Former NBA Commissioner DAVID STERN attended last night's Bulls-Nets game and said that the Nets' signing of C JASON COLLINS was a "significant, positive development for the league, and he praised Collins’s character." Stern "lauded sports as a platform to change society, noting that when he first became commissioner, people told him the league had too many black players to be popular." Stern said of Collins' first home game since coming out, "I hope someday we can say to somebody, ‘I was there,’ and they’ll ask, ‘What are you talking about?’ because this is really sports catching up with America" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/4).
MIDNIGHT JUDGE? F1 CEO BERNIE ECCLESTONE is "preparing the ground for his eventual departure from Formula One, saying he will not be able to run it full time because of his forthcoming bribery trial in Munich." He said, "I’ve been looking, over the last few years, for somebody who can join me to assist with what I have to do" (FT.com, 3/3).
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Namath received a standing ovation at
the Yankees' Spring Training |
SPECIAL GUESTS: Pro Football HOFer JOE NAMATH was "decked out in a No. 12 Yankees uniform" when he threw the ceremonial first pitch at yesterday's Nationals-Yankees game "from one New York sports icon to another," Yankees SS DEREK JETER. The crowd of 8,044 "gave Namath a standing ovation upon his intro" (Bergen RECORD, 3/4)....Former Texas A&M QB JOHNNY MANZIEL on Friday night attended the Red Sox' annual casino charity event and "wore a Red Sox jersey with the No. 2" (BOSTON HERALD, 3/3).
NAMES: LINDSAY DAVENPORT is "one of five individuals slated for induction" into the Int'l Tennis HOF on July 12. The Class of '14 will also include tennis coach NICK BOLLETTIERI, USTA Chair & President JANE BROWN GRIMES and British tennis broadcaster and author JOHN BARRETT (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 3/4)....Blackhawks Chair ROCKY WIRTZ’ Wirtz Beverage Group is “taking over as the exclusive Canadian distributor of Diageo beer, wine and spirits” (TORONTO STAR, 3/4)....Former MLBer MARIANO RIVERA last night was presented with the ROBIE Humanitarian Award at the Jackie Robinson Foundation Annual Awards Dinner at N.Y.'s Waldorf Astoria (MLB.com, 3/4)....Indiana Gov. MIKE PENCE yesterday honored Bronze Medal-winning U.S. skier NICK GOEPPER as a “distinguished Hoosier” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 3/4)....The National Sports Writers and Sports Broadcasters of America and the Over The Mountain Touchdown Club on Sunday awarded Auburn football coach GUS MALZAHN with the Bowden Award, while former Georgia AD and football coach VINCE DOOLEY received the lifetime achievement award (AP, 3/2)....Dolphins P BRANDON FIELDS, Redskins WR PIERRE GARCON and Saints TE JIMMY GRAHAM are participating in the NFL’s USO tour of the Middle East (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 3/3).
IN MEMORY: Former Long Beach State AD DAVE O’BRIEN "died Saturday at age 57 after a long battle with cancer." Services will be "held in the state of Pennsylvania, where O’Brien and his family lived in retirement" (Long Beach PRESS-TELEGRAM, 3/4).
