Jazz F JEREMY EVANS yesterday put "a dozen or so of his paintings on display at EnergySolutions Arena for fans to see." Evans’ gallery on the arena’s concourse "featured an eclectic mix of styles and subject matters." Next to a "drawing of the LDS Salt Lake Temple was an airbrushed portrait" of late rapper TUPAC SHAKUR, "complete with an actual diamond nose ring in the canvas." There also was a "portrait of his bride," and another of MICHAEL JORDAN (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 4/9).
DATING GAME: U.S. skier NICK GOEPPER in February "launched a contest on Twitter for one young lady to win a date with him," and Kent State Univ. student ANNIE ROGERS was "selected from thousands of entries" as the winner. Goepper last weekend flew her to N.Y. for the date (OHIO.com, 4/8).
COURT REPORT: A Manhattan Appellate court yesterday "agreed to dismiss" the employment discrimination lawsuit against UConn women's basketball coach GENO AURIEMMA by former NBA Dir of Security KELLEY HARDWICK (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/9)....Lions DT NDAMUKONG SUH "settled a lawsuit he was a party to late last year." Suh and his sister, NGUM SUH, were "sued in Oakland County Circuit Court" in October '12 for "failure to return a security deposit in a real estate deal." They agreed to pay "an undisclosed amount of money to resolve the case" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 4/9)....Eagles fan HARRY MIMS, who was "arrested by Philadelphia police trying to eject several people from Lincoln Financial Field" before the team's '11 home opener, "was awarded $75,000 in damages" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/9).
NAMES: Golfer ADAM SCOTT for his Masters Champions Dinner last night served up "Moreton Bay bugs, a type of flat-headed lobster, flown in from Brisbane." Scott said, "I kind of picked nothing too exotic because I didn't think any of the other guys would appreciate kangaroo and crocodile, or anything like that" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/9)....Seahawks coach PETE CARROLL, QB RUSSELL WILSON and other players appeared in a pregame ceremony at the Mariners' home opener last night against the Angels (ESPN.com, 4/8)....Vail Mountain Resort execs “have posted an amusing video” of U.S. skier LINDSEY VONN “masquerading as an employee-in-training at a ticket window.” She “deals with unsuspecting guests, encouraging them to sing for special discounts and, at one point, speaking German with visitors from that country” (LATIMES.com, 4/8)....A documentary on former NBAer ALLEN IVERSON, entitled "IVERSON," will be released on April 27 at the Tribeca Film Festival (PHILLY.com, 4/8)....Tennis player JOHN ISNER and Basketball HOFer CLYDE DREXLER, who is a frequent tennis player, recently "took to the court to play a tie-break for fans to enjoy" at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship at River Oaks Country Club in Houston (ATPWORLDTOUR.com, 4/8)....Tulane Univ. yesterday announced that GAYLE BENSON, wife of Saints and Pelicans Owner TOM BENSON, joined the school's board of administrators (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 4/9)....Patriots TE ROB GRONKOWSKI, former MLBer JASON VARITEK and his wife, CATHERINE, recently were "among the familiar faces at the Boston Firefighter Response Concert" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/9).
IN MEMORY: Former Indiana Univ. men’s basketball radio commentator ROYCE WALTMAN died Monday at 72 after a long battle with health problems (AP, 4/8).
