In Orlando, Kate Santich wrote “it was a day of charity Friday for the NBA stars.” At Orlando’s Coalition for the Homeless, “nearly 300 volunteers turned out to paint, cook, serve meals, spruce up a playground and set up a TV room and computer lab.” The volunteers included NBA and WNBA players, former players and even NBA Commissioner DAVID STERN. Santich noted that was “only a fraction of the 1,500 NBA volunteers for the day -- 3,000 over the long weekend -- taking part in 25 projects” (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/25). In Ft. Lauderdale, Shandel Richardson wrote Heat F LEBRON JAMES “donated a renovated outdoor play area, including a baseball diamond, soccer pitch and picnic area” to the Orlando Boys & Girls Club. His foundation and Sprite “funded the project” (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 2/26).
SINGING IN THE RAIN: In Jacksonville, Don Coble reports before yesterday’s scheduled start of the Daytona 500, singer LENNY KRAVITZ did “a short pre-race concert.” Also appearing at the race were pro wrestler JOHN CENA, model KATE UPTON, NFL Giants DEs JUSTIN TUCK and OSI UMENYIORA and LB MATHIAS KIWANUKA, NFL HOFer LYNN SWANN, Lightning C VINCENT LECAVALIER and D MARC ANDRE-BERGERON, actors JANE LYNCH and SEAN HAYES and UFC fighters JON “BONES” JONES, CHRISOPHER TUCHSCHERER, BROCK LESNAR and DONALD “COWBOY” CERRONE. Coble notes most of the celebrities “left the track during the delay, but Cena remained” because he was scheduled to wave the green flag (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 2/27).
GREAT RETURN: More than 40,000 runners participated in the Walt Disney World Princess Half Marathon Weekend this past weekend. More than “nine of every 10 entrants are women -- and more than half of them are first-time runners who, Disney knows from research, are very likely to return for more Disney races.” The crowds for the Princess Half Marathon “have tripled” in the four years since the event’s inception and Disney said that runDisney “is now one of the three largest race organizers” in the U.S. (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/4).
BUYOUT PLAN: In Newark, Tom Luicci reported the Buccaneers paid Rutgers a $500,000 buyout after hiring coach GREG SCHIANO. Schiano had five years left on a contract that paid him about $2.3M a year. Schiano had 30 days to pay the buyout to the school, which will be “funneled back into the athletic department.” Schiano “still owes” Rutgers $300,000 as part of an $800,000 interest-free home loan the school provided him (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 2/25).
NAMES: Dodgers GM NED COLLETTI joined A’s VP & GM BILLY BEANE to represent MLB at last night’s Academy Awards (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/27)….Broncos QB TIM TEBOW “mingled with Hollywood stars and power brokers” at a William Morris Endeavor pre-Oscar party Friday night. Sources said that Tebow’s signing was a “major coup for WME, which will handle his personal endorsements and charity dealings because rival agency CAA represents his on-field business” (N.Y. POST, 2/26)….Raiders Owner MARK DAVIS accepted the Tank Younger Award from the Fritz Pollard Alliance in honor of his father’s commitment to racial and gender equality (Raiders)….Reds P RYAN MADSON might be on the “verge of shopping for a new agent in the aftermath of a bad negotiating experience this offseason.” Madson said that he remains a SCOTT BORAS client (ESPN.com, 2/24)….A Big 12 source said that former NBC Sports Chair DICK EBERSOL “could be a candidate to replace” CHUCK NEINAS as Big 12 Commissioner this summer (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 2/27)….A 90-minute service at Christ Fellowship church was held Friday night for Baseball HOFer GARY CARTER, who died last week from brain cancer. There were 1,137 friends, family and teammates on hand to remember Carter (PALM BEACH POST, 2/25).
IN MEMORY: Tigers Community Affairs Coordinator KRISTEN JOE, who served as the liaison between the players and public, collapsed while on vacation earlier this month and died Wednesday. Her funeral was held Saturday. Joe was 28 (DETROIT NEWS, 2/27).
