TBJ Plus: Olive oil woes; Dale Jr.'s new passion; Swank DC condo for sale
Cost of olive oil soars as supply drops
It’s easy to be a big fan of olive oil, but the world’s supply of the key cooking ingredient has been decimated by fires, heat and drought.
The Washington Post reported that olive oil now costs a record $9,000 per metric ton. About half the world’s olive oil comes from Spain, and that country has seen about a 48 percent drop in production, largely because of weather-related issues.
In August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that olive oil prices were 130 percent higher than a year ago, according to The Post.
In fact, the shortage is so acute — and olive oil has become so valuable — that the Olive Oil Times reported thefts of olive oil are on the rise in Spain. One mill reported the theft of 50,000 liters of extra virgin olive oil.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. now turns to children’s books
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a new passion – children’s books.
The former NASCAR star — and son of one of the sport’s true legends — just published his second children’s book, the racing-themed “Buster Gets Back on Track.” He visited his Whisky River location at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport Thursday to autograph books for the holidays.
The Charlotte Business Journal reported that Earnhardt wore a button-down shirt, rectangular black glasses and Lululemon pants – although he still has plenty of Wranglers.
Earnhardt and his team have nurtured a podcast company (Dirty Mo Media), developed a post-racing broadcast career with NBC Sports, published several books and remained a pitchman for various companies, including Bojangles.
Forbes has estimated his total earnings topped $400 million, and Earnhardt said he is picky about his business ventures. His inspiration is boxer George Foreman’s success pitching a grill.
“I use that as a bit of a motivator for me; I’m always going to be looking for the Foreman grill. That’s a good example for athletes that are trying to invest what they make, how to succeed beyond their careers, what is that one thing that resonates with you.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. held a meet-and-greet for fans at his Whisky River restaurant at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Oct. 5.
Swank condo for sale overlooking the Potomac
A stunning condo that overlooks the Potomac River is on the market in Washington, D.C., at a price of $11.25 million, the Washington Business Journal reported.
The 6,100-square-foot condo is at the Ritz-Carlton Residences Georgetown, and the owner gets access to the amenities of the hotel.
Penthouse 2A includes five bedrooms, five full baths and a whopping 3,000 square feet of terrace space with a view straight down the Potomac.
Ritz-Carlton Residences, PH-2A, is the largest of the building’s units. It is listed for $11.5 million.
How UNC’s Nike sponsorship deal has grown since 1993
A new report from The Sports Daily details just how much UNC-Chapel Hill’s deal with Nike has grown since it began in 1993.
The deal was huge news when Carolina first struck it, as basketball coach Dean Smith had long been a fan of Converse. But Michael Jordan struck a deal with Nike (NYSE: NKE) after landing in the NBA, and the Tar Heels followed in 1993.
That deal was for $4.7 million. But in 2018, that jumped to $95 million over 10 years.
The Sports Daily says Carolina’s take of $9.5 million per year is the second-most expensive, trailing only the University of Texas at $9.76 million.
Nike now sponsors 60 percent of the Power Five schools, The Sports Daily reported.
North Carolina has made big money from its deal with Nike over the years.
Carolina, NCAA clash over Walker
The NCAA’s surprise decision to reverse itself and make Tez Walker eligible sparked some remarkable exchanges between the two.
The world of academics is usually marked by civility and politeness, but the NCAA, as WRAL noted, said it was “unfortunate” that UNC did not provide some relevant information earlier. The NCAA added that “UNC’s behavior and decision to wage a public relations campaign is inappropriate and outside the bounds of the process UNC’s own staff supported.”
UNC Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham wasn’t having it and shot back, “the justification provided by the NCAA today is not accurate.”
NC restaurants launch effort to attract servers
The N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association is launching a new effort to recruit people to serve in restaurants.
The industry was slammed by the pandemic, and finding people to work has been a challenge since Covid-19 receded.
The statewide effort, called Serving Careers, is funded by a $5 million from North Carolina’s portion of the American Rescue Plan.
