NFL, Players Backing Initiatives Around Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and the NFL will promote "early detection and screening with a series of events at every game" this weekend, according to Todd Archer of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. Team captains will present pink roses to honorary captains "who have been touched by the disease," while coaches, management and gameday staff will wear pink ribbon pins. Pink Gatorade towels will be on the sideline, which will be autographed and auctioned off with the proceeds going to charity. Cowboys LB Bradie James, whose mother died from breast cancer in '01, has filmed PSAs that will air during games at LSU, his alma mater, and Southern Univ. this month, with hopes of doing to same during a Cowboys game (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 10/5). Meanwhile, Buccaneers CB Ronde Barber and Panthers QB Jake Delhomme appear in PSAs for Lifetime's "Stop Breast Cancer for Life" campaign. Barber is honoring his mother, who survived the disease, and Delhomme focuses on family members afflicted by it (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 10/5). In Philadelphia, Mike Kern noted the Eagles unveiled four pink hats that will be available to purchase throughout all of October, with $5 of each sale going to the Eagles Tackle Breast Cancer campaign. Launched in '04, the program has raised close to $750,000 with Jefferson's Breast Care Center the primary recipient (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 10/2).