Category: NEW JERSEY

TerrAscend Issued Permit to Grow Medical Marijuana

Eighth Alternative Treatment Center Statewide Permitted to Grow

Boonton Township NJ

–The New Jersey Department of Health today issued a permit to TerrAscend in Boonton Township to begin growing medical marijuana. The permit was issued after a comprehensive review including several site inspections, background checks of

its corporate officers and a review of its security operations and cultivation facility.

“The Department is committed to providing greater access to this therapy for patients,” said New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli.  “TerrAscend is the fourth Alternative Treatment Center to receive a permit to grow product in the northern region of the state.”

After product has been tested by the state laboratory and the dispensary is operational and inspected by the Medical Marijuana Program (MMP), a second permit will be issued to operate and dispense as an Alternative Treatment Centers (ATC). TerrAscend will operate their dispensary in Phillipsburg.

Once TerrAscend receives its permit to dispense, the MMP will notify the patients and caregivers by email of the opening date.

TerrAscend is the second ATC to receive a cultivation permit among the awards made by the MMP in December 2018. In December 2019, the MMP

issued

cultivation and dispensing permits to GTI, which opened Rise dispensary in Paterson that same month.

TerrAscend officials hope the dispensary is permitted and able to begin dispensing medical marijuana to registered patients and caregivers in the spring.

“We are honored to receive our cultivation permit after meeting the rigorous requirements and operating procedures by NJ DOH,” said Jason Ackerman, Executive Chairman of TerrAscend. “TerrAscend is committed to compliance, quality and safety and we look forward to bringing high-quality, trusted brands from TerrAscend’s portfolio to medical-use patients in New Jersey.”

There are seven Alternative Treatment Centers currently dispensing medical marijuana: Greenleaf Compassion Center of Montclair, Compassionate Care Foundation of Egg Harbor, Garden State Dispensary of Woodbridge and Union Township, Breakwater Alternative Treatment Center of Cranbury, Curaleaf NJ, Inc. in Bellmawr, Harmony Dispensary in Secaucus and Rise in Paterson.

Participation in the program continues to grow.  There are more than 66,200 patients, 2,500 caregivers and 1,092 physicians participating in the program.

Patients and caregivers can visit the

MMP\’s website

if they choose to change their preferred ATC. The change can also be made by calling the Customer Service Unit of the MMP at 609-292-0424 and does not require changing ID cards.

Patients can refer to the

FAQ section

of the MMP website for additional information. The 474 active physicians enrolled in the program are listed by county and medical specialty.

New Jersey residents interested in registering for the MMP can click

here

.

For more information about TerrAscend, visit

https://nj.terrascend.com/

Follow the New Jersey Department of Health on

Twitter

@njdeptofhealth,

Facebook

/njdeptofhealth,

Instagram

@njdeptofhealth and

Snapchat

@njdoh.

For more information, visit our homepage at

nj.gov/health

.

PENNSYLVANIA SPORTSBOOKS CLOSE 2019 WITH RECORD $342.6 MILLION IN BETS

 

Online sports betting continues to grow as online poker scores strong month, according to

PlayPennsylvania.com

(LAS VEGAS) — Pennsylvania online and retail sportsbooks posted a record handle of more than $342 million in December — and crossed $1 billion in online bets since launch — to cap a year that generated nearly $1.5 billion in wagers. And with a full year of online sports betting ahead and an increasingly robust offering of operators, Pennsylvania should more than double that handle in 2020, according to analysts from PlayPennsylvania.

“That last two months of 2019 began to show us the real potential of the Pennsylvania market,” said Dustin Gouker, analyst for

PlayPennsylvania.com

. “The launch of DraftKings in November, adding one of the best-known brands to Pennsylvania, helped push online betting forward. And now that the online market is maturing, it is entirely possible that 2020 could bring in $4 billion or more in online and retail bets.\”

In December, Pennsylvania’s sportsbooks accepted $342.6 million in wagers, up 8.2% from $316.5 million, according to official data released Thursday. Before November, Pennsylvania had never accepted more than $200 million in a single month.

