Mark Sanchez Donates to Soup Kitchen After ‘Hot Dog’ Incident
Quarterback Mark Sanchez and his New York Jets beat the Oakland Raiders 38-0 last Sunday…but apparently the bigger news is that he was caught on tape (oh god no) eating a hot dog! The gorgeous NLF beast has issued an apology for discreetly attempting to eat while sidelined.
But sometimes ‘ridiculous’ morphs into something beautiful…Sanchez has offered to donate 1,000 hotdogs and burgers to a soup kitchen in New Jersey. He’s said that he will buy 500 hot dogs and 500 hamburgers, along with 500 buns and 500 rolls to donate to the Community Soup Kitchen of Morristown located at 36 South St. in Morristown.
Earlier this month, one of our most decorated Olympic swimmers, Michael Phelps, rewarded the students and staff at Wiley Middle School in Leander Texas for holding a unique and successful book fair…as the first place winners in the Spring 2009 National Middle School Contest, they won a visit from Michael Phelps and a $2,000 shopping spree for books.
According to the website, Wiley rightly deserved first place…the creativity and thought put into this book fair is impressive:
Books came alive at Mrs. Magorium’s Reading Emporium, also known as the spring 2009 Book Fair. The Crew helped transform the media center into a reading emporium, filled with colorful lanterns and parachutes hanging from the ceiling, as well as gigantic stuffed animals, roller coaster toys, and oversized candy displays. To promote the Book Fair, students created door decorations based on their class’s favorite book, and made tri-fold display boards about books. A classroom competition was held for One for Books®, which led to more than $1,500 collected for the program. Other contests to generate student excitement included “Sock It to Reading” and “Hats Off to Reading” days, where students dressed in crazy socks and hats. To attract families, an exciting Family Event was held, complete with a model air plane show from Texas High Fliers, a performance by the student band, movies, and food. Wiley also hosted their first-ever grand slam breakfast for grandparents during the Book Fair. In addition to hosting a fun Teacher Sneak Peek of the Book Fair, Wiley held three faculty stunts to motivate even more students to visit the Book Fair. The wacky stunts included a teacher eating a worm, a teacher shaving his head, and the principal riding a motorcycle once students reached their Book Fair goal. To top off the Fair, had visits from author Phil Bildner and the director of Monsters vs. Aliens Conrad Vernon. All of these activities and events made Wiley Middle School’s Book Fair come alive with imagination and creativity!
And THAT my friends, is how you attract a star athlete to your school.
About Scholastic: Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, has a corporate mission supported through all of its divisions of helping children around the world to read and learn. Recognizing that literacy is the cornerstone of a child’s intellectual, personal and cultural growth, for over 87 years, Scholastic has created quality products and services that educate, entertain and motivate children and are designed to help enlarge their understanding of the world around them.
Andre Agassi & Crystal Meth
“There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I’ve never felt so alive, so hopeful – and I’ve never felt such energy.” Andre Agassi on his first taste of crystal meth.
Yes, tennis legend Andre Agassi admits in his forthcoming book ‘Open: An Autobiography’ that he used crystal meth during his playing career…Excerpts from the book are surfacing quicker than nude photos of Tom Brady would…Agassi, referencing an assistant by the name of Slim, writes:
“Slim is stressed too … He says, You want to get high with me? On what? Gack. What the hell’s gack? Crystal meth. Why do they call it gack? Because that’s the sound you make when you’re high … Make you feel like Superman, dude…As if they’re coming out of someone else’s mouth, I hear these words: You know what? Fuck it. Yeah. Let’s get high…Slim dumps a small pile of powder on the coffee table. He cuts it, snorts it. He cuts it again. I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I’ve just crossed…There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I’ve never felt so alive, so hopeful – and I’ve never felt such energy…I’m seized by a desperate desire to clean. I go tearing around my house, cleaning it from top to bottom. I dust the furniture. I scour the tub. I make the beds.”
