Owner Mike Heisley sang the national anthem before the first-ever Memphis Grizzlies home playoff game, becoming the first owner to sing anthems of two countries. He sang the Canadian anthem on opening night in Vancouver when the Grizzlies played there in 2000.
Going fast: Big days at the races for Anachel Communications, NASCAR’s L.A. partner in strategic communications. VP Jennifer Johnson took four hot laps exceeding 165 mph with Jimmie Johnson (no relation) before the California Nextel Cup race this month. During the national anthem at Fontana, Anachel’s president, Carrie Gerlach Cecil, packed Johnson’s crew line in the pits with so many Hollywood stars — including
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| Jennifer Johnson tries out the fast lane. |
Thomas Jane, Patricia Arquette, Chris Klein, Melissa Joan Hart, William Fichtner, Patrick Dempsey and Jamie-Lynn DiScala — the Johnson crew was the envy of other crews.
On ice: Comcast-Spectacor Ventures President Peter Luukko took his son Nick to Germany to play in a hockey tournament for 11- and 12-year-olds. The U.S. team captured the gold, and Nick Luukko was named the tournament’s best defenseman. … While shooting on location in Australia, Elisha Cuthbert called home regularly to see how the Flames were doing. The 21-year-old actress, who plays Kim Bauer of Fox’s “24,” is a Calgary native. … Hockey fans Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal didn’t have to call. They are in Calgary shooting “Brokeback Mountain” and attended Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. ... Brian Smyth, 7-year-old son of Deloitte’s sports chief, Peggy Smyth, won the trophy for the best all-around mite at Chelsea Piers.
Board room: Former Dallas Cowboys and Oklahoma Sooners football coach Barry Switzer and his wife, Becky, a former gymnastics coach at Oklahoma, created a speakers’ bureau called the Switzer Talent Agency. … Ed Kranepool, one of only two players on both the chumps and champs Mets’ teams of ’62 and ’69, is forming the Memorabilia Road Show, a collectibles company whose niche is that all auction items come from players or their families. … Neal Menaged and Lewis Hendler, who made a fortune with the Original Scrunchie hair rings, established N-Rage Sports Management and signed WBC lightweight champ Floyd Mayweather Jr. to a contract. … Jim Cain, former Carolina Hurricanes president and now a lawyer with Kilpatrick Stockton of Raleigh and a fund-raiser for President Bush, has joined the board at Sports & Properties.
Celeb golf: Donald Trump, after out-driving Time4 Media President Mark Ford and Golf Magazine publisher Chris Wightman and managing editor Kevin Cook while cameras shot the round for the second season of “The Apprentice,” had a pressing engagement and helicoptered off after 15 holes. … Cutting up on the course and at lunch, Jim McMahon played 18 holes barefooted at the Celebrity Players Tournament at Rancho Santa Fe’s Morgan Run, then at the luncheon had Ozzie Smith (who played with TV’s Ray Romano) and former Charger Hank Bauer laughing so hard they were in tears.
Scoring big: Trainer Mark Verstegen, who runs the Athletes’ Performance training centers in Phoenix and Los Angeles and is best known for his work with Nomar Garciaparra and Mia Hamm, is on a roll since client Phil Mickelson won the Masters. Five of his clients were selected in the first round of the NFL draft, Nikolai Khabibulin has been dominant in goal for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Curt Schilling is pitching well in Boston and Carl Crawford and Brian Roberts are stealing lots of bases. Rodale Press is pleased with Verstegen’s fitness book, “Core Performance.”
What’s with the yellow wristbands popping up? Serena Williams wore one to a Cannes Film Festival party. Lance Armstrong brought one to a Lakers game for Sheryl Crow. His foundation hopes to raise $5 million by selling the wristbands at a buck a pop in the “Wear Yellow, Live Strong” campaign supporting young people with cancer. … ESPN analyst Harold Reynolds was inducted into the Boys and Girls Clubs Alumni Hall of Fame.
Say what? Complex, a new magazine for the hip-hop generation, is sending entertainers out for Q&As with sports stars. A sample: Fat Joe asked Kenny Lofton what he’s doing this October: “I’m gonna be in the playoffs, baby. That’s for sure, for shizzle. I need a ring.” And actor-comedian David Cross asked Eric Chavez why the A’s let Jason Giambi and Miguel Tejada go and kept him. “I’m cheaper. Let’s be honest.”
John Genzale (jgenzale@nyc.rr.com) is founding editor of SportsBusiness Journal.
