Bobsledder ELANA MEYERS TAYLOR and curler JOHN SHUSTER were "chosen by their U.S. teammates to be flag bearers" for Friday’s Opening Ceremony at the Beijing Games. But Meyers Taylor "remains in isolation after testing positive Saturday for COVID-19," so speed skater BRITTANY BOWE, who was second in the voting, "will walk with Shuster in her place." Bowe, a Bronze medalist at the '18 Pyeongchang Games, was "praised for her selflessness after she gave up her spot in the 500 meters for ERIN JACKSON." Jackson is ranked No. 1 in the world at that distance and is "considered a heavy favorite for gold," but she "finished third at the U.S. Olympic trials after slipping in the race" (USA TODAY, 2/3).
BOOK CLUB: Former NBAer CHARLES OAKLEY in his "excellent" new memoir, “ THE LAST ENFORCER,” discusses his "ongoing feud" with Knicks Owner JAMES DOLAN. Oakley also touches upon the "list of ex-Knicks who stayed quiet after Oakley was disgracefully removed from Madison Square Garden as he attempted to watch a game" in '17. Oakley takes a "comprehensive inventory of personal feuds that go back further" (TORONTO STAR, 2/3).
NAMES: ESPN basketball analyst LACHINA ROBINSON has joined Klutch Sports Group as a client. NICOLE LYNN, best known as an NFL agent, is representing Robinson. She was not previously represented by another agency. Lynn will work on media and marketing, appearances, and other deals, in addition to guiding Robinson in her broadcast career. Lynn has negotiated her ESPN agreement as well as an agreement to cover last year's Tokyo Games and her "Huuuge Fan" podcast (Liz Mullen, SBJ)....Panthers Owner DAVID TEPPER and his wife NICOLE gave a "donation of $10M" to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library through The Tepper Foundation and the David and Nicole Tepper Foundation (TWITTER.com, 2/3)....The Orange County 4th District Court of Appeals yesterday "reversed a Superior Court decision to dismiss BRIAN 'BUBBA' HARKINS’ defamation complaint" against the Angels and MLB, "sending the case back to the lower court for a jury trial." Harkins, the team’s long-time visiting clubhouse manager, was fired by then-GM BILLY EPPLER in March '20 after the Angels "learned that he was providing a blend of sticky substances to visiting pitchers to aid their grip on the baseball" (L.A. TIMES, 2/3).
IN MEMORY: ROBIN HERMAN, who as a hockey reporter for the N.Y. Times "broke a gender barrier when she became one of the first two female journalists to enter a men’s professional sports locker room in North America," on Tuesday died at 70 from ovarian cancer in her home in Waltham, Mass. (N.Y. TIMES, 2/3).
