Comcast SportsNet Awards Dinner Has All-Star Lineup

January 22, 2014 @ admin → No Comments

The 26th annual Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards has an impressive lineup for February 10 event. Sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois and benefitting the March of Dimes, the event will be held at the Hilton Chicago & Towers, 720 S. Michigan. The program has raised more than $10 million in its first 25 years.

Actress/model Caitlin O’Connor is in an entertaining video below.

The 2014 honorees are Nazr Mohammed (“Bull of the Year”), Welington Castillo (“Cub of the Year”), Nate Jones (“White Sox of the Year”), Patrick Sharp (“Blackhawk of the Year”), Martellus Bennett (“Bear of the Year”), Mike Magee (“Fire of the Year”) and Stan Mikita (“Lifetime Achievement Award”). The March of Dimes “Inspirational Athlete” award winner is Alyssa Gialama, an 18-year-old Paralympic swimmer from Naperville, Ill., who was born with a birth defect. The Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks also will be honored, and there will be a tribute to the late Jim Corno Sr., who was the head of CSN and a longtime proponent of the March of Dimes.

The function begins with a reception and silent auction at 5 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m. and the awards show hosted by David Kaplan at 7:30 and aired on Comcast SportsNet. A pre-show will air at 7 p.m. Tickets ($400 each) and sponsorships are available. For tickets or to make a donation, persons may contact Kate Adams at (312) 596-4721 (kadams@marchofdimes.com) or visit CSNChicago.com/sportsawards26.

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* For fans wanting a sourvenir of Super Bowl XLVIII, the Highland Mint is offering the official commemorative flip coin — your choice of Denver Broncos or Seattle Seahawks — for $99.99. The collectible also will come with an AFC or NFC championship coin (depending which team you choose). For more information or to order, you can go to sbflip.com.

* Northwestern, which scored an upset victory at Indiana on Saturday, defeated Purdue 63-60 in double overtime Tuesday in Evanston, Ill. Wildcats coach Chris Collins has enjoyed some success in his first season thanks to having his team defense. Wondering whether Collins the player (known for his shooting ability) could have played for Collins the coach.

* Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah on playing former teammate Luol Deng (now with the Cleveland Cavaliers) for the first time Wednesday in Cleveland: “He’s my brother. But when that ball goes up, he’s not going to be my brother.”

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