Names In The News

In Baltimore, Lorraine Mirabella cites an SEC filing as showing that total compensation for Under Amour Chair, President & CEO KEVIN PLANK fell 14% last year "after the company failed to significantly improve its operating efficiency." A proxy statement filed Friday indicated that Plank's compensation, "including base salary and company performance incentives," totaled $1.13M in '11, down from $1.32M in '10. Plank earned a base salary of $26,000 last year (Baltimore SUN, 3/20).

LET'S DANCE: The season premiere of ABC's "DANCING WITH THE STARS" was last night, and Packers WR DONALD DRIVER and tennis player MARTINA NAVROTILOVA are featured on the show. Driver said, “I’ve been watching the show since season one and I can’t believe I’m even dancing on ‘Dancing With The Stars.’” Navratilova’s dance partner, TONY DOVOLANI, asked her, “You’re the most decorated tennis player of all-time. What would be your biggest concern about this?” Navratilova: “Probably high heels.” She added that her “biggest insecurity probably is just that I’m not that feminine … and I’m just ready to show a different side of me” (“DWTS,” ABC, 3/19).

TURNING THE PAGE: Publishing company William Morrow announced yesterday that former MLB Cardinals manager TONY LA RUSSA's book, "ONE LAST STRIKE: FIFTY YEARS IN BASEBALL, TEN AND A HALF GAMES BACK, AND ONE FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON," is tentatively scheduled to come out this fall. The book will be co-written by HOF baseball writer RICK HUMMEL (AP, 3/19).

NAMES: Yankees 3B ALEX RODRIGUEZ is "crying foul" over a $17,600 charge on his AmEx Black Card after he took his niece on a shopping trip. Rodriguez is "disputing the five-figure sum he spent at the Blue & Cream boutique" in N.Y.'s Bowery neighborhood after he was "told he couldn't return the expensive wares" (N.Y. POST, 3/20)....Former NBA coach DON NELSON will receive his undergraduate degree in physical education from the Univ. of Iowa on May 12 -- 50 years after he left the school. Nelson needed eight credit hours of Spanish to complete his degree (S.F. CHRONICLE, 3/20)....Former NBAer ALONZO MOURNING has listed his Coral Gables, Fla., estate for sale at more than $13.99M. Miami-Dade County assessed the home at $9.76M. Mourning purchased the 13,086-sq-ft residence in '05 for $12.75M (SOUTH FLORIDA BUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/16 issue)....The Cavaliers and head coach BYRON SCOTT today will visit N.Y.'s 9/11 Memorial (NBA).