Sports Beat
After two seasons with the Miami Heat's dance team, Trista Rehn
is abandoning the court in favor of courtship on network TV. The
29-year-old pediatric physical therapist will star in ABC's The
Bachelorette, a six-episode series expected to begin in January.
She'll meet 25 single men--and go on dates with several of
them--with the goal of finding true love. "Where else does a
girl get the chance to meet 25 guys who've been background
checked and medically cleared?" says Rhen. "I think I've got
pretty good odds." Even if you're not a Heat fan, you might
remember Rhen: She was the runner-up suitor on The Bachelor, the
progenitor of her show that aired earlier this year. "It's not
like a dancing audition," she says. "On The Bachelor, I was just
being myself. In an audition you're trying to prove something."
--Andre Agassi's wisecracks are nearly as sharp as his ground
strokes. The tennis champ was participating in a charity event
at the Los Angeles Tennis Center last week, leading Dennis
Miller, Kelsey Grammer and former NYPD Blue star James McDaniel
in a battle against the Gustavo Kuerten-led team of Matthew
Perry, Michael Bolton and television psychologist Phil McGraw.
Before serving to Perry, Agassi cracked, "I bet I serve harder
than your girlfriend," a reference to Jennifer Capriati, whom
the Friends star has been spotted with at the French Open and
elsewhere over the past several months. A sheepish Perry--who
says he and Capriati are just pals--didn't even try to return
the volley.
--Shaquille O'Neal has played his share of superheroes--Steel,
Kazaam and center for a three-time NBA champion; now the Laker
is playing the heavy for a good cause. In a new CD-ROM game
designed to educate children about asthma, Shaq provides the
voice for a vaporous villain by the name of the Fuminator, who
engages players in asthma-themed trivia games. Quest for the
Code was created by the Starbright Foundation and is available
at no charge to children ages seven to 15 with asthma
(www.starbright.org). Glenn Close, Minnie Driver, Whoopi
Goldberg, Gwyneth Paltrow and Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf also did
voice-overs for asthma "villains" such as mold or smoke.
--Former heavyweight champ Joe Frazier is bouncing back swiftly
from June surgery to repair a herniated disk. "That thing
whupped my ass harder than anyone I fought," said the
58-year-old, who, looking strong but less bulky than in his
fighting days, recently showed off his surgical scar at a
75th-birthday party for legendary publicist Joe Goldstein at
Patsy's restaurant in Manhattan.
--Now even ice princesses can turn pro. The NHL's Dallas Stars
are looking for a 10-woman crew to clean up ice shavings around
the goals and player benches during timeouts and to assist in
on-ice promos. Tryouts for the Dallas Stars Ice Girls begin Aug.
10--if you're 18 or older you're eligible--and the team's
website offers advice: "We suggest a 2 piece outfit. Dance pants
or shorts. Half-top to compliment.... Skates may be rented for
$1 at the audition.... Please arrive hair and make-up ready."
THIS WEEK'S SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE
A youth soccer team in Australia has issued a public apology
after several players and the coach repeatedly kicked balls at a
homeless man who was unconscious on the field.
COLOR PHOTO: BYRON J. COHEN/ABC (REHN) Rehn on "The Bachelor"
COLOR PHOTO: BILL GREENBLATT/UPI (OZZIE SMITH) PICTURE THIS We'd like to tell you that Ozzie Smith is doing a one-man show called An Evening with Diana Ross, but we honestly can't. The Wizard of Oz made fun of his own big-hair days during his Hall of Fame induction speech on Sunday while comparing his 19-year career to Dorothy's adventures over the rainbow.
COLOR PHOTO: BILL WIPPERT (CARLTON THE BEAR)
THEY SAID IT
DMITRY YUSHKEVICH
NHL defenseman, after the Maple Leafs traded him to the
Panthers: "The most honest person in [Toronto's] organization is
Carlton the Bear. He never says anything."
