In Illinois, Mike McGraw notes former NBAers SCOTTIE PIPPEN, RANDY BROWN and JEFF SANDERS yesterday joined PRESIDENT OBAMA "along with some of the President’s friends and advisers in a pickup game at the Hope Athletic Center on Chicago’s West Side." Pippen ended up on Obama's team and "claimed they rolled to an easy victory" (Illinois DAILY HERALD, 11/7). A White House spokesperson "confirmed that Obama also played with," among others, brother-in-law and Oregon State Univ. basketball coach CRAIG ROBINSON, U.S. Secretary of Education ARNE DUNCAN, White House Assistant Chef SAM KASS and former Obama personal aide REGGIE LOVE (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 11/6).
COURT REPORT: Former Phillies batting practice pitcher ALI MODAMI filed a lawsuit Monday claiming GM RUBEN AMARO JR. "defamed him and ruined his job prospects" with the Nationals and Dodgers. The suit claims that both teams "rejected Modami ... because Amaro told both teams' general managers that he was no longer with the Phillies because he was stealing and selling memorabilia." It states, "Moreover, Amaro claimed that plaintiff Modami was writing negative things about the team on the Internet" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 11/6).
NAMES: Mavericks Owner MARK CUBAN provided the “necessary $20,000 for prizes and awards” for the Univ. of Texas-Dallas Business Idea Competition (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 11/7)….In N.Y., Thompson & O’Keeffe note sports agents SETH and SAM LEVINSON “may have escaped decertification from the union representing the baseball players who are their clients, but the embattled Brooklyn agents still face an independent investigation -- and possibly serious discipline from Major League Baseball -- for their role in MELKY CABRERA’s thwarted attempt to cover up a positive drug test” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/7)….EPL club Manchester United announced that it will commemorate manager SIR ALEX FERGUSON’s 26th year in charge of the team by “unveiling a statue of the Scot this month.” The statue will be “uncovered at Old Trafford on Nov. 23, the day before United plays Queen Park Rangers, the same opponents as in the 70-year-old’s first home match in charge on Nov. 22, 1986" (REUTERS, 11/5)....Band BEN FOLDS FIVE “took to Twitter over the weekend to offer their services to the Charlotte Bobcats as in-house entertainment.” Folds in a series of tweets “reached out to the Bobcats' Twitter account and celebrated Bobcats F MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST to seek an invite” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/6)….Gold Medal-winning judoka KAYLA HARRISON will appear in Glamour magazine’s December issue wearing her medal. The magazine is honoring female U.S. Olympians among its “Women of the Year” (BOSTON HERALD, 11/7)….UFC middleweight champion ANDERSON SILVA will have a role in actor STEVEN SEAGAL’s next film (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/6)…. NBC's "America’s Got Talent" judge HOWIE MANDEL will host the ’12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards banquet on Nov. 30 at the Wynn Las Vegas. Mandel is “expected to be joined by other to-be-announced entertainers” (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 11/6).
