Archive for April 9th, 2018
Written by Sabrina Bradley on 09 April 2018


Mario Addison, Carlos Dunlap, Ben Garland, Mark Ingram, Latavius Murray and Rex Ryan to visit U.S. Troops and Families as Part of NFL’s Salute to Service
Carolina Panthers defensive end MARIO ADDISON, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end CARLOS DUNLAP, Atlanta Falcons guard BEN GARLAND, New Orleans Saints running back MARK INGRAM, Minnesota Vikings running back LATAVIUS MURRAY and former NFL head coach and current ESPN analyst REX RYAN will embark on a weeklong, NFL-USO tour to Italy and Germany to visit U.S. troops and their families at military bases, the NFL announced today.
An extension of the NFL’s Salute to Service – the League’s yearlong work to honor, empower and connect service members through the unifying lens of football and strategic partnerships with impact-driven organizations – this year’s NFL-USO tour will feature an array of base activities consisting of unit visits to one-on-one meetings with installation leadership. The NFL ambassadors will also spend quality time with service members and their families, as well as distribute sports-themed USO2GO kits designed to help service members in remote locations relax and recharge.
“The NFL is proud to work with the USO on another goodwill tour, providing players, coaches and executives the chance to show their appreciation for service members and have the unique experience of engaging with our Nation’s heroes in person,” said NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility ANNA ISAACSON. “The League’s connection to the military is longstanding, due in large part to a strong partnership with the USO. The NFL remains committed to giving back to the brave individuals who fight for our safety every day and honoring them for their service and sacrifice.”
For over 50 years, the NFL and USO have worked together to support the military and strengthen service members by connecting them to family, home and country throughout their service to the nation. In 1966, the NFL teamed with the USO and became the first sports organization to send players on a tour to Vietnam and other parts of the Far East. Since then, more than 250 NFL players, coaches and executives, including TERRY BRADSHAW, BILL COWHER, FRANCO HARRIS, LARRY FITZGERALD, LYNN SWANN and J.J. WATT, have visited troops on NFL-USO tours in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Somalia and South Korea. In 2008, Commissioner ROGER GOODELL became the first sports commissioner to visit the troops overseas as part of a USO tour when he visited Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The USO and NFL have teamed up for more than 50 years as a Force Behind the ForcesSM to connect service members and their families to the things they hold dear,” said CEO and President of the USO, J.D. Crouch II. “This tour is one of many ways we work together to salute America’s men and women in uniform by bringing them a taste of home and the thanks of a grateful nation for all they do to protect and defend our freedoms.”
In addition to overseas morale-building visits, the NFL has supported several different USO projects through Salute to Service including flag football programming and the expansion and refurbishment of USO centers and programming.
For more information on the USO please visit uso.org.
# # #
About the USO: The USO strengthens America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. At hundreds of locations worldwide, we are united in our commitment to connect our service members and their families through countless acts of caring, comfort, and support. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs, services and entertainment tours are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.
In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President’s Circle Partners: A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, AT&T, Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation, The Boeing Company, Clark Construction Group, LLC, The Coca-Cola Company, FedEx, Harris Teeter, Jeep, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger, Mission BBQ, NFL, Southern New Hampshire University and Four-Star Partners: Altria, BBMC, BIC, GEICO, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Prudential, Target, TKS, USAA and the Wawa Foundation. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this important mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.
PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY Ana Blinder, NFL; Christopher Stagner, USO; COURTESY NFLmedia.com
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Written by Sabrina Bradley on 09 April 2018

