Cubs 1B ANTHONY RIZZO "donated $150,000 and helped raise additional funds" for his alma mater, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, so that the school could "install lights for the baseball and softball fields." On Monday, the school "debuted the lights and named the baseball field Anthony Rizzo Field." The lights cost "between $400,000 and $500,000 in total" (South Florida SUN SENTINEL, 2/4).
KOBE'S PROLOGUE: Author and former Nashville Tennessean writer JEFF PEARLMAN already had "put the finishing touches" on his upcoming book, "THREE-RING CIRCUS: SHAQ, KOBE, PHIL AND THE LAKERS DYNASTY," when he learned of the death of KOBE BRYANT, his daughter GIANNA and seven others in a helicopter crash. Pearlman, who "spent two years doing research for his book," then "added a prologue about the loving father, husband, mentor and friend Bryant became after his developmental and somewhat awkward years covered in the book" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 2/5).
NAMES: Lionsgate has "greenlit a movie" about Pro Football HOFer KURT WARNER from Kingdom Story Company. "AMERICAN UNDERDOG: THE KURT WARNER STORY" will be "directed by brothers ANDREW ERWIN and JON ERWIN and produced by partner KEVIN DOWNES." Warner and his wife BRENDA will "co-produce the drama, which recalls his unlikely journey from stocking shelves at a supermarket in Iowa to becoming a two-time NFL MVP, a Super Bowl MVP" and a HOFer (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 2/4)....Former MLBers JUSTIN MORNEAU, JOHN OLERUD and DUANE WARD were named to the '20 class of inductees for the Canadian Baseball HOF. They will be joined at the June 20 induction ceremony by longtime Expos radio broadcaster JACQUES DOUCET (TORONTO SUN, 2/5)....DIRK NOWITZKI and his wife JESSICA on Friday night will "receive the Spirit of Compassionate Award during the sold-out, third annual UNICEF Gala Dallas at the Ritz-Carlton" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/5).
