Names In The News
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Obama Honors Univ. Of Florida Football
Team During Visit To White House |
PRESIDENT OBAMA Thursday welcomed the Univ. of Florida football team to the White House in honor of their '08 National Championship. The team presented Obama with a "blue Gator jersey bearing Obama's name and the number 1," and they also "gave him a football with his name on the side." Obama said that he "still supports a national playoff system instead of the bowl system," but added that he is "confident the Gators could have defeated any team out there" (GAINESVILLE SUN, 4/24).
RICH LIST: MLS Galaxy MF DAVID BECKHAM tops the annual London Times Rich List for sportsmen with a personal fortune estimated at US$183.4M. Beckham is followed by former boxer LENNOX LEWIS (US$132.1M) and driver EDDIE IRVINE (US$117.4M). The list, which is "not restricted to British citizens but those who either live or predominantly work in Britain, assesses the value of assets held by the wealthy elite" (TELEGRAPH.co.uk, 4/23).
MAKING TIME FOR SPONSOR: U.S. Gold Medal-winning swimmer MICHAEL PHELPS Wednesday appeared at the opening of sponsor Omega's new flagship boutique in N.Y. (PEOPLE.com, 4/23). Omega had Phelps "don an eye loupe and attempt to deconstruct one of their timepieces on Wednesday night -- with some guidance from the watchmakers." After the inspection, Phelps "shopped for a Mother's Day gift for his mom, DEBBIE" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/24).
NAMES: Florida Int'l Univ. will pay new men's basketball coach ISIAH THOMAS a $1.29M base salary "if he stays at the school for five seasons." That figure "doesn't include incentives and variable compensation" that Thomas could receive, such as a "cut of concession sales at home games and bonuses for championships and strong academic achievement by his team." Thomas "will not take a salary in his first year at the school, but is entitled to reimbursement for temporary housing costs" (AP, 4/23)....MLB Giants P JEREMY AFFELDT and his wife, LARISA, donated $5,000 to support a medical clinic for former child slaves in northern Thailand. Affeldt also will donate $100 per strikeout to the campaign (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/23)....The N.Y. City Council Wednesday in a ceremony prior to that day's session honored former U.S. Olympians JOHN CARLOS and TOMMIE SMITH for their "achievements and their courageous contributions to the civil rights movement" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/24)....Tampa Bay & Co. has selected Buccaneers Owner the GLAZER family as its Ambassador of the Year (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 4/24).
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