The DOUG FLUTIE, JR. FOUNDATION FOR AUTISM has awarded
$400,000 in grants to various non-profit organizations
throughout NY and MA as well as to several national groups.
Flutie announced the grants in Rochester, NY, yesterday
(Giving Back Fund). In Rochester, Meaghan McDermott writes
that nearly 2,000 Flutie fans attended yesterday's event,
which featured the Bills QB playing with his band, THE
FLUTIE GANG (Rochester DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 12/22)....As
noted yesterday, Worldwide Senior Tennis Circuit Founder &
Chair RAY BENTON will step down as CEO December 31. His
duties will be assumed by Tour Exec Producer and former
ProServ Senior VP HENRY BREHM (RHB Ventures)....VENUS and
SERENA WILLIAMS were joined by U.S. Transportation Secretary
RODNEY SLATER in unveiling their "new traffic safety" PSA.
The campaign uses the tag, "Tennis is a Game ... Life is
not. Buckle Up" (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL,
12/22)....NBC's Jay Leno on the NFL: "I didn't get a chance
to watch any NFL over the weekend. My cable system doesn't
get Court TV. You been following the National Felons
League?" (NBC, 12/21)....ESPN's Karl Ravech reported on
comments made by Braves P JOHN ROCKER in an upcoming issue
of SI. Rocker, on living in N.Y.: "The biggest thing I
don't like about New York are the foreigners. You can walk
an entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody
speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and
Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up
there. How the hell did they get in this country?" Rocker,
on N.Y.: "Imagine having to take the No. 7 train to the
ballpark, looking like you're (riding through) Beirut next
to some kid with purple hair, next to some queer with AIDS
right next to some [one] who just got out of jail for the
fourth time, right next to some 20-year-old mom with four
kids. It's depressing" (ESPN, 12/21).
