Names In The News

Documentary Presents Gibson's Personal Life, Baseball, History

In N.Y., Sean Hamill reports a new 50-minute documentary from Duquesne Univ. titled "THE LEGEND BEHIND THE PLATE: THE JOSH GIBSON STORY" not only goes into of Baseball HOFer JOSH GIBSON's "legendary baseball accomplishments," but it also "tries to make the case that his drinking and apparent demons were a result of the brain tumor that eventually killed him." The documentary was made "over the past year by 12 students, with the help" of Duquesne assistant journalism professor DENNIS WOYTEK and adjunct professor MIKE CLARK. Woytek said that he "believed this was the first documentary to focus solely on Gibson," and that he "expected it to be shown eventually on local cable programs and possibly on some national history programs." The film premiered yesterday at Duquesne (N.Y. TIMES, 10/14). In Pittsburgh, Karen Price notes the documentary "presents Gibson's personal and family history ... within the context of Pittsburgh, baseball and national history." It was "produced in cooperation with the Josh Gibson Foundation" (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 10/14).

SCREEN SHOTS: HBO Sports President ROSS GREENBURG yesterday announced that the net has begun production on a documentary about Basketball HOFers LARRY BIRD and MAGIC JOHNSON. The film, which will debut in March ahead of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, will trace the history of the competition between the two players (HBO)....In Seattle, Greg Johns writes local filmmakers JASON REID and ADAM BROWNE "have done an excellent job with their newly released documentary," "SONICSGATE," which details the Sonics' departure for Oklahoma City. Once the film "gets going, there are insightful interviews with many of the key participants in the city's court trial against" Owner CLAY BENNETT (SEATTLEPI.com, 10/14).

Wilhide Posts Alerts On His Site, SportsIn140.com, When He Discovers A Phony Twitter Account

I'M LIKE A BIRD: WALL STREET JOURNAL's David Biderman profiles BRENDAN WILHIDE, who "spends several hours a day determining which athletes' accounts are phonies and which are legit" on Twitter. When Wilhide confirms imposters, he "posts an alert on his Web site, SportsIn140.com." Wilhide said that he has "exposed a fake" posing as Nuggets F CARMELO ANTHONY and alerted an MLB official to a false page representing Rays 3B EVAN LONGORIA. Wilhide also "shut down a faux account" mimicking U.S. gymnast ALICIA SACRAMONE. NFL VP/Communications BRIAN MCCARTHY said that he was "so impressed with Mr. Wilhide's work that he took him to lunch and gave him a tour of league offices in New York" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 10/14).

SETTLEMENT IN KENTUCKY: The Univ. of Kentucky (UK) and the UK Athletic Association yesterday agreed to pay former UK men's basketball coach BILLY GILLISPIE "nearly $3[M] plus attorneys' fees to settle a contract dispute." UK "has to make the payments within 15 days" under the settlement, which also "calls for Gillispie to release the university from any and all future claims." Both UK officials and Gillispie also "agreed not to make 'derogatory or detrimental' comments about each other." Gillispie was fired in March after two years with the school (LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER, 10/14).

NAMES: Former President GEORGE H.W. BUSH and wife BARBARA BUSH will serve as Honorary Chairs for the November 19-22 LPGA Tour Championship at The Houstonian Golf & Country Club in Houston (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/14)....Diageo will make a $100 donation to the Washington Regional Alcohol Program for every tackle recorded by a Redskins safety during the ’09 NFL season (Diageo)….Suns Chair JERRY COLANGELO has joined Grand Canyon Univ.’s Educational BOD (AZCENTRAL.com, 10/13)….Cardinals SS JULIO LUGO has sold his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, for $4M, $575,000 more than he paid for the home in ’07 (BOSTON HERALD, 10/14)….BEST Tennis has agreed to a multi-year representation contract with 16-year-old SLOANE STEPHENS (BEST)….TIGER WOODS sat with Cowboys Owner JERRY JONES during Monday’s U2 concert at Cowboys Stadium (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 10/14).

BEST WISHES: Former IOC President JUAN ANTONIO SAMARANCH "suffered a mild heart attack" yesterday and was taken to a hospital in Monaco. A medical source said that Samaranch "responded well to treatment, but would stay in hospital for two to three days" (LONDON TIMES, 10/14).