Former Sacramento Kings basketball star Chris Webber is out of the restaurant business at least for the time being. The Sacramento Bee reports on the closure of Center Court With C-Webb, the sports restaurant he opened in the area three years ago. The restaurant closed today but a phone message on the restaurant's line says that there may be a new location in the future. No one is sure why the restaurant suddenly closed and whether or not the economy played a factor. Last month, Sacramento police arrested a man in connection with a fatal gang-related shooting outside the restaurant. The restaurant served sandwiches, steak and a variety of burgers including the "Fab 5," a burger with 44 ounces of choice Angus beef which sold for $29.50.

A few weeks ago, Bleacher Report ran an interesting piece asking if anyone remembered Kevan Barlow. The running back was a college phenom who went into the NFL draft in 2001. He played seven whole NFL seasons including playing for the San Francisco 49ers but hasn't played since 2007. In the Bleacher Report article, the writer speculated that Barlow, who is only 30, might be "laying back in his house." If so, it wouldn't be this one. Sports Star Relocation has a listing for Barlow's one bedroom condo in San Jose, California. The condo in Santana Row was updated with $70,000 in upgrades which include a mahogany/glass divider, remote control window coverings and a stone slate full-size shower with a bench. This condo is listed at $430,000 an ambitious price for a condo anywhere right about now.

Sports stars has a habit of retiring to Florida where the weather is warm and the living is easy. Luxury Real Estate recently announced the listing for a Jupiter, Florida home belonging to Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The five-bedroom home is located in the Admirals Cove Golf and Yacht Club in Jupiter. Schmidt bought the home in 1991, two years after playing his last major league game. The 8,500 square foot home has been renovated with new kitchen appliances, a butler's pantry and wet bar, master suite with his and hers baths, exercise room, media room and study. The home has a pool and a full guest house with a bath. It has 120 feet of water frontage with a dock suitable for a large yacht. A golf membership must be sold with the home.

Rob Thomson, of Waterfront Properties says that Schmidt and his family love the Admiral Cove community and are looking for a more suitable home within the community now that their children have grown up. This home is listed at $4.5 million.

One of the advantages that Park City, Utah has over other Western ski destinations is its convenience -- it lies 35 major highway minutes east of Salt Lake City's airport. So if your desire to ski exceeds the time you have available to devote to the slopes, you don't have to lose an entire day to transportation: wake up at dark-thirty almost anywhere in the United States and catch a flight into Salt Lake and board your chair lift by the afternoon.

To sweeten the deal, you don't even have to buy a lift ticket on your first day. The Quick START Vacation program allows you to convert your boarding pass into a lift ticket at Deer Valley Resort, The Canyons Resort, or Park City Mountain Resort. You need to register in advance online for a voucher, which you present along with your boarding pass, a non-Utah driver's license or other official state identification at the ticket window.

Make sure you read all the rules and regulations on the website, since there's no flexibility in these requirements. Like, if you're a person who shuns printing boarding passes at home and relies on your PDA for check-in, you're going to need to change your ways to get this deal. And if the airline wants to keep your boarding pass, you're going to need to put up a fight.

As you'd expect there are also black out dates: you're not going to get this deal over Christmas week (December 25th, 2009 to January 2nd, 2010) or from Valentine's Day weekend through March 27th, 2010.

There are more Park City deals and promotions to be had, and I'm particularly keen on is a package offered by The Sky Lodge which is throwing in a complimentary breakfast and a 50 minute spa treatment with each night's stay November 26th to April 13th, 2010. The spa treatment deal is especially nice since the Sky Lodge's Amara spa offers all of its massage and body treatment clients a soak in traditional wooden Japanese tubs called Ofuro baths. Per Japanese tradition, you shower before entering the tub, which is filled with piping hot water I'll admit that the soak made me a little nauseous when I visited this past summer (when it was nearing an unusually sultry 85 degrees outside) but it would definitely be just the thing after a day on the slopes. Once again, there are blackout dates during peak periods, so from December 26, 2009 - January 2, 2010, January 21 – 31, 2010 and February 10 – 15, 2010, you'll be paying for your own spa treatment and breakfast.

