In Chicago, Mitch Smith reports Bears Principal Owner VIRGINIA MCCASKEY and her son, Bears Senior Dir of Special Projects PATRICK MCCASKEY, yesterday at the team's Lake Forest, Ill., practice facility “hosted religious leaders and politicians” for the Reclaiming Religious Liberty Leadership Summit. Speakers at the event “lamented the ‘eroding freedom to speak in the language of faith in the public square.’” Virginia and Patrick McCaskey have been “high-profile opponents” of a federal government mandate that some religious institutions offer health insurance policies that cover their employees' contraceptives. But Patrick McCaskey said it would be "unfair to say the Bears, as an organization, agree" with everything that was said at the meeting. Virginia McCaskey said it would be "inappropriate" for the team to take an official stand on the mandate (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/15).
FATHERS & SONS: During last night's Packers-Texans "SNF" telecast, NBC's AL MICHAELS and CRIS COLLINSWORTH discussed the recent passing of Collinsworth's father. Michaels: "Cris, this has been a fantastic performance for you under circumstances that are very different. Your dad, ABRAHAM passing away over the weekend, and we just want to wish you, and your mom and the entire Collinsworth family the very best with our prayers. And you are some trooper, I gotta tell you, to even be here, period. We're thinking about you, buddy." Collinsworth: "My hero, man. He was something special...passed away early in the morning on Saturday morning...was able to be there with him. Former national champion of the UK Wildcats, played basketball for ADOLPH RUPP. Was the principal of my high school, and I used to tell him I loved reading about him on the bathroom walls. And he'd get a laugh out of it. Was self-deprecating with his humor ... always was. He was the mayor. Everywhere he went he was loved" ("Sunday Night Football," NBC, 10/14).
NAMES: A seven-foot statue outside First Niagara Center of the “French Connection” line featuring former Sabres GILBERT PERREAULT, RICK MARTIN and RENE ROBERT was “unveiled Friday night as part of the Sabres’ newly christened Alumni Plaza to honor the team’s past.” The Sabres “hosted a dinner for friends, alumni and sponsors to celebrate the unveiling.” The statue was “completed by JERRY MCKENNA of Boerne, Texas, who is most known for doing 17 busts at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio” (BUFFALO NEWS, 10/13)....Big East Senior Associate Commissioner NICK CARPARELLI on Saturday attended San Diego State Univ.'s home game against Colorado State Univ. This weekend marked Carparelli's "first-ever trip to SDSU’s campus," as the school is set to join the Big East in '13 as a football-only member (SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE, 10/13)....ESPN college basketball analyst BOB KNIGHT in March will release a book titled "The Power of Negative Thinking.” Written with BOB HAMMEL, the book is “an antidote to thoughtless optimism and wishful thinking" (INDYSTAR.com, 10/15).
IN MEMORY: LPGA Tour rules official DOUG BRECHT died on Friday after “battling West Nile virus for the last two months.” Brecht began working for the LPGA in July ’90 (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 10/13)….More than “300 family members, friends and fans” attended the funeral service for late Red Wings PA announcer BUDD LYNCH on Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Detroit. Former NHLer GORDIE HOWE and Red Wings Owner MARIAN ILITCH were in attendance. Red Wings GM KEN HOLLAND said, “He was an incredible ambassador for our team” (DETROIT NEWS, 10/14).
