Sports & Celebrity Newswire

Archive for October, 2009

Wow! This guy is a true rock star. What a perfomance! Simon says he’s “in a different league from everything else we’ve seen tonight”.

Jamie Archer sings T-Rex classic Get It On. Watch video at Youtube.

Danyl Johnson, one of the favorites to win this year’s X Factor, sang And I Am Telling You from Dreamgirls. During the song he changed the reference to the gender beause he’s a male. Dannii Minogue made a controversial comment saying, “No need to change the gender references, if we’re to believe everything we read in the press,” referring to Danyl’s bisexuality.

Dannii’s bisexual comment did not go over well with the audience or Simon Cowell.

Louis said he was very talented but did not have the likeabilty factor because he was cocky.

Cheryl said “You could feel the atmosphere in the room. You absolutely smashed the song.”

Simon said, “I think I’m missing something here. I think I just heard one of the best peformances I ever heard in my life.”

I think Danyl really brought it tonight and showed a more vulnerable side that will get him votes.

Joseph McElderry, 18 years old, is a favorite to win this year’s X Factor. This kid really has it all – looks, talent and the X factor.

Joseph McElderry Sings No Regrets. Watch Video

Joseph McElderry Sings Dance With My Father Audition 1. Watch Video.

Joseph McElderry Sings George Michaels Praying For Time Bootcamp 2. Watch video.

Lisa Leslie retires from WNBA

Oct. 9, 2009 – Women’s basketball legend, Lisa Leslie, announced her retirement today from the WNBA, stating she is leaving the sport with no regrets.

It will not be the last time fans will hear about Leslie. The game is too much a part of her.

“Today is my last day of playing professional basketball, but I will stay close to the game because I feel I need to be a part of it.”

“I feel great, because I have no regrets,” Leslie said.

“Every time I stepped out on the court, I played as hard as I could. I fought hard, I crashed the boards, I didn’t back down from anybody, I shared the ball and I was a great team player. You do your best and try to be the best role model you can be.

“Today is my last day of playing basketball professionally, but I have a wonderful husband and family. This is my retirement, but it’s just my transition, really, into life. I’m going to stay close to the game.”

“She was all over the place, and she was so good she’d make you not like her,” Bolton said, laughing. “I work a lot with kids, and I always tell them, ‘You want to be like Lisa Leslie.’ She can bring the ball up the court, she can rebound, she can shoot outside and inside.

“People would say to me, ‘Is Lisa Leslie mean?’ And I’d say, ‘She plays tough, but she’s a sweetheart of a person. She’s just as competitive as it comes.’”

“I was upset tonight, because I felt like I let Lisa down,” said Parker, who was held to six points Saturday. “It’s hard, because she’s been a mentor to me. We talked about how we’re always going to stay in touch, and how our kids are going to play doubles in Wimbledon together.

“Our paths aren’t done crossing; we’re going to be friends for life. She’s taken me under her wing, and I am going to miss her like crazy. I fortunately had the pleasure of playing with a legend. And at the end, I felt like she was consoling me more than I was her, because she’s at a place now where she’s happy with her decision.”

Leslie wants to run a basketball academy for girls and work in broadcasting. She won’t entirely rule out coaching someday and will remain a strong advocate for women’s sports. And she’s resolute in her belief that a pro athlete has many responsibilities other than just winning games.

“I hope to come in and talk to [WNBA] rookies in the future,” Leslie said. “There’s no kid that I’ve passed up and not signed an autograph for. It’s our duty. Also another important message is how we represent ourselves and how we carry ourselves.”

Saturday, after Leslie handed little Hope back to her mom, Bolton watched her walk away.

“The game is going to miss her,” Bolton said. “But she’s such a light, she’s going to make a difference whatever she does and wherever she goes.”

Tiger Woods earns $1B becoming highest paid athlete

Forbes reported last week that Tiger Woods became the first athlete to earn $1 billion in career earnings from endorsements, prize winnings, golf course design and appearance fees. Woods reportedly earns $30 million a year from Nike and receives $10 million per project for his golf design work. He also just won $10 million last week for winning the FedEx Cup title.

The crazy part is that Woods in only 33 years old and has many years of competitive golf, endorsements and golf course design ahead of him. It’s not a stretch to say that he’ll likely make well in excess of $2 billion by the time his career ends. It’s estimated that he has now earned more than NBA great Michael Jordan ($800 million) and retired Formula One driver Michal Shumacher ($700 million). ... Read Full Story

With a quarter of the NFL season behind us, who are the two most surprising teams thus far?

San Francisco 49ers vs Buffalo Bills

Josh McDaniels Broncos coach

The most surprising team in my opinion is the Denver Broncos. No one predicted the Broncos would start 4-0. With the departure of Jay Cutler, the hiring of a new head coach in Josh McDaniels and the pouting of talented wide receiver Brandon Marshall, many people predicted the Broncos would have a hard time winning more than just a couple of games this season.

So why are they playing so well?

The main reason is the defense. The Broncos defense has been dismal in recent years, one of the worst in the league. This year’s defense is completely rebuilt. Defensive end Elvis Dumervil leads the league with 8 sacks through four games and is likely headed to his first Pro Bowl, veteran Brian Dawkins is playing like a future Hall of Famer and Champ Bailey continues to be one of the top cornerbacks in the league. As a team, the Broncos are ranked third in the league in overall defense and are in the top five in most major defensive categories. Last season, the Broncos gave up an average of 28 points per game. This season, they’ve given up just 26 points in four games. The team has also produced 10 turnovers, three shy of what they did all of last season.

