Mariners 2B ROBINSON CANO last Wednesday hosted his "Canoche" charity event, and included on the guest list were JAY Z, Yankees P CC SABATHIA and DH ALEX RODRIGUEZ, Mariners P FELIX HERNANDEZ, RF NELSON CRUZ, Chair & CEO HOWARD LINCOLN, former team President CHUCK ARMSTRONG and Seahawks S KAM CHANCELLOR. The event raised $1.1M for Cano's RC22 nonprofit. TalkingRain Beverage VP/Community & Customer Relations NINA MORRISON, whose company owns Sparkling Ice, one of the event's sponsors, said that she "had made Cano her brand ambassador, and that after he attended opening day for the Mercer Island Little League, he arranged to have one team attend every Mariner home game." Morrison: "He’s authentic" (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/9).
CHARLES IS CHARGED: Lightning coach JON COOPER on Sunday night dined at Chicago Cut Steakhouse on the recommendation of TNT NBA analyst CHARLES BARKLEY, who "called the restaurant to have the party of 20's meal put on his credit card." Cooper was "joined by Lightning assistant coaches and front office management." When Chicago Cut Managing Partner DAVID FLOM "told Barkley that ESPN hockey analysts BARRY MELROSE and STEVE LEVY were also dining Sunday at Chicago Cut, Barkley told Flom to put their tab on his credit card as well" (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 6/8).
NAMES: Former Univ. of Illinois women’s soccer player CASEY CONINE "has filed a lawsuit against the university, alleging that her concussion was mishandled and her career ruined after the team ignored protocol." The suit, filed yesterday afternoon in Champaign County Circuit Court, "seeks damages of at least $50,000, though the amount could be far greater" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/9)....A crowd of 5,206 turned out to Classic Park in Cleveland on Saturday for the Joe Haden & Friends Softball Game, hosted by Browns CB JOE HADEN (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 6/7)....Middle Tennessee State Univ. football coach RICK STOCKSTILL has "delayed an automatic $100,000 raise" until after the '18 season, as he is "cognizant that this coming school year, colleges will start paying players for full cost of attendance" (DNJ.com, 6/6)....ESPN college football analyst MACK BROWN on Saturday was one of 11 inductees into the Tennessee Sports HOF (MYSTATESMAN.com, 6/8)....Saints QB DREW BREES “will soon open” a second Jimmy John’s restaurant in western St. Tammany Parish, just south of Covington, La. (NOLA.com, 6/5)....Former NFLer TY LAW today is unveiling plans for “four new locations of Launch Trampoline Park, a business he cofounded” in ‘12. Based in Warwick, R.I., Launch already has six parks along the East Coast (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/9).
