Names & Faces: Duval “At Home” With Nike; MVP Revamps Image

MAJOR THANKS: David Duval, after winning the British Open, said, "I've been through some travails with some equipment changes, but I feel like I'm at home at Nike, where I should be, and one of the exciting things for me was that they were really going to fine-tune a golf ball for me, and I debuted that golf ball at the U.S. Open, and it's dead-on, and I just can't thank them enough" (ABC, 7/22).

Lewis Re-Works Image With Rap Song

OFF-SEASON WORKOUTS: In Baltimore, Jamison Hensley reports Ravens LB Ray Lewis has "tackled the responsibility of promoting his image this off-season," as he is re-releasing his own brand of hot sauce and will have his own calendar out at the end of August. Lewis also has his own brand of T-shirt and "personalized bandannas, knows as 'Ray rags.'" But the "most shocking move came Friday, when he recorded a rap song" with the Baltimore-area band Trezure. The cut is a sampling of the song "War," and is scheduled to debut this week (Baltimore SUN, 7/22).

Rulon Gardner

RULON: Mike Suttle, the manager of U.S. Gold Medal-winning wrestler Rulon Gardner, said that Gardner's Dr. Scholl's, Sony and Merck endorsement deals are "each worth six figures, enough to allow Gardner to continue an amateur wrestling career and to start financing a foundation to help people with catastrophic illnesses" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/21).

BOBBLEHEADS: In Minneapolis, La Velle Neal reported yesterday's Mariners-Twins game drew 44,664, "with many undoubtedly turning out with hopes of getting one of the 10,000" Dave Winfield bobblehead dolls. It was the Twins' third bobblehead promo of the season, and Winfield "proved to be the biggest draw," as Bert Blyleven and Rod Carew bobblehead giveaways drew 29,587 and 35,034, respectively (STAR TRIBUNE, 7/23). Last Saturday's CNN/SI's "Page One" examined the popularity of bobblehead dolls as sports promos, and CNN/SI's Tom Rinaldi said the dolls "can fill stadiums as well" as Cardinals 1B Mark McGwire. Rinaldi said when Alexander Global Promotions created its first bobblehead in '99, the company "had no idea their factory in China would be making upwards of a million in a month this summer, nor that the dolls would re-sell for hundreds of dollars on eBay" ("Page One," CNN/SI, 7/21)....Fox Sports' Joe Magrane, on Twins LF Jacque Jones poster day at the Metrodome: "You know, you haven't arrived as a big leaguer until you are a poster or a bobble-head" ("MLB on Fox," Fox, 7/21).