Archive for the ‘Celebrities’ Category
March 11th, 2010 | 
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Merlin Olsen dies of cancer at age 69
Merlin Olsen, NFL Hall of Famer tackle, died early Thursday at a hospital in Duarte, Calif. He was 69.
Olsen’s brother Orrin, announced his death and said he had been treated for mesothelioma, a deadly form of lung cancer. Olsen was also a longtime color commentator for NBC’s pro football and Rose Bowl telecasts, working along side Dick Enberg.
Olsen also acted on television in NBC’s “Little House on the Prairie” and in his own series, “Father Murphy.”
NFL star, Deacon Jones, told The Los Angeles Times in 1985:
“Merlin had superhuman strength. If I was beating my man inside, he’d hold him up and free me to make the tackle. If he had to make an adjustment to sacrifice his life and limb, he would make it. A lot of the plays I made were because he or the others would make the sacrifice.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement after the passing of Olsen on Thursday.
Goodell said:
“Merlin was a larger-than-life person, literally and figuratively, and leaves an enormously positive legacy.”
Our thoughts and condolences go out to Merlin’s family.
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Erin Andrews, ESPN Host and this season’s DWTS contestant, joined Twitter on Sunday night and posted her first tweet to 2000 followers so far about her practice with dance partner Maksim Chmerkovsky.
Erin tweeted:
“For my first tweet, I thought I would show a shot of my first real bruise from practice with Maks! Having fun!!” Scroll down to see a picture of the bruise.
We look forward to watching Erin Andrews perform this season on Dancing With the Stars and are rooting her on. She is a beautiful and talented woman.
The new DWTS cast was revealed on ABC last night on the After The Final Rose Ceremony of The Bachelor. Erin Andrews, ESPN Host, Evan Lysacek, Olympic Gold medal figure skater, Buzz Aldrin, astronaut, Kate Gosslein, Reality star and Chad Ochocinco, NFL Star, are just some of the celebrities that will appear on the show.
Buzz Aldrin, Erin Andrews and Evan Lysacek are on the next season of "Dancing With the Stars."
Jake Pavelka, The Bachelor, was announced last as the suprise contestant to appear on DWTS. There will be eleven contestants this year, far less than last year. ... Read Full Story
Reports out of London today say that Hollywood’s biggest couple may be calling it quits. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were never married, but with six kids and millions of dollars on the line, what happens next?
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are rumored to be splitting
Two British tabloids and The Star website say that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have agreed to divide their $300 M fortune equally and share joint custody of their six children in a split that is to be announced officially soon.
Reports say the hollywood couple have been consulting a Beverly Hills divorce lawyer who has been preparing the paper work.
In Touch Magazine, which has been right in the past, says the 5 year relationship is over.
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Is Simon Cowell on his way to becoming a billionaire? Cowell has signed a $500 million, two-year deal with Sony, this week as he launches SycoTV. He will produce and sell the formats to “X-Factor” and several “Got Talent” shows. The Sony deal will push the “American Idol” music mogul’s worth close to the $1 billion mark.
Cowell told press, “I have had a fantastic relationship with Sony for many years and I’m delighted we are launching this venture together.”
Rumors are spreading that Jay Leno will no longer host the 10 p.m. primetime slot after Jan 31st, but instead will go back to his old 11:35 p.m. slot after the Winter Olympics air. NBC affiliates are complaining that the 11 p.m. news lead ratings are down and they want Leno back in his old time slot.
Rumor has it that NBC wants Jay Leno back in his old time slot after Winter Olympics
NBC has given current tonight show host, Conan O’Brien, the option to either do his show from midnight to 1 a.m. or leave the network, TMZ reports.
TMZ said that network execs have told Conan they will let him decide if he wants the midnight to 1:00 AM time slot. If he does, Leno’s show will only be a half hour. If Conan walks, Leno will get a full hour, informed sources told TMZ.
TMZ reports that if Conan gets another offer, even though NBC could block the move, they will let him go and give Leno the full hour.
Conan’s people told NBC they are considering the offer.
Jay joked on his show last night saying:
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KATIE COURIC, IT’S HER BIRTHDAY TODAY. SHE LEFT NBC FOR ANOTHER NETWORK. I HAVE TO GIVE HER CALL TO SEE HOW THAT IS WORKING OUT. AS YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, THERE IS A RUMOR FLOATING AROUND THAT WE WERE CANCELED. I HEARD IT COMING IN THIS MORNING ON THE RADIO. SO FAR NO ONE HAS SAID ANYTHING TO ME. BUT KEV, IF WE DID GET CANCELED IT WILL GIVE US TIME TO DO SOME TRAVELING. I UNDERSTAND THAT FOX IS BEAUTIFUL THIS TIME OF YEAR.”