December’s bets produced $17.5 million in revenue — down from November’s $20.6 million win — injecting $3.9 million into state coffers.

In 2019, the Keystone State generated:

$1.49 billion in bets, including $1.1 billion in online bets.

Taxable revenue of $84.1 million, including $43 million online.

$28.6 million in state taxes

Pennsylvania will finish 2019 a distant third in total handle among all legal sports betting jurisdictions. New Jersey, the country’s No. 2, attracted $4.6 billion in bets in 2019. But Pennsylvania’s haul in state taxes was more comparable to New Jersey, which generated revenue of $36.5 million.

“Pennsylvania is beginning to succeed where it wanted to most: making sports betting a significant revenue driver for the state,” Gouker said. “Its tax rate is significantly higher than every other state, which has slowed the industry’s growth. But Pennsylvania is the most populous state to fully legalize sports betting, and that has proven to be too enticing for operators to ignore.”

The key reason for the Pennsylvania’s year-end momentum is its growing roster of online sportsbooks, which combined to produce 86.8%, or $297.5 million, of the state’s total December handle.

FanDuel Sportsbook at Valley Forge Casino is still the state’s standard-bearer, accepting $154.5 million in December bets, up from $149.7 million in November. That yielded $7 million in taxable revenue, up from $5.6 million. FanDuel was followed by:

DraftKings at The Meadows ($35.9 million in December handle, up from $16.2 million; $732,883 taxable revenue, down from $1.1 million)

Rivers-Philadelphia ($30.6 million in handle, down from $32.4 million; $1.1 million revenue, down from $1.4 million)

Rivers-Pittsburgh ($28.3 million in handle, down from $32.4 million in November; $1.3 million revenue, up from $1.1 million)

Parx Casino ($25.5 million handle, up from $22.4 million; $779,529 revenue, down from $1.3 million)

Fox Bet at Mount Airy ($16.4 million handle, up from $13.5 million; $312,658  revenue, down from $1 million in revenue)

Unibet at Mohegan Sun Pocono ($6.1 million handle, up from $1.9 million; -$31,744 revenue, up from -$46,642)

Rivers Philadelphia’s $7.7 million handle, down from $8.9 million in November, overtook the retail market. That yielded $590,177 in revenue, up from $234,951. Rivers Philadelphia was followed by:

Parx ($7.51 million handle, down from $8.1 million; $572,416 revenue, down from $739,281)

Rivers Pittsburgh ($7.48 million handle in November, down from $8.9 million; $518,743 revenue, up from $486,449)

Valley Forge Casino ($3.6 million handle, up from $3.2 million; $107,145 revenue, down from $192,492)

South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook ($3.3 million handle, down from $3.6 million; $328,651 revenue, down from $339,310)

Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course ($3.2 million handle, down from $3.8 million; $112,277 revenue, up from $48,520)

Harrah’s Philadelphia ($3 million handle, even with November; $123,799 revenue, down from $234,355)

Presque Isle ($3 million handle, down from $3.7 million; $217,870 revenue, down from $302,458)

Mohegan ($2.6 million handle, up from $2.5 million; $257,956 revenue, up from $173,120)

Oaks Race and Sportsbook ($1.2 million handle, down from $1.4 million; $65,949 revenue, down from $149,765)

Mount Airy ($814,931 handle, down from $868,026 handle; $73,692 revenue, up from $43,680 in revenue)

“The Rivers Casino books in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have capitalized on their markets to set themselves apart,” Gouker said. “But the proliferation of online betting has muted the growth of retail sportsbooks. The convenience of online betting, coupled with a robust in-game experience, is tough for retail sportsbooks to match.

ONLINE POKER TAKES OFF IN DECEMBER

Online poker drew significant history as the popularity of online casinos continued to grow in December. Online casino games and poker produced a record $10.6 million in December gross revenue, up 22% from $8.7 million in November. That yielded $2.3 million in tax revenue for the state.

