Cavaliers F LEBRON JAMES as part of his eponymous mentoring program sent 23 ambassadors to New Orleans as part of All-Star Weekend, where they will "spend the first two days of their trip rebuilding homes in the old city's ravaged neighborhoods." The ambassadors are all in high school and attend either Akron Public Schools or St. Vincent-St. Mary's, James' alma mater. This is the third season in which James has "sent Akron students to the All-Star host city, but the first in which their mission is so focused" (CLEVELAND.com, 2/16).
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| Michaels will be given the Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football this month |
NAMES: NBC's AL MICHAELS "will be given the Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football at the NFL 101 Awards later this month" (KANSASCITY.com, 2/16)....Patriots coach BILL BELICHICK will "narrate a one-hour documentary this offseason titled 'D-DAY: OVER NORMANDY.'" The film is "from the World War II Foundation (based in Rhode Island) and Tim Gray Media." The film is scheduled to air in the spring of '17 on PBS stations around the country (ESPNBOSTON.com, 2/16)....Former NFLer JON BEASON said that he is donating $250,000 toward the Univ. of Miami's "efforts to finance an indoor football practice facility" (MIAMI HERALD, 2/17)....Chiefs RB JAMAAL CHARLES on Thursday set up a GoFundMe account to "help the Special Olympics USA Snowshoeing team get to the World Winter Games in Austria in March." Charles competed in the Special Olympics when he was 10 (K.C. STAR, 2/17).
IN MEMORY: Southern California Sports Broadcasters HOFer MIKE WALDEN, best known for his coverage of USC and UCLA sports, died Sunday at the age of 89 from "complications related to a stroke." Walden "occupied his own space in the constellation of iconic Southern California sportscasters of his time -- CHICK HEARN, VIN SCULLY, DICK ENBERG, BOB MILLER." Walden called USC football games from '66-72 before going on to "call games for UCLA for 18 more years." Wider exposure for Walden "came on the small screen, as part of the 'SUPER DAVE' television comedy series." Playing himself, Walden would "interview Super Dave Osborne, an ill-fated daredevil, before and after his doomed stunts." The show lasted 95 episodes and aired on Showtime (L.A. TIMES, 2/17).