More from the book when Agassi received a call from a doctor working for the ATP, telling him he had tested positive for drugs:
“There is doom in his voice, as if he’s going to tell me I’m dying…And that’s exactly what he tells me. He reminds me that tennis has three classes of drug violation…Performance-enhancing drugs would constitute a class 1, he says, which would carry a suspension of two years. However, he adds, crystal meth would seem to be a clear case of class 2. Recreational drugs, that would carry a much lower suspension of three months. Agassi goes on to tell how he continually lied to the ATP: My name, my career, everything is now on the line. Whatever I’ve achieved, whatever I’ve worked for, might soon mean nothing. Days later I sit in a hard-backed chair, a legal pad in my lap, and write a letter to the ATP. It’s filled with lies interwoven with bits of truth…I say Slim, whom I’ve since fired, is a known drug user, and that he often spikes his sodas with meth – which is true. Then I come to the central lie of the letter. I say that recently I drank accidentally from one of Slim’s spiked sodas, unwittingly ingesting his drugs. I ask for understanding and leniency and hastily sign it: sincerely. “
The ATP accepted Agassi’s version of events and the rest, as they say, is history…and I, for one, am on the fence about this whole ‘admission’ thing…why now? Is Andre that afraid that his book would sit on the shelf collecting dust without some sort of ‘oh god no’ moment? He certainly doesn’t need the money…was he fearful that a toothless tweeked out Slim would resurface after publication and claim Agassi didn’t fully disclose everything? And why in the world would you admit to biting the ATP hand that fed you all those years? Dear god, is the next excerpt going to be about you doing lines off Brooke Shields bum…come on Andre, what are you DOING? After spending years to establish your Foundation one of the most respected and successful events EVER, I can only hope you grab on to the backlash headed your way and send some hefty donations to various drug-recovery programs across the nation…
Detroit Pistons’ Historic Community Service with Samaritan’s Feet
“They’ll walk out in their shoes standing six feet tall because their role models touched them in a way they’ll never forget.” Manny Ohonme, president and founder of Samaritan’s Feet
Of all the community outreach being done as part of the NBA Cares ‘Week of Service,” I do believe the Detroit Pistons have -so far- held the best event…last week at the Boll Family YMCA in downtown Detroit, volunteers from the Palace, sponsors National City and Fathead made it possible for the Pistons and the nonprofit relief organization Samaritan’s Feet to positively impact nearly 2,000 children in three hours…this event was special for several reasons, aside from just giving away free socks and shoes to the kids, the Pistons got down on their knees and washed the kids’ feet before placing new, clean, free socks and shoes on their feet. According to my semi-rusty memory, this is only the second time I’ve seen any of our athletes washing children’s feet for charity. Last January the Grizzlies got down and scrubbed 350 little pairs of feet, which at the time was the largest event held in conjunction with an NBA team…but now, the hotties from the Motor City hold that distinction. “This is a monumental effort,” said Good Samaritan founder Manny Ohonme, “To actually see an entire team come support this and the staff and organization, this is the first time. This is a historical moment for us.” And really, a historical moment for all of us.
Founded in 2003, Samaritan’s Feet made headlines in January 2008 when IUPUI coach Ron Hunter coached a game barefoot to bring attention to the charity and the organization’s goal of donating 10 million pairs of shoes to impoverished children worldwide in the next 10 years. Since then, Samaritan’s Feet has hosted “Shoes of Hope” distribution events across the country, including one in Detroit last spring during the 2009 NCAA Men’s Final Four.
Dikembe Mutombo Joins World Hunger Relief Movement
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” (Aesop)
NBA legend and humanitarian Dikembe Mutombo has joined with the NBA and Taco Bell to help raise awareness and funds for the World Hunger Relief Movement…it’s a beautiful and simple movement…donate one dollar next time you’re at Taco Bell, it goes directly to the World Hunger Relief Movement and feeds four kids for a day…but I’ll let Dikembe explain it to you…
To learn more about the World Hunger Relief Movement and to donate to help fight hunger across the globe, visit http://fromhungertohope.com.
“Reputation is what other people know about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.” (Lois McMaster Bujold)
Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man, has another record under his belt…Bolt has become the youngest person ever (23 years old) to receive one of his Caribbean homeland’s highest honors, the Order of Jamaica. Bolt received the award during Monday’s heritage celebrations in the capital of Kingston.
Governor General Sir Patrick Allen is seen here with Bolt after he was decorated with the Order of Jamaica, the country’s fourth highest honor…the Order was established in 1969, and is considered the equivalent of knighthood in the British honors system…which means from here on out, I shall refer to him as SIR Bolt.