“Hey Kev, what does NBC stand for? Never believe your contract,” Leno joked.
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If you would like to find out how to hire Jay Leno for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, you can request Jay Leno booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency, a top celebrity booking agent for entertainers, sports stars and celebrities.
I’ve read on more than one occasion since the Tiger Woods story broke last month that the endorsement market for all athletes will suffer as a result of his indiscretions. The thinking goes that if companies can’t trust someone like Tiger, who for years had the cleanest image among all athletes, who can they trust?
Tiger Woods continues to endorse Nike. The organization stands behind him.
I don’t agree with this assessment. There’s an inherent risk whenever a company utilizes an athlete. He could get hurt, traded, arrested or, in the case of Tiger, caught with his pants down. Athletes have been endorsing products for close to 100 years and will continue to do so.
For every high-profile scandal such as Tiger or Kobe Bryant earlier this decade that resulted in companies either cancelling or not renewing their endorsement agreements, there are countless examples of endorsement deals that have been successful. Do you think Nike was disappointed with Michael Jordan or Gatorade with Derek Jeter?
Over the weekend, I was watching CNN and three commercials in a row featured athletes – Howie Long for Chevrolet, Dan Marino for NutriSystem and Chris Berman for Applebees. So will there be any fallout from “Tigergate”?
My guess is that companies will scrutinize potential endorsers even closer. Morality clauses, which give companies the ability to opt out of an endorsement agreement should an issue arise, will likely be tightened even more. And most importantly, companies likely won’t build their entire advertising campaign around just one athlete, which is what Accenture did with Tiger. Some people have estimated it will cost Accenture tens of millions of dollars just to remove all the advertising featuring Tiger. How many times have you been in an airport and seen an Accenture billboard with Tiger?
Speaking of Tiger, his fall from the mountaintop has been historic. Never has an athlete of Tiger’s stature fallen so far so fast. Just a month ago, ask someone to describe Tiger’s image and you would likely hear such words as squeaky-clean, trustworthy and integrity. To date, among his sponsors who have either cancelled or scaled down their involvement with him include Tag Heuer, Accenture and Gillette. Gatorade is phasing out its Tiger product, although it made the announcement a few days prior to the start of Tiger’s problems.
PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency is a top booking agent for athlete endorsement deals, athlete appearances and sports speakers. For more information on how to book an athlete endorsement or appearance, call 800.966.1380
LOS ANGELES, CA – Multiple media sources report that actress Brittany Murphy, age 32, died early Sunday morning after going into full cardiac arrest. She was unable to be revived. The LA City Fire Department reported to TMZ that a 911 emergency call was received at around 8:00 AM from a home in Los Angeles that is listed as belonging to her husband, Simon Monjack.
Actress Brittany Murphy dies from full cardiac arrest at the age of 32
Murphy was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Murphy starred in such films as “Clueless,” “8 Mile,” and “Don’t Say a Word.”
Sources told TMZ that Brittany Murphy’s mom discovered her unconscious in the shower. When paramedics arrived, they quickly determined Murphy was in full cardiac arrest and immediately administered CPR. They continued CPR in route to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center several miles away, but Murphy was unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.
TMZ reports that the LA County Coroner’s is picking up Murphy’s body from Cedars later today and will launch an investigation.
CHARLOTTE, NC – NFL star Chris Henry, 26, who suffered grave injuries in a truck accident in North Carolina yesterday, has died. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police report Henry died at 6:36 AM EST this morning. Henry played wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals.
NFL star Chris Henry died Thursday morning Dec. 17, 2009
It was previously reported that Henry jumped into the back of a pickup truck yesterday in an attempt to stop his fiancee from leaving a “domestic situation” at her parents’ home in North Carolina.
Henry was rushed to the hospital Wednesday after being found on a residential road “apparently suffering life-threatening injuries,” according to police.
Police said at some point when his fiancee was driving, Henry “came out of the back of the vehicle.” They wouldn’t identify the woman, and no charges were immediately filed.
“Detectives continue to work diligently on this active investigation,” police said in a statement today.
Bryant Gumbel
While co-hosting “Live! with Regis and Kelly” Tuesday morning, Bryant Gumbel announced that he recently had cancer surgery to remove a malignant tumor on his lung.
Gumbel told viewers that he at first wanted to keep his surgery private, but told them that part of his lung was removed in the surgery. He stated that he and his doctor hope that his treatment is completed.
“We had told a few people, we told my family, obviously. I even kept it from my staff at Real Sports. So I’m okay for the time being,” he said. “I’m hoping they greenlight me to play golf again.”
We all wish Bryant well!
