ESPN.com's HOWARD BRYANT Saturday was arrested and "charged with assaulting his estranged wife and hitting a police officer who tried to subdue him." Bryant was "charged with domestic assault and battery, assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest." He said that he "wanted to withhold comment until after his arraignment." ESPN officials said that it is "too soon to comment on the arrest" (Springfield REPUBLICAN, 2/28).
HEADING TO A NEW CORNER? In L.A., Lance Pugmire reports boxer JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ is "in a battle over his future that could result in his splitting" from Golden Boy Promotions to "land a coveted shot" at a fight with MANNY PACQUIAO. Golden Boy CEO RICHARD SCHAEFER indicated that an "associate of Top Rank has been trying to persuade Marquez to jump ship." Marquez' contract with Golden Boy "expired Sunday," and Schaefer said that he "has a 30-day exclusive negotiating period to try to extend that contract." Pugmire writes losing Marquez "would be a serious blow to Golden Boy" (L.A. TIMES, 2/28).
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT: In N.Y., Michael Cieply noted Warriors co-Owner and Mandalay Entertainment Group Chair & CEO PETER GUBER has written "TELL TO WIN: CONNECT, PERSUADE AND TRIUMPH WITH THE HIDDEN POWER OF STORY," which will be released tomorrow by Crown Business. The book "actually delivers a surprisingly self-aware tour through Mr. Guber's ups and downs." Guber has "built a small sports empire through his Mandalay Entertainment Group" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/27)....The N.Y. TIMES' Charles McGrath writes lately there has been a "small flurry of not terrible work about hockey onstage." MICHAEL MELSKI's play, "HOCKEY MOM, HOCKEY DAD" had productions in the U.S. and Canada, and there also have been "three hockey musicals," including "SLAM: THE HOCKEY ROCK OPERA." The musical features an "anthem" to Hockey HOFer MARK MESSIER. There also is, "going back a while, a gay-theme hockey opera, 'THE LOVES OF WAYNE GRETZKY,' in which Gretzky leaves his wife for MARIO LEMIEUX." One of the "newest contributions to hockey dramaturgy, VICTOR LESNIEWSKI's 'WHERE BISON RUN,' about a young Belarussian playing in the NHL, will be performed in a staged reading" tonight (N.Y. TIMES, 2/28).
NAMES: The Yankees "paid tribute" to late Chair GEORGE STEINBRENNER ahead of Saturday's exhibition game against the Phillies. The ceremony "began with a performance by the marching band" from a Tampa-area school named in his honor, George M. Steinbrenner High School. After that performance "came the introduction of the Yankees' spring training instructors, coaches and players." The Yankees also "formally dedicated" a six-foot-tall statue of Steinbrenner "mounted on a 3-foot granite base and located at the entrance of Steinbrenner Field." The statue is "identical to the one in the lobby of Yankee Stadium" (NEWSDAY, 2/27)....Sony Pictures Classics’ “INSIDE JOB” won an Oscar last night for Best Documentary Feature. Eagles Owner JEFFREY LURIE is an Exec Producer of the film (THE DAILY)....In Charlotte, Mark Price reports Family Dollar Stores CEO HOWARD LEVINE’s “challenge to the community to match his $250,000 gift to the American Red Cross produced an unexpectedly speedy response” when NFL Panthers Owner JERRY RICHARDSON and his wife, ROSALIND, “decided to match the $250,000 with a personal check” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 2/28)....Former MLBer RANDY JOHNSON spent time at Auto Club Raceway in Ponoma, Calif., this past weekend “perfecting his craft as a sports photographer during the NHRA Winternationals” (LATIMES.com, 2/26)....Former MLBer ROYCE CLAYTON has created a company called “Ball Tunes," which "creates customized walk-up music for players" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/27).
IN MEMORY: Former Chiefs announcer BILL GRIGSBY died Saturday at the age of 89. Grigsby joined the Chiefs’ radio team when the franchise moved to K.C. in ’63, “missing only eight games until stepping away after the 2009 season.” Grigsby had “battled prostate cancer in recent months” (K.C. STAR, 2/27)....Former Newsday Deputy Sports Editor BOB HENN died Saturday of liver cancer at the age of 69. Henn also was a Sports Editor at the N.Y. Daily News before spending nearly 20 years with Newsday (NEWSDAY, 2/28).