Poker generated $2.5 million in December — all at Mount Airy/PokerStars — putting the record $3.4 million that New Jersey online poker rooms tallied in January 2014 in sight.

“The interest in poker so far in Pennsylvania is dramatic compared with neighboring New Jersey, where about 3% of online casino and poker revenue comes from poker,” Gouker said. “New Jersey got off to a hot start, too. So the question now is can the Pennsylvania sustain the initial enthusiasm.”

Rivers-Philadelphia held on to the online casino and poker market lead with $3 million in revenue on $181.5 million in bets. Revenue was down from $3.2 million on $148.7 million in wagers in November. Rivers-Philadelphia was followed by:

Mount Airy/PokerStars ($3.5 million in revenue, up from $3 million in November; $73.6 million in bets, up from $48 million)

Penn National ($1.7 million in revenue, down from $1.9 million; $54.6 million in bets, down from $57.1 million)

Parx ($1.5 million in revenue, even with November; $53.7 million in wagers, down from $55.5 million)

Unibet/Mohegan Sun Pocono ($406,445 in revenue, up from $131,415; $22 million in bets, up from $7.4 million)

For more information on the revenue generated by Pennsylvania sports betting, visit

www.playpennsylvania.com/revenue

.

About the

PlayUSA.com

Network:

The

PlayUSA.com

Network is a leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated online gaming in the United States. With a presence in over a dozen states,

PlayUSA.com

and its state-focused branches (including

PlayNJ.com

and

PlayPennsylvania.com

) produce daily original reporting, publish in-depth research, and offer player advocacy tools related to the advancement of safe, licensed, and legal online gaming options for consumers. Based in Las Vegas, the PlayUSA Network is independently owned and operated, with no affiliations to any casino — commercial, tribal, online, or otherwise.

MILLIONS OF STUDENTS AVOID STUDENT DEBT BY SUGAR DATING

The 2020 election is right around the corner, and there’s one thing all the Democratic candidates agree on: fixing the student debt crisis. While solutions including loan forgiveness and cancellation are on the table, the future remains uncertain, and Americans are saddled with $1.6 trillion in student loans.

LAS VEGAS (Jan., 2020) — Rather than become another one of the 44 million student loan borrowers in the United States, who graduate university only to be burdened by the heavy weight of loan repayments and a competitive job market, young Americans today are opting for their solution to the student debt crisis —

Sugar Daddies.

There are now over three million Sugar Baby students in the US, SeekingArrangement, the world’s largest Sugar Dating site, announces today. And, the school with the most is Arizona State University, with 2,724 students. Indiana University follows with 1,540 students, and New York University trails closely in third with 1,507 students.

To celebrate the fifth anniversary of Sugar Baby University, SeekingArrangement also releases the top 25 American community colleges that Sugar Babies attend. Virginia Community College outranks them all with 2,008 students.

With tuition increasing by four percent in 2019 to over $10,000 per year, it makes sense that students are finding these elevated relationships beneficial. The opportunities for mentorship and an expanded network are also enticing.

“It’s no surprise students are growing increasingly impatient with our politicians,” says Brandon Wade, Founder and CEO of SeekingArrangement. “How can they trust a system that has continuously failed to make any real changes to the student debt crisis? SeekingArrangement has provided a platform for students to go to college without the stress of money.”

A complete list of SeekingArrangement’s top universities and community colleges and

a downloadable press kit can be found here: https://www.seeking.com/p/sugar-baby- university-2020/usa. For more information regarding Sugar Baby University, or to request an interview with Wade please email Kelli at kelli.tellier@seeking.com.

Investors Bank Kicks-Off New Year with Competition for Small Businesses

Two Grand Prize Winners to Receive A Prize Package Valued at More than $100,000

in Easy-to-Enter Competition in New York/New Jersey

SHORT HILLS, N.J.

–

Investors Bank

is kicking-off 2020 by inviting small businesses in New York and New Jersey to compete for a prize package valued at more than $100,000. The easy-to-enter Investors Bank Movers & Shakers Small Business Competition is open to businesses with between $2 million and $20 million in revenue and less than 100 employees,

headquartered or conducting the majority of business in Metro New York and New Jersey. Ten finalists will be selected from among the two categories: general business and minority- or women-owned business. There will be two grand prize winners named from among the finalists.

