The Beat
■ Hyped as "the mother (and daughter) of all reality shows," Gastineau Girls was to make its premiere on Tuesday night on E! The series follows Brittny and Lisa Gastineau (below)--the 22-year-old daughter and the ex-wife of former Jets defensive lineman Mark Gastineau--as they party-hop, shop and look for love. According to Lisa, who won't reveal her age, "it's all about dogs, hair, clothes and, of course, men." As for the man they have in common, Gastineau now lives in Phoenix.
■ In addition to being grilled by reporters last week about Jason Giambi, Yankees manager Joe Torre subjected himself to questions from fans for more than 90 minutes at a forum sponsored by the Learning Annex. About 800 people paid $29.99 for the chance to ask Torre whatever they wanted on Feb. 8, with the money going to Torre's Safe at Home Foundation, which benefits victims of domestic abuse. The questions ranged from where Torre buys his sunglasses to his team's collapse in the ALCS last season. The biggest ovation came when Torre hinted he would be starting Tino Martinez instead of Giambi at first base this season.
■ Now it can be told: Paul McCartney, that venerable vegan, insisted that all publicity shots for his Super Bowl halftime show be pigskin-free. He held a foam ball instead of a real one.... Ryan Leaf, the once promising quarterback who washed out of the NFL in 2002, knew what it was like to have his shortcomings chronicled by the media. So it's not surprising that last year he told a reporter who called him, "Man, you fools are stupid." What is surprising is that Leaf, 28, has enrolled at his alma mater, Washington State--in a media relations class. The course is taught by WSU sports information director Rod Commons and focuses on how to get positive exposure from an interview.
■ If we learned one thing from Dude, Where's My Car?, it's that Ashton Kutcher has an interest in automobiles. And so the 27-year-old actor will serve as the honorary starter for Sunday's Daytona 500. Matthew McConaughey will be the grand marshal, and before the race, Brian Wilson, Vanessa Williams and Clint Black will perform.... Warner Bros. has optioned the rights to Julian Rubinstein's best seller, Ballad of the Whiskey Robber, and reportedly plans to have Johnny Depp play Attila Ambrus, the Hungarian goalie who robbed nearly 30 banks between 1993 and '99. Depp won't need the reflexes of Patrick Roy to master the role; Ambrus wasn't much of a netminder, allowing 88 goals in one six-game stretch.... Saying it seemed "sexy and cute without being sleazy," Shaune Bagwell, the ex-wife of Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell, sold ad space on her cleavage for $15,099 last week. GoldenPalace.com was the high bidder in an eBay auction and now has its logo tattooed in semipermanent ink on the chest of the 31-year-old aspiring model and actress for 30 days. Bagwell, who was married to her ballplayer-hubby from 1993 to '96, has agreed to wear only strapless dresses and bikinis for a month to show off the artwork.
THIS WEEK'S SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE
A Welsh rugby fan celebrated a win over England by cutting off his testicles.
They Said It SIDNEY BUNCH
Former Negro leagues star, on baseball's steroid controversy (page 39): "Our steroids were white beans, corn bread and pig's feet."
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CHRISTOF STACHE/AP (PICTURE THIS)
PICTURE THIS
Ask any handball coach--the keys to good defensive play are quick footwork, tenacity and the ability to yank your opponent's shirt over his face. Croatia's Petar Metlicic demonstrated the technique on Spain's Rubàn Garabaya during the final of the World Handball Championships in Rades, Tunisia. Even so, the Spaniards headed off the Olympic champs 40--34, giving the country its first world title.
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COURTESY OF SETH ALEXANDER/NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY (BUNCH)
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GETTY IMAGES FOR CHOPARD (GASTINEAUS)