‘Thursday Night Football’ Nominated for Outstanding Live Sports Series
‘Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Receives Three Nominations
NFL Network Earns Two Nominations in Outstanding Technical Team Studio Category
NFL Media – comprised of NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL.com, the NFL app and NFL RedZone – received 20 Sports Emmy Award nominations, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced recently.
In the Outstanding Live Sports Series category, NBC and NFL Network received a nomination for Thursday Night Football. Additionally, NFL Media earned Thursday Night Football-related nominations in the Outstanding Sports Personality – Play-by-Play category with Jim Nantz (CBS/NFL Network) and the Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Event Analyst category with Tony Romo (CBS/NFL Network).
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buccaneers from NFL Films and HBO earned a total of three nominations in the categories of Outstanding Serialized Sports Documentary, Outstanding Trans-Media Sports Coverage and Outstanding Post-Produced Audio/Sound. This marks the 11th consecutive year NFL Films has earned a nomination in the Outstanding Post-Produced Audio/Sound category for Hard Knocks, and the first ever nomination in the Outstanding Trans-Media Sports Coverage category for the series which has won a total of 15 Emmys in its history.
NFL Network received two nominations in the Outstanding Technical Team Studio category for the network’s coverage of the 2017 NFL Draft and Super Bowl LII. This marks the third year in a row NFL Network has received a nomination in this category.
NFL Films Presents received a nomination in the Outstanding Sports News Anthology category for the third consecutive year. NFL Media also received a nomination in that category with NFL 360.
In the Outstanding Edited Sports Event Coverage category, NFL Network and NFL Films received a nomination for Sound FX: Super Bowl 51 – a category which they won a Sports Emmy award last year in for Sound FX: Super Bowl 50.
The 39th Annual Sports Emmys Awards will be presented on Tuesday, May 8 in New York City at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall.
Following is a complete list of NFL Media’s nominations:
OUTSTANDING LIVE SPORTS SERIES
Thursday Night Football (NBC/NFL Network)
OUTSTANDING EDITED SPORTS EVENT COVERAGE
Sound FX: Super Bowl 51 (NFL Network/NFL Films)
OUTSTANDING SERIALIZED SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (HBO/NFL Films)
OUTSTANDING SPORTS NEWS ANTHOLOGY
NFL 360 (NFL Network)
NFL Films Presents (FS1/NFL Films)
OUTSTANDING SPORTS FEATURE
Thursday Night Kickoff: Kate Foster: A Letter to My Younger (CBS/NFL Network)
OUTSTANDING TRANS-MEDIA SPORTS COVERAGE
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (HBO/NFL Films)
OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY – PLAY-BY-PLAY
Jim Nantz (tbs/CBS/TNT/truTV/NFL Network)
OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY – SPORTS EVENT ANALYST
Tony Romo (CBS/NFL Network)
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL TEAM STUDIO
2017 NFL Draft (NFL Network)
Super Bowl LII (NFL Network)
OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM EDITING
Thursday Night Football Presents… (CBS/NFL Network)
OUTSTANDING LONG FORM EDITING
NFL 360: Konrad Reuland: On a Mission (NFL Network)
THE DICK SCHAAP OUTSTANDING WRITING AWARD
Thursday Night Football Presents… (CBS/NFL Network)
OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION
Road to the Super Bowl (FOX/NFL Films)
OUTSTANDING POST-PRODUCED AUDIO/SOUND
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (HBO/NFL Films)
Inside the NFL: Super Bowl LII (Showtime/CBS Sports/NFL Films)
OUTSTANDING POST-PRODUCED GRAPHIC DESIGN
CBS Thursday Night Football/The NFL Today: NFL Quick Facts (CBS/NFL Network)
OUTSTANDING STUDIO OR PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION
Thursday Night Football Presents…: Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers (CBS/NFL Network)
OUTSTANDING SPORTS PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT
A Football Life: Circle of Life (NFL Network/NFL Films)
ABOUT NFL MEDIA
NFL Media is comprised of NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL.com, the NFL app and NFL RedZone.
PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY NFL COMMUNICATIONS; COURTESY NFLmedia.com
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Written by Sabrina Bradley on 09 April 2018

The National Football League and Nike today announced a long-term extension to their on-field rights partnership. Central to the extension, Nike will continue to provide all 32 NFL Clubs with uniforms and sideline apparel bearing the Nike brand for use during all games.
Additionally, Nike will continue to provide footwear and gloves worn on the field during games by NFL players who are under contract with Nike.
The announcement was made at the NFL Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.
“Nike has been a long-time and trusted partner of NFL and we’re thrilled to extend our relationship with them,” said Brian Rolapp, Chief Media and Business Officer for the NFL. “The NFL and Nike are a powerful combination and we anticipate working closely with them on several programs, including youth and player initiatives.”
About Nike, Inc.
NIKE, Inc., based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned NIKE, Inc. subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes surf and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, NIKE’s earnings releases and other financial information are available at http://investors.nike.com. Individuals can also visit http://news.nike.com/ and follow @Nike.
PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY NFL COMMUNICATIONS; COURTESY NFLmedia.com
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Written by Richard The Guitarman on 09 April 2018

The NRG Astrodome, sitting next to Reliant Stadium, was the scene of the first indoor baseball game on this date in 1965. NY Yankees and Houston Astros played before a crowd of 47,879 in an exhibition game. 2014 photo by EricEnfermero - Own work via wikipedia commons
HIGHLIGHTS ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY INCLUDES:
1020s
1100s
1680s
1790s
1830s
1860s
1880s
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
DAILY ALMANAC WRITTEN BY & COURTESY OF www.almanac.com
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Written by Dan Hock on 09 April 2018


The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced recently that four Minor League players have been suspended following their violations of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
Boston Red Sox Minor League shortstop Michael Chavis, who is currently on the roster of the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs of the Eastern League, has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension of Chavis is effective immediately.
Arizona Diamondbacks Minor League right-handed pitcher Luis Diaz, who is currently on the roster of the rookie-level Dominican Summer League Diamondbacks, has received a 72-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension of Diaz will be effective at the start of the 2018 DSL season.
Cleveland Indians Minor League left-handed pitcher Alsis Herrera, who is currently on the roster of the Single-A Lynchburg Hillcats of the Carolina League, has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension of Herrera is effective immediately.
San Francisco Giants Minor League shortstop C.J. Hinojosa, who is currently on the roster of the Single-A San Jose Giants of the California League, has received a 50-game suspension without pay following a second positive test for a drug of abuse in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension of Hinojosa is effective immediately.
PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY MLB MEDIA RELATIONS; COURTESY MLBpressbox.com
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