Ski season has begun and winter sports enthusiasts are dreaming of soft powder and bracing trips down the slopes. A new website, SkiResorts.com has launched and promises to be the new resource for planning every detail of your trip. The site has the inside scoop on 50 mountains in North America.

On the site you can map out your entire ski itinerary online, choosing a destination, a place to stay, lift tickets, après ski massages and dinner reservations. The site also includes editorial from experts on subjects like winter style must-haves, tips for getting in shape, top ski schools and more. The site's travel booking capabilities are available through both an online engine as well as live agents and the Deal of the Day feature connects you with discounts on gear and accessories. One stop shopping for winter adventure makes planning your much-needed vacation just a little easier.

There are few sports figures paid as highly as Formula One drivers...world champions especially. With the 2009 season already wrapped up, teams are preparing for their assault on next year's championship, with an unprecedented game of musical chairs taking place in the off-season.

Among the changes, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso is moving, at long last, from Renault to Ferrari. Trouble is, the Italian team already has two world-class drivers on contract. So to make room, Ferrari is willing to pay its 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen not to race.

According to reports, Raikkonen will be paid a whopping 17 million euros next year just to vacate his seat. He's free to move to another team, but if he does, Ferrari will only owe him 10 million euros. For his part, Kimi says he'll only consider McLaren, and knowing full well of the conditions of his contract, the British team (for whom he drove previously) is offering him only 5 million – a fair bit less than he'd be worth on the open market. The bottom line is that Raikkonen stands to make more money if he sits out next season than if he races.

When I first opened the Zai web site I was greeted by a poem written by Leo Tour "In the beginning was the mountain". I was sure that I was going to learn about a new bottled water from the purist of mountain springs or possibly even a zen retreat. I was in fact entering a kind of temple, a secular one, where the worshipers follow not a god, but snow and a the sport of skiing.

The word Zai means "tough" in the little know dialect of Sursilvan which is spoken in the mountains of Switzerland and specifically in the town of Disentis where the Zai skis are crafted. As seems fitting, the town lies below an ancient Benedictine monastery. The personal dream of Simon Jacomet, who insists that his skis be made by people who have skiing and the mountains in their heart and soul, the company produces some of the finest and most technologically innovative ski equipment on the slopes. The skis are produced in a small and tightly controlled production plant using state of the art machinery and assembled by hand.

All of the Spada skis are limited editions, only 111 pairs of each model are made. The newest innovation just out for this winter season is a special ski that uses a carbon-stone-technology with a rubber exterior. Zai was the first manufacturer in the world to use a stone core in their skis and is still trendsetting in their product development being the first to use a natural rubber surfacing. It is not just rhetoric that the skis are "of the mountain" as each pair has Grisons granite in the core of the ski. As with all carefully thought out designs the skis themselves are beautiful too, they will definitely not get lost in the pile on the ski racks outside the lodge at lunch.

Available in the United States exclusively at the high end winter sports retailer Gorsuch whose stores in all the nicest ski areas of Colorado, such as Beaver Creek, Vail and Aspen, sell the Zai Spada skis for $5,900.00 a pair.

I'm not up to date on the on again and off again relationship between Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush but it is significant that the curvy reality television star put her home on the market a few weeks ago and now Bush, a New Orleans Saints football player has listed his Hollywood Hills home. I also suspect these two might have had the same decorator. Either that or Kardashian had a major influence on the decor of Bush's tri-level home on a cul-de-sac overlooking the city.

The four-bedroom home has views all the way to the ocean with a glittering swath of city spread out below. It is filled with touches that seem Kardashian inspired including zebra print cushions in the living room and a master suite with an apricot-colored padded headboard. Masculine touches reassert themselves in sports jerseys mounted on the staircase, a pool table on one of the home's many terraces and a wonderful walk-in gentleman's closet. This home has one of the most makeout friendly home theaters I've ever seen. It's decked out in black and red velvet. The football star also seems to have a love of his own monogram, his initials appear throughout the house including in the velvety red elevator. This home is listed at $5.099 million. According to the LA Times Hot Property, Bush bought the home for $4.7 million in 2007 for use as his off-season home.

