| Tiger Woods, Tom Brady on Forbes list of most powerful celebrities | 05.18.12 at 3:12 pm ET |
Forbes recently released its list of the world’s most powerful celebrities for 2012, and Tiger Woods remained the top athlete on the list.
The list is based on entertainment-related earnings plus media visibility (exposure in print, television, radio and online). Forbes’ categories are money rank, TV/radio rank, press rank, web rank and social rank.
Woods was ranked 12th overall, down from his sixth ranking in 2011 and No. 5 ranking in 2010. The 36-year-old golf superstar beat out other athletes such as LeBron James (15), Kobe Bryant (27), Peyton Manning (40), Tom Brady (60) and Alex Rodriguez (63) to name a few. Woods brought in approximately $58 million based on pretax gross income earnings from May 1, 2011, to May 1, 2012. Those are the dates Forbes uses as the year marks. Woods also ranked sixth in TV/radio and fourth in press.
Brady ranked 60th on the list, bringing in an estimated $27 million last year. Brady ranked 15th in TV/radio and 14th in press. His wife, Gisele Bundchen, was one spot behind him at 61st, bringing in about $45 million.
| Monday’s Morning Mashup: Nationals send teen prodigy Bryce Harper to minors | 03.19.12 at 7:56 am ET |
Welcome to Monday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.
MONDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Celtics at Hawks, 7 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI)
NBA: Bulls at Magic, 8 p.m. (TNT)
NBA: Mavericks at Nuggets, 10:30 p.m. (TNT)
College basketball: NIT, Middle Tennessee at Tennessee, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: NIT, Minnesota at Miami, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: NIT, Illinois State at Stanford, 11:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
NHL: Maple Leafs at Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN)
NHL: Devils at Rangers, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
NHL: Ducks at Sharks, 10 p.m. (NBCSN)
MLB preseason: Tigers at Phillies, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
MLB preseason: Dodgers at Indians, 4 p.m. (MLB Network)
AROUND THE WEB:

Bryce Harper will start the season in Triple-A, but Nationals manager Davey Johnson expects the 19-year-old in the majors soon. (AP)
♦ Bryce Harper, the controversial 19-year-old many are predicting to be the next major league star, was sent to Triple-A Syracuse Sunday by the Nationals .
Harper, who missed six spring training games with a calf strain, went 1-for-5 with four strikeouts Sunday against the Tigers. Manager Davey Johnson reportedly had been pushing for Harper to stay in the majors.
“He’s a special player,” Johnson said. “He needs to go down there and do what he’s doing. He doesn’t need to change [anything] for me. He just needs to go play.”
Said Harper: “It sucks. But I’ve got to go down there [to Syracuse] and work hard and try to get up here as quick as I can. … I just want to go down there and … get on a streak and be called up and hopefully be a game-changer for the Nationals.”
Harper, who is being transitioned from catcher to outfield, is expected to play mostly center field with Syracuse.
♦ Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie tweeted Sunday night that he is moving to safety to help the team fill a void there. The team has been bringing in free agents — including LaRon Landry, who also has visited with the Patriots — but hasn’t found anyone yet.
Tweeted Cromartie: The reason I say I’m moving to FS is because Kyle [Wilson] is becoming a good corner and I don’t mind the move.
♦ More details from golf coach Hank Haney‘s book on Tiger Woods were revealed over the weekend, and it’s not good for Woods. Haney does not paint a flattering picture of the golf legend in “The Big Miss,” which is due to be released next Tuesday.
Haney claims Woods is a self-centered, immature tightwad who routinely ignores kids looking for autographs. Haney said when eating at a restaurant with Woods, the golfer would get up without a word when he was finished and expect everyone in his party (including his former wife, Elin) to follow him, even if they were not finished.
“When he was done — and he habitually ate fast — you were done,” Haney told.
ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On March 19, 1972, which Bruins player scored two power-play goals in a 7-3 victory over the visiting Minnesota North Stars and in the process set an NHL single-season record with 27 power-play goals (he finished the season with 28)?
| Thursday’s Morning Mashup: Jose Canseco apologizes for hurting teammates in book | 03.01.12 at 8:03 am ET |
Welcome to Thursday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.
THURSDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL: Nets at Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN)
NBA: Thunder at Magic, 8 p.m. (TNT)
NBA: Heat at Trail Blazers, 10:30 p.m. (TNT)
College basketball: Michigan at Illinois, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Florida State at Virginia, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Georgia at Kentucky, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Villanova at Rutgers, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: New Mexico State at Nevada, 11 p.m. (ESPN2)
AROUND THE WEB:
♦ Jose Canseco, saying he has had “nightmares” ever since exposing baseball’s steroids problem, apologized for the pain he caused former teammates when he wrote the book “Juiced.”
Wrote Canseco on Twitter Wednesday: I am probably the only person in history that will never be forgiven for telling the truth and making MLB better and safer for everyone especially young kids.
I am truly sorry for hurting my teamates and friends when I wrote juiced. I have had nightmares since I wrote that book it still haunts me till today. It is my demon that never sleeps.
Canseco, who had a stint with the Red Sox in the mid-1990s, recently signed with a Mexican minor league team, saying he’s hoping to start a comeback that ends in the majors.
♦ The Steelers confirmed Wednesday that they plan to release wide receiver Hines Ward, who has spent the last 14 seasons in Pittsburgh, catching 1,000 passes for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns and winning two Super Bowls.
“We had a conversation today with Hines Ward and informed him that we plan to release him of his contract prior to the start of the 2012 NFL calendar year,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said on the team’s website. “Hines has been an integral part of our success since we drafted him in 1998, and we will forever be grateful for what he has helped us achieve.”
Ward, who has gained widespread popularity by winning “Dancing With the Stars” last year and working the red carpet at Sunday’s Academy Awards, turns 36 next week, but he said he wants to continue his career.
“I do feel that I still have more football left in me and I am looking forward to playing in the NFL, again, this upcoming season,” he said in a statement.
♦ Clippers superfine Darrell Bailey, who goes by the name “Clipper Darrell,” took his fight with the team public this week. Bailey said the team has demanded that he stop using the nickname because he has been getting paid for public appearances even though he has know official affiliation with the team.
After Bailey wrote on his website, “I am devastated!!!” he received support from a number of Clippers players, including Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
The Clippers, never known for dealing with sensitive situations in a responsible manner, released a statement on Wednesday in response to Bailey’s comments.
“We have had multiple conversations with him concerning his inappropriate use of the Clippers’ team name and trademark for his own unmonitored commercial gain,” the team said. “We have spoken to him repeatedly about his desire to make public appearances in ways which improperly suggest that he is officially affiliated with our organization. In all cases and over a long period of time, he has consistently rejected our efforts to operate in consultation.”
♦ Former Tiger Woods coach Hank Haney wrote in a soon-to-be-released book that the golfer considered becoming a Navy SEAL and participated in training on bases across the country. Woods, at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., this week, expressed his disappointment with Haney’s book and brushed aside questions about it.
Woods, who in 2010 publicly acknowledged a desire to become a SEAL, became testy when a reporter asked him about it Wednesday, saying, “I’ve already talked about everything in the book.”
ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On March 1, 1997, the Bruins send Adam Oates, Bill Ranford and Rick Tocchet to the Capitals for which three players (plus a third-round draft pick)?
| Wednesday’s Morning Mashup: Dwyane Wade apologizes to Kobe Bryant for foul | 02.29.12 at 8:07 am ET |
Welcome to Wednesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.
WEDNESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Bucks at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI)
NBA: Bulls at Spurs, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Georgia Tech at Boston College, 7 p.m. (NESN; WRKO)
College basketball: Maryland at North Carolina, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Marquette at Cincinnati, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: St. John’s at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Miami at NC State, 9 p.m. (NESN)
College basketball: Iowa at Nebraska, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Oklahoma at Texas, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
NHL: Penguins at Stars, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
AROUND THE WEB:

Dwyane Wade (right) left Kobe Bryant with a nasal fracture after a hard foul in Sunday's All-Star Game. (AP)
♦ Heat guard Dwyane Wade acknowledged that he apologized for breaking Kobe Bryant‘s nose with a hard foul in Sunday’s All-Star Game, but he did it in the fashion that has become typical of the Heat — burying it in comments that imply everyone is biased against the Heat’s superstars.
“He knows it’s no ill intent on me to do that,” Wade said at Tuesday’s practice. “Did I take a foul? Yes, I took a foul. So, talk about me for taking a foul. But I never wanted that kind of outcome.”
Wade also has been criticized for ignoring Bryant after hitting him, walking over to complain about a previous call to the referee.
“I don’t know if anybody wants me to get down on my knees in front of the world and [apologize]. I don’t have to do that,” Wade said. “Like I said, everyone has an opinion, everyone uses their opinion. Like I said, I sent my apologies to Kobe, and I move on from it.”
Although he was diagnosed with a nasal fracture and a concussion, Bryant is expected to play when the Lakers host the Heat Sunday.
♦ New Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said he doesn’t have many rules, but one big one is that every player is expected to be lined up in front of the dugout for the national anthem.
“The national anthem is 10 minutes before the game starts,” he said. “We’re going to start in 10 minutes and you’re late? National anthem, they’re going to be there. … That’s the only [rule] I have. You’re not going to go by that easy one? We’re going to have problems.”
Guillen explained that part of the reason is because he wants the entire team focused on getting ready for the game, even those who aren’t starting. And respect for the country is another.
“A lot of people have been killed trying to make this country free for us,” he said. “You should be there for at least two minutes. Respect that, especially if you come from another country. You should be there an hour before. I think it looks good for baseball if you’re in the stands and you look at the team respecting the flag and the national anthem. … Kids can see that, the respect.”
♦ According to a new book by Tiger Woods‘ former coach, Hank Haney, the golfer considered leaving the sport to become a Navy SEAL and took it so far as to do training on naval bases around the country.
Woods’ father, Earl Woods, was a special forces soldier in Vietnam, and Haney claims Tiger was obsessed with joining the Navy’s elite fighting unit.
Writes Haney: To my knowledge, he did training in parachuting, self-defense, urban-warfare simulations and shooting. I never heard of Tiger doing any training in the water with the SEALs, but he was already a pretty accomplished diver.
ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Feb. 29, 1976, which Bruins goalie recorded his 17th consecutive victory — an NHL record that still stands — with a 5-3 decision over the visiting Canucks?
| Wednesday’s Morning Mashup: Giants’ Brandon Jacobs says Gisele Bundchen should ‘stay cute and shut up’ | 02.08.12 at 7:47 am ET |
Welcome to Wednesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.
WEDNESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL: Bruins at Sabres, 7:30 p.m. (NESN; NBCSN)
NBA: Knicks at Wizards, 7 p.m. (NBA TV)
NBA: Rockets at Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. (NBA TV)
College basketball: Florida State at Boston College, 7 p.m. (WEEI)
College basketball: Georgetown at Syracuse, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Kansas at Baylor, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Duke at North Carolina, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
AROUND THE WEB:
♦ Giants running back Brandon Jacobs offered his take on the Gisele Bundchen controversy, after Tom Brady‘s supermodel wife was videotaped criticizing Patriots receivers following Sunday’s Super Bowl. Bundchen was responding to a heckling Giants fan when she said that her husband could not catch the ball as well as throw it.
Said Jacobs to reporters at Tuesday’s Giants victory parade in New York: “She just needs to continue to stay cute and shut up.”
