In addition to Celtics co-owner STEVE PAGLIUCA keeping tabs on his basketball team, he has been soaking up the powerful run of his Italian Serie A club, Atalanta, which "stunned" Premier League club Liverpool in the first leg of a Europa League quarterfinal last week, 3-0. Liverpool won the second match of the two-game series, 1-0, Thursday, but Atalanta advances to the semifinals because of its edge in goal differential. If it wins the tournament, it will clinch a spot in the prestigious Champions League. Pagliuca said, “It’s been a whirlwind, but we’re having a lot of fun” (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/18).
NAMES: Titans DE JEFFERY SIMMONS served as the honorary chair for the ninth annual Rally On the Runway charity event Thursday night, bringing seven of his Titans teammates with him to escort childhood cancer patients and survivors on the runway. This was Simmons' first year as honorary chair (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 4/19)....Jordan Brand President SARAH MENSAH will be the speaker at the Univ. of Oregon’s graduation ceremony on June 17 (JOHNCANZANO.com, 4/17)....On Thursday, the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm unveiled a newly renovated, multi-functional Good Neighbor Club at the ANDREW and WALTER YOUNG Family YMCA in Southwest Atlanta. This 10th Good Neighbor Club features a gym renovation including a refurbished basketball court, which was named in honor of Basketball HOFer DOMINIQUE WILKINS approximately 15 years ago. Attendees at the unveiling included Wilkins, the Young brothers, Atlanta Mayor ANDRE DICKENS and Atlanta City councilmembers BYRON AMOS, MICHAEL J. BOND, ANTONIO LEWIS and MARCI OVERSTREET (Hawks).
