Names In The News

Obama Honors Univ. Of Florida Football Team During Visit To White House

PRESIDENT OBAMA Thursday welcomed the Univ. of Florida football team to the White House in honor of their '08 National Championship. The team presented Obama with a "blue Gator jersey bearing Obama's name and the number 1," and they also "gave him a football with his name on the side." Obama said that he "still supports a national playoff system instead of the bowl system," but added that he is "confident the Gators could have defeated any team out there" (GAINESVILLE SUN, 4/24).

RICH LIST: MLS Galaxy MF DAVID BECKHAM tops the annual London Times Rich List for sportsmen with a personal fortune estimated at US$183.4M. Beckham is followed by former boxer LENNOX LEWIS (US$132.1M) and driver EDDIE IRVINE (US$117.4M). The list, which is "not restricted to British citizens but those who either live or predominantly work in Britain, assesses the value of assets held by the wealthy elite" (TELEGRAPH.co.uk, 4/23).

MAKING TIME FOR SPONSOR: U.S. Gold Medal-winning swimmer MICHAEL PHELPS Wednesday appeared at the opening of sponsor Omega's new flagship boutique in N.Y. (PEOPLE.com, 4/23). Omega had Phelps "don an eye loupe and attempt to deconstruct one of their timepieces on Wednesday night -- with some guidance from the watchmakers." After the inspection, Phelps "shopped for a Mother's Day gift for his mom, DEBBIE" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/24).

NAMES: Florida Int'l Univ. will pay new men's basketball coach ISIAH THOMAS a $1.29M base salary "if he stays at the school for five seasons." That figure "doesn't include incentives and variable compensation" that Thomas could receive, such as a "cut of concession sales at home games and bonuses for championships and strong academic achievement by his team." Thomas "will not take a salary in his first year at the school, but is entitled to reimbursement for temporary housing costs" (AP, 4/23)....MLB Giants P JEREMY AFFELDT and his wife, LARISA, donated $5,000 to support a medical clinic for former child slaves in northern Thailand. Affeldt also will donate $100 per strikeout to the campaign (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/23)....The N.Y. City Council Wednesday in a ceremony prior to that day's session honored former U.S. Olympians JOHN CARLOS and TOMMIE SMITH for their "achievements and their courageous contributions to the civil rights movement" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/24)....Tampa Bay & Co. has selected Buccaneers Owner the GLAZER family as its Ambassador of the Year (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 4/24).