U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary JANET NAPOLITANO yesterday announced at a news conference in N.Y. that the safety campaign phrase "If You See Something, Say Something" is now "officially expanding to all of the country's major sports venues." Napolitano "emphasized the effort to join with other organizations to strengthen the safety movement" (MLB.com, 8/27).
CHARITY STRIPE: Patriots P ZOLTAN MESKO has been named recipient of the team's Ron Burton Community Service Award. Mesko has "taken part in numerous events, including spending time at the Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence and helping build a playground in Providence last summer." Meanwhile, Patriots TE AARON HERNANDEZ presented team Owner ROBERT KRAFT with a donation to the Myra Kraft Giving Back Foundation. The "check was for $50,000" (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 8/28)....D'Backs President & CEO DERRICK HALL and 2B AARON HILL have "teamed up with the Valley of the Sun United Way, the Ending Hunger Advisory committee and other community leaders to promote the UNITE to End Hunger initiative, a four-year plan to end hunger in the county and promote a systematic change" (MLB.com, 8/27).
DRINK UP: Pro Football HOFer MIKE DITKA is "relaunching his line of wines." The new "Mike Ditka Wines," which will "replace the spirits" he has "lent his name to since 2006, will include eight labels, each a tribute to an aspect of his famed career." After six years in the portfolio of California-based Mendocino Wine Company, Ditka "has now teamed up with Lake Bluff-based Terlato Wines International to develop a totally new wine and help improve its distribution" (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 8/27).
NAMES: The Lakers "plan to erect a statue" outside Staples Center to honor Basketball HOFer KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR, the NBA's all-time leading scorer. A source said that the Lakers "plan to announce the date of the official unveiling of the statue in the near future." There are currently "five statues outside of Staples Center, with three of them being Lakers-related in" former players JERRY WEST and MAGIC JOHNSON, and broadcaster CHICK HEARN joining hockey HOFer WAYNE GRETZKY and local boxer OSCAR DE LA HOYA (ESPNLA.com, 8/27)....Gold Medal-winning U.S. swimmer MICHAEL PHELPS yesterday attended the Ravens' practice and spoke with the team. Phelps was "accompanied by his girlfriend," model MEGAN ROSSEE (BALTIMORESUN.com, 8/27)....A unit of Pohlad Cos. yesterday "upped its stake in the Twin Cities luxury automobile market with the acquisition of Audi, Porsche and Mercedes dealerships." Pohlad's Twin Cities Automotive "announced the purchase of Carousel Audi and Porsche in Golden Valley, and Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche in Maplewood" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 8/28)....The "boyhood home" of boxing HOfer MUHAMMAD ALI is "up for sale by owner for $50,000 in Louisville, Ky." (AP, 8/27).
