Sources said that WAYNE GRETZKY has talked to golfer DUSTIN JOHNSON, who is engaged to Gretzky's daughter, PAULINA, "cautioning him to clean up his act, or the wedding was off." Johnson has taken an indefinite leave of absence from the PGA Tour for personal reasons, though he reportedly was suspended six months after testing positive for cocaine. Sources noted that the Gretzky family "was aware of his penchant for partying, and that Wayne sought to be a positive influence, and offer help." Johnson and Paulina Gretzky in January announced plans for a wedding this fall. However, she announced in May the wedding had been postponed due to Johnson's "busy schedule" (FOXNEWS.com, 8/6).
ROOM WITH A VIEW: ESPN's SAGE STEELE and JEMELE HILL were among the nine women to interview with ABC daytime talk show "THE VIEW" as possible replacements for outgoing hosts JENNY MCCARTHY and SHERRI SHEPHERD. Also among those interviewing was OCTOBER GONZALEZ, the wife of former NFLer TONY GONZALEZ, though she "doesn't appear to have previous television experience" (BROADCASTINGCABLE.com, 8/7).
NAMES: Stars Owner TOM GAGLARDI on Thursday was "convicted of violating Canadian federal environmental laws" in Kamloops, British Columbia. He was charged with "two counts of harmful alteration of fish habitat." He is due back in court Aug. 21 for sentencing (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/8)....Hockey HOFer LUC ROBITAILLE will be the "seventh Los Angeles sports icon to be honored with a statue" outside Staples Center. It will be unveiled on March 7 before a Kings-Penguins game "as part of next season's Kings Legends Night Series" (LATIMES.com, 8/7)....Indiana Univ. men's basketball coach TOM CREAN tops the list of the state's highest-paid public employees with a salary of $2.94M. Other college coaches among the top 20 on the list include Purdue men's basketball coach MATT PAINTER (No. 2), Purdue football coach DARRELL HAZELL (No. 4), IU football coach KEVIN WILSON (No. 5) and Purdue women's basketball coach SHARON VERSYP (No. 17) (INDYSTAR.com, 8/7)....Former MLBer MARIANO RIVERA accepted a $50,000 check for his Refuge of Hope charity prior to Thursday's Altoona Curve-Trenton Thunder Double-A Eastern League game (TIMES OF TRENTON, 8/8)....Pro Football HOFer EMMITT SMITH's commercial property brokerage is "expanding into Houston." The Dallas-based company also is "planning an office in Austin and has set its sights on expanding nationwide" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/8).
