Archive for the ‘The Greatest Sports Town’ Category

A recent posting by a Post-Dispatch columnist, that O’Neal seemingly proposed marriage and placed a ring on his girlfriend’s finger at Sam David’s Sahara Mediteranean Cusine & Hookah Lounge, has been poo-poo’d by the athlete’s rep. According to Mike Lewittes’s www.gossipcop.com, the story was fact-checked with O’Neal’s rep, who said the engagement rumors “are not accurate.” Wrote Lewittes, “We’re calling a foul on this one.”

After 9,000 boxing fans arrived at Scottrade Center for the Devon Alexander/Andriy Kotelnik boxing match, they might’v thought they were attending a World Wrestling Federation event. They coughed up big bucks for Don King’s “Gateway to Greatness” sports presentation, only to watch Gov. Jay Nixon’s intro and his jump into the ring, followed by loud boo’s as if he were a villain for having pulled St. Louis historic tax credits and for giving firefighters the option of living outside of the city. A vet boxing fan yelled to King ringside, “Hey, Don, where’s your St. Louis flag, dude?” King, noted for waving the red, white and blue, waved a Missouri flag, but not a St. Louis flag. (Might have something to do with the city reportedly opting to look over the entertainment tax for King to help promote future boxing matches.)

A somewhat confusing article in the national Sports Business Journal this week may shed some light on the football futures of the heirs of the late Georgia Frontiere.  According to writer Daniel Kaplan (who, like the columnist, does not reveal sources), Missouri real sports/estate exec Stan Kroenke has proposed to match a February 2010 offer for the St. Louis Rams made by Illinois auto parts magnate Shahid Kahn to purchase some of the team over time, paying interest to Chip Rosenblum and Lucia Rodriguez for their continuing to own an unspecified portion of the team for an undisclosed amount of time.  The article, if accurate, suggests that Georgia’s heirs could remain minority owners of the Rams for a while, no matter who buys it.  That’s good news for people who like the unassuming duo.

A sight to behold: fervent Republican Donna Wilkinson and devoted Democrat Tom Green in an embrace. . .Ditto for Jamie and Jason Cohen, a strategist and Beltway/St. Louis commuter, charged with helping to craft the proposal for a Stl victory in the run for the convention… Soldier of fortune/physical fitness guru/mercenary Joe Adams and his better half, mortgage doyenne Diana Daugherty, plunked down $1.1 million for the Hampton Park manse from the late do-gooders Ruth and Dr. Walter Washington, according to their son, Kevin, who tub-thumped holding the convention here. . Mike Shannon arrived with his love, Quincy,IL travel agent Lori Bergman. . .KSDK reporter/co-anchor Mike Garrity telling Kara E. Bolin, press sect’y to Mayor Francis Slay, “I covered the team getting off the bus”. . .Then, it was onward to Tony’s to glad-hand former Cardinals football linebacker Jamie Rivers and his wife, Brenda, who marked their 45th wedding anniversary and toasted their four grandchildren. BTW – The winsome twosome own the McDonald’s on Lindell Boulevard. After a sampling of exec chef Vince Bommarito, Jr.’s soft shell crabs, stuffed with crab meat – another stop. Over at Cyrano’s, bossman Charlie Downs was vending real deal Lake Superior white fish and organic blueberry crumb pie with cinnamon ice cream.

Expatriate Lew Wolff, whose love of sports has taken him to ownership positions with several sports teams, including
the Oakland A’s, San Francisco Warriors basketball team and the San Jose Earthquakes soccer club, hosted a luncheon for his nearest and dearest at Busch Stadium. On hand were: Marcia and Bob Shapiro; Dr. Steve and Julie Plax; Mary Lee and Jerry Mandel; Marilyn and Steve Dardick; Barbara Morris; Dickie Lipman; Larry and Barbara Poger; Dr.Ken Green; Susan and Guy Wolff and Dick and Mariette Palmer.  Lew’s bro and sister-in-law Guy and Susan Wolff were also on hand. BTW Lew is an alum of U-City High.

Bonneville St. Louis’ 101 ESPN radio will dedicate the entire day from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Tues., June 29 to host a special one-day tribute titled, “A Stand for Stan.”  The tribute is connected to the St. Louis Cardinals’ “Stand for Stan” campaign to have Hall of Famer and civic icon  recognized with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  The medal is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a civilian.