Patriots President JONATHAN KRAFT, along with his brothers DANIEL and JOSH, threw their father, Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT, "a surprise 75th birthday party Saturday night" at Hanscom Field airport. Comedian TRACY MORGAN's jokes "included some not-so-funny jabs" at Patriots QB TOM BRADY, who was there. JON BON JOVI "played for more than two hours," and Patriots "past and present" attended, as did coach BILL BELICHICK. Other attendees included Celtics co-Owners WYC GROUSBECK, STEVE PAGLIUCA and PAUL EDGERLEY, Red Sox Owner JOHN HENRY, his wife LINDA PIZZUTI HENRY and CBS BOD Vice Chair & Dir SHARI REDSTONE (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/6).
 |
Julian Edelman, Anthony Shriver and Tom Brady
(l to r) at the Best Buddies Challenge |
BRADY'S BUNCH: Brady, Boston-area celebrities and Best Buddies "hit the Harvard Stadium gridiron" Friday night to kick off the Best Buddies Challenge "to the delight of thousands in attendance" (
BOSTON HERALD, 6/4)....Patriots TE
ROB GRONKOWSKI yesterday had his "head shaved by two pediatric cancer survivors at the annual Buzz Off for Kids With Cancer at Gillette Stadium" (
BOSTON HERALD, 6/6).
FRYE DAY: UFC named DON FRYE its latest inductee into the '16 UFC HOF class as a Pioneer. He joins UFC co-Founder BOB MEYROWITZ and former interim UFC heavyweight champion ANTONIO RODRIGO "MINOTAURO" NOGUEIRA as '16 inductees. The ceremony will be held July 10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (THE DAILY).
CHARITY STRIPE: The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation "plans to revamp" the Eddie Murray Field at BGE Park in West Baltimore "into a state-of-the-art," $1.2M facility. The project is "expected to break ground in November" (Baltimore SUN, 6/4)....NFL Cardinals S TYRANN MATHIEU on Saturday brought "busloads of kids" to Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans for a camp led by Pop Warner coaches and youth football coaches. The former LSU player hopes to turn the Heart of a Badger camp "into an annual occurrence" (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 6/5)....The 21st annual Bears Care Gala at the United Club in Soldier Field was held Saturday to “support breast and ovarian cancer research and treatment programs in Chicago" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/4).
NAMES: Steelers coach MIKE TOMLIN spoke to “about 1,500 men" in Cranberry, Pa., on Saturday at the ManUp Pittsburgh event. He challenged the men to “move outside their comfort zones to find and mentor young people” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 6/5)....Univ. of Michigan football coach JIM HARBAUGH became the latest “to give the commencement speech" at Saline High School in Saline, Mich., yesterday. He joins the likes of LLOYD CARR and BO SCHEMBECHLER as other UM coaches to speak there. Harbaugh’s roughly 13-minute speech included quotes from RALPH WALDO EMERSON and WINSTON CHURCHILL (DETROIT NEWS, 6/6)....Former NBAer QUINN BUCKNER “was appointed” by Indiana Gov. MIKE PENCE to Indiana Univ.’s BOT. He “will serve a three-year term” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 6/4)....Texans DE J.J. WATT on Saturday attended JIMMY BUFFETT’s concert in Woodlands, Texas, and played the bongos "during Margaritaville” (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 6/5).
