LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Duke Snider is dead at 84. Duke Snider died Sunday, his death confirmed by the Los Angeles Dodgers today. Snider had suffered from a prolonged illness, confirms the Dodgers. Snider was living at the Valle Vista Convalescent Hospital in Escondido.

Tommy Lasorda who played with Snider in Brooklyn told news that Snider will be remembered as both a great player and beloved person. Lasorda said Snider was the true sentiment of a great Dodger both on and off the field.

Snider was a graduate of local Compton High School. Joining the team at age 17, Snider stayed with the Dodgers before heading to the Mets and Giants.

The Dodgers issued the following statement to news today. “When he had a chance to run and move defensively, he had the grace and the abilities of [fellow Hall of Famers Joe] DiMaggio and [Willie] Mays, and of course, he was a World Series hero that will forever be remembered in the borough of Brooklyn” said the team. “Although it’s ironic to say it, we have lost a giant.”

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

• Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – When Chris Brown dyed his hair blonde and gave Twitter fans a picture of his new blonde hairdo this weekend, Brown became the third celebrity in two weeks to use their abrupt hair change, whether consciously or accidentally, as a marketing tool for a new project. Chris Brown’s hair hasn’t change since his notable encounter with Rihanna two years ago. But with Brown set to drop his most anticipated album in three years, did Brown make the blonde hair change as a marketing tool to push pre-album publicity?

Decades ago, Madonna perfected the marketing machine of “reinvention “ in which she would, sometimes dramatically, change her look month to month. Most of the times, Madonna’s changes were not just random but designed to push a new music video or release of a single.

Madonna and other celebrities that embraced the changing-look marketing mechanisms of the 1980s, however, didn’t have social networking sites at their disposition. So when you saw the change, it seemed more orchestrated. We understood what the celebrities were up to. For example, when Madonna did one of her boldest hair changes for the music video “Rain”, fans didn’t really learn of the transformation until the video appeared on MTV and similar broadcasters. Fans knew what she was doing and it worked well. The buzz was overwhelming and the music video did great business.

Now with the advent of social networking sites, celebrities are now able to take the model perfected by Madonna and blur its deployment, making us think that they just happen to change their appearance as their movie hits theaters, or their album hits the web. Justin Bieber’s hair change was first revealed on Twitter. And while it may have seen as simply a totally random tweet like any other, the buzz certainly struck the same week as his movie hit theaters.

So is Brown’s change totally random, or consciously orchestrated to focus publicity back onto him in advance of his upcoming album? We may never know. But as Madonna proved in 1993, transformations don’t just work; they also excite fans greatly. The music video for Rain was so well received that it became one of the most talked about music videos of the year. It won two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography that year and went on to be named to Slant Magazine’s “100 Greatest Music Videos”.

• Comments (2)

CORAL GABLES (LALATE) – Michele Alliot-Marie has resigned after being embroiled in a Tunisian controversy. Michele Alliot-Marie, France’s foreign minister, confirmed the resignation by issuing a news statement to President Nicolas Sarkozy Saturday.

Michele Alliot-Marie had only begun her position three months ago. But after she and husband had been spotted in the private jet of Aziz Miled, controversy grew. The French President had previously told news that “it wasn’t the best idea (for Alliot-Marie) to go to Tunisia”. French news grew more angered after Alliot-Marie’s parents bought a property company form Miled.

Insiders believe she will be replaced by Defense Minister Alain Juppe, the former foreign minister and prime minister. He was convicted of misuse of public moneys in 2004.

“While I do not feel that I have committed any wrongdoing, I have… decided to leave my job as foreign minister,” Alliot-Marie wrote. “I ask you to accept my resignation… Since several weeks, I have been the target of political attacks and then in the media, using, to create suspicion, counter-truths and generalisations,” added Alliot-Marie.

“For the last two weeks, it is my family’s private life that has been suffering real harassment at the hands of certain media (and) I cannot accept that some people use this cabal to try to make people believe in a weakening of France’s international policy.”

• Comments (0)

ST LOUIS (LALATE) – Julio Jones’ 40 time at the Combine has shocked insiders, a reported4.39 (unofficial). Julio Jones’ Combine 40 time was so good that news Sunday quickly upgraded Jones’ Combine stock immediately. He was faster than Georgia wide receiver AJ Green who delivered a 4.48 (unofficial).

Draft expert Mike Mayock had predicted Jones to deliver a much slower 4.52. Despite that prediction, Jones stands at 6 feet tall and 220 pounds.

Todd McShay and Adam Schefter were so impressed they called the number “ridiculous”, writing Sunday “Julio Jones is out of control. Ran a 4.39 in 40 (on two scouts’ watches) and just jumped a ridiculous 11′3″ broad jump.” HogsHaven.com reports on scout at the Combine saying Jones, “I don’t see a ceiling on this guy.” Schefter also reported news that Under Armour has signed a multi-year deal Jones before the Combine.

At quarterback, Cam Newton delivered a 4.58 compared to Blaine Gabbert’s 4.61.

• Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Charlie Sheen’s GMA interview Monday will reportedly show him “very buff”. Charlie Sheen’s GMA interview includes Sheen bragging to ABC about his great body. Deadline reports that Sheen’s Good Morning America and 20/20 interview was taped in Sheen’s private gym, with his personal trainer alongside, depicting Sheen as “very buff” and featuring Sheen bragging about his “physical shape”.

Deadline indicates that it has not seen the footage, so the assumption is that GMA is the one claiming that Sheen looks “very buff”.

Sheen’s physical condition has been both an issue of contention by the actor and series producer Chuck Lorre. “I exercise regularly” claimed Chuck Lorre in his Vanity Card number 329 aired February 14, 2011. The card is in direct reference to Sheen, adding the final line “if Charlie Sheen outlives me, I’m gonna be really pissed.”

Sheen has previously evoked pre UFC 127 challenges to Chuck Lorre telling him to fight in his octagon. “If he wins, then he can leave MY show!”

It remains unclear when the GMA interview was taped. But since Friday, Sheen has made a series of statement that have allegedly been dispelled as complete fiction, including among them that HBO and Sheen are in final negotiations for a 10 episode series, and that Sheen would be paid an unprecedented $5 million per episode. HBO has called those Sheen-sertions as false.

• Comments (0)