Nationals manager MATT WILLIAMS "will be spending time at the repair shop after a hit-and-run driver rammed into the back of his car" yesterday while he was being interviewed on WJFK-FM's "The Sports Junkies" during his ride to Nationals Park. As the radio hosts "expressed disbelief, Williams calmly described the scene" (USA TODAY, 5/8).
POLITICKING: PRESIDENT OBAMA yesterday at the White House "congratulated the UConn men's and women's national championship coaches, who will be back for the formal visit to the White House in the near future." Later, the group met with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. MARTIN DEMPSEY. Men's coach KEVIN OLLIE, women's coach GENO AURIEMMA and others "participated in an hourlong panel discussion, sharing experiences and thoughts on leadership, teamwork and motivation with about 400 military personnel" (HARTFORD COURANT, 5/8).
GREEN SCREEN: Heat F LEBRON JAMES has "closed a deal to join the cast" of "TRAINWRECK," which is the Universal comedy that JUDD APATOW will direct. The script "is by the film’s star, rising comedienne AMY SCHUMER." The cast also will include BILL HADER, TILDA SWINTON, JOHN CENA and others (DEADLINE.com, 5/7).
AWARDS & HONORS: Florida Trend magazine featured Red Sox Senior Dir of Florida Business Operations KATIE HAAS to its list of young and rising all-stars (FLORIDA TREND, 5/'14 issue)….NFL Draft prospect MICHAEL SAM, who came out as gay in February, has “been selected as the winner of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.” He will receive it at the ’14 ESPYS on July 16 (ESPN.com, 5/7)….Former Canadiens broadcaster DICK IRVIN “officially received his order of Canada” yesterday during a ceremony at Rideau Hall (MONTREALGAZETTE.com, 5/7)....Spurs GM R.C. BUFORD was named NBA Exec of the Year for '13-14 (MYSANANTONIO.com, 5/7).
NAMES: DR. DRE is reportedly purchasing Patriots QB TOM BRADY's home in L.A. for $50M (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/8)....Former MLBer CHRIS CARPENTER put his 10,800-square-foot Ladue home on the market for $3.65 (STLTODAY.com, 5/7)....For last night's Yankees-Angels game, which marked Yankees SS DEREK JETER's final regular-season game at Angel Stadium, the Angels honored Jeter's impending retirement by "gifting him a pinstriped paddleboard" (MLB.com, 5/8)....The Red Sox Foundation is raffling off a chance to win a set of '04, '07 and '13 World Series rings that will be personalized with the winner's name (BOSTON HERALD, 5/8)....Bears QB JAY CUTLER and his wife, KRISTIN, yesterday welcomed their second child, JAXON WYATT CUTLER (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/8)....Tennis player ROGER FEDERER's wife, MIRKA, on Tuesday gave birth to twin boys: LENNY and LEO (N.Y. TIMES, 5/8)....Arizona men's basketball coach SEAN MILLER, football coach RICH RODRIGUEZ and AD GREG BYRNE last night “entertained an overflow crowd during an ‘Arizona Tour Stop’” at the OHSO Eatery + nano Brewery in Phoenix (ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 5/8).
IN MEMORY: Longtime Steelers scout BILL NUNN died on Tuesday night at the age of 89 after complications from a stroke (AP, 5/8)....
