Warner Bros. Sports Licensing, a division of Warner
Bros. Consumer Products, has signed the White Sox's Albert
Belle to its endorsement roster of athletes. Belle joins,
among other WB athletes, Patrick Ewing, Muggsy Bogues, Juwan
Howard, Glen Rice and Andres Gallarraga (Warner Bros.).
Belle: "I'd like to put myself in a position where --
because things worked out real well between Albert Belle and
Warner Bros. Sports -- I have these opportunities to think
about at the end of my [baseball] career. Acting may be
something I want to do. I mean I've done it before and I
liked it and I wouldn't mind doing it again." In addition,
Belle hopes to use his relationship with WB Sports to
"soften a coarse image caused by media run-ins with, among
other outlets, Time Warner-owned Sports Illustrated,"
according to Phil Rosenthal of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
Belle: "Sports Illustrated is in the past. It's time to
start anew." Warner Bros. VP/Property Development Michael
Peikoff, on questions regarding Belle's image: "Frankly, we
had issues -- just as you in the media have issues -- and we
really sat down and did our due diligence. We spent a lot
of time with him and his agent. We brought him up to the
studio and he met with top management here. ... We found
him to be a genuine good guy" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 1/30).
