Super Bowl ring to have company
George Wallace's annual family reunion just added a seventh Super Bowl ring to its collection.
Each year, the extended family gathering in Atlanta prominently features a display of Super Bowl rings won by family members who were on teams that played in the NFL's showcase game.
The latest addition will be courtesy of Wallace's nephew, New York Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer, who won a trip to Phoenix after the Giants beat Green Bay 23-20 in the NFC Championship Game Sunday.
Wallace's brother, Steve, earned three Super Bowl rings in the 1990s as an offensive lineman with the San Francisco 49ers. Cousin Bobby Hamilton has two from his days with the New England Patriots as a defensive end.
All three lasted 12 years in the NFL.
"And my momma's a don't-talk-back," cracked Wallace, the veteran stand-up comedian who headlines at the Flamingo.
Toomer, 33, has become a favorite target of Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Toomer has a ring from the 2001 Super Bowl, when the Giants lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-7.
The family reunion at Six Flags Over Georgia last summer numbered 665 people, said Wallace, who hosts a comedy night each year, bringing in such special guests as Chris Tucker, Gladys Knight, Jennifer Holliday and Jimmy Walker.
"Instead of just a big picnic in the park, we have a 'Career Day,'" he said, which puts a spotlight on "all the doctors, lawyers, preachers and professionals. We've just got a lot of good people in my family," including a 102-year-old aunt.
Wallace's Super Bowl plans were locked up late Sunday with a call from former roommate Jerry Seinfeld, who performs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace Feb. 1 and 2, the weekend of the Super Bowl.
"Jerry just called and said, 'Are we going?' We decided we're going to go to New York to watch it at his place. We do it every year. When I walk off the stage on Saturday night, the two of us are flying out on a private plane."
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Planet Hollywood Resort is about to climb into the boxing ring. The Telegraph in London is reporting that Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl is promoting an April light heavyweight fight at Thomas & Mack Center between champion Bernard Hopkins and Joe Calzaghe of Wales. A news conference is planned this week. ...
Steve Martorano, owner-chef of Café Martorano at the Rio and in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is back in town after a lengthy absence following triple bypass surgery in November. Also back at the eccentric Italian eatery: the original policy that allowed cocktails during dinner, menus in hand and tap water on request. ...
Anybody else heard this? I've received several queries from passers-by who swear they saw Chelsea Clinton standing with others at the scene of a traffic accident at Sahara and Rancho in mid-week last week. ...
Mirage headliner Danny Gans is officially in negotiations with MGM Mirage. He started his 10-year deal in April 2000. ...
Steve Schirripa of "The Sopranos" will be attending the Feb. 12 media night event for "The Sopranos Last Supper" at the Riviera, not joining the cast.
THE PUNCH LINE
"Here to sing the national anthem, global warming genius Al Gore." -- From David Letterman's Top Ten Things Overheard During the Giants-Packers Game
Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.
