There are plenty of stories about former Broncos who lived the high life only to crash and burn post their NFL career.
But former wide receiver Rod Smith has avoided slipping into the “fortune, fame then falling flat on his face” cycle. His story is told as part of an Oct. 31 Forbes story headlined, “Not broke: How NFL players stay financially stable after the game ends.” Read the whole story at http://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciajessop/2012/10/31/not-broke-how-nfl-players-stay-financially-stable-after-the-game-ends/.
In the story, Smith recounts being 10 years old and watching an episode of “Where Are They Now?” on HBO.
“There was a guy on the show who played in the NFL and then became homeless…When I saw that, I thought, ‘When I get into the NFL, there is no way I’m going broke,'” Smith told Forbes.
Forbes also cited a 2009 Sports Illustrated report that said within two years of retiring, 78 percent of NFL players face financial stress.
Smith hung onto his frugality throughout his 14-year NFL career in part because he joined the pros as an undrafted player in 1994. At his alma mater Missouri Southern State University, he completed three degrees in business, economics and finance, and marketing and management, the story said.
“I didn’t get drafted, so that helped me build financial stability,” Smith told Forbes. “I had a chance to be in the NFL, but not a chance to be in the NFL lifestyle, because I didn’t have the income for it.”
On the Broncos practice squad making $60,000 a year, Smith didn’t attempt to keep up with the financial luxuries of other players in the locker room.
Now in retirement, Smith has kept up a practice he started in the Broncos locker room under the leadership of former head coach Mike Shanahan of mentoring younger players about financial responsibility.
“I appreciate Shanahan because he let me teach a financial class to the rookies,” Smith said in the story. “Nobody was teaching me these principles. I learned them from watching people.”
Il Mondo Vecchio bids arrivederci
Il Mondo Vecchio, the much-lauded Denver salumi producer, will shut its doors on Nov. 30 due to increased regulatory requirements and pressures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The production facility at 1174 S. Cherokee St. famously produced salami, pepperoni, bresaola and other cured meats along with fresh sausages for local restaurants and markets as well as for eateries in out-of-state cities including San Francisco, Seattle and Houston.
Mark DeNittis and business partner Gennaro DeSantis have owned and operated Il Mondo Vecchio under the local USDA watchdog for three years. When a representative from the national USDA went on an inspection, the salumeria was abruptly put under more fierce scrutiny.
“Il Mondo Vecchio has had three solid years of uninterrupted business growth and has never had one instance of food safety violation, issue or complaint,” DeNittis said in a written statement. “In August, the USDA imposed additional requirements on Il Mondo Vecchio’s production methods. After two months of sharing information and collaboration back and forth between Il Mondo Vecchio and the USDA as well as various attempts to modify the production methods, Il Mondo Vecchio has determined that the impact of the regulatory requirements on dry cured sausage products was detrimental to the quality of the product and therefore, (we) are forced to close the doors.”
DeNittis said that his company and the USDA came to an impasse. “(We) could either change (our) methods to a process that has been validated by the USDA such as fermenting (cooking the product) or adding nitrites, nitrates, acids or copious amounts of salt, all resulting in what IMV believes to be an inferior product or stop production.”
They chose the latter.
For updates about any future endeavors, follow the website at www.ilmondovecchiosalumi.com. In the meantime, the public is still invited to attend the weekly Friday afternoon Loading Dock Friday product sales until the end of this month.
Ed gala
The Denver Scholarship Foundation is holding its fourth annual Ed Gala beginning at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center.
The evening’s keynote address will be delivered by Jim Clifton, the CEO of Gallup, a leader in organizational consulting and public opinion research, as well as the author of the book The Coming Jobs War.
Denver pediatrician Dean Prina is co-chairing the event for the fourth year, and he is joined on the leadership team by Libby Anschutz Brown, president of the Anschutz Foundation, and Zachary Neumeyer, chairman of Sage Hospitality.
Sponsorships and donations totaling $1.4 million have already been acquired, including a major commitment from DaVita and the Thiry O’Leary Foundation for the event’s title sponsorship.
“We are so pleased that DaVita has demonstrated its commitment to higher education with this lead sponsorship,” Prina said. “It is impressive for a company still relatively new to our community to step up in such a substantial and meaningful way. DaVita understands the important role of education for the development of its future workforce and the betterment of the city.”
All proceeds from the event will benefit the Denver Scholarship Foundation and its mission to inspire and empower Denver Public Schools students to achieve their quest for college.
For tickets, contact Abigail Whiteing at 303-640-6568 or e-mail awhiteing@denverscholarship.org. More information at www.denverscholarship.org.
Swap shop
The reuse, recycle and repurpose event the second annual Holiday Fashion Swap returns at The Streets at SouthGlenn’s Cantina Laredo from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
The event will also launch from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Cantina Laredo in Boulder.
The swap costs $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Attendees bring a medium-sized shopping bag filled with like-new holiday, casual or business fall/winter clothing, shoes, handbags or jewelry.
Guests will be given Holiday Fashion Swap Party shopping bags to fill during the swap. The ticket price includes one complimentary wine, beer, champagne or margarita, fashion show, access to personal stylists, and indie designer and retailer pop-up boutiques.
Cantina Laredo will donate 10 percent of the evenings proceeds to Smart-Girl Inc., a charity that works to empower teenage girls to make smart choices. Tickets can be purchased at http://holidayfashionswap.eventbrite.com or go to www.fashionswapshop.blogspot.com for more information.
He “otter” be a spokesmouth
Former Denver daily newspaper sports columnist and stand-up comedian Sam Adams is one of the new “spokesmouths” for the Samsung (get it?) OtterBox, the safety cover for the company’s smartphones.
“This holiday season, keep me safe in an OtterBox cuz I’m better than any wingman you’ve ever partied with,” Adams says under the post of his video pitch at www.otterbox.com/wrapme. Click on “above average Joe”.
Wiley Weil
Rockmount Ranch Wear owner Steve Weil never met a celebrity he didn’t like, especially if they buy and wear his shirts in concert.
So recently when rock icons Bob Dylan and Mark Knopfler were on tour for two shows in Denver, Knopfler and the band stopped and shopped at Rockmount in LoDo.
The bass player (not pictured here) wore his Rockmount denim shirt (No. 640-DT, Weil tells me) at the show.
“This is one perk at Rockmount not knowing who is going to drop by unexpectedly,” Weil said.
Dylan has been to Rockmount and has many shirts including the one he wore when he received the medal of honor from President Barack Obama earlier this year.
Eavesdropping on comedian Deacon Gray’s Facebook post: “My girlfriend dumped me with a robocall. It said, ‘You can’t afford four more dates.'”
Did you hear that I have a new column, “Mile High Life,” in Colorado Community Media’s 17 weekly newspapers circling Denver? Be sure to like my Facebook page! Also, here’s where you go to get my column emailed to you Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I’m now the social-media liaison for the Mile High Chapter of the Colorado Restaurant Association, so read my latest restaurant news there. My email: penny@blacktie-llc.com.
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