In San Diego, Tod Leonard profiles incoming PGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open Tournament Dir PETER RIPA, "sharing the duties this year" with outgoing Tournament Dir TOM WILSON, who is retiring after 20 years in the position. Ripa is a "high-voltage star who has the rare accompanying ability to allow others in his universe to also shine." He also made "tremendous improvements over five years" at the PGA Tour Crowne Plaza Invitational. Ripa took over in San Diego six weeks ago and "already has met between 75 and 100 of the Farmers' most important stakeholders, from top-level sponsors to volunteer coordinators" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 8/30).
SHOW BUSINESS: U.S. women’s national soccer team G HOPE SOLO and Lakers F RON ARTEST will appear on Season 13 of ABC’s “DANCING WITH THE STARS” (LATIMES.com, 8/29)….Talk show host ELLEN DEGENERES on Friday surprised the Saints at training camp in Oxnard, Calif., with a crew from "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW." DeGeneres “huddled with quarterback DREW BREES to call some of her own plays, and did a little passing as well.” The footage will air the week of Sept. 12 (NOLA.com, 8/29)....The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER’s David Knowles reviews VH1’s new reality show “BASKETBALL WIVES LA,” noting its protagonists “stick to the same droll formula of inciting jealousy and physical violence between women who are, or have been, romantically involved with NBA players.” NBA stars “receive scant screen time in this drama,” and the “bulk of the action takes place far away” from Staples Center (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 8/28)….The film “MONEYBALL” will premiere Sept. 19 at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland, and a “few tickets to the premiere already are in circulation” (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 8/29).
SUMMER SCHOOL: In Raleigh, Dan Kane reported the Univ. of North Carolina hired NFL player agent CARL CAREY JR. to teach a summer class at a time when school officials “were embarrassed to find that sports agents had infiltrated the football program.” At the time of the class this summer, Carey “represented two football players who had been selected” in April’s NFL Draft. Carey is a former adjunct professor at UNC, and his return to campus “was a problem for the athletic department, which alerted its academic advisers not to recommend his class.” Only “one female athlete took the class” (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 8/27).
NAMES: Former tennis player JIM COURIER is profiled as part of the WALL STREET JOURNAL's "What's Your Workout" feature. Courier continues to work out by playing tennis "four days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.," in addition to doing a "full-body strength workout" two to three days a week. He also does "sprints or interval runs three to four days a week" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/30)....Warriors G STEPHEN CURRY is “back on campus and registered as a full-time undergraduate” at Davidson College, taking three classes during the NBA lockout. Curry also has the “opportunity to be a student assistant for the basketball team” and can have “individual workouts with players.” Davidson coach BOB MCKILLOP said that Curry “can practice ‘occasionally’” (CBSSPORTS.com, 8/26)….The IAAF has donated $250,000 to Japan to “assist the country in rebuilding from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami” (AP, 8/29)….Golfer DODGE KEMMER has signed Int’l Sports Management for representation (ISM)….N.Y. Mayor MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, actor ALEC BALDWIN and singers TONY BENNETT and GLADYS KNIGHT were among those in attendance last night at the U.S. Open (Bergen RECORD, 8/30).
