Red Sox Chair and MLB Commissioner candidate TOM WERNER on Oct. 30 at the Pentagon will receive the U.S. Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, the highest honor given to civilians by the U.S. Army Chief of Staff. The honor recognizes Werner’s role in creating the Home Base Program, a private sector effort aiding veterans of military engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer).
MEN OF INTEREST: CBSSPORTS.com's Pete Prisco lists NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL, Cowboys Owner JERRY JONES and NFL Media COO BRIAN ROLAPP as the top three in a list of the 10 most interesting influencers in the NFL. Goodell is the "most powerful man in the league, even if many don't like him, including some players and media members." Jones "continues to be one of the best owners in terms of business and influence on the league," and he is "laughing at your mocking of him all the way to the bank." The rollout of NFL Now "will be something to watch in terms of Rolapp's vision" (CBSSPORTS.com, 8/12).
SUING THE UNION: Eleven former NFLers are part of a Missouri lawsuit against the NFLPA, including VAUGHN BOOKER, TAMARICK VANOVER and KEVIN WILLIAMS. The lawsuit, filed in St. Louis City Circuit Court last month by three former players, including NEIL SMITH, "alleges the union withheld information regarding the long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries and failed to protect its players." LADELL BETTS and ANTHONY DAVIS also are part of the suit (K.C. STAR, 8/13).
NAMES: Nike co-Founder & Chair PHIL KNIGHT and his wife PENNY are giving $25M to Providence Health & Services "for heart care, their biggest donation ever to the hospital system and the latest major medical gift" from the couple (OREGONLIVE.com, 8/12)....MSG Chair and Cablevision CEO JAMES DOLAN "exercised stock options for about 1.1 million shares in August that netted him profit" of about $12.9M (MULTICHANNEL.com, 8/12)....Daytona Int'l Speedway President JOIE CHITWOOD III will be "one of six recipients" of the Univ. of South Florida Alumni Award (NEWS-JOURNALONLINE.com, 8/12)....Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT and coach BILL BELICHICK yesterday took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS awareness (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 8/12)....The N.Y. TIMES released its 10 best-selling sports books in July, with WAYNE COFFEY and MARIANO RIVERA’s “THE CLOSER” coming in at No. 1 (N.Y. TIMES, 8/13)....Golfer SHIGEKI MARUYAMA is now asking for $16.5M for his 3.2 acre Bel-Air, Calif., house, down from an original asking price of $18.495M (L.A. TIMES, 8/13)....Sabres RW BRIAN GIONTA put his Montreal-area, 15,600-square-foot home on the market for C$1.45M (WINNIPEGSUN.com, 8/12)....Grizzlies F ZACH RANDOLPH on Sunday married his longtime girlfriend, FAUNE DRAKE, during a "lavish ceremony in the couple's native Indiana” (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 8/13).