The main home of the Jenner- Kardashian clan also remains on the market. It was originally listed at $3.395 million but is now listed at $2.995 million.

Yankee fan or not, I think we'd all like to pitch the first ball of the World Series, or get the double play at second base, or even be the bat boy for the big game. Part of the American consciousness centers around baseball and every fan, from the little league team players to the old timers who remember when the Dodgers played in Brooklyn, was tuned into the great spectacle that was the World Series.

The closest most of us will ever get to being a part of history is watching from the stands munching on our peanuts or Cracker Jack popcorn. There is hope, while we may never take the field, we can own a piece of history. A lucky few will catch a foul ball at a World Series game but the rest of us will have to purchase one from Steiner Sports.

Steiner Sports has a Derek Jeter Autographed 2009 World Series Baseball for sale. In September of 2009 Jeter collected his 2,722 breaking the long standing record held by Lou Gehrig for 70 years. This accomplishment just added one more accolade to the resume of this former Rookie of the Year and current captain of the team. The baseball is hand signed and comes with a certificate of authenticity for $500.

If A-Rod is more your style you can pick up an autographed 2009 World Series Ball that is the first of its kind. While A-Rod has already hit more than 550 home runs and played in more than 10 All-Star games it is Alex Rodriguez's first trip to the World Series. Therefore creating a unique opportunity for the serious collector, available for $400 with a Steiner Sports Certificate of Authenticity.

A signed ball is a very cool piece of history to own, just don't let the dog get hold of it!

For those of you who wish the old stadium was still around and think there has never been and will never be players like the greats of times past you can indulge in collectors items as well. There is a hand signed Mitchell and Ness 1956 Mickey Mantle Yankees home Jersey signed by the great himself offered for $7,500.

The ultimate combination of old and new can also be had, one can sit in front of the flat screen in the living room in a pair of seats from the original Yankee Stadium signed but current Yankees stars. Derek Jeter/Mariano Rivera/Jorge Posada/Andy Pettite have jointly signed a pair of seats form the old stadium. This limited edition series of 96 is being offered for $1,900 a pair. Just think next year you could have the best Yankees seats in the house, your house!

The truly wealthy never seem to care about tickets. They park where they want and drive how they want, because the penalties never mean much more than pocket change to them. Well they might want to give that a second thought as one extremely wealthy motorist has received an unpredecentedly large speeding ticket in Mumbai.

The fine was imposed on one David Coulthard, one of the most successful Formula One drivers never to win a world title. The Scotsman recently retired from active duty, but still performs from time to time for the Red Bull Racing team he helped form. On a recent demonstration run for 50,000 fans in India, Coulthard reportedly hit a top speed of 162 miles per hour... in a 30 zone. The result was that the local officials withheld the $33,000 deposit put down for the team for the event. Which has to be the biggest speeding ticket ever issued.

J Vineyards and Winery has unveiled its 2009 limited edition J Vineyards LiveStrong™ Bicycling Jersey, the third in an ongoing campaign which contributes ten of all proceeds to the Lance Armstrong Foundation for the support of cancer research and awareness. The jersey comes bundled with the popular yellow Nike LiveStrong wristband and is currently available for $115 at www.jwine.com. The design was inspired by the new J Vineyards varietal wine packaging, the body color is meant to represent Pinot Noir and it is acccented with black sleeves and a terroir background pattern suggesting striations in water, stone and vines found in the Russian River Valley. The white Lance Armstrong LiveStrong™ logo is on the jersey's sleeves. The LiveStrong™ bicycling jersey follows other J charitable campaigns, including the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation "J Pink Project" bicycling jersey promotion and the J Scarf, a limited-edition accessory designed by the celebrated San Francisco-based artist Rex Ray.

