In Raleigh, J.P. Giglio noted during Saturday's Florida State-N.C. State men's basketball game, referee KARL HESS stopped the game and asked that former NBAers CHRIS CORCHIANI and TOM GUGLIOTTA be "removed from their front-row seats behind the scorers' table." About two hours after the game, Corchiani "was still looking for a reason why Hess stopped the game and asked him and Gugliotta to leave their seats." He said, "We were just fans, cheering and yelling like everybody else." After the game, Hess "declined to offer an explanation for his decision." N.C. State AD DEBBIE YOW "asked the ACC for an explanation and said she talked with" conference Commissioner JOHN SWOFFORD and Associate Commissioner KARL HICKS. The ACC on Saturday night issued a statement that said that Hess "followed the rule but not the protocol of the rule, which was to permit the game management, or an N.C. State official, to address Corchiani and Gugliotta before they were ejected." ACC Officiating Coordinator JOHN CLOUGHERTY said, "We will re-communicate this policy with all officials to ensure proper protocol is followed" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 2/19).
GROWING INTEREST: In N.Y., Klein & Hackel noted as part of USA Hockey's fifth annual Hockey Weekend Across America, more than 200 rinks Saturday "hosted free clinics, at which an estimated 4,000 youngsters played on the ice for the first time." That "reflects hockey's recent growth spurt among young Americans." Last season, USA Hockey reported 105,934 registered players 8 years old and under, a 10% "rise over the previous season and an" 18% increase since '07-08. What is "most remarkable is that the growth of the last five years has come when few new rinks have been built" in the U.S. (N.Y. TIMES, 2/19).
GIVING BACK: In Orlando, Kate Santich noted in the eight years since Magic C DWIGHT HOWARD signed with the Magic as the No. 1 draft pick, he has “emerged as the most charitable player in team history and certainly one of the most in the NBA itself.” Howard's D12 Foundation “celebrated its one-year anniversary this week with a party for 300 kids in downtown Orlando.” Howard on Friday said, "This is my way of showing God that I'm thankful for him blessing me with the gift to play basketball." For five years, including the “past four in a row, Howard has won the Rich & Helen DeVos Community Enrichment Award, given to the player who has given back most to the community” (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/18).
INVALUABLE LESSONS: N.Y.-based marketing company Translation CEO STEVE STOUTE was featured as part of the N.Y. Times' Corner Office column. He said of the lessons sports has taught him, “Sports force you to be transparent with yourself. You can’t avoid the fact that you missed a tackle or that you’re not as fast as the guy next to you. Either you decide that you’re going to practice to improve, or you are going to accept that you are not as good or talented as the person next to you. The clock doesn’t lie, and the competitive nature of a sport doesn’t lie” (N.Y. TIMES, 2/19).
QUITE THE GUEST LIST: The 16th annual "Power of Love," a tribute to former boxer MUHAMMAD ALI was held on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden. LARRY KING, JOHN LEGEND, SLASH, SIEGFRIED and ROY, JAMES GANDOLFINI, SAMUEL L. JACKSON, JIM BROWN, ANDRE AGASSI, STEFFI GRAF, KARL MALONE, MANNY PACQUIAO, SUGAR RAY LEONARD, THOMAS HEARNS and GEORGE FOREMAN were among those in attendance. The gala celebration will benefit the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, along with the Muhammad Ali Foundation. More than 2,000 people “paid a minimum of $1,500 and as much as $10,000 apiece” for the event (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 2/19).
NAMES: Facebook Founder MARK ZUCKERBURG was spotted in the stands at yesterday's Mavericks-Knicks game (N.Y. POST, 2/20). Also in attendance at yesterday's game were actor KEVIN COSTNER and singer SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY (N.Y. POST, 2/20).
