In N.Y., Shear & Vega in a front-page piece note as part of the White House's efforts to promote ObamaCare, Chief of Staff DENIS MCDONOUGH recently chatted with Cleveland-based WKRK-FM's ANDY BASKIN and JEFF PHELPS on the duo's sports talk show. McDonough talked "about the coming NFL draft, basketball at the White House and his days playing college football in Minnesota." He them "pitched a new website featuring games, videos and superstar athletes explaining the benefits of health insurance: a sports-themed portal to HealthCare.gov." This comes as PRESIDENT OBAMA's administration is waging its "final publication relations push" regarding ObamaCare. The White House in an effort to reach young men is "trying to turn March Madness into a frenzy about health care coverage as well as basketball." Heat F LEBRON JAMES is now "starring in 30-second ads promoting HealthCare.gov" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/20).
HOMETOWN HELP: Silver Medal-winning U.S. bobsledder LAURYN WILLIAMS is "returning home to help with Detroit's revitalization." She said that she "wants to 'pay it forward' to help the next leaders of the city." Williams "doesn’t have a specific outline yet of how she’ll participate in the city’s revival, but she’s been meeting with community activists and leaders to see what she can do." She also said that she "plans to tackle childhood obesity in Detroit" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 3/20).
PROPERTY REPORT: Patriots QB TOM BRADY and his wife, GISELE BUNDCHEN, have listed their Brentwood, Calif., property for sale at a price of $50M (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/20)....JAMIE MCCOURT, the ex-wife of former Dodgers Owner FRANK MCCOURT, has "hoisted her Westside estate on the market" at $55M. She "bought the property a decade ago" with Frank for close to its $25M asking price (L.A. TIMES, 3/20)....Basketball HOFer SCOTTIE PIPPEN put his Ft. Lauderdale home on the market for $11.8M. He first listed the house for nearly $15M in ’07 (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 3/19).
NAMES: The Yankees donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross “to support ongoing relief efforts for last week’s building explosion in East Harlem.” MLS club NYC FC, which is owned by the Yankees and EPL club Manchester City, “pledged an additional contribution of $15,000” (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 3/19)….The Trail Blazers have “teamed up with Portland Public Schools, the Children’s Book Bank, Multnomah County Public Libraries and SUN Schools’ Third Grade Reading Campaign” to help tip off their "Real Big" literary campaign (OREGONLIVE.com, 3/19)....Gold Medal-winning Canadian bobsledder KAILLIE HUMPHRIES tweeted Tuesday that she will “be on the card,” but not fighting, at The Ultimate Fighter: Nations Finale on April 13 in Quebec City (CP, 3/19).
