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Sunday, June 23, 2002

By Pete Aldrich, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

When you think of NASCAR, some of the things that come to mind are the Daytona 500, Jeff Gordon, Gordon's soon-to-be ex-wife Brooke, restrictor plates, caution flags and ... Britney Spears?

That's right: NASCAR and Spears are coming to the big screen.

The racing organization and Spears' production company announced plans last week for a NASCAR-themed movie in which Spears will star. Spears is scheduled to play the daughter of a NASCAR team owner who uses her knowledge and experience in the business to inspire a former driver to return to racing.

"We have received numerous movie concepts set in the world of NASCAR, but chose this project because it is a great story that embraces our true, genuine sport as its backdrop," said NASCAR vice president of broadcasting Paul Brooks. "Britney Spears' involvement will help us reach an untapped fan base while serving our core fans with the authentic NASCAR experience."

Translation: Spears looks good and will sell a lot of tickets.

Just as long as she doesn't sing.

This Bell didn't shut it down

Derek Bell the baseball player has not been heard from since going into Operation Shutdown.

The same can't be said for Derek Bell the jockey.

Bell recently became the first jockey to win six races in one card in the 15-year history of Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.

As for the other Derek Bell, rumor has it that he, too, has been spending time at the track -- the dog track.

Fan-friendly gesture

Give the Atlanta Hawks credit. They might not be very good, but at least they care about their fans.

If the Hawks don't make the playoffs next season, they will give full-season ticket holders a $125 refund. The wager could cost the Hawks, who have missed the playoffs the past three seasons, as much as $500,000, based on 2001 sales of about 4,000 full-season ticket packages costing between $1,025 and $3,485 each.

In addition, if the Hawks make the postseason, full-season ticket holders will get the first playoff game free.

Surviving financially

Vecepia Towery, who won the $1 million grand prize on CBS' "Survivor: Marquesas" last month, is the aunt of Dallas Cowboys first-round draft pick Roy Williams.

Williams, the No. 8 pick overall, told Sports Illustrated that his aunt is the real celebrity in the family.

"She won 'Survivor' in front of millions of people, and that takes skill," he said. "Compared to that, what I'll be doing is nothing."

From supermarket to Super Bowl

Last weekend, St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner was one of the celebrities playing in the pro-am at the Hy-Vee Classic golf tournament in Johnstown, Iowa.

Eight years earlier, Warner was stocking shelves in a Hy-Vee supermarket.

Hazardous homer

Detroit Tigers shortstop Ramon Santiago recently led off consecutive games with home runs. However, the second long ball landed in the Tigers' bullpen, on top of the relievers' good-luck charm -- a bobblehead doll of Detroit pitcher Matt Anderson.

"They called the dugout and asked for a trainer," said Tigers Manager Luis Pujols.

However, the damage had already been done; the Tigers lost their next six games.

Bucky loses his shirt

When a University of Wisconsin athletic official was announcing recently that the costume of school mascot Bucky Badger had been stolen, he had this to say:

"We are advising people to stay calm."

Men can show skin, too

Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit issue has been known to offend female readers, some of whom write angry letters to the magazine.

It will be interesting to see if male readers respond in a similar fashion to the third annual Sports Illustrated Women swimsuit issue, which features the 75 "sexiest men in sports."

Among the bare-chested models are New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza, United States soccer player Clint Mathis and 87-year-old barefoot water skier "Banana" George Blair.

Gruden the great

Buccaneers Coach Jon Gruden appears to have already won over the fans in Tampa Bay.

Nearly 40,000 showed up for the team's FanFest, and after one fan got his autograph, she ranked the moment "right up there with getting married and having children."