The Daytona 500 drivers' meeting yesterday was "packed as drivers, their crew chiefs [and] teams crowded into the room, with Medal of Honor winners, Olympic athletes, celebrities and musicians." Celebrities on hand included Gold Medal-winning U.S. snowboarder KAITLYN FARRINGTON, ABC's "THE BACHELOR" star JUAN PABLO GALAVIS and country singer JAKE OWEN (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 2/24). Also in attendance were comedian LARRY THE CABLE GUY, Univ. of Miami football coach AL GOLDEN, rapper 50 CENT, former MLBer ROY HALLADAY, golfer IAN POULTER and Broncos CB DOMINIQUE RODGERS-CROMARTIE (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 2/24).
HOME BUILDING: Nike on Friday "announced a shake-up in its World Headquarters campus expansion project." The company said that it has "selected two architecture firms to join Portland-based ZGF Architects LLP: Pelli Clakre Pelli, led by co-founder CESAR PELLI, and SRG Partnership of Portland." Nike also said that Hoffman Construction "would be its primary construction partner." HOWARD SLUSHER, a "longtime associate" of Nike co-Founder & Chair PHIL KNIGHT, also "joined as a project consultant." The project "has been stalled since last August" (Portland OREGONIAN, 2/22).
NAMES: Fox' ERIN ANDREWS will join TOM BERGERON as co-host of ABC's "DANCING WITH THE STARS" (PEOPLE.com, 2/23)....ATP Exec Chair & President CHRIS KERMODE said that the Rio de Janeiro state government owes his organization $3M and the Tour "doesn't expect to get paid." Kermode added that the two parties "agreed to end a contract that allowed" Rio to "promote itself at ATP events" (AP, 2/21)....The first course of the NBA Yao School -- a program jointly launched by former NBAer YAO MING and the NBA "devoted to youth development on and off the basketball court" -- kicked off in Beijing on Saturday (CHINA DAILY, 2/22)....NFL Panthers Owner JERRY RICHARDSON and coach RON RIVERA on Friday were "honored by the Fritz Pollard Alliance for the team's contributions to diversity in the NFL" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 2/22)....Golfer PADRAIG HARRINGTON on Friday revealed that he has "recently undergone treatment for skin cancer" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 2/21)....Former World TeamTennis Sacramento Capitals Owner DEEPAL WANNAKUWATTE has “been arrested in a federal fraud case.” Wannakuwatte was “named in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento and was arrested Thursday evening” (SACBEE.com, 2/21)….The broken bat that former MLBer ROGER CLEMENS “infamously flung in the direction” of former MLBer MIKE PIAZZA during the ’00 World Series “was auctioned” over the weekend for $47,800 (NEWSDAY, 2/24)….Former Oregon State WR BRANDIN COOKS is in the lead for adidas' $100,000 cash prize being given to the fastest 40-yard dash time of any player wearing the brand’s cleats at the NFL Combine (THE DAILY).
