Red Wings and Tigers Owner MIKE ILITCH in a statement said that he "will be absent" tonight during the Red Wings' jersey retirement ceremony for former NHLer NICKLAS LIDSTROM. Ilitch: "This past year, I had a medical procedure that has kept me out of the spotlight for awhile. I feel much better now, and I’m stronger every day." The last time the 84-year-old Ilitch "made a public appearance" was for Tigers RF TORII HUNTER’s introductory press conference in November '12 (DETROIT NEWS, 3/5). Ilitch was featured in last week's SportsBusiness Journal, as part of the SBJ/SBD Champions program.
LONE RIDER: Former cyclist LANCE ARMSTRONG "won a temporary relief order from a Texas judge this week, sparing him from going under oath about the doping conspiracy that fueled" his career. Armstrong "had been scheduled to give a deposition" today. The order from Texas Appeals Court Judge KERRY FITZGERALD "delays the deposition pending further review" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/6). Meanwhile, the N.Y. Times' JULIET MACUR in her book "CYCLE OF LIES, THE FALL OF LANCE ARMSTRONG" offers a "riveting account" of the cyclist, and it "isn't pretty." Armstrong is depicted as a "bully, cheat, narcissist, user" and those are just "the appetizers." He is shown as a "cancer survivor, of course," but most of all he is portrayed as "a world-class liar" (TORONTO STAR, 3/6).
TRIBUTES: About 30 members of the Orioles, including manager BUCK SHOWALTER and key players, will leave tomorrow's game against the Phillies "after four or five innings" to fly to Virginia to honor late Dir of PR MONICA BARLOW. Showalter said that team Owner PETER ANGELOS is "providing a plane to fly from Sarasota to Virginia" (CSNBALTIMORE.com, 3/5)....The Braves and Phillies yesterday honored late Braves Special Assistant and former MLBer JIM FREGOSI "in a 12-minute pregame ceremony." Fregosi's traditional seat in the scout section at Bright House Field "was left empty, except for his hat," which was placed there by Braves GM FRANK WREN (ESPN.com, 3/5).
NAMES: Jaguars Owner SHAHID KHAN last week gave $50,000 to the political committee supporting Jacksonville Mayor ALVIN BROWN’s re-election, making Khan “the top individual contributor to Brown’s campaign” (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 3/6)....Former NFLer TOMMY NOBIS yesterday received the Atlanta Sports Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 3/6)....Celtics F JEFF GREEN and C KELLY OLYNYK on Tuesday “tested their acting chops” at the King School in Dorchester, Mass. The performance was part of the Celtics’ “Read to Achieve” program (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/6)....Former NFLer DREW PEARSON this spring will open the Sports 88 grill at the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport’s Terminal B-Terminal D connector section (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 3/5)....49ers coach JIM HARBAUGH yesterday attended Kansas Univ.’s men’s basketball shootaround "before taking in the game" against Texas Tech (K.C. STAR, 3/6)....Mavericks Owner MARK CUBAN on Tuesday night was “sipping cocktails” at the W Hotel’s Living Room lounge in DC. Cuban said he was in town to “meet with some of the leaders of the free world” (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 3/5).
