Burton Snowboards Founder & Owner JAKE BURTON said that he "jumped at the chance when the people at Make-A-Wish approached him" about the request of 14-year-old MYLES BEUTE, who currently is undergoing monthly treatments for leukemia. Beute "asked the Make-A-Wish Foundation to set him up for a day on the slopes" with Burton, who "has had a clean bill of health for about two years since being treated for testicular cancer." Beute "will spend the rest of the week watching the 32nd version of the Burton U.S. Open" (AP, 3/5).
LIFE AFTER SPORTS: White Sox DH ADAM DUNN yesterday "returned to Camelback Ranch after his trip to the Oscars, where he watched 'DALLAS BUYERS CLUB,' a film in which he invested and played a bit role, win three Academy Awards." Dunn said, "It was a cool experience." He added of his red carpet attire, "Men's Wearhouse, I think. I don't even know" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/5)....Buccaneers WR TIQUAN UNDERWOOD and Chiefs WR FRANKIE HAMMOND just spent "three weeks doing externships" with CSN Washington "through a new offseason program" organized by the NFLPA. The union helped bring 14 players to the DC area in mid-February to "begin three-week placements with a variety of local companies," including CSN Washington, ESPN Radio 980 DC, SB Nation, the Univ. of Maryland, Under Armour, TV One, and the Congressional offices of U.S. Rep. ROBIN KELLY (D-Ill.). The players -- who "are living in corporate housing across the region -- have been spending four days a week at these externships, and a fifth doing career training at the NFLPA’s offices" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 3/4).
COURT REPORT: Super Bowl XLV worker SEVERIN SAMPSON, who was "severely injured by falling ice and snow" during game set-up, yesterday testified that security "never warned him about the danger he faced outside the stadium" in '11. He is "suing stadium architect HKS, the NFL," several Cowboys companies and a pair of Super Bowl contractors "for an unspecified multimillion-dollar award." Cowboys and NFL attorney LEVI MCCATHERN yesterday during a cross-examination "tried to cast doubt on everything from Sampson’s ability to get a job to whether he and his employer took safety seriously" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 3/5)....F1 CEO BERNIE ECCLESTONE said that prosecutors in his forthcoming bribery trial have agreed to schedule hearings in Munich “just on Tuesdays and Wednesdays so he can continue to run Formula One and travel to races at the same time” (London INDEPENDENT, 3/4)
NAMES: Marvel Comics this week "published a sketch" of Heat F LEBRON JAMES as "one of its superheroes following James' career-best 61 points against the Bobcats on Monday" (PALM BEACH POST, 3/5)....Univ. of North Carolina football coach LARRY FEDORA will be the honorary pace car driver for the March 30 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 3/4)....Ravens GM OZZIE NEWSOME has been selected to the National High School HOF (BALTIMORESUN.com, 3/4)....The PGA Tour will distribute more than $5M from The Presidents Cup '13 to charities worldwide chosen by the 31 players, captains and captain’s assistants (PGA Tour)....Univ. of Alabama offensive coordinator LANE KIFFIN and his wife, LAYLA, have sold their Manhattan Beach, Calif., home for $6.5M. The Kiffins “bought the house less than two years ago” for $5.5M (LATIMES.com, 3/4)....Former NBAer MOOKIE BLAYLOCK is “back in jail after pleading guilty to a drunk driving charge” in Spalding County, Ga. (AJC.com, 3/4).
