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Along with millions of others, I did not watch “Monday Night Football.” Based on presumably reliable reports, it was no great loss. Except for the New York Jets, whom the host Tennessee Titans defeated 14-10 to end the Jets’ postseason aspirations.
About the only noteworthy occurrence — for those of us not involved in fantasy football and/or other forms of wagering — was that of Titans running back Chris Johnson, who had a 94-yard touchdown run. For some of us, Johnson’s noteworthiness involved not his TD run but rather the shoes he wore in achieving it.
He had written the names of the 20 children and six adults who were shot to death Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The Jets wore helmet decals to pay tribute to the Newtown victims.
“Kind of heartbroken, so just something to try to give back and show tribute to those families knowing how much they hurt and a situation where on Monday Night Football everybody around the world is watching,” Johnson said.
Well, maybe not everybody. But you still can admire Johnson’s thought and effort.
“It was the situation,” he said. “I don’t care who you are, anytime you have kids, you just think about that situation. It’s really tough. It shows how blessed you are to see your kids every day.”
Titans running back Chris Johnson wore these football cleats Monday night. Credit: Tennessee Titans
In search of something more uplifting? Well, there is this news from emails Monday received at elliottharris.com corporate headquarters: The 25th annual Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards benefitting the March of Dimes will be held Jan. 24 from 5-9 p.m. at the Hilton Chicago & Towers, 720 S. Michigan Ave.
The event, which has raised almost $9 million since its inception, will feature a reception, silent auction, dinner and ceremony. The awards ceremony will be televised by CSN at 7:30. A preview show is to air at 7.
Tickets ($400 per person) and sponsorships are available.
To purchase tickets or to make a donation, persons should contact Shannon McCahill at (312) 596-4716 or by email at smccahill@marchofdimes.com or at CSNChicago.com/sportsawards25.
The silver anniversary show will feature a current player and a legend from each Chicago professional sports team being honored. The 2013 “Player of the Year” and ”Team Legend” honorees include Richard “Rip” Hamilton (“Bull of the Year”), Bob Love (“Bulls Legend”); Eddie Olczyk (“Blackhawks Legend”); Darwin Barney (“Cub of the Year”), Ernie Banks (“Cubs Legend”); Chris Sale (“White Sox of the Year”), Frank Thomas (“White Sox Legend”); Patrick Nyarko (“Fire of the Year”) and Frank Klopas (“Fire Legend”). Honorees from the Bears will be announced shortly. Perhaps the Bears are trying to figure out whether the event would conflict with any Super Bowl preparations. OK, there has to be a better excuse than that.
This is how Jaime Edmondson tells people she is expcting.
The March of Dimes “Inspirational Athlete” award winner is 13-year-old Connor McHugh of Wheaton. He has achieved as an athlete, coach and student, despite having a birth defect.
* Of all the baseball offseason moves, one of the happiest has to be the announcement that Playboy Playmate Jaime Edmondson (long a favorite around here) and Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria are expecting the couple’s first child.
* Sports City Memorabilia will offer discounts of 30-60 percent on Saturday (Dec. 22) for items in the store located at 9241 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Store hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. For further details, persons may call (847) 329-7107.
* A noteworthy accomplishment by Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim. He won his 900th college game. But that really wasn’t the moment worth remembering. Boeheim voiced an opinion on guns that no doubt will have the right-wing Second Amendment diehards up in arms (though hopefully not literally with firearms): “This will probably offend some people,” he said. “But I was watching television all day today, because I don’t, you know, leave. If we in this country as Americans cannot get the people that represent us to do something about firearms, we are a sad, sad society. I’m a hunter. I’ve hunted. I’m not talking about rifles. That’s fine. If one person in this world; the NRA president, anybody, can tell me why we need assault weapons with 30 shots in the thing. This is our fault. This is my fault and your fault.”
As promised, there are more videos from the Chicago Crave (Bikini Basketball Association tryouts Sunday at Lifetime Fitness in Orland Park. And there will be mre this week, if thing go according to plan (which they occasionally do around here):
A reminder that the editorial staff generally does not regard any of the videos posted on the site to be considered “gratuitous” — no matter what the rest of the world might say!
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