Offensively, the team is enjoying a balanced attack. No one will mistake quarterback Kyle Orton for John Elway, but he’s not making many mistakes and is doing enough to put points on the board. Rookie running back Knowshon Moreno leads all rookie running backs in rushing while a talented wide receiver corps led by Eddie Royal, Brandon Marshall and Brandon Stokley gives Orton numerous weapons.

Up this week: New England Patriots

Mike Singletary 49er's coach

The next most surprising team is the San Francisco 49ers, who are 3-1 and would be 4-0 if it weren’t for a Brett Favre desperation touchdown pass in the closing seconds two weeks ago. It looks as though the team has bought into the philosophy of coach Mike Singletary, a very fiery and intense coach who commands respect from his players. The defense, led by Takeo Spikes, Nate Clements and Patrick Willis, has played stellar and is ranked 5th in the league in rushing defense and 8th overall. The offense has been productive as well with running back Frank Gore and tight end Vernon Davis giving the team a legitimate air and ground threat.

Up this week: Atlanta

PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency is a speakers bureau and top booking agent for football speakers, athlete appearances and endorsements. For more information call 800.966.1380

The NFL is doing its part to raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer by supporting October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The league has placed pink on players’ shoes, gloves, arm bands and hats. There’s a pink ribbon on the field, pink towels on the bench and ribbons on the shirts of the referees. Coaches and game staff personnel will wear pink ribbon/NFL shield pins on the sidelines while the league and teams will run breast cancer awareness messages during the month with pregame and in-stadium initiatives.

NFL supports breast cancer awareness by turning pink

Although the NFL is a man’s game, many of its members have been touched by the disease, including…

• Brett Favre…Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings…Wife is a breast cancer survivor
• DeAngelo Williams…Running Back, Carolina Panthers…Mother is a breast cancer survivor
• Bradie James…Linebacker, Dallas Cowboys…Lost Mother to breast cancer
• Ronde Barber…Defensive Back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers…Mother is a breast cancer survivor
• Ryan Denney…Defensive End, Buffalo Bills…Mother is a breast cancer survivor

Brett Favre & wife Deanna

Along with Favre’s wife Deanna, arguably the most publicized case of breast cancer to hit the NFL family occurred when Hall of Fame coach Don Shula lost his wife Dorothy to the disease in 1991.

Said Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter about wearing pink, “I’m more than comfortable with my manhood to wear pink shoes. I know we’re going to auction them off and send the money from the proceeds of that. So whatever I can do to help in that situation is good. And I think it’s a good cause.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women. The National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates that each year more than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with the disease and 40,000 will die from it. Because the disease touches so many people, cancer survivors are popular speakers at fundraisers, survivor conferences, medical meetings, etc.

A couple of the more popular cancer speakers and breast cancer survivors are….

• Dorothy Hamill…The 1976 Olympic gold medal figure skater was diagnosed in 2008
• Ann Jillian…A three-time Emmy nominated and Golden Globe winning actress and singer, Jillian was diagnosed in 1985
• Robin Roberts…The ABC “Good Morning America” co-host and former ESPN anchor was diagnosed in 2007
• Peggy Fleming…The 1968 Olympic gold medal figure skater was diagnosed in 1998
• Marcia Wallace…The longtime actress best known for her role on “The Bob Newhart Show” was diagnosed in 1985
• Linda Ellerbee…The award-winning journalist was diagnosed in 1992
• Olivia Newton-John…The four time Grammy-winning singer was diagnosed in 1992

Cancer effects everyone in one form or another. It’s great to see the NFL use its platform to raise awareness and hopefully save lives in the process.

If you would like to find out how to hire  a cancer speaker for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request cancer speaker booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top celebrity booking agent for athletes and celebrities.

Simon Cowell and the judges of X factor 2009 have made their decision as to who will move on to the finals. There were 24 hopefuls and only twelve made it through to the final.

Cheryl Cole mentors the boys

Cheryl Cole Group: Lloyd Daniels, Rikki Loney & Joe McElderry

Dannii Minogue mentors the girls

Dannii Minogue Group: Rachel Adedeji, Stacey Soloman & Lucie Jones

Louis Walsh mentors the groups

Louis Walsh Group: Kandy Rain, John And Edward Grimes & Miss F.R.A.N.K

Simon Cowell mentors the over 25 group

Simon Cowell Group: Jamie Archer, Danyl Johnson & Olly Murs

Greg Norman & Chris Evert in Happier Times

Golf great Greg Norman and tennis legend Chris Evert announced they have separated Friday just 15 months after they were married.

It is not know if they plan to divorce.

In a statement, the couple said only, “We will remain friends and supportive of one another’s family.” The statement said they requested privacy for them and their families.

The timing of the announcement was in part to prevent speculation on Evert’s absence at the Presidents Cup, matches between the United States and an International team of countries from every continent but Europe and Antarctica.

“I don’t think it will be a distraction,” said Robert Allenby of Australia, part of the International team. “That’s just not the way Norman is. He’s normally very private with his life. I know Norman. Next week his whole focus will be purely on what we have to do as a team and how we have to come together. He’ll be right behind us 110 percent.”

Norman and Evert became sports’ most high-profile couple when they started dating, got engaged and married. Evert, with 18 Grand Slam titles, attended her first PGA Tour event last year at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which Norman played with his son, Gregory. And she was with him every step at the British Open last year at Royal Birkdale.

Norman and Evert were seen together recently at the U.S. Open tennis championship in New York. He said Friday in Naples that it was his favorite event he had attended with his wife.

If you would like to find out how to hire Chris Evert or Greg Norman for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request Chris Evert or Greg Norman booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top celebrity booking agent for American Idols, entertainers, sports stars and celebrities.