ESPN The Magazine's Kurt Streeter in a cover story profiles ROGER FEDERER, who recently has bonded with BILL GATES in Seattle "over tennis and philanthropy." The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has "spent billions on improving living standards in Africa," while Federer's foundation also "focuses on Africa, especially education for children." Together, they "decided to organize an exhibition" between Federer and JOHN ISNER at KeyArena in Seattle as part of a fundraiser for Federer's charity. A couple of days before the exhibition, Federer, his wife MIRKA and a few others from his team "visited Gates' 66,000-square-foot compound on the shores of Lake Washington, called Xanadu 2.0." They "practiced tennis in front of an exclusive audience of deep-pocket donors, and Federer presented Gates with a new racket similar to his own, a matte-black Wilson RF97." It was "inscribed on the throat with Gates' profile and renamed the BG97" (ESPN THE MAGAZINE, 6/12 issue).
ROUND OF APPLAUSE: Late Buccaneers Owner MALCOLM GLAZER and former coach JON GRUDEN "will be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor this year." Glazer will be honored during a "nationally televised Thursday night game Oct. 5 against the Patriots," while Gruden will be inducted during halftime of the Bucs' "MNF" game that he will broadcast for ESPN on Dec. 18 against the Falcons (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 5/31)....The Michigan Sports HOF Class of '17 includes Detroit Free Press columnist MITCH ALBOM, Univ. of Michigan football analyst JON JANSEN, ESPN's JALEN ROSE, Basketball HOFer DENNIS RODMAN and former NFLer ANDRE RISON (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 5/31).
NAMES: Orioles P KEVIN GAUSMAN and his wife, TAYLOR, are “launching a new program to promote childhood reading and social interaction with shelter pets." The program, called "Tails with Tales," is the "latest result of an ongoing partnership between OriolesREACH and Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, Inc. (BARCS)" (Baltimore SUN, 5/31)....The second Country 500 music festival at Daytona Int'l Speedway “matched its first year’s attendance by drawing 75,000.” The two-stage, three-day event over Memorial Day weekend featured 32 acts, including BLAKE SHELTON, MIRANDA LAMBERT and HANK WILLIAMS JR. (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 5/31)....Rockets F SAM DEKKER announced his engagement to ESPN and Fox Sports sideline reporter OLIVIA HARLAN this weekend on Instagram (CHRON.com, 5/29).
