Latest news with #BernieWilliams
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Derek Jeter Reveals Why He Had to 'Do Over' His 1996 'Seinfeld' Cameo: 'You Can't Say That' (Exclusive)
NEED TO KNOW Derek Jeter is revealing what happened behind the scenes of his 1996 Seinfeld cameo The former MLB star tells PEOPLE that he had to "do over" his season 8 cameo with Bernie Williams after mouthing the phrase "Jesus Christ" in reaction to George Costanza's baseball skills "They were like, 'No, no, no, no, no,'" he says of those working on the showDerek Jeter's initial reaction to George Costanza's swing wasn't necessarily a home run for network television at the time. The New York Yankees legend, 51, reveals to PEOPLE that his memorable 1996 cameo on season 8 of Seinfeld — as himself in "The Abstinence" — wasn't a one-and-done situation, as he actually had to have a "do over" when filming for his first official TV gig. As Jeter shares, he and fellow former Yankee Bernie Williams flew out to Los Angeles at the time to film the episode, which followed George (played by Jason Alexander) and Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) each practicing sexual abstinence. For George, that meant eventually hitting an open-air batting area supposedly at Yankee Stadium and showing a couple of players his newfound baseball skills (after an extended period without sexual activity appeared to impact his intelligence). In the scene, George — then an assistant to the traveling secretary for the baseball organization — drops some "simple physics" knowledge on Williams and Jeter before hitting a couple of homers. "It was me and Bernie and George Costanza, but we flew out to film it in L.A., and I remember they were telling us to react to George hitting the home run," Jeter recalls of the scene. "I mouth, 'Jesus Christ.' And they were like, 'No, no, no, no, no. We got to do it over. We got to do it over. We got to do it over. You can't say that, that's the thing.' I just felt like I made a big mistake," he adds. "I think that's what stood out for me." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Jeter and Williams weren't the only stars to make cameos in the episode either, as both David Letterman and Alex Trebek also made guest appearances in "The Abstinence," which premiered on NBC in November 1996. The eighth season also marked the first following the departure of Larry David. Filming the scene, Jeter says, gave him "much more respect" for actors and actresses. Now, as part of being named BetMGM's latest brand ambassador, fans can catch a glimpse of Jeter on TV screens with the company's newest "Legendary Plays" ad, in which the retired MLB star walks the field at Yankee Stadium and recalls "where it happened." While reflecting on his on-screen history, the former shortstop and sportscaster added that he once tried to secure a spot in a Spike Lee film back in 1996, but it didn't go according to plan. "I met Spike Lee in 1996 at a Yankee game, and I was excited," Jeter says. "Everyone knows Spike Lee, and he was on the field, and I said, 'Hey, Spike, when are you going to let me act in one of your movies?' And he said, 'Try acting like a shortstop tonight.' " "So he put me in my place. And ever since that, I took his advice to heart, and I realized where my focus should be, and that should be on the baseball career." Read the original article on People
New York Times
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How MLB All-Star Game artist Charles Fazzino made baseball history
Capturing a career that includes four World Series wins, five All-Star appearances, four Gold Gloves and an American League batting title on a batting helmet might be tricky for some artists. Not so much for Charles Fazzino, who created a piece that included all those moments and more for New York Yankees great Bernie Williams. It's 3D pop art, Fazzino's signature style. Advertisement Williams said the one-of-one Yankees batting helmet is 'one of the most cherished items' he owns. 'He captured so many milestones and moments of my career in New York — and the helmet even includes aspects of my music career,' Williams said. 'It is proudly displayed in my home and always a big conversation piece that stands out to anyone who visits.' It's an example of how Fazzino, who once watched baseball but wasn't a superfan, turned many baseball players into fans of his work. Fazzino has been the official artist for the MLB All-Star Game for more than 20 years. He's served a similar role for the Super Bowl, the Olympic Games and more. He's best known for pop art — his vibrant three-dimensional pieces that include turning items like baseballs into colorful artwork. Now, Fazzino is a regular part of baseball's midsummer spectacle, including tonight's game in Atlanta. His work is featured on the All-Star Game program, and he's commissioned to do work based in Atlanta. Becoming a big part of baseball wasn't on Fazzino's radar as a 1977 graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York. Art had always been a part of Fazzino's life; his father was a shoe designer in New York, and his mother was an artist. But Fazzino struggled as he shopped his pop-out book about a cat in New York that he wanted to get illustrated. Fazzino said it was around 1982 when he joined his mother at the Greenwich Village Outdoor Art Show at Washington Square Park. His mother showed her sculptures and suggested he attend to show his work. Fazzino brought some of his projects from school and pulled the pages out of his book and framed them. 'By the end of the first day of the show, I sold all of the pieces, all my book pieces that were three-dimensional,' Fazzino said. 'I immediately knew I was on to something new, something different and unique.' Advertisement That uniqueness resonated with art fans — baseball fans, in particular. Fazzino would create pieces based on New York neighborhoods. He began noticing an overlap between fans of his city scenes and collectors wanting sports-related work. 