Names In The News
Basketball HOFer MAGIC JOHNSON, who is HIV positive, and his wife COOKIE appear in new PSAs to raise awareness of HIV. SPIKE LEE directed the PSAs, part of the "I Stand With Magic" campaign, a five-year, $60M project financed by drug firm Abbott. The campaign "urges blacks to be tested for HIV and its goal is to halve the rate of new infections among U.S. blacks" (L.A. TIMES, 7/6).
FANTASY STATS: Inside Edge Founder RANDY ISTRE, whose baseball scouting company has "helped lead to six World Series trophies," wants to take his company's information and "bring it to the masses playing fantasy sports." Inside Edge contributed to the Yankees' championships in '96 and from '98-'00, the Marlins' World Series victory in '97 and the D'Backs' title in '01, and the company hopes that the "general public will also pay for their services." Inside Edge employs 30-35 former professional baseball players as scouts (WSJ.com, 7/3).
NAMES: Musicians SHERYL CROW, NELLY and 3 Doors Down are among the artists who will record exclusive tracks for AT&T's Team USA soundtrack. The music will be featured during NBC and Telemundo broadcasts of the Beijing Olympic Games this August (USA TODAY, 7/7)....F1 driver LEWIS HAMILTON is reportedly set to be the owner of a $20M luxury hotel development at Grand Anse beach in Grenada. Hamilton, his father ANTHONY and his financial advisers are in "secret negotiations to buy the beach-front property on his family's native island" (TELEGRAPH.CO.UK, 7/5)....Yankees intern TONY ODIERNO, who lost his left arm as an Army lieutenant in Iraq in '04, Friday threw out the first pitch at the Red Sox-Yankees game. Odierno has been "involved with planning for the All-Star Game and the new Yankee Stadium" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/4)....The WALL STREET JOURNAL's "Power Tables" section noted that NFL Giants Treasurer JONATHAN TISCH recently dined at Mirko's Restaurant in Water Mill, New York, wearing his Super Bowl ring. Tisch "always orders salmon, and sits at either table 7 inside or table 20 outside" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/5).
GET WELL SOON: Penske Racing Owner ROGER PENSKE, after "spending two weeks recovering from a follow-up medical procedure related to his kidney," planned to attend Saturday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona Int'l Speedway and Sunday's IndyCar Series Camping World Grand Prix at Watkins Glen Int'l. Penske had two cars running in each race (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 7/4)....Wizards Majority Owner ABE POLLIN "for about a year has been confined to a wheelchair because of progressive supranuclear palsy, a disorder of the brain that impairs movement and balance." The 84-year-old Pollin said it is a "horrible disease. But I'm fighting it" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/6).
IN MEMORY: CFL Lions President & CEO BOB ACKLES died yesterday from a heart attack. He was 69 years old. Ackles spent 15 years serving in front-office capacities with four NFL franchises, which included the Cowboys, Cardinals, Eagles and Dolphins. He served as a football exec in the NFL, CFL and XFL (GLOBE & MAIL, 7/7). After leaving the Cowboys in '92, the team Ackles helped assemble went on to win Super Bowls in '93, '94 and '96 (VANCOUVER SUN, 7/7)....Former San Antonio Express-News columnist DAN COOK died Thursday at the age of 81 after a long illness. Cook spent 57 years in the newspaper business, and 51 years at the Express-News. Cook also worked as a sportscaster at KENS-CBS from '56-'00. Cook in '78 on KENS uttered the famous phrase, "The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 7/4)....L.A. Times journalist KENNETH REICH died June 30 in his sleep at the age of 70. He was known for his work covering the preparation of the '84 Olympics in L.A. (AROUNDTHERINGS.com, 7/5).
|
