Lawson told the CFL board of governors last week that he planned to step down as chairGETTY IMAGES
CFL BOG Chair JIM LAWSON's time in that role "will end this weekend." Sources said that Lawson will "step down from his post following the Grey Cup" on Sunday. The sources added that Lawson "formally informed the CFL board of governors of his intention last week." The sources also said that to "recognize Lawson's service," he received the Commissioner's Award from Commissioner RANDY AMBROSIE during the league's awards banquet Thursday (CP, 11/21)....Calgary Stampeders President & CEO JOHN HUFNAGEL also was honored at the banquet, as he was presented with the Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership Award (CFL).
THE GOOD STUFF: The Red Sox were named the recipient of MLB's Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence. The team was recognized for its "partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital to develop the Home Base Program" (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/22)....Bruins players ZDENO CHARA, PATRICE BERGERON, TUUKKA RASK and BRAD MARCHAND on Wednesday "grabbed shopping carts and sailed down the aisles at Walmart in Saugus" for the annual Bruins Holiday Toy Shopping event (BOSTON GLOBE, 11/22)....CAM NEWTON on Monday will "host his foundation's eighth annual 'Cam's Thanksgiving Jam,'" which will serve Thanksgiving meals to 1,300 "underprivileged Charlotte area children" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 11/22).
NAMES: Redskins WR JESTER WEAH is a "faceless" member of the team's practice squad, but his uncle, GEORGE WEAH, was named FIFA world player of the year in '95 and is "nearly two years into his first term as Liberia's president." Jester Weah said of his teammates, "I don't think these guys know anything about that." The only Redskins player Weah has "told about his family" is rookie WR KELVIN HARMON, who was "born in Liberia." Weah "hasn't seen his uncle since he was 9, and he has never been to Liberia" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/22)....NWSL Orlando Pride D ALI KRIEGER and G ASHLYN HARRIS will "serve as executive producers and stars on a remake of the Israeli soccer competition show GirlStar." The couple is partnering with ADD Content, which is "currently negotiating the local version" of the show with U.S. production partners (PROSOCCERUSA.com, 11/22).
IN MEMORY: Former NFLer FRED COX died Wednesday at 80 in Minnesota from "complications due to kidney failure." After his football career, with the "help of Minnesota entrepreneur JOHN MATTOX," Cox in '71 invented the Nerf football. He "got the idea while playing" for the Vikings. Cox is the team's career scoring leader (MON VALLEY INDEPENDENT, 11/22). Cox "came up with the idea of a soft football to prevent leg injuries to kids." He and Mattox "took a mold of a full-sized football and injected it with soft foam rubber material," which resulted in the Nerf football (ESPN.com, 11/21).
