Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 12-24-19

Sports
Welcome To The NFL: Seahawks Rack Up $17,500 Bill At Annual Rookie Dinner
RAVENS’ DINNER BILL
Adam Sandler, 'Uncut Gems' Directors Reveal Kevin Garnett Is An 'Incredible' Actor
Kevin Garnett, Lakeith Stanfield and Adam Sandler in a scene from "Uncut Gems."
Kevin Garnett’s Hall of Fame-level intensity is still so much a part of him, even though he’s in the middle of telling a story from his playing days and not staring down a de- fender on an NBA court.
He’s recounting a practice he had with former Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers in which the now-Los Angeles Clippers bench boss turned Garnett into a decoy who was asked to act like he was going to get the ball out of a timeout. Garnett wasn’t doing it exactly the way his persnickety coach wanted it and the practice of that play seemed endless.
Garnett imitates Rivers screaming at him, banging a table at which sits his Uncut Gems co-star Adam Sandler, the film’s co-directors Benny and Josh Safdie, and a mix of local and national reporters who have come to interview them at a midtown Manhattan hotel.
And, as always, he owns the room.
“I WANT YOU TO CLAP MORE THAN THAT!” he shouts, not quite nailing Rivers’ hoarse baritone, not that it matters.
It’s both that story and the way Garnett tells it that ex- plains why he shines in the film, the gritty, realistic-but-fic- tional tale of jeweler Howard Ratner (Sandler), who spends the movie in way over his head because of his sports betting habit. The ex-NBA star plays himself in 2012, when he discovers a fictional uncut opal from Ethiopia provided to him by Ratner is actually the good- luck charm giving him the power to beat the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs. But Rat- ner needs it back to pay off his debts, which causes some fric- tion between the two.
Benny Safdie actually worked with Rivers to get a voiceover for the film for a fic- tional locker room scene. He said he asked the now-Clippers bench boss if he knew Garnett was a talented actor.
“Of course I did,” Safdie re- members hearing. “I had a play designed that rested on his act- ing abilities. Coming out of the huddle he was supposed to act really cocky.”
BEAUTY UNLIMITED
NAELA
In order to be our Spotlight feature, you must be really unique, and have that certain something that makes other women wish they had. That’s what Naela has, and she describes herself as a young woman who believes in herself. and also knows how to remain humble and let others feel comfortable around her. Congratulations to Naela as this week’s Spotlight feature.
It’s a right of passage. A time-honored tradition in professional sports. Going out as a team for dinner and mak- ing the rookies pay.
For this year’s Seattle Sea- hawks DB’s annual Rookie Dinner, the rookies had a hefty bill at the end of the night.
The Seahawks defensive backs rang up a $17,500 bill at a steakhouse in Bellevue.
On Monday night (De- cember 16) the Seahawks de- fensive backs went to Daniel's
Broiler and had a meal for the ages.
According to veteran play- ers, it was the most expensive dinner in a while. There was $11,000 worth of Louis XIII cognac alone.
High end Japanese steak, lobsters, calamari and all the sides.
The total bill came up to $17,579.10. It doesn’t appear that the tip was automatically included. Even if you just do 20% on the subtotal (pre-tax), that’s another $3,196 dollars.
He May Be Injured, But
Santa Cam Is Still Giving
Gifts To Charlotte Schools
It might be Cam New- ton’s time to be named the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year.
This has been a season of struggle for the Carolina Panthers quarterback — he spent the offseason rehab- bing from shoulder surgery and the preseason being brought along slowly, only to suffer what turned out to be a season-ending injury in the third preseason game — but he’s still doing whatever he can to try to help where he can around Charlotte.
On Tuesday, CBS Sports reporter Jonathan Jones posted photos of Newton on his annual “Santa Cam’s Sur- prise Sleigh” trip to schools around the city.
At the first stop, Berry Academy of Technology, which is a magnet high school, Newton donated $15,000 to the athletics pro- gram.
At Westerly Hills Acad- emy, a pre-K through grade 8 school, he gave every staff member, down to the janito- rial staff and bus drivers, a $100 Visa gift card.
And at UrbanPromise, which offers after-school programs and summer camps, Newton donated $25,000 to the school and students received backpacks and beanies.
Just before Thanksgiving,
Cam Newton played Santa for Charlotte schools on Tuesday.
he held his annual “Thanks- giving Jam.” At the event, Newton doesn’t just serve dinner for well over 1,300 children and families in need, everyone also gets a meal to take home to enjoy on Thanksgiving Day. Over the last couple of years, Newton has pushed the number of people served at the event from 800 to 1,300.
Newton’s foundation, playing off his jersey No. 1, has three pillars: Every 1 Plays, Every 1 Gives, and Every 1 Learns; all fall under his belief that Every 1 Mat- ters.
Last week, the Panthers announced that Newton is the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. Three finalists will be named during the playoffs, with the winner named during NFL Honors the night before Super Bowl LIV.
PAGE 14 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2019