Investors Bank, WCBS Newsradio 880, and the New Jersey Devils are providing the grand prizes for the Movers & Shakers Small Business Competition, which include:

$10,000 in cash from Investors Bank;

$15,000 in advertising value on WCBS Newsradio 880;

Exclusive New Jersey Devils corporate sponsorship assets; and,

VIP event experience at Prudential Center for the contest winners and 15 guests.

“Investors Bank is committed to helping small businesses grow by supporting those that share our key ideals of creativity, competitiveness, and community,” said Domenick Cama, President and Chief Operating Officer, Investors Bank. “Small businesses are vital to the local economy. The extent to which small businesses provide valuable services determines the local economy’s prosperity. We want to support this prosperity.”

Interested applicants should submit an “elevator pitch” of no more than 1,000 words describing how their business aligns with the Investors Bank ideals of:

Creativity

– uniqueness, bringing a new approach to the marketplace;

Competitiveness

– managing near-in competition and with the larger conglomerates; and,

Community

– having a positive impact on the immediate neighborhood where customers and employees live and work, as well as the region and the world.

Entries must be submitted to

www.myinvestorsbank.com/SmallBizEntry

by February 28, 2020. A short video about the competition also is available at that website.

“Small businesses are the foundation of our communities and Investors is committed to finding better ways to serve them,” said Mike MacIntyre, Head of Business Banking at Investors. “We recently hired an additional team of small business bankers dedicated to helping our small businesses succeed, as well as have plans to phase in a digital loan origination platform to streamline our small business loan origination process.”

All of the finalists will be invited to an event at the Radio.com Theater, and will receive tickets to the WCBS NewsRadio 880 New Jersey Business Breakfast in June.

“Investors prides itself on its commitment to community, whether through our support of small business, the work we do through our foundation, our sponsorships, or the tens of thousands of hours volunteered each year to support local initiatives,” said Bill Brown, Executive Vice President, Chief Retail Officer, Investors Bank. “Community is who we are, and small businesses are the backbone of communities.”

More information on the Investors Bank Movers & Shakers Small Business Competition is available at your local Investors Bank branch or at

www.myinvestorsbank.com

. For contest rules and eligibility, visit

www.myinvestorsbank.com/SmallBizEntry.com

.

About Investors Bank

Investors Bank, headquartered in Short Hills, New Jersey, is a full-service community bank that has been serving customers since 1926. With over $27 billion in assets and a network of more than 145 retail branches, Investors Bank delivers personalized services and products tailored to the needs of its customers. Investors Bank’s banking services include complete deposit, loan and cash management products for consumers and businesses.

Investors Bank: Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender.

NJBIA Statement on State of the State Address

New Jersey Business & Industry Association President CEO Michele N. Siekerka, Esq. issued the following statement in response to today\’s State of the State address by Gov. Phil Murphy.

\”As we embark on a new decade, we can all support a New Jersey where everyone has the greatest opportunity to succeed.

\”Through the midpoint of his term, Governor Murphy has defined his mission for a \’stronger and fairer\’ economy. Part of the fulfillment of this calling has been a focus on returning New Jersey to its status as the Innovation State, and positive steps to foster workforce development.

\”We commend the governor for these efforts, and we look forward to learning more about Jobs NJ as its mission aligns with our continued workforce development efforts.

\”The major issues that remain for New Jersey, however, are escalating taxes, untenable increases in spending, deepening fiscal deficits and a worsening business climate. For the sake of our affordability and competitiveness, New Jersey needs to reverse course on each of these issues.

\”New taxes of any kind will not address or solve New Jersey\’s structural challenges. We simply cannot tax ourselves out of our pension liability and post-employment benefit obligations. New Jersey desperately needs a commitment to impactful fiscal reforms to ensure a stable future, instead of continued, excessive taxation heaped upon overburdened residents and businesses.

