Smith from doing this to others.
John
May 20th, 2011
2:30 pm
Is JB Smith have Sales Attack?
John
May 20th, 2011
2:34 pm
Does JB Smith still have Sales Attack?
John
May 20th, 2011
3:11 pm
http://www.hollywoodstake.com
Have to say, I think a internet savvy six year old (no offense to all you six year olds out there….you still have morals and aren’t corrupt to the soul) with one day of website building could’ve done a better job on the website. Most of the info taken from the website….(not much of it):
HOLLYWOODSTAKE.COM
About us:
We are REVOLUTIONIZING the entertainment industry by enabling our partners to EXECUTE their DREAMS, and PROSPER with a TRUE PARTNER!
Projects:
If you feel that you have a project that won’t WASTE our TIME & MONEY, WE want to TALK to YOU(PERIOD)
Profit:
PROFIT, YES we want it, and it is NECESSARY, for all our PARTNERS to SHARE in!!!!
Contact us:
IF YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHICH EMAIL SUITS YOUR NEEDS, CONTACT US:
mycompanydeservesmoney@hollywoodstake.com, careers@hollywoodstake.com, script@hollywoodstake.com, investors@hollywoodstake.com
——————————
Kind of reminds me of all the other vague websites that were created for previous JB SMITH LLC’s-And there were a bunch of them folks.
John
May 20th, 2011
4:04 pm
http://www.oakland.edu/?id=16247&sid=141
Scroll down to middle to end of page. Jb Smith gave $35,000 to the Athletics department. But wasn’t Susan Kampe (wife of the coach, Greg Kampe of Oakland University) one of the executives of iSekurity? Where is she now? What happened to the whole iSekurity board? Did the lawsuit from some members of Equity 11 start about the same time ISekurity changed hands? Maybe even ownership? How is Kampe tied into Equity 11 and its whole group of people?
John
May 20th, 2011
5:06 pm
Rooneys may add another investor
Venture capitalist from Detroit in talks with Steelers owners
Thursday, February 05, 2009
By Timothy McNulty, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Rooney family may bring on an additional investment partner as it seeks to complete a new ownership structure that consolidates the team into the hands of Dan Rooney and his son Art Rooney II.
J.B. Smith, a venture capitalist from Detroit, confirmed yesterday that he is in investment talks with the Rooney clan, after he was viewed at the Steelers victory party and other Super Bowl events over the weekend. He would not say how much he is putting into the team, but said it was “a sizable investment” in the tens of millions of dollars.
Steelers spokesman Bert Lauton said the team cannot “comment, confirm or deny any investor or potential investors unless or until they approved by the NFL.”
Mr. Smith, the managing partner of Equity 11, a private equity firm, jetted into the Tampa area Saturday after attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and attended team events with Larry Lee, an Equity 11 business partner and former player and front office member of the Detroit Lions.
Therein is one tie between Mr. Smith and the Steelers: Mr. Lee worked for the Lions as vice president of football operations when current Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert was their pro scouting director and Steelers college scouting coordinator Ron Hughes was Detroit’s player personnel director. Mr. Smith also took a private jet with Mr. Lee to visit Steelers training camp for a day in August.
Mr. Smith, 36, a Philadelphia native who graduated from Penn State University, also is a fan — of both the Steelers and the Rooney family.
“Over the last NFL season I became enamored with the Rooney family and what they’ve done not only in sport, but in being role models in business. They had multiple chances to sell out, and many would have done that. Their passion for the Steelers is an amazing thing,” he said in a phone interview.
“I could invest in other places with better returns, but I want to help these guys out so they keep control.”
In December NFL owners unanimously approved the ownership restructuring forwarded by Steelers CEO Dan Rooney and his son Art II, the team’s president. Through the deal, they will be borrowing about $250 million to buy out all or part of the team shares held by Dan Rooney’s four younger brothers.
At the time, the Rooneys confirmed three major investors helping them with financing: the Paul family of Pittsburgh, which owns specialty steel manufacturer Ampco-Pittsburgh; James Haslam III of Knoxville, Tenn., the president of truck stop firm Pilot Travel Centers; and Thomas Tull of Los Angeles, a film producer of “The Dark Knight,” “We Are Marshall” and other films.
Mr. Smith would be a fourth. He would not describe his role in the investment team, but said it was due to be finalized by March 31, the closing date the Rooneys gave the NFL.
Equity 11, based in Auburn Hills, Mich., owns companies including iSekurity, a leading identity theft prevention firm employing more than 100 former federal agents, and Ecology Coatings, which develops clean coating technologies for manufacturing.
The proposed Steelers investment would be from a division of Equity 11 called Reign Sports. It is tied to another of Mr. Smith’s ventures called WM Reign, an investment firm dedicated to funding churches and religious outreach. Mr. Smith developed the concept through the “Legacy” financing program helmed by the Rev. James L. Morman, the pastor of Christian Tabernacle Church in Southfield, Mich.
Another of Mr. Smith’s spiritual advisers is Pastor Randall Cunningham — the former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback who has a church in Las Vegas.
One of the things that sealed Mr. Smith’s interest in the Rooneys was their religious faith. The family is Roman Catholic.
The Steelers “are an ethical organization. This is a nice bridge for me,” Mr. Smith said. “I play in a dangerous space, venture capital, where things are ruthless and cutthroat, because that’s where the money is. But my ultimate goal is to provide churches with finances and Christian causes with finances, so this is a nice bridge between the two.”
Mr. Smith graduated from Penn State in 1995 with a degree in criminal justice. He lives in suburban Detroit and is married with two children.
Staff writer Ed Bouchette contributed to this report. Tim McNulty can be reached at tmcnulty@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1581.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09036/947083-66.stm#ixzz1Mvez5gqU
John
May 20th, 2011
10:17 pm
See more Smith PR BS…what a sick, sick puppy
http://atlanta.sbnation.com/atlanta-thrashers/2011/5/20/2182109/thrashers-moving-relocating-winnipeg-sun
Joey martin
May 23rd, 2011
9:42 pm
Jb smith aka John Brett smith is a complete waist of life. Complete scammer who will be going to jail. F’ing loser. He will go down. Everyone…..be warned not ton invest in this fat ass.
Jeff
May 24th, 2011
12:55 am
Jb smith……you stole from me and I will never forget. I was right about you from day one but your new country club buddies didn’t agree. You can’t outrun your reputation now? Maybe you can trade in all your puma golf shoes for a down payment on a new apartment. If you can’t pay a little country club bill how are you expecting to buy a sports franchise?
JIm
May 24th, 2011
5:25 pm
Sounds like John Brett Smith is a very smooth con man. There are many of them out there. He must have the gift of gab and seems to abuse it very well. One should be very cautious in doing business with him. Looks like he lies and the problem is, I believe he is a pathological liar. I think he truly believes his own lies. He also gets others to participate in his scams thereby hooking them too. The man must be stopped and criminally charged before he can do even more damage.
Joey martin
May 24th, 2011
8:40 pm
Jim…cautious with doing business with him? Are u serious? It’s not business. He is a scammer. Complete scum. His dad is going down with him. He was his accountant so the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.