New Yorker Senior Editor ROGER ANGELL yesterday was named the recipient of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, as voted on by membors of the BBWAA. Angell is the "first non-member of the BBWAA to win the Spink." He will receive the award on July 26 during next year's HOF induction weekend. Angell is "best known not only for his poetic magazine pieces, but for a series of seven baseball books he wrote" from '72-'03. Angell has written "revealing profiles on distant superstar BOB GIBSON and on the mysteriously afflicted STEVE BLASS." Of the 451 Spink Award ballots cast, Angell received 259 votes. Late Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist FURMAN BISHER received 115 votes and former L.A. Examiner columnist MELVIN DURSLAG received 74 (MLB.com, 12/10).
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Parker says Nike will provide $4M toward
encouraging physical activity in Brazil
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GETTING PHYSICAL: Nike CEO
MARK PARKER yesterday in Rio de Janeiro announced with the '14 FIFA World Cup being held next summer, the company will lead a $16M effort to "encourage physical activity among children in the South American nation." The announcement was made on the "opening day of the Clinton Global Initiative Latin America." Nike "will be supplying about" $4M for the effort. Former U.S. President
BILL CLINTON joined Parker on stage for the announcement. The effort is part of Nike's "Designed to Move" program unveiled in '12 "to draw attention to a global inactivity crisis" (
OREGONLIVE.com, 12/10).
REBEL WITH A CAUSE: Ole Miss football coach HUGH FREEZE has a "new contract that includes a one-year extension" through '17 and a raise to $3M per season. Freeze's four-year contract is "the longest allowed by Mississippi state law." Also, the salary pool for the Ole Miss football staff "will increase by $400,000." Ole Miss also is in the "midst of a major fundraising project" that includes a $12.5M renovation for the Manning Practice Facility (AP, 12/10).
NAMES: The Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association named Magic CEO ALEX MARTINS the recipient of the '13 Charles Andrews Memorial Hospitality Award for Community Leadership (Magic)....The Jaguars Foundation this year awarded $1.095M to about 30 different organizations (JACKSONVILLE.com, 12/10)....Chargers Chair DEAN SPANOS has pledged $500,000 to Univ. of California-San Diego to support a new Athletic Performance Center (UCSD)....Former NBAer JASON COLLINS and former tennis player MARTINA NAVRATILOVA yesterday at a United Nations event celebrating Int'l Human Rights Day "urged sports bodies like the IOC and FIFA to "do more to support gay athletes" (AP, 12/10).
