Reports indicate that Nets Owner MIKHAIL PROKHOROV "was easily defeated" yesterday in the Russian presidential election by Prime Minister VLADIMIR PUTIN (ESPN.com, 3/4). Nets coach AVERY JOHNSON said, "Well, if they were really smart, Prokhorov would have won" (NJ.com, 3/4).
NATIONAL MOVEMENT: In Charlotte, Morrill & Smith in a front-page piece noted First Lady MICHELLE OBAMA visited the city Friday to "raise awareness about healthy exercise." Obama "ran onto the court of Time Warner Cable Arena between games of the CIAA tournament to promote her anti-obesity project called 'Let's Move,' which focuses on getting kids active and healthy" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 3/3).
CLASS IN SESSION: The AP's Nekesa Mumbi Moody noted the NFL last week paired its player engagement division with NYU's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music for the "Business of Music Boot Camp." About 70 players "applied to be a part of the four-day program, and 20 were accepted." Among those who took park in the camp were free agent JUSTIN FARGAS, Giants DT MARVIN AUSTIN, Rams WR BRANDON LLOYD and former NFLer TORRY HOLT (AP, 3/2). Film Dir and Producer SPIKE LEE addressed the players at a seminar titled "Music in Today's Film, TV, and Advertising" (FOXSPORTS.com, 3/4).
NAMES: Colts QB PEYTON MANNING sat next to Duke Univ. football coach DAVID CUTCLIFFE underneath Duke's basket in the second half of Saturday night's UNC-Duke men's game (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 3/4)....Cavaliers Owner DAN GILBERT announced on Twitter that his company Quicken Loans was "pulling its ads" from RUSH LIMBAUGH's syndicated talk show "in protest over Limbaugh's verbal attacks on a female college student" (CLEVELAND.com, 3/2)....Pro Football HOFer ROGER STAUBACH received the Lamar Hunt Award at the annual 101 Banquet on Saturday at K.C.'s Westin Crown Center hotel (K.C. STAR, 3/4)....Colts Owner JIM IRSAY has pledged $50,000 to the relief efforts for tornado victims in southern Indiana (AP, 3/3)....Browns RB PEYTON HILLIS "fired his agent, KENNARD MCGUIRE, one day before" ESPN reported that Hillis last season "considered retiring and joining the CIA." Browns WR JOSHUA CRIBBS said that he "believes the retirement/CIA story was fueled by McGuire after being ousted by Hillis" (MORNINGJOURNAL.com, 3/4)....Lions DT and Subway endorser NDAMUKONG SUH served as grand marshal for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Subway 500 Fresh Fit race at Phoenix Int'l Raceway (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 3/5).
IN MEMORY: Former NFL Giants player and coach ALEX WEBSTER, 80, passed away Saturday in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Last season, Webster was inducted into the Giants' Ring of Honor. He served as head coach of the team from '69-73, and in '70 was named the NFL Coach of the Year by UPI after guiding the Giants to a 9-5 record (N.Y. POST, 3/4).
