PRESIDENT OBAMA on Thursday welcomed a majority of the players and coaches from the Patriots' Super Bowl XLIX championship team, and he gave an eight-minute "rousing speech" that "not only praised the Patriots organization, but poked fun" at them, too. Notably absent was QB TOM BRADY, who "reportedly didn't come because of a family obligation." DT VINCE WILFORK and CB BRANDON BROWNER "were also absent." CB DARRELLE REVIS, now with the Jets, attended (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 4/24). Team President JONATHAN KRAFT "also could not attend because he is recovering from recent surgery" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/24). Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT, coach BILL BELICHICK and six players flew to DC on a private jet early Thursday morning, "separate from the rest of the team, to visit Walter Reed, one of the largest and most prominent military hospitals" in the country. The Patriots "wanted to bring the entire team, but narrowing it to a few select players ensured that the combat veterans would get plenty of quality one-on-one time" with their favorite players (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/24).
THE GOOD STUFF: Tampa resident TAMARA DAVIS on Thursday received $50,000 from the Lightning Community Heroes Program to give to a charity of her choice. Lightning Owner JEFF VINIK said of the program, "I'm continually surprised by the quality of people we've been able to get. The best thing about the program is that hero 168 was every bit as good as the first one." The Vinik family launched the program in '11, and committed $10M to "giving awards at every home game for five seasons." They will "exceed that amount" by the end of the '15-16 season, "in part because they have chosen to extend the program into the playoffs." Vinik said of what the club will do as an encore, "We certainly have no definitive plans, but it's not lost on me and my wife how proud we are of the people of Tampa Bay" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 4/24)....The Majerus Family Foundation gave a $1M gift to Marquette Univ., establishing an endowed scholarship in honor of late college basketball coach RICK MAJERUS (ESPN.com, 4/23).
TEAM GLEASON: WME/IMG seven months after hiring former ESPN Exec VP/Programming & Production MARK SHAPIRO as Chief Content Officer has "made its first move into the original content space." The agency will executive produce "THE GLEASON PROJECT," a feature-length documentary that explores the story of former NFLer STEVE GLEASON, who was diagnosed with ALS in '11. WME/IMG will "help finance the film as well as leverage the many brands and events" in the company's combined portfolio to "help market and create brand and media partnerships for the film" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 4/23).
NAMES: Senators GM BRYAN MURRAY will be inducted into the Ottawa Sports HOF on June 5 (OTTAWA SUN, 4/24)....Former NBAers STEVE NASH and DIKEMBE MUTOMBO “turned into basketball ambassadors” Thursday in the “first outreach by a U.S. professional sports league to Cuba since the thaw in U.S. relations” with the country. The NBA is “restoring three courts in Cuba and will conduct special courses for children, junior players and referees” (REUTERS, 4/23)....Eagles VP/Player Personnel ED MARYNOWITZ on Thursday held his first media availability since being promoted in January. The 31-year-old said, "I just do my job and I control what I can control." He added, "I know that's a common thing everybody throws out, 'Is this guy just a yes man? Is he going to agree?' ... But I'm not going to be afraid to voice my opinion" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/24)....Free agent NFL DE ISRAEL IDONIJE for the fifth year will attend the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo. He will appear Saturday to “promote his Athlitacomics, which includes ‘THE PROTECTORS,’ the athletes-turned-superheroes comic book series he launched” with writer RON MARZ and artist BART SEARS (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/23)....A new “Hometown Heroes” marketing campaign at Orlando Int’l Airport includes ESPN’s LEE CORSO and Golf HOFer ANNIKA SORENSTAM (BIZJOURNALS.com, 4/23)....Packers QB AARON RODGERS and WR RANDALL COBB attended Thursday’s Bulls-Bucks playoff game in Milwaukee (SUNTIMES.com, 4/23).