The Lakers aren't the only ones to get fancy champion rings recently. World Sport Bike champion Ben Spies recently picked up his own championship bling during a visit to the post-race SBK Paddock Show. Italian jewelry company Circuiti Gioelli of Novara created a WSB champion ring to be given to the winner. No time delay here, just half-an-hour after race 2 had assured Ben's 2009 triumph, the ring was already been engraved with his name and was ready for the presentation.

The ring is in white 18K gold and diamonds with the SBK logo rendered in rubies and sapphires. It is engraved with the words '2009 World Champion' and is studded with 94 diamonds, 28 sapphires and 20 rubies. It is worth around 30,000 Euros.

It seems like everywhere I look these days there is a former sports star in trouble. The AP reported on the court-ordered auction of former Nebraska football player Aaron Taylor. The former center and guard's seven championship rings and his Outland trophy brought in $28,500 today. Bids were taken in person and online and the bronze statue sold for $6,800. The auction was forced by the closure of the Huskers-themed Scarlet and Cream Letter Club restaurant and Taylor's bankruptcy. The former college player who went on to be drafted by the Indianapolis Colts started the restaurant in Omaha with other former Nebraska players.

The AP reports says that some Nebraska fans donated money to help Taylor try and save some of his memorabilia. Taylor was one of seven Nebraska players who won the Outland Trophy and was awarded All-American honors at two different positions (offensive center and guard).

In his bankruptcy filing earlier this year Taylor said he owed at least $109,543 and had assets worth $5,300 (excluding the value of the rings and trophy). The restaurant owed state and federal taxes including $69,000 owed to the IRS. He had tried to have his memorabilia excluded from the bankruptcy liquidation but under the terms of Chapter 7 he was forced to surrender them.

While the New York Yankees might be thought of as favored to win the 2009 World Series, we can all use a healthy reminder that the Philadelphia Phillies mean business. After all they are the 2008 defending champs, talented and hungry for the title too. The Game 1 win might be a sign of things to come.

Already the Phillies are ahead of the game compared to the prior match up between these two teams. The last time these two teams met in the World Series, in fact the only other time, was in 1950 when the Yankees swept the Phillies 4-0. That was when the Yankee dynasty was in full throttle and their triumph over the Phillies was just the second win in what would be a streak of 5 consecutive World Series titles.

If you need a physical reminder of the success experienced by last year's Phillies team just check out the collectors' items and memorabilia offered for sale by Steiner Sports. A signed photograph of the team celebrating their 2008 victory is a great image of the joy the whole city experienced. This was the first major championship win for any Philadelphia team in any sport for over 30 years. The 16" x 20" 2008 team signed photograph has 20 signatures from the 2008 championship team. A limited edition of 100 retails for $2,500 each.

Ryan Howard, the National League MVP, hit two doubles an drove in the final run of the first game of the series. I bet some little league player would love a chance to swing an autographed bat in the privacy of their own backyard. Howard has signed a black game model bat that can be picked up from Steiner Sports for $700.

Given the bat is black, some lucky fan might even be able to win the argument that it qualifies as home decor and hang it in the living room as an elegant piece of art.

Earlier this week the Lakers received their championship rings and this year's rings are some of the flashiest yet. Several members of the Buss family and team captains Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant weighed in on the design for the rings. The rings are made of a special limited 15K gold to celebrate the 15th championship. Dr. Jerry Buss requested the 14 round diamonds circling the top of the ring to represent 14 championships with the small gold trophy on the top representing the 15th. The team captains requested that each player have their own face and jersey number on the side of the ring. On non-player rings the Los Angeles skyline takes the place of the face. Each ring is authenticated by a serial number and there are hidden etchings of the Lakers logo on the ring. The diamond-studded top echoes the shape of the Staples center. Each ring comes with a box that has two LED spotlights inside. The 2009 Lakers championship rings were created by Jason of Beverly Hills and are worth about $30,000.