DREW BREES appeared on CBS' "Undercover Boss" and went incognito as an hourly employee at Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar, the restaurant chain where he has a 25% ownership stake. Walk-On's Founder & CEO BRANDON LANDRY said Brees "has never worked in one of the locations, and just like I do, he wants to know if we're running our restaurants correctly." After hair, makeup and prosthetics were applied to mask his appearance, Brees said, "How did I just become MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY?" Brees worked as a dishwasher where he broke a plate, dropped cups and said there was a "great sense of urgency" in the kitchen. The worker who supervised Brees was given $30,000 to pay off his student debt and another $10,000 to assist him with his mother, who is suffering from breast cancer ("Undercover Boss," CBS, 1/8).
PARTY PEOPLE: DJ KHALED and NICKY JAM are "among new acts added to the lineup" at the inaugural Super Bowl LIV-adjacent Vewtopia Music Festival, set for Jan. 31-Feb. 1 at Marlins Park. Other acts include CARDI B, MIGOS, CHRIS BROWN and DABABY (South Florida SUN SENTINEL, 1/8)....O.A.R. on Saturday will perform at halftime of the Titans-Ravens AFC Divisional Round game at M&T Bank Stadium (BALTIMORE SUN, 1/9).
VISIT GONE WRONG: The father of Univ. of Georgia OL CADE MAYS is suing the school after his right pinkie finger "got caught in a folding chair and was severed" during a recruiting trip in '17. The lawsuit is "notable" because Mays is "planning to transfer from Georgia to Tennessee." Court documents state that KEVIN MAYS' finger "shot across the floor" after it was severed before it was retrieved by an assistant coach and put on ice. Kevin Mays is "suing the university's athletic association and board of regents, among other parties." He is seeking $3.5M in "damages for medical expenses" (Knoxville NEWS SENTINEL, 1/9).
THE GOOD STUFF: CHARLES BARKLEY is donating $1M to Miles College, the "largest individual gift in Miles' 122-year history" (BIRMINGHAM NEWS, 1/9)....Hawks G TRAE YOUNG has "partnered with RIP Medical Debt to relieve more than a million dollars in past due medical debts for people in Atlanta who cannot afford to pay them" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 1/9)....Wild D MATT DUMBA, a T'Wolves season-ticket holder, "pledged to donate $100 to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service for every point the Wolves scored Tuesday" against the Grizzlies, which generated $11,200 in relief funds for the Australian bushfires (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 1/9)....Celtics C ENES KANTER "intends to open a charter school" in the Oklahoma City area. He has not yet "chosen a location" for the Enes Kanter School of Exceptional Learning (OKLAHOMAN, 1/9).
NAMES: Red Sox RF MOOKIE BETTS will "show off his bowling skills" in the PBA HOF Classic Jan. 13-19 (MLB.com, 1/8)....The Alabama Sports HOF will recognize ESPN's PAUL FINEBAUM as the '20 Mel Allen Media Award recipient at the 52nd Annual Induction Banquet and Ceremony on May 2 (ASHOF)....NASCAR driver KEVIN HARVICK sat courtside at Raptors-Hornets last night at Spectrum Center (THE DAILY).
