A Louisiana judge has ruled that court records from the '15 mental competency trial of late Saints and Pelicans Owner TOM BENSON will "remain hidden from public view ... in response to a push by national media outlets to have the documents and transcripts unsealed." Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge KERN REESE said that "practically the entire case, which pitted Benson against three estranged relatives, turned on medical information to which the public is not entitled" (NOLA.com, 7/15).
SPEAKING UP: DWYANE WADE "deleted a tweet in support of TV host NICK CANNON in the wake of the entertainer being fired for making anti-Semitic remarks on a podcast." Wade initially tweeted at Cannon, "We are with you," followed by a black fist and "Keep leading!" Wade later "deleted the tweet and issued a second tweet to explain himself." The second tweet read, "I was not supporting or condoning what Nick Cannon specifically said, but I had expressed my support of him owning the content and brand he helped create" (ESPN.com, 7/15).
GIVING BACK TO THE YOUTH: Gold Medal-winning U.S. skier BODE MILLER will "partner with the Institute for Civic Leadership Academy to launch a Bode Miller winter sports academy," an "online learning program designed for ski racers, snowboarders, cross-country skiers and any other outdoor sports enthusiast in grades 7-12." Miller's responsibilities include "direct communication with students, along with creating video content, workouts and webinars to help local club coaches better instruct their athletes." Down the road, Miller "envisions opening an actual school near Big Sky, Montana, where he and his family make their winter home" (AP, 7/16).
X GONNA GIVE IT TO YA: MIKE DITKA now is the Owner & Chair of "X League," a women's tackle football league that was "originally founded as the Lingerie Football League." In '09, the league "rebranded to the Legends Football League, and 10 years after that decided to again rebrand, this time calling it X-League" (NBCSPORTSCHICAGO.com, 7/15). The league "will begin play in eight cities in April" on a '21 schedule which "will be announced in October" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/16).
TEAM INITIATIVES: The Mets and their Community Investment Group are spending over $1M on "COVID-19 relief efforts in both Queens and the surrounding tri-state area" (N.Y. POST, 7/16)...The Lightning announced they have "reached a milestone of donating 100,000 meals to Feeding Tampa Bay" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 7/16).
NAMES: The husband-wife duo of Pelicans G JRUE HOLIDAY and former USWNT MF LAUREN HOLIDAY are using his "remaining game checks for this season to launch a social justice fund." The game checks, worth up to $5.3M, "will help start the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Impact Fund, which is designed to aid communities in New Orleans, Indianapolis and the Los Angeles area" (ESPN.com, 7/15)....Clippers Owner STEVE BALLMER made his "biggest disclosed political donation ever," giving $7M to MIKE BLOOMBERG's Everytown for Gun Safety (TWITTER.com, 7/15)....Chiefs S TYRRANN MATHIEU, a New Orleans native, is "paying the funeral costs for DEVANTE BRYANT, a 9-year-old who was shot and killed in the 7th Ward Monday" (NOLA.com, 7/15).
