Chris Webber Brings "Bada Bling" to Vegas

There’s no party like a Vegas party and it’s even better when NBA and music stars are in the house. That’s why Philly 76ers Chris Webber is throwing his own get-together in Sin City called "Chris Webber’s Bada Bling Celebrity Weekend" from July 28-30. The three-day party kicks off on Friday night at a yet-to-be-announced Vegas night club, then a dinner followed by a live auction and concert hosted by Mark Curry and headlined by Raphael Saadiq at the Caesar’s Palace Ballroom. The weekend ends on Sunday night with a Celebrity Poker Tournament at Caesar’s Palace. Celebs already confirmed to attend include Nas, Kelis, Gary Payton, Charles Barkley, Nia Long, Jason Terry,Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Letoya Luckett, Elise Neal, Regina King and a host of others. All the proceeds from the weekend go towards the Chris Webber Foundation which helps out those poor kids in Michigan. For more information and possibly tickets to an event, check it out here

Bettis Gets in the Restaurant Biz

The Bus sure is enjoying his retirement. No training camps, no two-a-days, or all-day workouts, the only thing Jerome Bettis is worrying about nowadays is deciding what items to put on his restaurants menu.

Last week, the retired Pittsburgh Steelers running back partnered with Florida-based Celebrity Ventures Inc. to open Jerome Bettis Grille 36, which will be a 8,500-square foot restaurant opening in Pittsburgh within the next year.

"I wanted to be a part of the community and want to have something that is a piece of me in that sense," Bettis told the Associated Press. "I can leave memorabilia in there and be part of the experience that is the Steeler experience."

Bettis and his management said they’re still deciding on the menu but it will be moderately priced and range from steaks and burgers to local and Jerome’s favorites. So don’t be surprised if you see the Bus turn into a semi-truck.

Melo’s Racing Woes

Earlier this year, there was a lot of hype surrounding Carmelo Anthony's involvement in the IRL with his signature car aptly named “Car Melo.” But now there’s speculation that Melo’s racing team is being dissolved. According to reports on ESPN.com, the team is being disbanded because there’s no funding behind it. Car Melo’s driver PJ Chesson crashed the car during the second lap in the Indianapolis 500 and it hasn’t been on the track since.

Melo, however, told the Rocky Mountain News that the racing team isn’t being dissolved and the car is being repaired. Apparently the deal between Melo and the racing team doesn’t require him to fund the team, but just lend his name, likeness and to help promote the team. The funding comes through sponsorships. We’ll see what happens there.

Other than that, the $80 million man spent the last week teaching kids how to ball at his Camp Melo. Melo coached over 600 kids at the camp, which doubled from last year’s attendance. "I know that I never had the opportunity to come and go to summer camp," Anthony told the Denver Post. "I am in a situation where I have an opportunity to help the kids. Kids want to be a part of something positive, so I try to just give them an avenue to come in and be a part of this. I've been doing too much good stuff to let a situation like this overshadow everything." Aww… it just brings a tear to your eye!

James Blake Hits the “J-Block”

Tennis player James Blake is starting to get a pretty big following. Last week Blake threw a block party in New Haven, Connecticut (Fairfield is his hometown) for his fans affectionately called the “J-Block”. Although Blake didn’t expect it, hundreds of fans came out to show some love to Blake with a lot of them sporting some J-Block gear.

"It's a little strange having people come out and seeing all of the J-Block stuff and having my picture on the car," Blake told the Connecticut Post. "This is thrilling. It's something that I'll remember, but I'm not quite as much of a showman when I'm on stage as to when I am on the tennis court with a racquet in my hand."

The official Nike J-Block gear will be available starting next week at Nike.com. All the proceeds from the sale of the apparel will go to the United States Tennis and Education Foundation which supports tennis and education programs in US Open Series markets. It’s good to see a brother come up... Jaaaaay-Block!!!!!

A-Rod Gets the Wheaties Treatment

Right before the MLB All-Star game last week, General Mills announced its special edition Wheaties Box featuring Yankee favorite, Alex Rodriguez. The special edition box is now available.

"It's an honor for me to join the great Yankees legends who have appeared on the Wheaties box through the years," Rodriguez said in a statement. "Every athlete dreams about one day seeing themselves on the cover of the 'Breakfast of Champions' package."

You might want to cop one. Some collectors are paying up to $400 for classic Wheaties boxes featuring Walter Payton, Lou Gehrig, Muhammed Ali and Marcus Allen. Of course, most of those boxes were signed by the athlete as well. But who knows, you may run across A-Rod in a Manhattan night club.