STEPHEN CURRY will be joined by PRESIDENT OBAMA and CHANCE THE RAPPER in new PSAs for "My Brother's Keeper," the initiative started by Obama in '14. In each spot, Curry is "seen at the Warriors’ practice facility, looking at a video on a smartphone." This is "not the first time that Curry and Obama have appeared in a video" for the initiative, as they both had "starring roles in a humorous video called 'The Mentorship'" back in April '16 (WASHINGTON POST, 12/27).
HOLIDAY TRAVEL: NBA G League Memphis Hustle G MARQUIS TEAGUE and F TRAHSON BURRELL last Saturday on an American Airlines flight were "accused" of stealing sleeping blankets from first-class passengers. The accusation by a flight attendant "led to an argument" before the players were "asked to get off the plane." The airline after clearing up the incident "ended up putting Teague, Burrell and a Hustle assistant coach on a later flight to Sioux Falls (first class), but they missed a team holiday dinner" (THEUNDEFEATED.com, 12/26).
UGLY CIRCUMSTANCES: Former Delaware North employee CHAY VANG yesterday was charged with "two felony counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety and five misdemeanor counts of damage to property." Vang was "accused of going on a rampage in his car and ramming other cars at Lambeau Field" last Friday. Vang also had been "involved in a physical fight with one of his intended victims a few weeks ago." Vang was working for Delaware North at the venue "when he got into a physical altercation" with a co-worker. Delaware North then "investigated the incident and fired Vang" (GREENBAYPRESSGAZETTE.com, 12/26).
NAMES: Bills-Patriots this past Sunday was the first game Bills Owner TERRY PEGULA "missed since buying the team" in '14. Pegula said that weather "altered his family's travel plans" (BUFFALO NEWS, 12/27). Meanwhile, Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT at the game hosted former NYPD Commissioner BILL BRATTON, CBS legal analyst RIKKI KLIEMAN, Regan Communications Group Founder GEORGE REGAN and Consul General of Japan ROKUICHIRO MICHII (BOSTONHERALD.com, 12/26)....Tennessee AD PHIL FULMER will be the honorary “12th Titan” before the Titans' regular-season finale against the Jaguars on Sunday at Nissan Stadium (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 12/27)....Buccaneers DT SEALVER SILIGA on Sunday night left a “$1,000 tip at a Tampa Applebee’s" (ESPN.com, 12/26)....House Majority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-Calif.) and pollster FRANK LUNTZ yesterday were eating at Smashburger outside Staples Center just before Kings-Clippers (POLITICO.com, 12/27).
IN MEMORY: Hockey HOFer JOHNNY BOWER, 93, died yesterday after a “short battle with pneumonia.” In ’16, the Maple Leafs retired Bower’s number and named him “one of the 100 greatest Maple Leafs of all time.” Bower was also “named one of the 100 greatest NHLers” last season (TORONTO STAR, 12/27).
