The Cowboys' JERRY JONES and the Patriots' ROBERT KRAFT "seem locked in a competition to be the NFL’s most influential owner, and the battle has been taken overseas this summer." Earlier this month, Kraft "led his annual trip to Israel" with several Pro Football HOFers, and last week Jones and six HOFers "went to the Vatican" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/25). Meanwhile, Kraft on Saturday was among those in attendance at the wedding of Patriots safeties coach STEVE BELICHICK -- son of the Patriots coach -- and JENNIFER SCHMITT (BOSTON HERALD, 6/26). Kraft last night was among those in a "soldout crowd of 60,000 at Gillette Stadium" for a U2 concert. During a performance of "BEAUTIFUL DAY," Kraft was "out of his front row seat in section 112." Patriots President JONATHAN KRAFT also "was on his feet cheering most of the night" (WICKEDLOCAL.com, 6/26).
JOHNNY BE GOOD: Tennis HOFer JOHN MCENROE's "latest musings are set to appear in a memoir called 'BUT SERIOUSLY.'" A sequel to '02's "YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS," the book "focuses on his life as an [aging] baby-boomer." McEnroe is "now trying to make sense of the September of his years." McEnroe: "I don't want to be hanging on, playing a match at 65" (FT.com, 6/23).
MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN: Politico Magazine released its list of “America’s 11 Most Interesting Mayors” and included Cavaliers Owner DAN GILBERT as Detroit’s “shadow mayor.” In Detroit’s “now-thriving downtown -- Gilbertville, some call it -- this billionaire businessman wields the kind of power and boasts a resume of civic accomplishments that most politicians could only dream of" (POLITICO.com, 6/25).
RESEARCH ON RESEARCH: The Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix will begin “trying to find out if biomarkers indicating CTE can be found in the blood, urine or saliva of the living.” The goal is to “enroll at least 50 former NFL players in the study and compare their results to a control group of athletes who weren’t subject to repeated head trauma in their sports” (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 6/25).
THE GOOD STUFF: The 16th Heroes Celebrity Baseball Game took place Saturday night in Frisco, Texas, and the event has raised $4M over its first 15 years. Mavericks F DIRK NOWITZKI has "taken over as host for the last several years" and this year was supported by Cowboys QB DAK PRESCOTT (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/25)....Buccaneers QB JAMEIS WINSTON on Saturday was a "volunteer at the inaugural Elite Championship Camp on Florida State's campus." The event "saw 200 middle school students participate in a free-of-charge football skills camp" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 6/25)....Wizards G BRADLEY BEAL on Saturday took a "hands-on approach" at his ProCamp in Lorton, Va., for "nearly four hours" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/25)....Patriots WR MATTHEW SLATER was a guest speaker at the Pine Street Inn graduation on Friday. The Pine Street Inn is New England’s “largest provider of permanent supportive housing, emergency shelter, job training and street outreach to homeless and formerly homeless individuals" (ESPN.com, 6/23).
NAMES: "CARS 3" director JOHN LASSETER “drove the pace car” to start Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race in Sonoma. Actress CRISTELA ALONZO, who voices Cruz Ramirez in the film, was the race’s grand marshal (PRESSDEMOCRAT.com, 6/25)....SERENA WILLIAMS was named the new ambassador for the Allstate Foundation’s new domestic violence initiative, which focuses on the "financial side of domestic violence and the ways abusers can keep their partners from leaving" (ESPNW.com, 6/23)....DWYANE WADE and CARMELO ANTHONY on Thursday “hosted a dinner at L’Avenue in Paris” for fellow NBAers including T’Wolves F JIMMY BUTLER, Rockets G JAMES HARDEN and Heat C HASSAN WHITESIDE. The group was in town for men’s fashion week (NYPOST.com, 6/23)....SHAQUILLE O’NEAL spoke during the Des Moines Register’s All-Iowa Sports Awards on Saturday (DES MOINES REGISTER, 6/25)....Fox' ERIN ANDREWS got “married in Montana on Saturday at a sunset ceremony” to former NHLer JARRETT STOLL. The two said their vows “in front of an intimate group of friends and family" (PEOPLE.com, 6/24).
