The second full-time female coach in the NFL, 49ers assistant KATIE SOWERS, "made history again, becoming the first openly lesbian or gay coach in the league's history." Sowers gave an interview to OutSports, "confirming her sexual orientation." 49ers coach KYLE SHANAHAN "has not specified a title for Sowers, but she will continue working with the 49ers wide receivers." Only one NFLer, former DE MICHAEL SAM, has "come out as gay during his career" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 8/23).
BENT LIKE BECKHAM: YAHOO SPORTS' Charles Robinson reports Giants WR ODELL BECKHAM JR. will "consider acquiring a massive insurance policy" -- possibly for more than $100M in injury protection -- if he "doesn't reach a contract extension with the team before the NFL's regular season begins." Sources said that Beckham's camp "explored injury insurance prior" to Monday night's preseason game against the Browns, when a "scary hit left the player with a sprained ankle." The sources said that a one-season insurance policy topping $100M would "likely cost Beckham more than $600,000 depending on the details of coverage" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/22).
G-MEN: Europe-based team G2 Esports has taken on outside investors for the first time, raising an undisclosed sum from a group that includes FC Barcelona MF ANDRE GOMES, Brazil-based agency Go4It co-Founder MARC LEMANN, multicultural media company Macro Ventures and Everblue Management. G2 will use the money to hire players and fund content creation and brand initiatives. Inner Circle Sports has been hired as a strategic advisor as G2 continues to evaluate growth prospects (Ben Fischer, Staff Writer).
NAMES: Multichannel News named NBC Broadcasting & Sports Chair MARK LAZARUS its Sports Exec of the Year (MUTLICHANNEL NEWS, 8/21 issue)....RORY MCILROY yesterday joined teenager MARY BROWDER HOWELL of Kentucky, "hitting wedge shots to targets on the field at Yankee Stadium." He "brought attention" to St. Jude's Children Research Hospital, which received a $1M donation in his name from FedEx (NEWSDAY, 8/23)....Rockets G JAMES HARDEN has "donated $100,000" to Texas Southern Univ. in an "effort to help students with financial needs." TSU President AUSTIN LANE said that the money will "help students who come from some of the lowest socioeconomic backgrounds in Houston" (CHRON.com, 8/21)....Fourth-graders at Hiawatha Leadership Academy -- Northrop K-4 school in Minneapolis were "thrilled as they rummaged through their new backpacks to find school supplies such as notebooks, markers and a pencil bag," all courtesy of T'Wolves C COLE ALDRICH. Aldrich "teamed up with the Kids in Need Foundation for a backpack giveaway" where he "packed 600 backpacks" (TWINCITIES.com, 8/21)....LUDACRIS will perform at the College Football HOF in conjunction with the PGA Tour as part of Tour Championship week in Atlanta (AJC.com, 8/22).
IN MEMORY: Longtime Stanford broadcaster BOB MURPHY died yesterday at 86 from "complications from Alzheimer's disease." Murphy had "suffered from the disease for several years." He worked for Stanford in "several capacities," starting in the mid-'60s and "culminating with his retirement" in '07. At the time, he was the analyst for football radio broadcasts and "handled play-by-play of men's basketball broadcasts." He also "worked as Stanford's sports information director" from the mid-'60s to the mid-'70s and as San Jose State's AD for three years in the late '70s (S.F. CHRONICLE, 8/23)....RAFAEL "FELO" RAMIREZ, the HOF Spanish-language radio voice of the Marlins and an “icon in Latin American baseball circles,” died Monday night at 94. Ramirez had been “hospitalized since he fell and struck his head getting off the team bus in Philadelphia on April 26.” Ramirez had been the Marlins’ Spanish-language radio voice since ’93 (MIAMIHERALD.com, 8/22). Ramirez’ well-known voice had been “absent from the airwaves since late April" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 8/23).
