The city of N.Y. paid for a scene in a TV pilot produced by sports radio host AMY HEART that features Mayor BILL DE BLASIO and former MLBers DWIGHT GOODEN and DARRYL STRAWBERRY. Heart was able to get the city to "not only pay for the backdrop," but also "have the mayor take part" by enlisting influential lobbyist and de Blasio donor JAMES CAPALINO. De Blasio's Press Secretary ERIC PHILLIPS said neither the mayor nor senior officials knew of "this Capalino connection." City Hall also "seemed to be unaware that the event was for a television pilot, describing it as a 'documentary film' in publicity material" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/1).
CELEBRITY SELECTION: Actors MANDY MOORE and MILO VENTIMIGLIA, who appear on NBC's Pittsburgh-based show "THIS IS US," announced the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick on Saturday. Wearing "denim jackets adorned with a Steelers logo," Moore and Ventimiglia led chants with the crowd inside Heinz Field’s Champions Club. Ventimiglia said of the show's future, "There’s a possibility we might be filming some of the show here next year" (POST-GAZETTE.com, 4/29).
STOVE PIPES: PEARL JAM frontman EDDIE VEDDER played at the Hot Stove Cool Music event on Saturday in Boston, which was dubbed the “Cubs & Red Sox Edition” with the Cubs in town. The night ended after 1:00am ET with a “crowded stage and a rousing rendition of NEIL YOUNG’s ‘Rockin’ in the Free World,’” which featured former MLBer BERNIE WILLIAMS “showing off his fluid guitar playing.” The World Series trophies “commemorating the curse-breaking” wins for the ‘04 Red Sox and the ‘16 Cubs were brought on stage. Vedder and Cubs President of Baseball Operations THEO EPSTEIN “engaged in a bit of crowd-surfing as well” (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 4/30).
NAMES: Former MLBer DAVID ORTIZ yesterday was the main speaker at the New England Institute of Technology’s commencement ceremony (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 5/1)....Heisman Trophy winners MARCUS ALLEN, TONY DORSETT, GEORGE ROGERS, CHARLIE WARD and DANNY WUERFFEL recently joined Habitat for Humanity and Nissan to build a Heisman House in Atlanta (Habitat for Humanity)....U.S. skier LINDSEY VONN “hung out with Elmo and Cookie Monster” last week, though it is unclear if her appearance was “for a future episode of ‘Sesame Street’” (ESPNW.com, 4/28)....SHAQUILLE O’NEAL will serve as the speaker at the second annual Des Moines Register Sports Awards, which take place June 24 at Wells Fargo Arena (DES MOINES REGISTER, 4/30)....Cubs 3B KRIS BRYANT and P JOHN LACKEY dined at Boston’s Strega Waterfront over the weekend (BOSTON HERALD, 5/1)....WILL FERRELL attended last night’s Cubs-Red Sox game (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/1)....Patriots RB DION LEWIS, CB ERIC ROWE and G SHAQ MASON were among a group of team players at yesterday’s Wizards-Celtics Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 1 (BOSTON HERALD, 5/1)....Baseball HOFer TONY PEREZ and former MLBer JEFF CONINE were picked by MLB on Friday as ambassadors for the '17 All-Star Game in Miami (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 4/28)....Islanders co-Owner JON LEDECKY was at the United Talent Agency party at Fiola Mare in DC on Friday night (POLITICO.com, 4/29).
