Celebs Heatin’ Things Up This Summer…
July 10, 1997

Pushin’ the petal to the metal -- "Beverly Hills 90210" cutie Jason Priestley and actor Craig T. Nelson will be racing this coming weekend at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, CA. Missing from the entry list is actor Tim Allen, who was supposed to race with his team the Saleen/Allen RRR Speedlab but one problem -- they sold the race cars. My sources tell me that they had an offer from some folks in France that they couldn’t pass up. Supposedly, they are going to be building new cars and be back in racing very soon.

One of my favorite television shows from the ‘70’s (showing my age) was the "Battle of the Network Stars" specials—it was an opportunity for television entertainment stars to showcase their athletic abilities in various sports disciplines and compete for their respective network. Well, I was all excited because I heard it was returning to the boob tube on CBS. They were going to tape it at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA this August. But, now, I just found out it has been postponed until further notice. Aw shucks…

"Melrose Place" star Jack Wagner is quite the good golfer. He shot three under par and finished six shots behind the winner at the Isuzu Celebrity Golf Championship at the par-72 Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course last weekend In my travels I have gotten to know some hotel doorman. Most of the time they have glowing stories to tell me about various celebs that have stayed at their respective hotel. But the one star who always gets a big thumb down is former Mr. Universe and Hollywood superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger. They tell me that he never tips them. I guess when you are making about millions a picture it’s hard to find a few bucks to tip the person carrying your bags for you.

As I told you in an earlier column, actress Kimberly Williams star of the film "Father of the Bride" and Wimbledon champ Pete Sampras are a real love match (I know, very cliché-I couldn’t resist). Did you see her in the stands on the television broadcast cheering Pete on to another Wimbledon victory? I predict wedding bells for this very much in love duo—you can see it in the eyes. You wanna bet me? …Kimberly has been busy –she was one of the managers for the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game--part of the pre-game festivities for the MLB All-Star Game in Cleveland. The celebrities were divided into the National League and American League. The celebrities wore uniforms from the teams in their designated league.

Some of the stars striking out for this popular event: John Ritter, co-star of the film "Slingblade" was the AL manager; Scott Baio former star of "Charles in Charge" and "Happy Days" served as a coach; country singer LeAnn Rimes; singer Joe Walsh; Nick Turturro, co-star of the ABC drama "NYPD Blue," best-selling author John Grisham, Michael Boatman, co-star of the ABC sitcom "Spin City," Robert Wuhl of the HBO series "Arliss," and Amy Yasbeck, who starred as Casey on the NBC sitcom "Wings"(and dates John Ritter), to name just a few. One of the lucky kids chosen to be a batboy for the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game was Jonathon Lipnicki, who co-starred as Ray Boyd in the film "Jerry Maguire."

Speaking of kids, the tennis folks know that they need to tap into a younger audience so they have come up with a unique idea. The Cartoon Network, the ATP Tour and the Tennis Industry Association have formed the Cartoon Network SMASH Tennis, a national touring program designed to introduce kids to tennis. The program features many of the Cartoon Network’s recognizable characters, as well as some of the most popular pro tennis players.