In Baltimore, Mike Klingaman writes JILLIAN UNITAS, granddaughter of Pro Football HOFer JOHNNY UNITAS, is “determined to blaze her own trail in the sports world.” She said, “I know my name opens doors, but I want to be judged not for what my grandfather did, but for the work I put forth.” Jillian Unitas is the Media Manager for this weekend’s Grand Prix of Baltimore and her job this week “runs the gamut from cranking out pre-race news releases, to posting updates on road closures, to managing social media sites.” She also will “usher drivers to on-site media interviews” after each race (Baltimore SUN, 8/27).
HELL HATH NO FURY: In N.Y., Gary Buiso wrote when “Magic/Bird” Producer TONY PONTURO separated from his wife of 34 years, "she didn’t sing the blues -- she created a tell-all musical inspired by her hubby, and sold jewelry he gave her to pay for it.” RUTHE PONTURO said that Tony left her for his producing partner FRAN KIRMSER, "19 years his junior.” Ruthe Ponturo said, “I couldn’t believe it. My parents were married almost 61 years, and I was positive we would be, too.” Her show, “Divorce -- The Musical,” is set to debut “on Sept. 28 at the Triad Theatre on the Upper West Side.” One of the lines from the song, called “Bitter Pill” says, “That brain behind your zipper/Made you a liar and pretty mean/You’d better get Viagra/To fill out those designer jeans” (N.Y. POST, 8/26).
NEW ADDITIONS: Gold Medal-winning British distance runner MO FARAH and his wife are new parents to twin girls (AP, 8/25)....MLS Red Bulls F THIERRY HENRY and Bosnian model girlfriend ANDREA RAJACIC on Thursday welcomed a baby boy (N.Y. TIMES, 8/26)....NFL Panthers C RYAN KALIL and his wife NATALIE welcomed their second daughter yesterday, CHANDLER KAROLINE KALIL (THE DAILY)
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Ecclestone (l) and Flosi hold secret wedding
at ski chalet in Switzerland |
NAMES: F1 Management Chair
BERNIE ECCLESTONE "has secretly married for a third time in a ceremony at his ski chalet in Switzerland." The 81 year old married 35-year-old Brazilian Marketing Dir
FABIANA FLOSI at Le Lion, his US$36.4M chalet in Gstaad, Switzerland (
London DAILY MAIL, 8/25)....Rockets G
JEREMY LIN, the first U.S.-born NBA player of Taiwanese descent, arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a nine-day visit. He will host a basketball camp for a group of 120 young players and on Friday he will hold a private charity event (
Taiwan CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY, 8/26)....76ers coach
DOUG COLLINS has been mentioned “as a prime candidate” to replace coach
MIKE KRZYEWSKI as the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball coach. Collins said, “
JERRY COLANGELO is a great leader, and see what he did with Coach K, putting him together, being the guy. Obviously if they would ask me to do it I would be thrilled to do it, but there are a lot of great candidates” (
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 8/26)....Gold Medal-winning U.S. gymnast
ALY RAISMAN was greeted in her hometown of Needham, Mass., with a parade (
BOSTON GLOBE, 8/26)....Front Row Motorsports was named No. 800 on Inc. Magazine’s list of the 5,000 fastest-growing, privately-held companies in the U.S. This marks the first time a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team has made the list (
Front Row Motorsports)....The Reds on Saturday retired the No. 11 jersey of Baseball HOFer
BARRY LARKIN, and “just as happened in Cooperstown, Larkin got emotional.” He had to “pause early in his speech” (
CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 8/26)….Former Braves manager
BOBBY COX has been named Chair of Adairsville-based NorthSide Bank, and said that the Georgia bank “is close to raising $2.3 million in capital and expects to post a profit of between $600,000 and $700,000 this year” (
AJC.com, 8/25)....U.S. Sen.
SCOTT BROWN (R-Mass.) took the ceremonial first shot at yesterday’s Chesapeake Bayhawks-Denver Outlaws MLL Championship game at Harvard Stadium in Boston (
THE DAILY).
