The White House said that First Lady MICHELLE OBAMA will lead the official U.S. delegation to the Opening Ceremony of the London Games. The AP's Stacy Anderson notes it has "become somewhat of a tradition for first ladies to lead the U.S. delegation." LAURA BUSH headed the delegation to the '06 Games in Torino, Italy, and HILLARY CLINTON headed up the delegation at the '94 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway (AP, 3/13).
MOTION TO EXCLUDE: ESPN N.Y.'s Adam Rubin noted IRVING PICARD, the trustee who is suing Mets Owner FRED WILPON on behalf of BERNIE MADOFF's victims, "does not want to see" Baseball HOFer SANDY KOUFAX in the witness box. Picard filed a motion last night asking to exclude Koufax, former N.Y. District Attorney ROBERT MORGENTHAU, North Shore-LIJ Health System President MICHAEL DOWLING and First Long Island Investors CEO ROBERT ROSENTHAL from testifying for the Wilpons (ESPNNY.com, 3/12).
AND THE AWARD GOES TO...In Pittsburgh, Shelly Anderson notes Penguins coach DAN BYLSMA and G MARC-ANDRE FLEURY shared the Sportsmen of the Year award last night at the 76th Annual Dapper Dan Dinner and Sports Auction at Pittsburgh's David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Pro Football HOFer MIKE DITKA also was presented with a lifetime achievement award (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 3/13)....Univ. of Denver Senior Associate AD PAM WETTIG will receive the '12 Women's Basketball Coaches Association Administrator of the Year Award on April 2 (WBCA).
NAMES: Patriots WR CHAD OCHOCINCO and fiancé EVELYN LOZADA will film an eight-part series for VH1 that follows the couple as they prepare for their wedding. The show, "EV AND OCHO," will premiere in September (BOSTON HERALD, 3/13)....Colts DE DWIGHT FREENEY has signed with CAA. Freeney had been without representation since his agent, GARY WICHARD, passed away last year (NFL.com, 3/12)....FAST COMPANY listed the NFL and Red Bull Media House among the “World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies” (FAST COMPANY, 3/'12 issue)….Sixty-six current and former NFL players are “enrolled in business school programs at Harvard and Northwestern this year.” Since the program’s inception in ’05, “more than 700 players have participated.” The Harvard program runs “from March 19-23 and Northwestern classes are from April 1-5” (AP, 3/12)....Bulls G DERRICK ROSE “has found a new home,” buying a $2.8M, three-bedroom condo in the Trump International Hotel & Tower. The unit is “on the upper floors of the riverside skyscraper.” Blackhawks RW PATRICK KANE also has a residence there (CHICAGO REAL ESTATE DAILY, 3/13).
IN MEMORY: Former IOC member HENRY EDMUND OLUFEMI ADEFOPE died on Sunday at the age of 84. He was a member of the IOC from ’85-06 (IOC).
