Battlefields to Ballfields, a non-profit formed by Fox NFL rules analyst MIKE PEREIRA and his wife, "seeks to recruit military members and veterans to be officials in many sports and affords them help by getting started by covering their costs for the first three years." The effort began as a pilot program in L.A. in '16 and this year is "expanding rapidly." Pereira said that 365 vets have "filled out applications to be placed as referees in cities" such as Omaha, Raleigh, Tampa and Rochester. San Diego has been a "hotbed for interest" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/28).
TAKING UP THE CAUSE: WNBA Seattle Storm F BREANNA STEWART since coming into the league last season has "publicly commented on issues ranging from Black Lives Matter to gender equality to LGBTQ inclusion." It is a "marked difference" for Stewart compared to her UConn years, when she "never publicly commented on social issues." She now "continually comes back to the issue of gender equality," something that is "personal to her and drives her to speak out on behalf of others" (ESPN.com, 6/27).
BLUE WITH A HEART OF GOLD: MLB umpire JOHN TUMPANE yesterday while walking across the Roberto Clemente Bridge in Pittsburgh saw a woman "climb over the railing and look toward the Allegheny River below." Tumpane then "rushed toward the woman" and later assisted in talking her back over the rail. Tumpane "hopes to reconnect with the woman" today before he leaves Pittsburgh for his next series (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 6/29). During the incident, Tumpane yelled to Rays Manager of Multimedia Production MIKE WEINMAN to "try to secure her feet from underneath the railing" (TAMPABAY.com, 6/28).
NAMES: Titans QB MARCUS MARIOTA on Friday will speak to students at Likelike Elementary School in Hawaii. Through his Motiv8 Foundation, Mariota will "hand out Nike backpacks filled with school supplies" to approximately 60 students (STARADVERTISER.com, 6/29)....Recent Celtics draft picks JAYSON TATUM, SEMI OJELEYE, KADEEM ALLEN and JABARI BIRD presented band students at Ohrenberger School in Boston with a "retooled 'Music Zone' that included 17 new MacBooks with music software, instruments ... and a portable stage and additional furniture" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/29)....Seahawks DE MICHAEL BENNETT and his wife have partnered with African-led global initiative iamtheCode to “help get 100 girls into” science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics programs in Africa (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/28)....A group of leaders from the 49ers' dynasty years -- JOE MONTANA, RONNIE LOTT and KEENA TURNER -- helped "create a charitable fund last winter" to assist former 49ers players in crisis. As part of the effort, former 49ers RB ROGER CRAIG on Nov. 19 will “lead the way for runners at the inaugural Golden Heart 4.9K run/walk" at Levi’s Stadium. The team said that proceeds from the event will go to help provide “support and relief in time of physical, mental and financial crisis” for former players (MERCURYNEWS.com, 6/27)....Capitals D JOHN CARLSON, RW JUSTIN WILLIAMS, Redskins LB RYAN KERRIGAN, coach JAY GRUDEN and Cavaliers G J.R. SMITH all “teed it up” yesterday at the PGA Tour Quicken Loans National Pro-Am at TPC Potomac in Maryland (WASHINGTON TIMES, 6/29).
