PROVIDENCE — Six-time Super Bowl champion and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will join the roster of special guests featured in the Rhode Island All-State high-school sports awards show on Thursday, June 18.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the show has transitioned from an event originally planned for the Rhode Island Convention Center to an online event featuring more than 20 professional athletes as hosts and award announcers.
Three-time NBA [...]
PROVIDENCE — Six-time Super Bowl champion and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will join the roster of special guests featured in the Rhode Island All-State high-school sports awards show on Thursday, June 18.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the show has transitioned from an event originally planned for the Rhode Island Convention Center to an online event featuring more than 20 professional athletes as hosts and award announcers.
Three-time NBA champion and Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry has also joined the roster of featured presenters.
“It's such an honor to have the greatest football coach of all time, Bill Belichick, take part in this special event to help recognize the top high school athletes in Rhode Island,” said Journal sports editor Bill Corey. “He'll join an already impressive list of presenters who we hope will make it a special night for our student-athletes.”
Belichick will present the coach of the year awards for the 2019-2020 high school sports season, while Curry will announce the top players in girls and boys basketball.
Belichick has 11 more playoff wins than any other NFL coach and is third behind only George Halas and Don Shula in regular-season wins. He's led the New England Patriots for 20 years and in that time has won six of the team's nine Super Bowl appearances.
Curry, 32, is known as one of the best shooters in NBA history, and has been credited with revolutionizing the game as teams and athletes have adopted and adapted to his success behind the 3-point line. Curry grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, and played college basketball for Davidson, where he was a star and broke records starting in his freshman year.
The additions of Belichick and Curry round out an award-winning list of athletes who have been leaders in their sport, including Super Bowl champion and MVP Patrick Mahomes, quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, Venus Williams, Michael Phelps, Drew Brees, Wayne Gretzky, Gabby Douglas, Bode Miller, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Gary Woodland, Misty May-Treanor, Jordan Burroughs, Norm Duke, Rose Lavelle, Jessica Mendoza and Keli Smith Puzo. Sports broadcasters Jesse Palmer, Sage Steele, Dr. Jerry Punch and Courtney Cronin will host the awards show.
The 6 p.m. awards show will be available to watch on any smart device through YouTube and the event website, providencejournal.com/AllState, thanks to the continued support of presenting sponsor Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island.
While not all state sanctioned sports will be included in the Players of the Year awards, due to spring sports cancellations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a recognition of seniors who missed their final sports seasons as part of a national tribute video that will be included in the broadcast.
The public can also show support of seniors who missed their final games and celebrations by joining in the national movement with support messages on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag DontStopNow. One person nationally using this #DontStopNow will win $1,000 for themselves and $1,000 for the charity of their choice.
The Providence Journal will also participate in a national effort to raise funds locally for those impacted most by the COVID pandemic. This national effort will support the United Way, The American Red Cross and Feeding America. The community that raises the most funds by June 20 will receive a matching donation from the USA Today Network, up to $10,000, for those local charities.