\”Re-authorizing a new tax incentive program is the next big step, and it\’s one Governor Murphy and the Legislature must take together. This urgency cannot be overstated. It should have appropriate oversight and regular reviews of effectiveness. But it also should be a strong, robust program to give New Jersey the competitive boost it sorely lacks right now.

\”Absent a strong economic incentive program, New Jersey cannot level a playing field mined with excessive taxes and costs.\”

Joan M. Wood (nee Williams), of Williamstown, formerly of Gloucester City

Joan M. Wood (nee Williams), on January 15, 2020, of Williamstown, formerly of Gloucester City. Age 68.

Loving companion of Raymond “Skip” Bellows. Devoted sister of Frances Monahan (Phil), Donna Williams (Robert), Debra Williams (John) and the late G. Robert Williams, Lynda Thiel and Josephine Wiltsey. Also survived by many nieces, nephews and friends.

Joan loved playing Bingo and going on casino trips.

There will be a viewing from 9 to 11am Wednesday morning at GARDNER FUNERAL HOME, RUNNEMEDE.

Funeral Service 11am at the funeral home.

Interment Bethel Memorial Park, Pennsauken.

Family requests in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Joan’s memory to American Lung Assoc., 55 W. Wacker Dr., Suite 1150, Chicago, IL 60601.

Pennsylvania Offers New Funding to Help Philly Students Discover Opportunities in Manufacturing

HARRISBURG, PA (January 15, 2020)–Governor Tom Wolf announced that the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC) was approved for $110,000 in Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career funding to nearly double the number of teams in Bucks, Montgomery, and

Philadelphia counties participating in the educational competition, ‘What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?’ (WSCM).

“More and more students have a growing interest in manufacturing employment because of innovative and interactive programs like ‘What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?’ said Gov. Wolf. “We are proud to support the creative efforts being made by Pennsylvania teachers, students, and manufacturing companies as they collaborate to illustrate the opportunities available in this industry.”

WSCM matches teams with manufacturing businesses in their communities that invite student filmmakers to highlight products, interview staff, and best showcase what it would be like to work for that employer. The new funding made available by the Wolf Administration will help grow the number of participating teams from 28 to 40 this year.

WSCM was created to help shape the image of manufacturing and career and technical education opportunities for students by highlighting the potential for good-paying, stable jobs in an evolving industry. A focus on career pathways in schools and more STEM education in many Pennsylvania classrooms combined with technological innovations in the industry are shaping the future of manufacturing and preparing the next generation of workers.

The contest creates regional awareness of advanced manufacturing careers, increases both student and parent interest in STEM and technical education opportunities, helps students get an inside look at manufacturing companies in their community, encourages collaboration between industry and educators, and offers a project-based learning experience for students.

The funding will support additional outreach to schools and companies in the Philadelphia area, professional services and consultations, trainings, equipment and supplies, and more. This funding supports Governor Wolf’s commitment to enhancing the growth and competitiveness of Pennsylvania’s manufacturing industry by identifying and training a skilled workforce.

“The commonwealth’s support for ‘What’s So Cool About Manufacturing’ allows us to manage and promote the program for another year to demonstrate to the future workforce the importance of manufacturing in the region,” said DVIRC Executive Vice President Tony Girifalco. “With support from the Montgomery and Bucks County Workforce Investment boards and the Manufacturing Alliance of Bucks and Montgomery counties, we’re pushing hard to increase participation to 40 teams—a nearly 50 percent increase over last year. Companies love it, students love it, and parents and teachers love it, so anything we can do to build more interest in and support for manufacturing and manufacturing careers, we are glad to do.”

Governor Wolf’s Manufacturing PA initiative

was launched in October 2017, and since then has funded 35 projects and invested more than $9 million through the Training-to-Career program. Training-to-Career grants support projects that result in short-term work-readiness, job placement, or the advancement of manufacturing. The Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career program works collaboratively with local manufacturers to identify and teach missing essential skills for entry level applicants seeking manufacturing employment, engage youth or those with barriers to career opportunities in manufacturing, and advance capacity for local or regional manufacturers.

