Maine Sports Hall of Fame names interim executive director
Retired lawyer Mary Mitchell Friedman has been appointed as the interim executive director of the Maine Sports Hall of Fame, effective Oct. 1, replacing Thaxter Trafton, according to a news release.
Richard L. Whitmore, president of the Hall, said Mitchell Friedman will have responsibility for daily operations of the organization and implementation of long-range planning goals to increase the profile of the MSHoF throughout the state.
Mitchell Friedman, a Waterville native, practiced law for several years, both in Washington, D.C. and Portland, and retired as a partner from the firm of Petruccelli, Martin, and Haddow in 1996. Beginning in the mid-1990s, Mitchell Friedman’s focus became charitable work for several Maine nonprofit organizations.
Trafton will remain a member of the MSHoF board.
NFL, others file lawsuit to block New Jersey sports betting
The National Football League and other sports leagues filed a lawsuit on Monday in an attempt to block New Jersey from offering legalized wagering on sporting events.
In calling for the injunction, the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and the NCAA are seeking to block enforcement of a law that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed on Friday, which partially repeals a ban on sports wagering in the state.
They claimed that the law violates the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, a 1992 federal ban on state-sponsored sports betting.
The new law allows sports betting at state-licensed casinos and racetracks. Monmouth Park, a thoroughbred racetrack in Oceanport, is planning to offer sports betting on Sunday.
San Francisco stations banish ‘Royals’ song ahead of World Series
At least two Northern California radio stations have pledged not to play New Zealand artist Lorde’s song “Royals,” in solidarity with the San Francisco Giants during their World Series matchup with the Kansas City Royals.
The decision by San Francisco stations KOIT and KFOG to drop the song, which has nothing to do with the baseball team, comes as the Giants and Royals prepare to play Game One of the championship series on Tuesday.
In response, Kansas City station KZPT said it would play the song every hour on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. KZPT said it was a sister station of KOIT.
Sabres to retire Hasek’s jersey
The Buffalo Sabres will officially retire the jersey of goaltender Dominik Hasek, one of the best goaltenders in NHL history.
The ceremony will take place on Jan. 13, 2015 prior to the team’s home game against the Detroit Red Wings at First Niagara Center.
Hasek, who was the fifth and final Sabres player to wear No. 39, will be the seventh player in franchise history to receive the honor of having his jersey retired to the rafters. He was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame on March 29 and will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 17.
Bears’ Long says he was wrong to blame fans
Chicago Bears guard Kyle Long admitted he was wrong for criticizing fans at Soldier Field for booing Sunday as the team went into the locker room at halftime down 14-0 to the Miami Dolphins.
“It was wrong for me to point fingers at the fans,” Long said Monday during his weekly appearance on the WXRT Morning Show in Chicago
Long said the Bears should have given the fans a reason to cheer instead of losing 27-14 to the Dolphins.