This Honor was given to Bolt two days after he participated in the charity invitational celebrity cricket match…the one-day event also featured West Indies stars Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Jerome Taylor facing veterans such as Courtney Walsh, Richie Richardson and Curtley Ambrose.
”We want them all over Los Angeles. That’s our goal right now. We are working with so many people to get this done and convince them this isn’t just some cookie cutter design like a tennis court but each is different and unique. Kids will go to these. Once we have them all over here we want to go to cities across the nation. Every community.” Rob Dyrdek in a recent interview on the Dyrdek/DC Shoes Skate Plaza Foundation/Safe Spot Skate Spot Program
When I take my eyes off the court or the field, I’m continually amazed at what some of these guys are doing…and I’m starting to think that the most impressive ‘charitable’ athletes belong to the world of surfing, skateboarding and anything X-Games related. Perhaps because the rules are less stringent or perhaps it’s because most of them have been on wheels or waves before MTV even existed, essentially giving guys like Tony Hawk, Laird Hamilton, Rob Machado, Andy Macdonald and Danny Way free reign to shape their sports.
After the TAG Signature Series Charity Challenge kicked off (which begs me to imagine the sweet scent of Carmelo) - I did a little more digging into Rob Dyrdek-who is also competing with Melo and Ludacris to sell the most TAG Body Sprays for a hefty donation to their respective charities.
And I gotta say, this Dyrdek stud is pretty amazing. From his website: ‘He’s had a long and successful career as a professional skateboarder, a TV star, a filmmaker, a serial entrepreneur, a marketing whiz, and a multi-faceted philanthropist dedicated to supporting skateboarding. Rob Dyrdek has leveraged his creativity, business savvy, and professional skateboard career in order to launch a long list of non-profit foundations, innovative businesses, and noteworthy productions in film and television. This includes the introduction of safe and legal Skate Plazas through the Rob Dyrdek/DC Shoes Skate Plaza Foundation, a children’s toy line, Wild Grinders, a feature film production titled Street Dreams, the widely distributed brands Rogue Status, Silver Trucks, and Reflex Bearings, and of course the wildly successful MTV programs Rob & Big and Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory.’
Now, I haven’t watched MTV since it stopped being about music (sorry MTV) but I did enjoy this delicious clip of Dyrdek…check out his “office” as he frolics with Carmelo Anthony and Ludacris in a preview of this weeks season finale when they stop by the Factory for a charitable wager….Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory airs on MTV this Thursday at 9 PM ET…
If you’re like me, after watching this video you may need more Melo…there’s a short Q&A in this months Esquire magazine…gotta say though, it’s not a great interview-it’s more of a fluff piece about how Melo doesn’t like to wear bowties-which leads me to say, once again, Melo, where’s my interview already? You dissed me once with a snub of my hug, and yet I’m still here, brimming with interview questions that’ll make my readers cry and highlight your humanitarian efforts like none other…and yes, you can sit behind safety glass if you’d like.
NBA Preseason Giving
“The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.” (Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
Most fans are excited for the NBA season to get underway, but I relish this time of year not just for the hoops, but for the preseason love our NBA hotties lavish on their communities…yesterday tipped off the 2009 NBA Cares Week of Service where every NBA team will host a variety of “hands-on service events through Oct. 26 in a collaborative effort to give back to children, families, and the community and to increase fan awareness about the importance of service.”
Increasing my ‘fan awareness’ yesterday were the Memphis Grizzlies…Zach Randolph, Mike Conley(L), and DeMarre Carroll (R) danced with kids, read to them and gave away Grizzly backpacks during a Read to Achieve Event at Norris Elementary School in Memphis, Tennessee …
All week, NBA teams are making the rounds-joining with community members and partners in an effort to support health, education, and environmental awareness programs through several projects…I’ll try to keep up with all the action, which includes: The Detroit Pistons will distribute 1,000 pairs of shoes to children in partnership with Samaritan’s Feet…the Los Angeles Lakers and community volunteers will assemble holiday care packages for deployed U.S. service members in partnership with Operation Gratitude…the New Orleans Hornets will visit pediatric patients at a local hospital, host a three-day children’s book distribution at the Audubon Zoo, and tip off their Read to Achieve program by hosting 500 local fifth graders at Louisiana Children’s Museum for a writing workshop and 13 simultaneous Reading Timeouts…the Phoenix Suns and community volunteers will build bunk beds for Steve Nash and I and underprivileged children in partnership with Rebuilding Together…the Chicago Bulls will host “Operation Stock the Library” at Henry H. Nash Elementary School. Players will stock the school’s library with $8,000 worth of brand-new books to tip off the team’s Read to Achieve program…the Los Angeles Clippers will provide 1,600 local families with food and personal care items in partnership with Feed the Children…the Golden State Warriors will prepare and serve meals to 150 homeless children and families in partnership with CityTeam Ministries in Oakland…the New Jersey Nets will host a park clean-up day at Branchbrook Park in Newark, N.J. (I suspect that’s gonna be a long day)…the Oklahoma City Thunder will spend time with youngsters at an area homeless shelter…and the Orlando Magic will serve food to homeless children and families at the Christian Service Center in downtown Orlando’s Parramore neighborhood.
