USC reunion, Ali event, Shaq's b-day, Miss USA, more

                    

	It's been a busy week for Matt Leinart. He partied at a USC hotspot, watched the NCAA tournament and attended Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight Night, where he met Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. John Shearer/WireImage.com
	MAILBAG Submit a comment or question for Arash. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

There's nothing about Stingaree, an upscale lounge in the heart of San Diego's Gaslamp District, that should elicit memories of the 901 Club, a dingy hole in the wall bar next to USC's campus, but on this night it's hard not to have flashbacks.

There's LenDale White walking around with a towel around his neck, Frostee Rucker placing his Oakland A's hat on the head of any girl he wants to break the ice with, Matt Leinart turning down countless overtures and Reggie Bush wearing a color-coordinated black-and-white outfit sipping on his drink of choice, a bottled water, shaken not stirred.

"It took him forever to get ready," said White. "He said we were leaving an hour ago. I don't know what takes him so long."

The former teammates were in town last weekend for Bush, who was honored earlier in the night by the San Diego Hall of Champions as he kicked off his inaugural Camp 619 where he and many of his friends would teach kids a thing or two about football at Qualcomm Stadium the next day.

"It's just like the old days, throwing back a couple old memories and a couple cold ones," said Rucker. "We all went in different paths in the NFL but it's great that we can all come back together and do it big for Reggie. He's the reason we're all here."

• Before the party, Bush and the rest of his former USC teammates watched the USC-North Carolina NCAA Tournament game on a couple of big screens at the San Diego Hall of Champions. When USC jumped out to an early first-half lead, Leinart started making travel plans. Not to New Jersey for the Elite Eight, but to Atlanta. "If they get to the Final Four, I'm going," he said. "They're hot. They could win it. How awesome would that be?" While Leinart won't have to trek to Georgia this week, the consensus amongst the players was the Trojans would be a force next season with most of the players returning and the addition of high school phenom O.J Mayo. "My money's on them next season," said White. "I'm going to try and check them out."

• Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight Night XIII attracted some of the biggest stars in sports and entertainment on Saturday night to raise funds and awareness for Parkinson's research. The ritzy gala held at the Marriot Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix was attended by Leinart, Emmitt Smith, John Elway, Billy Crytsal, Donald Trump, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Sharon Stone, Josh Groban, Reba McEntire, Doug Flutie, Michael Buble, Ben Roethlisberger, Buzz Aldrin, Shuan White, Tony Hawk, Derrek Lee, Michael Irvin, Vince Young, Alice Cooper, Steve Nash, Michael Johnson and Diana Ross just to name a few. Some scenes from the festivities: Roethisberger attended the party with his girlfriend and actress Missy Peregrym, Stone, Ross and Trump greeted Ali as soon as he arrived on the red carpet and escorted him into the party, Nash talking hoops with Trump near the silent auction tables, Leinart picking Elway's brain about sophomore slumps, performances by Buble, Groban and Ross and Crystal doing a dead on impersonation of Ali for the "Champ."

• After James Denton, who plays Mike Delfino on Desperate Housewives, became part owner of the Fullerton Flyers, an independent minor-league team last week, Denton joked that he'd think of creative incentives for his players. "I think one of the first orders of business will be to offer walk-on roles on Desperate Housewives to any .300 hitter in the bigs that will suit up for me for at least one game," he said. Now Denton is finding creative incentives for loyal fans. The Flyers have announced that any fan that purchases full season, club level seats for the upcoming will automatically be invited to a private night in the Luxury Suite with Denton where they will "hang out with James, get pictures, talk baseball, and receive the true VIP treatment!"