♦ A Nielsen poll determined that Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is the most disliked athlete in America, ranking ahead of golfer Tiger Woods. Jets receiver Plaxico Burress is third and Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh is fourth. Then it’s three NBA players: Nets forward Kris Humphries, Heat star LeBron James and Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is ninth.
♦ Lakers star Kobe Bryant will not face charges for an incident at a San Diego church last year. A man had accused Bryant of grabbing him aggressively and taking his phone after thinking the man had taken a picture of the player, then returning the phone after seeing no photos. Bryant denied the allegations. The city attorney’s office said Tuesday that it could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
♦ The University of Memphis is the latest school to switch conferences, as the Tigers will be joining the Big East starting in 2013-14. In The Commercial Appeal, Geoff Calkins runs down the list of reasons why Memphis fans should celebrate the move from Conference USA.
ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Feb. 8, 1960, who was named the first coach in Patriots history?
| Wednesday’s Morning Mashup: Archie Manning mutes TV announcers critical of Eli | 11.09.11 at 7:46 am ET |
Welcome to Wednesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.
WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY WEDNESDAY:
No games scheduled
AROUND THE WEB:

Eli Manning celebrated a comeback victory over the Patriots Sunday, but his family says the Giants quarterback still gets unfairly criticized. (AP)
♦ Archie Manning enjoyed watching his son Eli lead the Giants to a last-minute victory Sunday against the Patriots, but he had trouble listening to the commentary on Fox. The elder Manning said he doesn’t agree with Troy Aikman and Joe Buck‘s criticism. “I don’t always listen to Troy and Joe,” Archie told ESPN. “They’re kind of hard on Eli. Joe’s always been really tough on Eli, and it seems this year Troy is too. But that’s OK. Sometimes I just mute them.”
In a 2009 interview, Peyton Manning made a similar comment, chastising Buck for being critical of Eli during another comeback attempt.
♦ Tiger Woods‘ former caddy Steve Williams apologized for his off-color comment at a banquet over the weekend, when he made a racially insensitive remark while joking about the golfer. Woods told reporters that he and Williams met on Monday in Australia and cleared the air, and he’s convinced that “Stevie’s certainly not a racist. There’s no doubt about that.” In the Sporting News, columnist David Steele writes that Woods deserves credit for taking the high road and helping to quash a controversy that would not be good for his sport.
♦ In the San Jose Mercury News, Mark Purdy writes about the man he calls the most influential American sports figure of the last 50 years: former baseball commissioner and 1984 Los Angeles Olympic organizer Peter Ueberroth, who is being inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame Wednesday.
ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Nov. 9, 1972, in an 8-3 victory over the Red Wings at Boston Garden, which Bruin became the seventh player in NHL history to record 1,000 career points?
| Thursday’s Morning Mashup: Pete Carroll offers LeBron James NFL tryout | 10.13.11 at 7:56 am ET |
Welcome to Thursday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.
WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY THURSDAY:
No games scheduled
AROUND THE WEB:
♦ LeBron James, looking for something to do during the NBA lockout, sent out a tweet Tuesday wondering about the deadline for an NFL team to sign a free agent. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll saw an opportunity to put his recruiting skills to work, so he offered up a tryout and tweeted a picture of a LeBron Seahawks jersey. LeBron was impressed, although Carroll warned that the money wouldn’t be same as what LeBron makes with the Heat. Tweeted Carroll: are you aware of what the League’s rookie minimum is? Tweeted back LeBron: Yeah, more than what I’m making now Coach.
♦ Mark Davis is succeeding his father, Al, as owner of the Raiders. In the San Francisco Chronicle, Scott Ostler writes that the team is “drastically and irreversibly changed,” but nobody knows if it’s for the better or worse. Ostler predicts Mark will be far more hands-off and much less controversial than Al.