The NBA Cares Week of Service aligns with President Obama’s recent launch of the United We Serve initiative (www.serve.gov), which seeks to expand the impact of volunteer work in existing organizations and encourage individuals to make a difference in their communities. Fans can find out about volunteer opportunities and learn more about the NBA’s community partners by going to www.nba.com/nbacares. In the immortal words of Nike: JUST DO IT! Get out and volunteer to help our ballers improve the communities and make the kids smile!
Barefoot Runner Scores a Touchdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers
“What an amazing feat for such an important cause. My wife and I are honored to be a part of it.” Brett Keisel, starting defensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Yes my friends, Tellman is still running…he left his shoes in New York City on September 9 and has wholeheartedly dedicated himself to running cross country barefoot to raise $100,000,000.00 to aid homeless youth in a project called RunTellmanRun…He is currently approaching Pittsburgh on Rte. 130, averaging about 20 miles per day, and plans to run through downtown Pittsburgh on Tuesday…and FINALLY, someone ‘famous’ aside from Richard Branson has stepped up and heard Tellmans plea…Pittsburgh Steelers’ Brett Keisel (along with his wife) are going to meet Tellman tomorrow when they share lunch with residents of The Hub, a homeless relief program of Three Rivers Youth located in the Strip district.
“When I heard this guy, Tellman, was running across the country for charity, I wanted to meet him,” said Keisel, “And when I heard he was raising $100,000,000 for homeless kids, and running barefoot, I knew I had to meet him.”
Keisel, who is on the board of the Homeless Children’s Education Fund, also plans to autograph a football to be auctioned to raise money for Three Rivers Youth, the organization that runs The Hub. “I can’t thank Brett enough for agreeing to meet,” said Tellman, “He is obviously respected in Pittsburgh, and he’s going to be a great help in shining a floodlight on the problem of youth homelessness in this country.”
Now, with all this said, why hasn’t CNN done a profile piece on Tellman? They’ve wasted endless hours covering a hoax…if Tellman were given one-tenth the amount of media coverage given to balloon boy, than perhaps there’d be fewer hungry and homeless youth out there?
“You always want to find good ways to give back, and I just thought this was a fantastic way.” Justin Timberlake
Last week was a big week for Justin Timberlake as he hosted the annual Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Golf Open which concludes today…it started on Monday when JT attempted a hole-in-one at the Callaway Golf Center…Callaway offered Timberlake a $1 million charitable donation to Shriners Hospitals for Children if he could make a hole-in-one at a 180-yard, par-3 hole…he missed, but the good peeps at Callaway still gave a $5,000 donation…great video HERE of JT wearing sexy J Lindberg garb while speaking about the “sweet spot” and raising money for a good cause with sleepy eyes…
On Tuesday, Timberlake and the tournament hosted a Team Smile program where children were able to receive free dental care at the course…
Wednesday was the Pro-Am Tournament, where Timberlake was joined by a slew of celebrities, golfers, actors, comedians and poker stars such as Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Oscar De La Hoya (L), George Lopez (R), Alfonso Ribeiro, Alice Cooper, Kenny G, Anthony Kim, Davis Love III, Sal Masekela and David Bomar…Saturday night, the fundraising continued at the ‘Justin Timberlake and Friends’ concert at Mandalay Bay which featured TLC, Taylor Swift, Alicia Keys and Ciara…
that he used crystal meth during his playing career…Excerpts from the book are surfacing quicker than nude photos of Tom Brady would…Agassi, referencing an assistant by the name of Slim, writes:
