Fast Break
BASEBALL
A-Rod signs with William Morris
Alex Rodriguez signed another big-league contract, joining the William Morris Agency in an attempt to extend his brand beyond the baseball diamond.
The New York Yankees slugger signed with the powerhouse talent agency in Beverly Hills, Calif., and becomes part of a client list that includes some of the biggest names in sports, entertainment and business.
“Partnering with William Morris will enable me to broaden the scope of my career in creative and innovative ways,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “I’m excited to see what we will be able to accomplish together, both domestically and abroad.”
Dave Wirtschafter, president of William Morris Agency, called Rodriguez “one of the world’s most iconic athletes whose personality transcends sports.”
“In the baseball world, Alex is synonymous with success,” he said in a statement Tuesday. “Our job will be to extend that success beyond the field to other opportunities.”
CHARITY
IUPUI coach will try Peru instead
IUPUI basketball coach Ron Hunter, who went barefoot for a game last season, won’t be able to deliver shoes to the poor in Nigeria this month because the U.S. State Department said it wouldn’t be safe to go.
Instead, Hunter said his group will travel to Lima, Peru, on Thursday to deliver about 15,000 pairs of shoes.
Originally, a group of about 40 people from IUPUI and Samaritan’s Feet, a charitable organization based in Charlotte, N.C., planned to deliver shoes and visit orphanages, schools and hospitals in Nigeria. Hunter and some of his players also planned to hold basketball clinics.
The shoes made it across the Atlantic, but the group won’t.
Hunter said the charity already had planned to send shoes to Peru later in the year. “I was a little disappointed, but I’ve got to worry about the well-being and the safety of the people going with us,” Hunter said. “Now, we get to go help another part of the world.”
The group’s Web site is samaritansfeet.org.
Rowing
Redman wins U23 world event
The United States won gold in the men’s and women’s eights in the finals Sunday at the 2008 FISA World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Brandenburg, Germany.
Lewis and Clark graduate and Yale University rower Jamie Redman was one of the winning women’s eight. Also in her boat were: coxswain Katelin Snyder (Winter Park, Fla.), Suzanne Van Fleet (West Chester, Pa.), Kady Glessner (Seattle, Wash.), Amanda Polk (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Laura Larsen-Strecker (Brookline, Mass.), Theresa Shields (Gross Ile, Mich.), Kelsie Chaudoin (Germantown, Tenn.) and Jessica Reel (Ojai, Calif.).
“It was the most amazing race,” said stroke-seat Van Fleet. “It exceeded our expectations. We’re so excited to be under-23 world champions.”