♦ The fan who ran onto the golf course at the Frys.com Open Sunday and threw a hot dog in the direction of Tiger Woods spoke Wednesday and explained his thinking. “I threw the hot dog toward Tiger Woods because I was inspired by the movie ‘Drive,’ ” said 31-year-old Brandon Kelly of Petaluma, Calif. “As soon as the movie ended, I thought to myself, ‘I have to do something courageous and epic. I have to throw a hot dog on the green in front of Tiger.’ ” Kelly was arrested for disturbing the peace.
ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Oct. 13, 2003, during a 3-2 victory over the Yankees in Game 4 of the ALCS, which Red Sox player set a team record with his fifth home run of the postseason?
| Monday’s Morning Mashup: Golf fan arrested after throwing hot dog at Tiger Woods | 10.10.11 at 7:31 am ET |
Welcome to Monday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.
WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY MONDAY:
NHL: Avalanche at Bruins, 1 p.m. (NESN)
AROUND THE WEB:
♦ A 31-year-old man was arrested Sunday after running toward the seventh green at CordeValle golf course in San Martin, Calif., and throwing a hot dog in the direction of Tiger Woods during the final round of the Frys.com Open. “I was kind of focusing on my putt when he started yelling,” said Woods, who finished in a tie for 30th. “Next thing I know, he laid on the ground and looked like he wanted to be arrested, really, because he laid on the ground, put his hands behind his back and turned his head.”
The man told police he wasn’t throwing the hot dog at Woods, even though he called Woods’ name before tossing it in the air. “He was very cooperative,” Sgt. Jose Cardoza said. “They said, ‘Why did you do this?’ He just shook his head in guilt or remorse. He didn’t give a reason why he did it.”
♦ Gary Bettman, who was booed by Vancouver fans when he awarded the Stanley Cup to the Bruins in June, was cheered in Winnipeg Sunday as the new Jets played their first regular-season home game, 15 years after the previous version of the team departed for Phoenix. “A great day for the city of Winnipeg, the province of Manitboa, the entire country of Canada,” Bettman said.
♦ Brad Pitt has a hit with his portrayal of A’s general manager Billy Beane in “Moneyball,” and now Clint Eastwood appears headed for a starring role in a baseball movie. Eastwood reportedly will play a veteran scout who is trying to find one last prospect before he loses his sight in the movie “Trouble With the Curve.”
ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Oct. 10, 1999, the Red Sox exploded for 23 runs on 24 hits, both postseason records, in a 23-7 rout of the Indians in Game 4 of the American League Division Series. Which Indians ace who would later go on to pitch for the Red Sox took the loss?
| Tiger Woods commits to Frys.com Open in October | 08.29.11 at 4:40 pm ET |
Tiger Woods had added the Frys.com Open Oct. 6-9 in San Martin, Calif. to his fall schedule, according to his website, TigerWoods.com. The event is near Stanford, where Woods went to school.
“I always enjoy competing in my home state, and this tournament fits my schedule perfectly,” Woods said. “I’m looking forward to seeing some old friends.”
Woods has not played in a tournament since missing the cut in the PGA Championship earlier this month. It will be the first time Woods has played in this event.
| Fred Couples says Tiger Woods has to play to get on Presidents Cup team | 08.18.11 at 11:48 am ET |
After Tiger Woods missed the cut at the PGA Championship, giving him virtually no chance at qualifying for the 12-man team on his own, he will need to be named one of the two captain’s picks by Fred Couples.
Couples said Wednesday that Woods needs to add a tournament prior to the Australian Open in November if he expects to be picked for the squad.
“I’ve talked to [Woods' agent] Mark Steinberg about him playing [other tournaments],” Couples said. “We’re going to figure out a way that we can get this done. He can’t just show up the week before in Australia. I have made it clear that whoever I picked will be playing the Australian tournament the week before. But I need him to play more than just there. There’s quite a few tournaments after the Tour Championship.”
Added Couples: “I just don’t know how he can sit there and think his game is going to improve.”
The Presidents Cup is scheduled to begin Nov. 17 in Melbourne, Australia.

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