Harmon appreciates that Patriots ownership encourages him to do good in the communityGETTY IMAGES
Patriots Ss DURON HARMON and DEVIN MCCOURTY "spoke as members of the Players Coalition" yesterday at Walpole High School in Massachusetts with Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT and President JONATHAN KRAFT. The panel "addressed the importance and urgency of prioritizing proper training and the screening of teachers to alleviate some of the racial tension in classrooms across the nation." McCourty and Harmon believe it is their "duty to speak out on such issues and they appreciate that the Krafts encourage them to voice their opinions" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/26).
EMBRACING RETIREMENT: DALE EARNHARDT JR. "revealed an upcoming book about his experiences with concussions" called "RACING TO THE FINISH: MY STORY." The book is "co-written by ESPN's RYAN MCGEE" and is scheduled to be published Oct. 16 (NBCSPORTS.com, 4/25). Meanwhile, a "premiere date has been set" for June 2 at 9:00pm ET for Earnhardt's home renovation series "RENOVATION REALTIES: DALE JR. & AMY" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 4/26).
NAMES: The Gene and Jerry Jones Arlington Youth Foundation, NFL Foundation and Hellas Construction donated $1.85M to Arlington ISD to "replace the grass at Workman Junior High School with a synthetic turf surface, and to replace lights and the scoreboard." The new field was "officially unveiled as the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Field" (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 4/25). NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL and Cowboys Owner JERRY JONES were sitting "side-by-side" at the event (AP, 4/25)....Packers WR RANDALL COBB "visited patients" at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin as part of an "effort to highlight organ, eye and tissue donation" (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 4/26)....Circuit of the Americas announced that BRUNO MARS and BRITNEY SPEARS will headline its F1 weekend in October. Mars "will play the COTA Super Stage on Saturday, Oct. 20, after qualifying rounds, and Spears will be the big Sunday, Oct. 21, headliner after the race" (AUSTIN360.com, 4/25)....Astros P JUSTIN VERLANDER "was sitting courtside" with his wife, KATE UPTON, at the Rockets-T'Wolves playoff game last night at Toyota Center (CHRON.com, 4/25).
