ESPN's CHRIS BERMAN, former CBS broadcaster BILLY PACKER, late Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist DAVID HALBERSTAM and former SI writer GARY SMITH headline the honorees for the National Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association's HOF. They will be inducted during the 57th Annual NSSA Awards Weekend, June 18-20, in Salisbury, NC. The HOFers will be honored, along with National Sportscaster of the Year MIKE ‘DOC’ EMRICK, National Sportswriter of the Year TOM VERDUCCI, and 104 State Sportscasters and Sportswriters of the Year from throughout the U.S. (NSSA).
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Lucchino is among those being inducted into the
Red Sox HOF |
AWARDS & HONORS: Former MLBers JASON VARITEK and TIM WAKEFIELD, and late MLBer IRA FLAGSTEAD have been selected as '16 Red Sox HOF inductees. Team President & CEO Emeritus LARRY LUCCHINO has been chosen as the non-uniformed inductee. They will be inducted May 19 as part of an awards gala hosted by the Red Sox Foundation at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. The group will also be celebrated at Fenway Park before Indians-Red Sox on May 20 (Red Sox)....Former Washington Post writer WILLIAM GILDEA, who was with the paper from '65-'05, will receive the '15 Boxing Writers Association of America's Nat Fleischer Award "for career excellence in boxing journalism" (ESPN.com, 1/9).
DOG DAYS: 49ers fan JAMES HILBURN, who suffers from a seizure disorder, "has sued the football team for allegedly refusing to allow him to bring his service dog into Levi's Stadium" during a game on Nov. 29 against the Cardinals. In a lawsuit filed late last week in San Jose federal court, Hilburn is "seeking unspecified damages from the 49ers" (MERCURYNEWS.com, 1/11).
NAMES: Golfer MORGAN PRESSEL had a number of fellow LPGA players take part in yesterday's Morgan & Friends Fight Cancer Tournament at St. Andrews Country Club, including PAULA CREAMER, CRISTIE KERR, BRITTANY LINCICOME and LYDIA KO. Collectively, they "helped the event raise a record" $1M for the Morgan Pressel Foundation (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 1/11)....Former NFLer ICKEY WOODS yesterday “donated $100,000” from a foundation in his son’s name to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for asthma research. JOVANTE WOODS died in '10 at age 16 from an asthma attack (CINCINNATI.com, 1/11)....Disney named Nike CEO MARK PARKER to its BOD, “effective immediately.” Parker “will stand for election with other directors at the company's annual meeting on March 3” (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/11)....Indiana Univ. football coach KEVIN WILSON yesterday signed a “new six-year contract” which runs through ‘21 and will pay him $2.55M per year. That “nearly doubles” the $1.31M he made in ‘15. His new annual pay “will move Wilson” from 12th in the Big Ten in yearly compensation to seventh (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 1/12)....Raiders WR AMARI COOPER “gifted a pair of Beats by Dre headphones” to the entire Alabama football team in advance of yesterday's CFP title game against Clemson (CBSSPORTS.com, 1/11)....Former MLBer FRANK WHITE yesterday was chosen to serve as the Jackson County (Mo.) executive for the remainder of ’16 (KCSTAR.com, 1/11)....Fox Exec co-Chair & CEO RUPERT MURDOCH “announced his engagement” to former supermodel JERRY HALL (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/12)....Cubs SS ADDISON RUSSELL “married his long-time girlfriend MELISA REIDY over the weekend in Florida” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 1/12).
