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| Some fans were able to grab selfies with Goodell, who was in Buffalo for a wedding
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ROGER GOODELL on Sunday was at the Creekview restaurant in Williamsville, N.Y., and people "took selfies" with the NFL Commissioner, who was in the Buffalo area over the weekend for the wedding of Pro Football HOFer JIM KELLY's daughter, ERIN. Creekview GM BILL JACOBBI said of Goodell, "He was a gentleman to everybody" (BUFFALONEWS.com, 1/17).
GIVING BACK: COLIN KAEPERNICK announced he will "name 10 beneficiaries over the next 10 days for the final $100,000" of his $1M charity pledge. Each organization picked will "receive an additional $10,000 from a different celebrity." The first charity announced was Silicon Valley De-Bug, and the "match to Kaepernick's $10,000" comes courtesy of Warriors F KEVIN DURANT (ESPN.com, 1/17). Warriors G STEPHEN CURRY is also contributing to Kaepernick's pledge, "donating $10,000 to United Playaz, a Bay Area-based violence prevention and youth development organization that has worked closely with Curry in the past" (SFGATE.com, 1/17).
HONORING TWO GREATS: Bruins anthem singer RENE RANCOURT will "retire" at the end of this season. Rancourt has been a "regular singer" for the team since the '75-76 season. Meanwhile, the Bruins and the NHL "celebrated the 60th anniversary" of WILLIE O'REE "breaking the league's color barrier." Boston Mayor MARTIN WALSH proclaimed yesterday as Willie O'Ree Day. The Bruins and NHL also announced the "dedication of Willie O'Ree Rink, a street hockey rink" in the Allston neighborhood of Boston (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 1/17).
NAMES: Pro Football HOFer EMMITT SMITH has started a "new Dallas-based real estate business" in partnership with N.Y.-based Newmark Group. The company will "work in commercial property brokerage as well as development and construction services." Smith said that the firm will have "50 to 100 employees and will operate in multiple markets" (DALLASNEWS.com, 1/17)....Top Rank Boxing has signed 17-year-old junior middleweight prospect DAVID KAMINSKY, who was 94-8 as an amateur. Kaminsky hails from Israel but has been living for years now in California (ESPN.com, 1/17)….The Golf Writers Association of America will award former August National Chair BILLY PAYNE with its William D. Richardson Award for outstanding contributions to golf (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 1/18)....The Raptors and rapper DRAKE yesterday announced plans to “grow their partnership” with a new program called “Welcome Toronto.” Drake and the Raptors will donate $1M to refurbish local community basketball courts and another $2M to Canada Basketball (GLOBE & MAIL, 1/18)....The Mark Gordon Co. has “picked up the movie rights” to the upcoming JAMES PATTERSON book on late former NFLer AARON HERNANDEZ. MATT JACKSON will produce the project with BILL ROBINSON and LEOPOLDO GOUT (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 1/17).
