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Scott Made Controversial
Comments About Obama |
In Baltimore, Dan Connolly reports the Orioles have “distanced” themselves for comments DH LUKE SCOTT made about President OBAMA, but “not from the slugger’s right to speak his mind.” Orioles Dir of Communications GREG BADER said, “Luke Scott’s comments do not reflect the opinion of the Baltimore Orioles organization. The fact is that Barack Obama is our president, duly elected by the people of the United States. End of story” (Baltimore SUN, 12/9). Scott on Tuesday said Obama “was not born here.” Scott: “If someone accuses me of not being born here, I can go -- within 10 minutes -- to my filing cabinet and I can pick up my real birth certificate and I can go, ‘See? Look! Here it is.’ The man has dodged everything. He dodges questions, he doesn’t answer anything. And why? Because he’s hiding something” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/7).
FOR A GOOD CAUSE: ESPN L.A.’s Dave McMenamin notes Lakers F RON ARTEST on July 1 will “announce just how much of his 2011-12 salary he will donate to charities to benefit mental health awareness.” Artest said he will donate “either all or some” of his salary. Artest said that he “has already received enough publicity for raffling off his 2010 NBA Championship ring on his personal website for charity.” The raffle as of last week had raised $464,525, and the winner will be selected on Christmas Day during the Heat-Lakers game (ESPNLA.com, 12/9).
STUDYING ABROAD: Yankees CF Curtis Granderson, Rangers P C.J. Wilson and Brewers 1B Prince Fielder each will participate in the MLB Int'l Ambassador program, traveling abroad over the coming weeks to host youth clinics, attend tournaments, make media appearances and aid in the global growth of baseball. Granderson, making his fourth trip as an MLBI Ambassador, will tour New Zealand in late January. Wilson will travel to South Africa in early January, and Fielder will be in China and Japan for eight days beginning tomorrow (Eric Fisher, SportsBusiness Journal).
PAYING THEIR RESPECTS: In Philadelphia, John Smallwood notes the funeral service for late Philadelphia Daily News 76ers beat writer PHIL JASNER was held yesterday. 76ers coach DOUG COLLINS, former Daily News columnist and Sports Editor STAN HOCHMAN, Eagles radio play-by-play announcer MERRILL REESE, Daily News writer DICK JERARDI and Comcast SportsNet’s MICHAEL BARKANN spoke at the ceremony (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 12/9)….Daytona Int'l Speedway yesterday hosted a memorial service for late NASCAR VP/Corporate Communications JIM HUNTER, who died last month at the age of 70 after a “yearlong battle with cancer.” Hundreds of “friends, family and fans turned out for the celebration of life ceremony that included a touching video of Hunter through the years.” NASCAR Chair & CEO BRIAN FRANCE “presented Hunter’s family with an award for 35 years of service to NASCAR” (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 12/9).
NAMES: Baseball America named Rangers GM JON DANIELS its Major League Exec of the Year (BASEBALLAMERICA.com, 12/8)....U.S. Airways Magazine recently named UNC-Charlotte AD JUDY ROSE "one of the 20 most dynamic women in Charlotte" (UNCC)....Heat F LEBRON JAMES "has bought a three-story mansion overlooking Biscayne Bay" in Miami's Coconut Grove neighborhood for $9M. The 12,178-square-foot estate "has six bedrooms and eight and a half bathrooms and boasts water views from every room" (MIAMI HERALD, 12/9)....St. Louis-based NFL agent HAROLD LEWIS was the sole bidder for a $27M mansion in Lake St. Louis that was "built with the allegedly ill-gotten gains of US Fidelis." Lewis, who bid $4.75M for the home, said that he plans to "use the mansion for charity fundraising events and to entertain professional athletes and their families" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 12/9).
