Names In The News

Writers Criticize Roberts' A-Rod Book

On Long Island, Neil Best reviews SI writer SELENA ROBERTS' "A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez," and writes under the header, "Book Fleshes Out A-Rod But Ultimately Comes Up Thin." As Roberts has "insisted, a complete reading reveals a more nuanced picture of the man than do excerpts." But the book is a "stark contrast to the exhaustive -- and exhausting -- case against" former MLBer Roger Clemens by the N.Y. Daily News investigative team of TERI THOMPSON, NATHANIEL VINTON, MICHAEL O'KEEFFE and CHRISTIAN RED in their book, "AMERICAN ICON: THE FALL OF ROGER CLEMENS AND THE RISE OF STEROIDS IN AMERICA'S PASTIME." Much of the information in the Clemens book "has been reported before, but the authors thoroughly tie it all together." Roberts' book is the "far more enjoyable read of the two most recent Yankees-on-steroids books, but it ultimately feels thin" (NEWSDAY, 5/5). In St. Petersburg, Gary Shelton writes if there is a criticism of the book, it is that the book has a "rushed feeling to it." Roberts did "such a crackerjack job (along with fellow [SI] reporter DAVID EPSTEIN) in breaking the original story about Rodriguez testing positive for steroids, it is natural that her book would have a recycled feel" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 5/5).

MULTI-TASKER: In a front-page cover story for the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, Chris Vivlamore profiled Braves VP/Business Operations MIKE PLANT. Plant, a former U.S. speedskater who participated in the '80 Lake Placid Winter Olympics, in February was named Chef de Mission for the U.S. Olympic team at the '10 Vancouver Games. Plant said his main role is "dealing with the [IOC], dealing with the international sports federations and the organizing committee at a high level." Plant: "That's where I bring a long history of having relationships with a lot of those individuals that are in those leadership positions" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 5/3).

MASTERS OF CEREMONIES: MLB Commissioner BUD SELIG, who graduated from the Univ. of Wisconsin in '56, will give the commencement address at the school later this month. Selig will "speak at all four spring commencement ceremonies for undergraduates on May 16 and 17 at the Kohl Center" (AP, 5/4)....Sharks President & CEO Greg Jamison will deliver the commencement keynote address at William Jessup Univ.'s (WJU) commencement ceremonies on May 16. Jamison is a member of WJU's Foundation Board of Trustees (ROCKLIN & ROSEVILLE TODAY, 5/4).

COMING SOON: In Houston, David Barron reported ESPN's Hannah Storm is "preparing for her debut as a documentary producer." Storm said that she will team with former NBC Sports anchor Lisa Lax and Lax' sister, filmmaker Nancy Stern, to "produce a film about the Martina Navratilova-Chris Evert tennis rivalry for ESPN's 30 for 30 series." Storm, who "started the Hannah Storm Foundation last year to assist children who suffer from vascular birthmarks and related conditions, was honored by Literary Advance of Houston" last week, and attended the event with her husband, NBC Sports anchor DAN HICKS (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 5/4)....DAILY VARIETY's Marc Graser reports Tinseltown Toons is producing "Nascar: The Secret Life of Cars," a direct-to-DVD animated film that will be distributed by Universal Sports Home Entertainment in '11. The film will detail "what happens in a Nascar garage when the humans have left and the cars come to life." Writer Tom Rogers will write the script for the film, and the final title "may change" (DAILY VARIETY, 5/5).

Sources Indicate Roger Penske Has Emerged As Potential Buyer For GM's Saturn Brand

NAMES: Sources indicated that Penske Racing Owner ROGER PENSKE has “emerged as a potential buyer” for GM’s Saturn brand (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 5/5)….“OPERATION OPENING DAY,” a three-hour DVD containing the entire FS Detroit telecast of the Tigers' 15-2 victory over the Rangers on April 10, as well as pre-game festivities and post-game interviews and highlights, is being made available to all active members of the military as a gift from FS Detroit play-by-play announcer MARIO IMPEMBA, in cooperation with the Tigers and MLB Productions (Tigers)….Agent SCOTT BORAS participated in a Q&A for the June issue of Playboy magazine and said of fans saying he is greedy, “A player’s life span in the game is short; his agent is there to help him. In the end it’s not about the fans. I’m not here to win a popularity contest” (LATIMES.com, 5/4)….MLB Cardinals 1B ALBERT PUJOLS and his wife, DEIDRE, and several friends received a tour of the White House Saturday. Pujols did not meet PRESIDENT OBAMA or VP JOE BIDEN but “left an autographed jersey and several balls signed by himself” and Cardinals manager TONY LA RUSSA (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 5/4).

HITTING BOOKSHELVES: The N.Y. Times' RICHARD SANDOMIR wrote for his new book “THE FINAL FOUR OF EVERYTHING,” it is “time to borrow the brackets formula from sports and use it to determine what’s great, silly and surprising about American politics, sports, popular culture, business, nature, history, food, drink and words” (THE DAILY).