Pro Football HOFers LYNN SWANN, KELLEN WINSLOW and STEVE LARGENT yesterday started an initiative that would "allow the U.S. Mint to sell gold and silver commemorative coins whose sales would benefit" the HOF. The plan, sponsored by U.S. Reps. JIM RENACCI (R-Ohio) and BOB GIBBS (R-Ohio), as well as U.S. Sens. ROB PORTMAN (R-Ohio) and JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.), would "fund renovations at the Canton museum and construction of a new building" (CLEVELAND.com, 6/11).
GUY ON A BUFFALO: The Hockey HOF announced that Sabres TV color commentator HARRY NEALE will receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster, and longtime Flyers beat writer JAY GREENBERG will receive the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for excellence in hockey journalism (NHL). Neale will become the "third Sabres broadcaster to have a plaque" in the HOF, joining RICK JEANNERET and TED DARLING. Neale's longtime "Hockey Night In Canada" partner BOB COLE won the award in '96. Neale said, "It was a humbling moment to be in a group as celebrity-filled as the Foster Hewitt Award" (BUFFALO NEWS, 6/12).
SEMINOLE MOMENT: Florida State Univ. interim AD VANESSA FUCHS' "long-term goal is to become a Division I conference commissioner." She is currently "just the seventh female" D-I AD. When FSU President ERIC BARRON's search committee picks candidates to replace former AD RANDY SPETMAN, Fuchs "believes the athletics department's top administrators will be part of the process." But whether she will be one of the candidates "remains to be seen" (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 6/11).
NAMES: Nike on Monday hosted the first of two "demo days for its Nike+Accelerator program." About 770 people "filled an auditorium in the Tiger Woods Center." Nike CEO MARK PARKER was in attendance, as 10 "start-up companies pitched their business plans to the audience" (OREGONLIVE.com, 6/10)....The Minnesota Broadcasting HOF named Twins TV announcer DICK BREMER and Minneapolis-based WCCO-CBS sports broadcaster MARK ROSEN to its '13 class (TWINCITIES.com, 6/11)....MULTICHANNEL NEWS profiled ESPN Exec VP/Affiliate Sales & Marketing DAVID PRESCHLACK as part of the publication's Vanguard Awards. Also, ESPN Exec VP/Sales & Marketing SEAN BRATCHES was named to its 46th annual "Cable Pioneers Class" (MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 6/10 issue)....The Predators yesterday presented a $131,000 check to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt Univ. The team has raised more than $700,000 for the hospital and its programs over the last five years (Predators)....The World Series of Poker invited Lakers G KOBE BRYANT via Twitter “to play in a tribute” to late Lakers Owner JERRY BUSS. Buss, who “passed away Feb. 18, was an avid poker player and WSOP supporter” (LATIMES.com, 6/11)....Elevator mechanic DONALD WHITE yesterday was killed in an accident at the Levi’s Stadium construction site. Authorities said that White was “found dead in an elevator shaft" at about 6:50am PT. A preliminary investigation determined that White was “standing on a ladder in the shaft when he was hit by an elevator counterweight.” The shaft is a “permanent part of the stadium, not a temporary one for construction” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/12).
LEAVING A LEGACY: In K.C., Blair Kerkhoff notes Missouri State Univ. last night held an event to honor the life of late John Q. Hammons Hotels Chair & CEO JOHN HAMMONS, who died last month at the age of 94. A case can be made that Hammons "has been to Missouri State what Nike founder PHIL KNIGHT is to Oregon, or T. BOONE PICKENS -- who called Hammons a friend -- to Oklahoma State." Hammons' $30M contribution helped build the 11,000-seat JQH Arena (K.C. STAR, 6/12).
