The family of late Basketball HOFer DEAN SMITH "had a private church service" on Thursday at Chapel Hill's Binkley Baptist Church. UNC coach ROY WILLIAMS "gave the remembrance and reflection remarks during the 90-minute ceremony." Smith was buried on UNC's campus at the Old Chapel Hill cemetery. Among the many UNC basketball alums in attendance were Hornets Owner MICHAEL JORDAN, SMU coach LARRY BROWN, former NBAer PHIL FORD, and former NBAer CHARLIE SCOTT, who was UNC's first African-American scholarship basketball player. Others on hand included Basketball HOFer JOHN THOMPSON, Big Ten Commissioner JIM DELANY and Duke coach MIKE KRZYZEWSKI. A public memorial service is scheduled for Feb. 22 at the Dean Smith Center (ESPN.com, 2/12). Hundreds of parked cars "filled the church's lot and overflowed onto the grass" on Thursday, and more cars "lined the road" (Greensboro NEWS & RECORD, 2/13).
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Legislation to award the medal to Nicklaus
was passed in December |
CARE BEAR: Golf HOFer JACK NICKLAUS in a few weeks will be "presented with the highest honor that Congress can bestow upon a civilian, the Gold Medal." The legislation awarding the medal to Nicklaus was passed in December, but Speaker of the House JOHN BOEHNER’s office Thursday announced that the ceremony will be held on March 24. In addition to Boehner, Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL, Senate Democratic Leader HARRY REID, and House Democratic Leader NANCY PELOSI will attend the ceremony (WASHINGTON POST, 2/13). Meanwhile, the Miami Children's Health Foundation on Thursday announced Nicklaus and his wife, BARBARA, will co-Chair the "Together For The Children Campaign" and will lead the fundraising efforts, with a goal of raising $150M through '17 (MCHF).
NAMES: Ohio AD JIM SCHAUS and Duke AD KEVIN WHITE have been named to the NCAA D-I Men’s Basketball Committee (NCAA)....The Fritz Pollard Alliance will honor Browns Owner JIMMY HASLAM III and his wife, DEE, next week with the Paul “Tank” Younger Award “for promoting diversity in the workplace” (OHIO.com, 2/12)....Michigan State men's basketball coach TOM IZZO, former NHLer SERGEI FEDOROV and Baseball HOFer BARRY LARKIN on Thursday were three of six inducted into the 59th Michigan Sports Hall of Fame class (MLIVE.com, 2/12)....Former MLBer DEREK JETER “couldn’t attend” last night’s Michigan Sports HOF induction ceremony “due to serious plane issues.” Jeter “will now enter the Hall” with the ’16 class (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 2/13)....Former Dodgers President JAMIE MCCOURT, the ex-wife of former Dodgers Owner FRANK MCCOURT, is “among the four new trustees announced Thursday by the Museum of Contemporary Art” in L.A. (LATIMES.com, 2/12)....Three Frisco, Texas, brothers “received autographed jerseys” from Cowboys RB DEMARCO MURRAY after their house burned down in December (DALLASNEWS.com, 2/11)....Redskins QB ROBERT GRIFFIN III “took to Twitter to announce he’s going to be a daddy this year with wife REBECCA” (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/12)....Former MLBer BRIAN GILES “is taking another swing" at selling his 11,758-square-foot home in San Diego’s Rancho Pacifica community, this time for $6.495M (LATIMES.com, 2/12).
IN MEMORY: Former Toronto Star reporter ALISON GORDON, who in ’79 became MLB’s “first full-time female beat reporter,” died Thursday at the age of 72. She spent “five years on the Blue Jays’ beat” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/12). Former MLBer LLOYD MOSEBY said, “A lot of women that are in the profession right now should be very thankful for what Alison did and what she went through. She took a beating from the guys. She was a pioneer for sure.” CHARLES GORDON, Alison's brother and a columnist for the Ottawa Citizen, said that she “underwent surgery for a lung condition on Monday” but her death “was unexpected” (TORONTO STAR, 2/13).
