Lions LB DEANDRE LEVY yesterday wrote an essay for THE PLAYERS' TRIBUNE urging all athletes to "man up" and speak out publicly and candidly about sexual assault. He wrote, "As professional athletes, we have the prominence in our communities to effect real change. When we talk, people listen. So in a sense, our general silence on this issue is condoning it. So let's change that. Speak out with me." He added, "I was pretty ignorant on this topic for a long time. I think a lot of men are, because it's often talked about as a women's issue" (THEPLAYERSTRIBUNE.com, 4/27).
WEIRD SCIENCE: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Lenn Robbins profiles Columbia Univ. adjunct professor JARED LANDER, who is a "rising star in the field of science." He "used hundreds of variables to assess each player" in last year's NFL Draft for the Vikings. As a result, the team’s '15 draft class "was given an 'A'" by ESPN's MEL KIPER JR. His company, Lander Analytics, in which Lander "oversees a team of seven data scientists, has consulted for some of the world’s top investment banks." Lander "is not consulting for an NFL team this year," but the Vikings said that they "will continue to use the principles he implemented last year." Lander said that his company "is also in discussions to do consultations for teams in the NBA and NHL" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 4/28).
GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Republican presidential front-runner DONALD TRUMP last night received what he called “the greatest endorsement in the history of Indiana” from former men's college basketball coach BOB KNIGHT. Knight said, "There has never been a more honest politician than Donald Trump." Some in the crowd of roughly 5,000 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds said that "they showed up just to hear Knight speak" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 4/28).
A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: Bills fan GREG TRANTER is donating his collection of 100,000-plus Bills items to the Buffalo History Museum. The collection “includes more than 6,000 three-dimensional items, including game-worn jerseys, helmets, shoes, mugs, pennants and buttons, along with more than 100,000 archival items, such as tickets, programs, posters, schedules, football cards and autographs” (BUFFALO NEWS, 4/27).
NAMES: The Professional Basketball Writers Association named Nets G WAYNE ELLINGTON the recipient of the ’15-16 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship award. The honor is presented annually to the player, coach or trainer who shows outstanding service and dedication to their community (NBA)....FDNY personnel, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics went to Citi Field’s media conference room to meet Mets P STEVEN MATZ and take photos as part of the "Tru 32" ticket program. The program began yesterday and “will continue at the two Wednesday home games in May and maybe beyond.” NYPD and military personnel “will be among the future guests” (NEWSDAY, 4/28)....IndyCar driver CHARLIE KIMBALL visited “young diabetes and kidney transplant patients at the Detroit Medical Center” to tell them about his struggle with Type 1 diabetes (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 4/28)....Musician DARIUS RUCKER will “sing the national anthem at the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 29” (INDYSTAR.com, 4/27).
IN MEMORY: Former ABA Spirits Owner OZZIE SILNA died on Tuesday in L.A. at age 83. He “devised a plan that brought him and his brother” DANIEL more than $750M in TV money from the NBA “without owning a team in that league” (N.Y. TIMES, 4/28).
