Professional sports in Arizona has some interesting, and in part troubling, aspects. The MLB team, Arizona Diamondbacks, continue to lead the Western Conference and are currently four games ahead of the Giants. While the Giants seem strong with their never ending line up of pitchers, their injuries, and lately mistakes, are really getting in their way. Looks like the Dbacks just might be Goliath this year. Well, that’s the good news. On the slightly more disturbing end, the quiet news of Grant Hill’s free agent status is really shaking some hearts. Yes, female Suns fans tend to adore him, but the same thing is true for male fans, though it manifests slightly differently.

Everyone knows the charmed, though also injury laden, history of Grant Hill. Still, it’s fun to bring it up every once in a while. He was a star back in his college days at Duke University and among the highlights from his collegiate career include that legendary in-bound pass during the 1992 regional finals game against Kentucky. As the story goes, Duke was down in overtime, 103-102, and with just 2.1 seconds remaining, Hill lobed in the pass, heaving it across 75 feet of basketball court mind you, right into the hands of Laettner. Laettner dribbled once and made a jump shot to win the game. Every basketball and Grant Hill fan is familiar with this story, and it’s easy to watch his pass over and over again on Utube. That’s just one of the great highlights from Hill. Meanwhile, his tenure with Phoenix is at an impasse. That might not be the best way to state it. The lingering free agent status is not due to conflicts with Phoenix, it’s on account of the major impasse between interested parties in the NBA, ie, the players and the owners. Let the Transglobe Smart Cars impart some advice while transporting negotiators to their meetings.

So, when will an agreement be reached? Will professional basketball be played this year? Where will Grant Hill finish his career? All signs continue to point toward staying with the Suns, though a sundry of teams have shown interest, and why wouldn’t they? Boston and New York are a couple of examples and the latest rumor mill puts Miami into the mix. Hill could definitely provide the much needed leadership and stability the Heat is greatly lacking, but he wouldn’t be in the starting line up and would probably not be appreciated fully. With the Heat’s axis of evil, James, Wade and Bosh receiving just about as much celebrity pamper as a city can muster, there seems like little room could be made for a new star. But that’s not the biggest argument against Hill signing with Miami, he thrives in Phoenix. Well, okay, he can thrive anywhere, but still. He is an inextricable part of the Suns and he and Nash make an incredible leadership team. No doubt any leading Canadian property management company would love to see their Golden Sun back home again, but he too is destined for the Arizona sunset. The Suns have a chance to go all the way, and Hill is a vital element in the picture. He can win a ring and he can do it here. Stay in Phoenix Grant Hill!

New York is abuzz regarding the announcement that Liza Minelli will be performing a one-time show on April 7th at Roy Thomson Hall. Twenty-six years ago the performing legend did a four-night run at the Hall during it’s opening season.

The daughter of actress-singer Judy Garland and director Vincent Minnelli, Liza’s first professional gig was at the age of three. she appeared in the musical “In the Good Old Summertime” in which her mother starred and her father directed. Her premiere television appearance was at the age of ten when 45 million tuned in to see her host the premiere broadcast of “The Wizard of Oz.”

At the age of 19, Liza was already starring on Broadway. Her performance in “Flora, the Red Menance” earned her a Tony for Best Actress in a musical. Various movie and Broadway roles followed. In 1972 the role of Sally Bowles in the film version of “Cabaret” earned her an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA (British Academy Award).

Liza’s illustrious career has included two additional Tonys, another Golden Globe, a Grammay Legend Award and an Emmy. She is one of the few artists in history to win the Grand Slam of Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy.

As a singer, Liza has sold millions of records across the globe and has earned three Gold albums and one Gold video. Her show “Liza with a Z” was the first concert to be filmed live for television and earned her the above-mentioned Emmy.

Having starred in several movies that prominently featured New York City, including the 1977 “New York, New York,” it’s no wonder the actress-singer has become inseparable from the Big Apple. Fans hoping to attend the concert will find a number of five star hotels in New York City to choose from.

In 2000, Liza was stricken with encephalitis. Despite a negative prognosis, she worked her way back and launched a major comeback in 2002. Her newest CD, “Liza’s At The Palace” debuted last month on Hybrid Recordings.

Lately, hardly a day goes by at Marketing Daily without a press release on some celebrity-designed product crossing our desks. Not just a celebrity endorsement, mind you–that good old-fashioned “We paid this movie star big bucks so we could slap her picture on the box and have her shoot three commercials”–these deals imply creative collaboration and actual celebrity input.

Lots of them make sense to us, and always have, pairing a celebrity’s area of expertise with a related product–Rachael Ray’s cookware, for example, or Tony Hawk’s skateboards.

But many just evoke a disconnect, and seem destined for the “70% off!” rack. Like pop star Avril Lavigne, who just signed up with Kohl’s for a new line of juniors clothing, and who told Newsweek: “I actually am the designer. I try everything on and approve it all.” (That’s funny–we thought designers did something with sketches, scissors and swatches and so forth.)   Read more