In N.Y., Stuart Emmrich in a style-section piece writes a handful of NBAers have "emerged as darlings of the fashion world," but perhaps "no player has been embraced as energetically" as Thunder G RUSSELL WESTBROOK. He was in Paris last week "to promote the introduction of his design collaboration with Barneys New York and to take over the store's Instagram account." Among the entries were a "photo of him backstage with the designer RICK OWENS and another showing the 'run of show' book of the outfits Mr. Owens had sent out of the runway" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/3).
SUPPORTER-IN-CHIEF: PRESIDENT OBAMA on Wednesday called U.S. men’s national team players CLINT DEMPSEY and TIM HOWARD to applaud them on their leadership and the team’s performance during the World Cup. On the call, Obama commended them not only for their work on the field, but for carrying themselves in a way that made the country proud (The White House). Meanwhile, DC-based lobbying firm McAllister & Quinn LLC "has scored $84,000 in the last year from the U.S. Soccer Foundation for lobbying the federal government." The U.S. Soccer Foundation "pays the firm to lobby on World Cup-related requests; Urban Soccer Symposium; Capitol Hill Day; and the Capital Soccer Classic/Congressional Soccer Competition (ROLLCALL.com, 7/2).
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Data from the American Journal of Sports Medicine shows that more than 5% of high school football players "will suffer a concussion," but participation "has barely waned." During the '12-13 school year, 1,115,208 teens played high school football, "just 2% less" than in '08-09, when participation "hit its peak, and just above the total" for '05-06 (BUZZFEED.com, 7/2).
NAMES: The Mets will "honor the memory" of former GM FRANK CASHEN, who died Monday at the age of 88, with a "memorial patch featuring his initials." The patch will be displayed "on the right sleeve of the Mets uniform, below an insignia for broadcaster RALPH KINER, who also died this year" (N.Y. POST, 7/3)....Mavericks Owner MARK CUBAN on Wednesday met with free agent F CARMELO ANTHONY, and Cuban "promised to update fans about the meeting on his 'Cyber Dust' app." Cuban following the meeting put out a quote that read, "What I can tell you is that we made this purely a business meeting. No tours. No banners. All basketball and business" (DALLASNEWS.com, 7/3)....LEBRON JAMES is "teaming up with a group of investors" to open 10 Blaze Pizza restaurants in Florida, "at least three of them in South Florida." The first two restaurants are "slated to open this fall" in Ft. Lauderdale and Boca Raton (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 7/3)....Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT, TE ROB GRONKOWSKI, DE CHANDLER JONES, LB JEROD MAYO and TNT’s CHARLES BARKLEY were in attendance for Tuesday’s JAY Z-BEYONCE concert at Gillette Stadium (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/3)….Knicks F AMAR’E STOUDEMIRE and his wife ALEXIS “partied at Cameo nightclub” Saturday night while out in Miami (N.Y. POST, 7/3)....USC football coach STEVE SARKISIAN earlier this year “sold his house” in Yarrow Point, Wash., for $3.5M. He paid $3.35M for the property in May ’09 (LATIMES.com, 7/2)....Cubs TV analyst JIM DESHAIES and his wife bought a 2,212-square-foot condo in Chicago’s River North neighborhood for $1.35M (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/3).