For more information about the Wolf Administration’s commitment to manufacturing, visit the

Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) website

or follow us on

Twitter

,

LinkedIn

,

Facebook

, and

YouTube

.

CNB Hunting/Fishing News NJ: Species on the Edge 2.0 Social Media Contest

CWF invites high school students from across the state to submit a series of original social media posts showing why it is important to protect wildlife in New Jersey.

Register by February 28, 2020. Contest runs March 1-8, 2020.

The fun and educational

Species on the Edge 2.0 Social Media Contest

capitalizes on high school students\’ expertise with social media platforms and provides them with the opportunity to showcase their talent, creativity, and love of nature.

Students will create their own original content (for example: video, text, photograph, computer graphic) or use existing Conserve Wildlife Foundation content to create a series of posts focusing on a vulnerable New Jersey species that CWF helps protect.

The contest helps to develop students’ experience in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) and apply critical thinking and project management skills.

Best of all, it’s

free

– and gives students the chance to win prizes! All entries will be eligible to win a day in the field with a wildlife biologist.

1

st

place wins $1,000

2

nd

place wins $500

3

rd

place wins $250

Read the contest kit

for details on entering, judging and rules.

Apply online

, or use the form in the kit, by February 28, 2020.

Species on the Edge 2.0 Contest Kit 2020

–

271.8KB

Species on the Edge 2.0 Contest Kit 2020

In order to participate, the completed

entry form

must be submitted by Friday, February 28, 2020.

Social media posts must run between March 1, 2020 and March 8, 2020 at midnight.

For more information

email

Ethan Gilardi.

Big second quarter helps MSU sink Rutgers-Camden women

MONTCLAIR, N.J. (Jan. 15, 2020) – The Montclair State University women’s basketball team outscored Rutgers University-Camden by 20 points in the second quarter and went on to defeat the Scarlet Raptors, 88-53, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Wednesday night.

The Red Hawks, who improved to 11-4 overall and 6-2 in the NJAC with their sixth straight win, held a narrow 15-11 lead after one quarter before going on a 26-6 run in the second quarter. They had a nine-point run in the first quarter on a trio of three-pointers by junior guard Taylor Brown to take the lead for good at 15-9.

In the second quarter, Montclair State had an early seven-point run before closing out the half by scoring the last 12 points. They held a 41-17 lead at the break.

The loss snapped the Scarlet Raptors’ four-game winning streak and dropped Rutgers-Camden to 9-6 overall and 2-6 in the NJAC.

Montclair State now leads the all-time series, 45-17, after Rutgers-Camden won the two head-to-head games last season.

Freshman guard Nickie Carter paced the Red Hawks with 22 points, shooting 9-for-15 from the floor, including three treys. Brown, who was 4-for-8 from three-point range, finished with 12 points and a game-high six assists, while freshman forward Saniya Myers added 11.

The Red Hawks, who shot a red-hot 15-for-29 (51.7 percent) from three-point range, placed 13 players in the scoring column. Junior forward Kayla Bush had a game-high 12 rebounds to help Montclair State hold a 48-27 advantage off the boards. Bush added nine points as she barely missed a double-double.

Senior guard

Fatimah Williams

collected a game-high 15 points for the Scarlet Raptors, two days after joining the 1,000-point club against the University of Valley Forge. Williams raised her career total to 1,021 points.

Freshman guard/forward

Jalissa Pitts

finished with 12 points for the Raptors, while sophomore guard/forward

Tamara Johnson

added 11 points and seven rebounds. Freshman forward/center

Kayla Newton

paced the Raptors with 10 rebounds, tying her career high accomplished three previous times this season.

Rutgers-Camden shot 20-for-61 (32.8) from the floor, including 3-for-14 (21.4) from three-point range. Montclair State was 33-for-64 (51.6) from the floor.

The Scarlet Raptors return to NJAC action Saturday with a 1 p.m. game at New Jersey City University.

