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SPORTS BITS: Webber in Detroit; Willis stays in Fla.; Ali snacks; O.J. and ‘Superhead.'
*NBA star Chris Webber returns to his hometown of Detroit after committing to sign with the Pistons following his dismissal from the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. "Joining the Pistons will allow me the opportunity to play the game I love in my hometown of Detroit surrounded by my family," Webber said Monday. Philly ended up buying out the final 1 1/2 years of his contract, which called for him to make nearly $21 million this season and $22 million next season. According to a source involved in the negotiations, Webber will sign a prorated contract for the veterans' minimum to play with Detroit the rest of this season. The source added that Webber was able to get out of his 76ers contract by agreeing to give $2 million to the Sixers this season and $2 million next season.
*Florida Marlins pitcher Dontrelle Willis will remain with the team after signing a one-year contract Monday worth $6.45 million, according to mlb.com. The 25-year-old’s deal is an increase of $2.1 million over his 2006 salary, thereby avoiding salary arbitration with the National League club. The 2003 NL Rookie of the Year was married in December and reportedly anxious to stay in the Florida area for at least one more season.
*Muhammad Ali is lending his famous nickname, “Greatest Of All Time” (G.O.A.T.), to a new snack food aimed at the college crowd of 18-to-24-year olds. Produced in conjunction with Mars, Inc. through a company called "G.O.A.T.," the product was introduced at five college campuses on Wednesday, coinciding with Ali's 65th birthday. The snacks, which include fruit crumbles, crunchy mixes and flavored crisps, are given boxing-related names such as Rumble, Shuffle and Jabs; and are shaped like boxing gloves, medicine balls, ropes, speed bags and body shields. The flavors include "Fruit Fight," "Thrill-A-Dill-A" and "Slammin' Salsa." The snacks will first go on sale at Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, the University of Pennsylvania, Ohio State and Yale. Twenty more colleges could be added by the beginning of February, with new flavors rolling out every few months
*A new book from the founder of the Fubu fashion line reveals how O.J. Simpson once crashed a video shoot that his company was doing. “Karrine Steffans was on the set dancing up a storm, and Ludacris had a chain with handcuffs on them, and O.J. started really getting into it, rubbing up against Karrine, putting the handcuff necklace on, really mugging it up for our cameras,” Fubu founder and CEO Daymond John told the New York Daily News. “He started talking about how he knew handcuffs really well." But John scrapped the footage, realizing it wouldn't look good to be promoting products with a suspected double murderer in the picture.” John said he had to nix a photo shoot for a fragrance from Fubu called Plush after participant R. Kelly was brought up on child porn charges.
