The Rose Bowl is "repurposing a hallowed locker room, where football legends like KNUTE ROCKNE once inspired their teams, into a showcase for a potential full-sized museum." The locker room was "used for the stadium’s first six years before it was turned into a storage room." The Rose Bowl Operating Company will "use the tiny museum -- only a few hundred square feet -- for special events and as the first stop during the official stadium tour program." The room will open to the public Aug. 25 (SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE, 8/17).
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| James and his wife are featured in Vogue Magazine's September issue |
GIVING BACK: The Dick's Sporting Goods Foundation's Sports Matter program has committed $500,000 over five years to Little League Baseball and Softball (Dick's)....Cubs LF KYLE SCHWARBER yesterday visited Chicago Fire Department Engine 112 as "part of his 'Neighborhood Heroes' campaign." He "surprised the station with a 65-inch television and PlayStation." This was Schwarber’s "fourth activity of his campaign." He has also "hosted first responders at Wrigley Field for a Cubs game" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 8/17)....Cavaliers F LEBRON JAMES and his wife SAVANNAH's parenting style is just "one of the heartwarming details revealed in a profile of the James family" in the September issue of Vogue. The "meat of the story" is "about the couple's charitable endeavors in the Akron area through the LeBron James Family Foundation" (CLEVELAND.com, 8/16).
NAMES: Trail Blazers G DAMIAN LILLARD said that he is "working on the follow-up to his highly successful debut album, 'THE LETTER O.'" No release date "has been determined." Lillard, whose stage name is Dame D.O.L.L.A, has "support from some of hip-hop's most prominent figures, including LIL WAYNE" (ESPN.com, 8/16)....Nike co-Founder & Chair Emeritus PHIL KNIGHT this week "contributed $500,000 to the gubernatorial campaign of KNUTE BUEHLER, a Republican lawmaker from central Oregon." Knight has "spent heavily in recent gubernatorial elections," donating $400,000 to Republican candidate CHRIS DUDLEY in '10 and $250,000 to Democrat JOHN KITZHABER in '14 (AP, 8/16)....D-backs Special Advisor TONY LA RUSSA and former Indiana men's basketball coach TOM CREAN yesterday attended the Patriots-Texans joint practice at The Greenbrier as guests of coach BILL BELICHICK (CSNNE.com, 8/16)....Former CFLer ARLAND BRUCE III, who said that he has "sustained 'permanent and disabling’ repetitive head trauma as a player,” has “asked the Supreme Court of Canada to allow his lawsuit against the league to proceed.” Two lower courts in British Columbia have “dismissed the suit because Canada's top court has previously ruled that unionized employees must use labour arbitration -- not the courts -- to resolve disputes that arise from their collective agreement" (CP, 8/16)....NASCAR Dir of Public & Government Affairs JORDAN JILOTY and his wife on Saturday welcomed a son, CHARLES JORDAN JILOTY (POLITICO.com, 8/16).
IN MEMORY: Former NBAer TOMMY HAWKINS passed away yesterday at the age of 80. Hawkins “forged a career in television and radio when his playing days ended” with the Lakers, then “served as a Dodgers front-office executive.” He was also a sportscaster with L.A.-based KNBC (L.A. TIMES, 8/17). Hawkins was hired in ’87 by then-Dodgers Owner PETER O’MALLEY as VP/Communications and he "worked for the team" until ’04 (AP, 8/16)....Longtime Reds front office exec GENE BENNETT passed away yesterday at the age of 89. Bennett was a Special Assistant to the GM from ’92-’11 after beginning in the club’s scouting department in ’58 (Reds).
