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Posted on Wed, Nov. 4, 2009


Tattle: Colbert comes to aid of U.S. speedskaters

By Howard Gensler
Philadelphia Daily News

Daily News Tattle Columnist

WHEN the U.S. speedskating team enters the arena for the Vancouver Olympics, will their blades bring glory to America or to Colbert Nation?

"Colbert Report" host Stephen Colbert announced Monday that his show had become the primary sponsor of U.S. Speedskating after the former sponsor, DSB Bank NV, declared bankruptcy in October. U.S. Speedskating governs the sport in the U.S. "Colbert Nation" will be emblazoned on the team's uniforms.

"On their enormous, billboard thighs, it will say, 'Colbert Nation,' " Colbert said. "Be looking for that logo as it comes around the final turn. It will be easy to see because it will be in first place."

"I personally love Comedy Central + The Colbert Report," short-track gold-medalist Apolo Anton Ohno said in an e-mail to the Associated Press. "Any attention the sport can get is going to be beneficial. I'd like to see how creative they can get! I'm game to do a skit about it :-)"

Instead of spending money from his own show's budget, Colbert is calling on fans to donate to the team at colbertnation.com or usspeedskating.org. Colbert has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars using this method for the Yellow Ribbon Fund, a charity that assists injured service members and their families.

U.S. Speedskating's executive director, Robert Crowley, who was on Monday's show along with skating great Dan Jansen, acknowledged that it was a "definitely unconventional arrangement" but said it would heighten exposure for the sport.

Book wars update

* As Amazon, Wal-Mart and Target

try to destroy the book business, their price wars are no longer just for pre-orders.

Amazon.com was offering hardcovers of John Grisham's "Ford County" and Barbara Kingsolver's "The Lacuna" for just $9 yesterday, their first day of release.

When Wal-Mart.com priced the

Grisham book at $12, Amazon raised its price to $11.98, which Wal-Mart.com then matched.

Wal-Mart.com initially charged $9 for those books, and other big name pre-order titles, and when Amazon.com matched them, Wal-Mart.com dropped its price to $8.98.

Authors, publishers and rival booksellers worry that cutting the price so low will harm competition and devalue books in the same way that giving away news for free has devalued newspapers.

Tattbits

* The Academy of Motion

Picture Arts and Sciences said yesterday that Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin would share hosting duties at the 82nd Academy Awards, March 7. Martin has hosted the show twice before. Baldwin's a rookie.

* Former Miss California

USA Carrie Prejean and pageant organizers have reached a secret settlement on dueling lawsuits. Prejean sued Miss California organizers in August for libel, slander and religious discrimination. She accused them of telling her to stop mentioning God even before her controversial remarks against gay marriage.

She was fired in June after pageant officials accused her of missing events, an allegation that she denied. The pageant countersued her last month.

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