Mariano Rivera is the sixth athlete overall to receive the award from President TrumpGETTY IMAGES
Baseball HOFer MARIANO RIVERA received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House yesterday. The event was the fifth of its kind that PRESIDENT TRUMP has held this year and the "fourth at which he has presented the award to a sports star," having already honored BOB COUSY, JERRY WEST and TIGER WOODS (N.Y. TIMES, 9/17). Rivera is the sixth athlete overall to receive the award from Trump. ROGER STAUBACH and BABE RUTH "received the award" last November (N.Y. POST, 9/17).
INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY: Celtics C ENES KANTER on Monday met with BILL and HILLARY CLINTON to "discuss human rights violations in Turkey." Kanter "gifted both with custom Celtics jerseys" (NBCSPORTSBOSTON.com 9/16).
MORE THAN A GAME: The BALTIMORE SUN profiled Ravens Dir of Player Engagement JAMEEL MCCLAIN, who "helps recent draft picks learn the ways of the NFL, but just as importantly, he asks them to contemplate life beyond football." McClain's work "might come in the form of financial education classes for second- and third-year Ravens, internships arranged with local tech companies or bonding events with girlfriends and wives" (BALTIMORE SUN, 9/14).
NAMES: Warriors G KLAY THOMPSON announced that all proceeds from an upcoming charity golf event will go to help the Bahamas recover from Hurricane Dorian. Thompson's foundation will also "match all the money raised" (NBCSPORTS.com, 9/14)....Giants OT NATE SOLDER and his wife LEXI “financially support the organization Compassion International, a faith-based nonprofit centered on holistic child development in under-resourced countries.” The Solders are in the process of "starting eight new programs in three countries to benefit more than 1,000 poor children and families" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/14)....MARIO LEMIEUX is donating $1M to Pittsburgh-based Highmark Health to “help establish the Mario Lemieux Innovation and Research Fund in the division of cardiac electrophysiology at Allegheny Health Network’s Cardiovascular Institute.” Highmark Health will “match funds,” contributing $1M itself to a program that will be “run primarily out of AHN’s flagship hospital" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 9/17)....Gold Medal-winning U.S. swimmer MISSY FRANKLIN married former Univ. of Texas swimmer HAYES JOHNSON on Saturday (AP, 9/16).
