USA TODAY's Bryan Alexander notes action sports star SHAUN WHITE "reveals an entirely new side of himself with a sizzling cameo" in the movie "FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS," which hits theaters Friday. In White's "first movie role," he "turns on a serious dark side as the in-your-face nemesis to a very surprised JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE." Producer and Director WILL GLUCK said that the role "works because the notion of White snapping goes against his well-known personality." Alexander notes White "hired an acting coach who pulled the rookie onto a New York street to perfect the needed blowup" (USA TODAY, 7/18).
DRIVEN TO HELP: In Virginia, Dustin Long reported NASCAR driver JEFF GORDON was scheduled to "leave for a refugee camp in Congo" after yesterday's Sprint Cup Series Lenox Industrial Tools 301 "in an effort to help improve conditions there." Gordon's work is "through the Clinton Global Initiative, an organization founded by former President BILL CLINTON." Gordon said, "My expectations are to see some jaw-dropping, eye-opening experiences that are going to change my life forever. Hopefully, we can do some very good things to change that in the future. ... It's a long way to go. It's a short trip, but I think it's very valuable, and I think it's important to what our cause is about" (Norfolk VIRGINIAN-PILOT, 7/17). Gordon is "part of a delegation that includes ASHLEY JUDD." He is "due to arrive in the Congo on Tuesday and depart Thursday night" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 7/18).
SALINAS REPORTED DEAD: CBSSPORTS.com's Parrish & Goodman cited sources as saying that investment adviser DAVID SALINAS, who "doubled as the founder of a prominent Houston-area summer basketball program, died of an apparent suicide" yesterday. A source indicated that the development "comes in light of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigating Salinas for fraudulent practices that might've cost several college basketball coaches who had invested with Salinas millions of dollars." Former Arizona men's basketball coach LUTE OLSON, Baylor coach SCOTT DREW, Texas Tech coach BILLY GILLISPIE and Gonzaga assistant coach RAY GIACOLETTI are among those who "invested with Salinas" (CBSSPORTS.com, 7/17).
SLICE OF PARADISE: In Ft. Lauderdale, Steve Waters profiled Fox NFL analyst JIMMY JOHNSON, who moved to Islamorada, Fla., "11 year ago, buying two adjacent houses on six acres with a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean." Johnson and his wife, RHONDA, "live in one house and guests stay in the other." Johnson "cleared the vegetation between the houses to put in a freshwater swimming pool with a bar at one end and barstools in the water as well as a saltwater pond that's home to snappers and lobsters, among other species." If the wind is "not blowing too hard, Johnson goes fishing, often by himself." Otherwise "he'll check the stock market on his computer, hit the streets for a 1 1/2-mile run and lift weights in his workout room" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 7/17).
LEFTOVER FOOD DONATED: In San Antonio, Guillermo Garcia reports "hot dogs and pretzels left unsold" after Spurs, WNBA Silver Stars and AHL Rampage games and "most special events at the AT&T Center are helping feed the homeless" at San Antonio-based Haven for Hope. Spurs Sports & Entertainment Dir of Business Communications STACEY MITCH said that concessionaire Aramark "began donating the food last month as part of the Spurs' contribution to the NBA's Green Week initiative." The donation from Aramark and SSE will average an estimated "$1,000 per event" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 7/18).
NAMES: ESPN's John Barr cited court documents as indicating that former Univ. of Georgia football coach and former ESPN college football analyst JIM DONNAN "has been accused of making millions of dollars from a Ponzi scheme that also enriched his three children and their spouses." The documents, filed Thursday and Friday, are "part of a larger bankruptcy case involving West Virginia-based company GLC Ltd" (ESPN.com, 7/17)....Rays DH JOHNNY DAMON’s charity event, “Uncork for a Cause,” raised $10,000 Saturday at the Vinoy in Tampa. Red Sox DH DAVID ORTIZ was in attendance. Bottles of '07 Johnny Damon red wine from Napa Valley were sold, with proceeds “supporting the families of the three St. Petersburg police officers who died recently in the line of duty” (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 7/18)....Former NHLer JOE SAKIC’s hole-in-one at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe yesterday “was worth a $1 million bonus from tourney sponsor American Century, with the stipulation that half the prize go to its primary charity benefactor,” the Livestrong Foundation (DENVER POST, 7/18)....Memphis Commercial Appeal sports writer RON HIGGINS has won the Gary Lundy Writer of the Year award “for the ninth time and seventh time in the last eight years." The award is given to Tennessee’s “top writer” (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 7/18)....Vikings RB ADRIAN PETERSON last week visited “TMZ Live” while it was being taped by TMZ Founder HARVEY LEVEIN and co-Exec Producer CHARLES LATIBEAUDIERE (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/17)....The A’s yesterday held an MC HAMMER bobblehead night as part of the team’s '80s weekend (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/18).