'I'd hear, 'I love your work, but (do) you do anything with the Yankees?'' Fazzino said. 'I kept hearing this over and over at shows: the Mets, the Yankees, blah, blah blah. So, I approached Major League Baseball because I knew with the 3-D aspect, it's so different from other artists like, you know, Peter Max, LeRoy Neiman. They were just painting regular, flat artwork.' Fazzino's first Yankees piece sold out in about six weeks. The Bronx-born Fazzino found baseball fans 'ravenous' for the work. This was in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Fazzino said, and that would alter his career path. He was already creating work to capture the essence of neighborhoods. That would now include stadiums. 'I knew I was on to something,' Fazzino said. 'I really felt that I was good at depicting the baseball experience. When people say they look at my artwork, they say that it almost feels like you can smell the hot dogs and beer in the games. I really try to capture that experience, and that's what I do with all my artwork.' Fazzino's work is not limited to sports. He created a piece for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in 2021. He was initially unsure of what approach to take. 'I was like 'That's a sad subject,'' Fazzino said. 'They said 'Maybe you can concentrate on the optimism of 20 years that we haven't had an attack again like this. Maybe you could find something positive about that. So I created a piece for the museum down there, and it hangs in the museum.' But baseball was still a part of the day as Williams and New York Mets star Pete Alonso was among those at the unveiling ceremony. Advertisement Fazzino's work evokes emotions that draw in fans. Beyond players, team and network executives who have seen his work find themselves becoming customers. 'He makes a story come to life,' Atlanta Braves co-president Mike Plant said. 'There have been a few copycats. They're just not close. They don't have that level of talent that Charles has. Obviously, he's been doing it for decades, and that is why he is the official artist of some of the MLB and NFL events and the Olympic Games. They don't pass those accolades out too easily.' Between All-Star games, Super Bowls and the Olympics, Fazzino has a lot of Atlanta pieces. Plant said no matter the event, Fazzino injects energy into his work. Plant owns about 20 pieces from Fazzino, not just art he created for the Braves. 'He did our opening piece in 2017 for us,' said Plant, referring to Atlanta's new stadium. 'The mixed-use development lifestyle center around the ballpark has really evolved. We built a number of other buildings, and he was able to capture a lot of that. He's got an incredible talent.' The work extends beyond New York. MLB used Fazzino's work to celebrate All-Star games and World Series champions and create memorabilia like baseballs, making Fazzino a part of baseball's biggest moments. Ed Goren, former chairman and president of Fox Sports said Fazzino is the visual voice of sports. Goren owns seven Fazzino pieces and noted how the colors bring scenes to life. 'It ties into what a sports audience wants to see,' Goren said. 'It's a unique approach to art and sports. The artwork, the stadiums, it comes alive. It really is pretty impressive.' Art has helped Fazzino become friends with celebrities and create for some of baseball's biggest names. He considers baseball legend Reggie Jackson a friend. Fazzino did work for Derek Jeter's retirement that he presented to Jeter on the field, and Hideki Matsui is also a fan. Fazzino said Pete Alonso's wife had him do a piece for the Mets' slugger before they got married — his career on a batting helmet. Advertisement Beyond baseball, Tom Brady's father has commissioned helmets for the seven-time Super Bowl champion as gifts. Lady Gaga's father commissioned three pieces to commemorate her halftime performance at Super Bowl LI. Gwen Stefani has also has had work done by Fazzino. 'I guess people see it at their friends' houses and they contact me,' Fazzino said. Fazzino's fame is no surprise to Williams, who's been a fan of Fazzino for nearly 25 years because of 'his magnificent cityscapes of host cities of jewel events in sports.' He was honored to be a part of he ceremony for the 9/11 museum, too. 'He has so brilliantly and cleverly captured the essence of so many great cities,' Williams said. 'And I can't help but be a little bit biased that, to me, his New York pieces are extra special.' Fazzino has partnered with Fanatics for more than five years, so his work is available to more than celebrities. Fanatics vice president Chris Amoroso has a history in collectibles spanning more than 30 years and has worked with Fazzino for a long time. He said what separates Fazzino's work is the detail put into the memorabilia. 'They don't want to just get an Aaron Judge signed baseball or an Aaron Judge signed baseball with an inscription,' Amoroso said. 'They want something that's really different. It's made by hand, one of one, and it stands alone. I think it brings a different audience, but also a different collector that is trying to get that they want to separate themselves.' Amoroso said Fazzino's team is good at doing all it can to give art fans a great experience. The team started with Fazzino's wife: she stayed up at night with him to cut and glue materials. Today, he has a team of 60 artists. When Fazzino receives a request, he does an initial drawing and sends the idea to the client for approval. The process to complete the work varies depending on if it's a flat painting or a three-dimensional piece. Items like Swarovski crystals are hand glued, and an Exacto knife is used to cut materials. No machines are used to make a piece. Advertisement The team allows Fazzino to travel for shows without stopping production. 'My studio is still clicking and working,' Fazzino said. 'After a commission, it's just finished at my studio.' Having a great team isn't just a sports thing. Teamwork makes the art work, too. (Photo of Bernie Williams and Charles Fazzino provided by Museum Editions, Ltd.)