ALEX KARRAS FINALLY VOTED INTO PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

By Raymond Rolak

Sports Editor

NEW YORK–

The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio announced that Lions Defensive Tackle Alex Karras was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 15-person Centennial Slate for the Class of 2020.

Alex Karras hosting Saturday Night Live in 1985 with guests Billy Crystal and Tina Turner.

This special added class into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was expanded to celebrate the National Football League Centennial.

Karras was known as the dominant defensive tackle of his time who utilized a variety of innovative moves and stunts to elude his blocking opponents.

Karras played for Detroit from 1958-70 and was named first-team All-Pro three times, earned four Pro Bowl berths and was a member of the NFL’s 1960s All-Decade Team.

He was selected by the Lions in the first round (10th overall) of the 1958 NFL Draft out of the University of Iowa.

Mrs. Martha Firestone Ford, the Lions owner and chairman said, “We would like to congratulate the entire Karras family on the selection of Alex into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

While we were thrilled to induct Alex into our most recent Pride of the Lions Class in 2018, today’s announcement solidifies his place as not only one of the all-time great Lions players, but also one of the best to ever play in the NFL.

We also would like to congratulate all of Alex’s fellow Centennial Slate Hall of Fame inductees.”

He also was a member of what many consider to be the NFL’s original “Fearsome Foursome” – Karras, Roger Brown, Darris McCord and Sam Williams.

These four defensive linemen dominated the NFL in the early 1960’s.

In 2018, along with Herman Moore and Roger Brown, the Lions inducted Karras into the ‘Pride of the Lions’, the highest honor bestowed upon former Detroit Lions players.

He was previously snubbed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame because of his NFL suspension in 1963.

Karras\’s partial ownership in Detroit\’s Lindell A.C. Bar became a source of controversy.

League officials urged him to sell his financial interests in the place because of reports of gambling and organized crime influence.

After first threatening to retire rather than give the bar up, Karras admitted placing bets on NFL games and was suspended by the league, along with Green Bay Packers\’ running back Paul Hornung.

The suspensions were harsh.

Both received banishment for one season.

During his exile, Karras had a celebrated pro wrestling match, taking on the memorable character, Dick-the-Bruiser, in front of a standing-room-only event at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit.

Karras\’ story telling skills and unique sense of humor came to the attention of writer George Plimpton.

Plimpton had heard many funny Karras stories while training with the Lions for his book

Paper Lion

.

When the book was made into a full featured movie in 1968, Karras made his film debut, playing himself.

The film premiered in Detroit on October 2, 1968 and starred Alan Alda.

That was the start of a new career for Karras.

In 1972, Karras hosted a local weekly football program for Windsor, Ontario CBC affiliate CKLW-TV,

The Alex Karras Football Show

; his program generally preceded the CBC\’s Wednesday night CFL telecasts.

A very memorable role came shortly after.

In the western parody and comedy,

Blazing Saddles

(1974), Karras played Mongo, a very strong and slow-witted thug.

Mongo rode into town on a huge Brahman Bull and knocked out a horse with one punch.

His famous line came next.

He responded to a question from the Sheriff with, \”Don\’t know …… Mongo only pawn in game of life.\”

The scene made pop-culture history.

Alex Karras was born on July 15, 1935 in Gary, Indiana.

Besides football, he excelled as an actor, sports broadcaster, author and producer.

Other hit credits also included

Porky\’s

(1981) and

Victor Victoria

(1982).

In the 1980s, Karras had huge success with the TV sitcom

Webster

, playing George Papadapolis.

It was the story of an inter-racial adoptive father and son.

It was a role that showcased his softer side.

Karras had a contentious relationship with his college coach, Forest Evashevski.

On Evy’s 90th birthday, Karras called his old coach and apologized for being such a ‘Malakas‘ (Greek for jerk), at Iowa.

Karras was very proud of his Greek heritage.

Karras was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

He was married to the actress Susan Clark.

His first wife was Ivalyn Joan Jurgensen.

He had six children.

He died on October 10, 2012 of chronic kidney failure in Los Angeles, California.