Names In The News
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USA Today Profiles O'Ree As 50th Anniversary
Of NHL Breaking Color Barrier Nears |
In a sports section Cover Story, USA TODAY's Kevin Allen profiles WILLIE O'REE, who became the NHL's first black player in '58. The league hired O'Ree in '98 as Dir of Youth Development for its Diversity Task Force, where he works to "promote hockey to black youngsters and those with other diverse ethnic backgrounds." He currently conducts between ten and 15 formal clinics a year and makes seven appearances a month. The Bruins are honoring the 50th anniversary of O'Ree's debut this season, and the NHL will stage a game between diversity program teams from Harlem and Boston following Bruins-Rangers Saturday. The Willie O'Ree All-Star Game, "featuring the best players from the diversity league but absent since the ['04-05] lockout, is set to return next season," and his hometown of Fredericton, New Brunswick, has built a rink to name after him (USA TODAY, 1/15).
AWARDS & RECOGNITION: The GOLF WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA (GWAA) has honored LPGA Founder LOUISE SUGGS with the WILLIAM D. RICHARDSON AWARD for "outstanding contributions to golf." The GWAA has also selected GARY PLAYER for the ASAP SPORTS/JIM MURRAY AWARD for his "relationship with the news media" and DENNIS WATSON for the BEN HOGAN AWARD for "continuing to be active in golf despite a serious injury." The GWAA's annual awards dinner will be held on April 9 in Augusta (N.Y. TIMES, 1/13)….Red Wings VP STEVE YZERMAN was inducted into the Ottawa Sports HOF on January 11 (OTTAWA SUN, 1/12).
WELL HEELED: Univ. of North Carolina officials last week released the details of football coach BUTCH DAVIS' one-year extension signed in November. Davis receives a yearly raise of $291,000 "if he leaves before Jan. 15, 2012," and $134,000 otherwise. Yearly increases include $29,000 in salary, $5,000 in expense account, and $100,000 in supplemental income. The raises bring his annual salary to "an average of a bout $2.2[M] a year" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 1/12).
NAMES: The COUNTING CROWS will headline SUPER BOWL SATURDAY NIGHT, a free concert near Glendale, Arizona, on February 2. The concert marks the "first time the [NFL] has staged an official celebration marking the night before" the Super Bowl (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/15)….MUHAMMAD ALI and director SPIKE LEE were named as possible character witnesses by actor WESLEY SNIPES' attorneys during jury selection yesterday for Snipes' tax fraud and conspiracy trial in Ocala, Florida (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 1/15)….EMERSON FITTIPALDI will drive the pace car at this year's Indianapolis 500 (SI.com, 1/14)….Former MLBer and NFLer BO JACKSON is among a group of investors and directors in the new Chicago-area Burr Ridge Bank & Trust, where he will serve on a 20-member BOD (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/14)….U.S. sprinter JUSTIN GATLIN as part of his "attempt to have a four-year doping ban reduced further" has retained attorney MAURICE SUH, who was in charge of disqualified Tour de France winner FLOYD LANDIS' defense (USA TODAY, 1/15).
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