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chicago Department of Aviation's Airport Expo and Job Fair taking place next week
CHICAGO — Job seekers and entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to advance their careers with Chicago's world-class airports at an event taking place next week. The Airport Expo and Job Fair is set to take place at the UIC Forum on Thursday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) Assistant Commissioner Bernie Williams joined WGN News on Saturday morning to discuss the event. Visit the Fly Chicago website for more information on the upcoming event. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Bernie Williams explains 'mixed emotions' for Yankees ditching no-facial hair policy
Bernie Williams, the four-time World Series champion with the New York Yankees, will be down in Tampa, Florida, soon for this year's spring training to see how his old team is shaping up for another season. While he is down there, though, there might be a pretty stark difference in terms of the appearance of those players due to the scraping of a tradition he was used to during his playing days. Yankees general managing partner Hal Steinbrenner made the shocking announcement that the no-facial hair policy, which his father, the late George M. Steinbrenner, put in place in 1976, would be no more. As such, Yankees players, coaches and staff members are allowed to have "well-groomed beards." Newcomers like closer Devin Williams, who has already shaved off his signature beard from his days with the Milwaukee Brewers, are among those who could start letting their facial hair grow out again. For Williams, it will certainly take some getting used to for the Yankees being allowed to do this, which is why he told Fox News Digital that he had "mixed emotions" about this change – one that ends 50 years of a Yankees staple. "I have some mixed emotions because, as a young player, it is kinda hard to keep that clean-cut, shaven [look] day after day," Williams said, laughing, as he also discussed his important Tune In To Lung Health initiative. "As a rebel kid playing professional sports, you get all these accolades and you feel like you're on top of the world and you can do whatever you want. "But I think that particular rule, first of all, it kept us together as a team – something everybody had to do. It didn't matter how much money you were making on the team, from the rookie guy, to the highest-paid player everybody had to have that facial hair out of the way. That was one thing that was a common thing for bonding. "The other side of the coin, it was kind of annoying to get it through day in and day out." For Williams, the rule was something that made the Yankees stand out other than the signature pinstripes. "We needed to have this policy, and people loved it," he explained. "'These guys are so clean cut, and they look so nice. I'd like to be associated with that team because they have this policy, and they want to represent themselves the best way possible.'" However, the love for the policy has clearly changed since he was last in the game in 2006, and he understands how changing times leads to changed mindsets. "I get the fact that people are pushing back, we live in a different time, and I guess it's kinda trendy to have a nice, well-groomed beard or facial hair," he said. However, where Williams draws the line is where Yankees captain Aaron Judge virtually did when discussing the facial hair rule, potentially giving a free agent second thoughts on joining the organization – which has the most professional sports titles of all-time. "I think, in my mind and I don't know how other people take it, facial hair is just a trivial thing," Williams said, smiling. "If you're gonna not want to play for one of the best franchises in sports because you have an issue with facial hair – I mean, some people can't even grow a beard properly. So, I think it's kind of a trivial point, and you have worse issues if you think, 'I'm not going to play for the Yankees because I'm not going to cut my hair.' That would be some other problems you have to deal with." The Yankees are also making some changes to the music played in the Bronx after home losses, showing that the organization is looking to modernize itself a bit. However, Williams knows the tradition and nostalgia that is the Yankees will remain. So, perhaps introducing another jersey, something fans have debated about for years, won't be in the cards just yet. Then again… "I think if you do it tastefully, you kinda not try to beat people upside the head with a tremendous, sudden change. You do it progressively with good taste, I don't see anything wrong with that," Williams said. Williams will have to get a look at the beards first. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
