Recently retired NFLer JAHVID BEST has "filed a lawsuit" against the league and helmet manufacturer Riddell seeking "both economic and non-economic" damages. Best argues that the league "did not do enough to protect players from head injuries." A Lions spokesperson "declined comment because the team is not involved" in the suit. A dollar amount for the suit has not been specified. Best "suffered three concussions with the Lions after being drafted in the first round" in '10. The last one, suffered in October '11, "forced him to miss" the entire '12 season, and the Lions released him in July '13 (DETROIT NEWS, 1/29).
AWARDS & HONORS: The L.A. Sports Council named Dodgers President & CEO STAN KASTEN Sports Exec of the Year. Kasten will be honored March 5 at the annual L.A. Sports Awards (LASC)....Multichannel News named ESPN Senior VP/Operations JODI MARKLEY, ESPN Senior VP/Multimedia Sales PATRICIA BETRON and CBS Sports Senior VP/Operations, Engineering & Production Planning PATTY POWER to its '14 "Wonder Women" list (MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 1/27 issue).
NAMES: RUSS LIBBY, owner of Hidden Hills Country Club in Jacksonville, is "one of three nominees" to be PGA of America Secretary, a position "which eventually will lead to a two-year term" as President after a term as Secretary and then two years as VP. The election takes place Nov. 28 (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 1/29)....Former NFLer DOUG FLUTIE held his annual celebrity bowling tournament last night near Boston, with proceeds benefiting the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/29)....Patriots DT VINCE WILFORK yesterday visited Eastern Bank's annual meeting in Randolph, Mass. (BOSTONHERALD.com, 1/28)....Braves 1B FREDDIE FREEMAN got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, CHELSEA GOFF (AJC.com, 1/28)....Victoria's Secret model ERIN HEATHERTON, ESPN anchor STAN VERRETT, comedian KEVIN HART, singer NICK CANNON, actor MICHAEL B. JORDAN, U.S. Secretary of Education ARNE DUNCAN, ESPN's MIKE GOLIC and MIKE GREENBERG, WNBA Shock G SKYLAR DIGGINS, WNBA Sky F ELENA DELLE DONNE will play in the Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game next month. ESPN's BILL SIMMONS and JALEN ROSE will be coaches (NBA).
IN MEMORY: Former Eagles President HARRY GAMBLE died yesterday at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife, JOAN, and their two sons, HARRY and TOM -- the latter of whom serves as Eagles VP/Player Personnel -- and three grandchildren. Gamble was Eagles President from ’86-94 and served as a member of the NFL Competition Committee (Eagles). ESPN.com’s Phil Sheridan wrote the “key to Gamble’s success in the NFL was his role as a buffer" between former Eagles Owner NORMAN BRAMAN and his “equally mercurial head coach, BUDDY RYAN” (ESPN.com, 1/28).
