In Indianapolis, Bob Kravitz notes Colts Owner JIM IRSAY is “playing, messing around, sitting back in his office and laughing at the havoc he has wreaked” since posting on Twitter that he was in BRETT FAVRE’s hometown this past weekend. Irsay is “goofing on the scoop-happy media, toying with the heads of fans,” and “it's working.” There is “a reason ESPN sent reporter BOB HOLTZMAN to the Colts practice facility Monday.” Colts DE ROBERT MATHIS said, "The man is entertaining, that's for sure." Kravitz: “I'm guessing not everybody shares Irsay's Twitter fascination. It's fair to assume general manager CHRIS POLIAN isn't laughing about any of this.” The Colts “have always been a buttoned-up organization that spoke with one voice," but “now you have the wild-child owner making all kinds of crazy noise” (INDIANAPOLS STAR, 8/23). WQXI-AM's DOUG STEWART said, "We’ve seen a rash of GMs and upper echelon managers in football taking to Twitter having fun with the fans” (“First Take,” ESPN2, 8/22).
ON THE MARK: In Boston, Greg Bedard profiled Buccaneers GM MARK DOMINIK, who can “work a room as well as any politician.” Dominik “might look like he’s straight from Central Casting for ‘The American President II,’ but he’s pure football to the core.” He is in his “third season running the football side” of the Bucs. He started out, “fresh from college in 1993, working in the college and pro departments for the Chiefs under CARL PETERSON.” For the past 16 years he has been with the Bucs, “rising steadily through the ranks from personnel assistant to director of pro personnel before the GLAZER family handed him the keys” (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/21).
TRYING TO STAY BUSY: Lakers F LUKE WALTON yesterday agreed to “become an assistant coach" with the Univ. of Memphis men's basketball team until the NBA lockout ends (L.A. TIMES, 8/23). Meanwhile, Celtics G DELONTE WEST has applied for a job at The Home Depot during the lockout. West said, “I actually might have to work with Sam’s (Club), BJ’s, selling knives.” West tweeted that he “can’t play overseas because of legal problems” (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 8/23).
NAMES: Four friends who visited all 30 MLB ballparks to raise money for charity -- JACK WILSON, TRAVIS SMITH, KELLAN LARSON and KENDAL YOUNG -- appeared on NBC’s “Today” show Sunday morning. Young said, “We raised money through sponsors, namely Root Sports, the Wing Dome, Jones Soda and Artiflix.com, who gave money towards the trip so that we could go out and raise awareness for the Edgar Martinez Foundation.” The trip raised $10,000 for the foundation (“Today,” NBC, 8/21)....In Pittsburgh, Shelly Anderson notes Penguins C SIDNEY CROSBY’s concussion symptoms have returned and he "has cancelled on-ice workouts in his native Nova Scotia.” Crosby’s agent, CAA's PAT BRISSON, said, “Sidney hasn’t been shut down by anyone. He has simply adjusted his summer program according to the different needs for the appropriate recovery” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 8/23)....MyInsuranceExpert.com, an online life insurance brokerage owned by Cavaliers Owner DAN GILBERT, will “soon follow Gilbert’s other companies moving to downtown Detroit” (FREEP.com, 8/22)....NBC announced yesterday that Heat F CHRIS BOSH and Knicks F CARMELO ANTHONY will be featured on a Sept. 28 episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” NBC said the episode features “a youth basketball coach under suspicion as a sexual predator” (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 8/23).
IN MEMORY: Former marketer JOHN MINCO died Thursday at the age of 89. Minco “helped ART MODELL buy the Browns and install loges at Municipal Stadium.” He also helped late Yankees Owner GEORGE STEINBRENNER "try to buy the Indians before settling for the Yankees” (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 8/23).
