Baby Devin Nazario Fitzgerald made his Minneapolis debut in a little black tux Friday.
Devin and his mom, Angela Nazario, attended a fundraiser in memory of his late paternal grandmother and the woman who would have been her mother-in-law if only Larry Fitzgerald Jr. could get his act together. Having now laid eyes on Nazario, I can report (and you can see for yourself at startribune.com/video) that the mother of Fitzgerald's baby is a total KNOCKOUT!
Fitzgerald, the Cardinals' 2009 Super Bowl-losing wide receiver, held his annual Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund event at Golden Valley's Metropolitan Ballroom. The $100-a-head event raised money for urban education related to HIV/AIDS and black women with breast cancer, causes about which Carol was passionate until her 2003 death from breast cancer.
As regular readers know, Fitzgerald and Nazario have had their ups and downs, the most shocking downer resulting in her filing for a restraining order against the Holy Angels alum for assault (I don't think it's accurate to call it domestic abuse because they are neither married nor living together in Arizona). Seems to me there's a court date coming up on this case in Arizona, not that we can expect those sycophant sports departments at the main Arizona newspapers, where the writers are very careful not to step on the superstar toes of Fitzgerald, to be on top of this.
I am left to conclude that Nazario is being extremely accommodating to Fitzgerald, who's enjoying fatherhood -- he had Devin sit on his knee throughout the event -- while avoiding the traditional related responsibilities. Nazario took Devin to the Super Bowl at the request of Fitzgerald, who reportedly wanted his son there, even though the 15-month-old is way too young to remember these momentous outings. Nazario and Fitzgerald did not arrive at the Metropolitan in the same car, but I hear that she and Devin stayed with the football player at his suburban digs (which are not to be confused with the Minneapolis home where he grew up).
We can assume that a lot of people were staying at Fitzgerald's lake place, based on all the people who piled out of the car; Nazario arrived with two gorgeous men, both of whom held Devin and kissed him. Marcus Fitzgerald, Larry's little brother, was also at the event with his baby, Jalen, and the baby's mommy, Veronica.
A small world Jordin Sparks, the 2007 winner of "American Idol" and ardent Larry Fitzgerald Jr. fan, made an appearance at the event, arriving with her cousin, a Twin Cities' PR guy.
I did not believe James Rutherford, of Brosseau PR's Minneapolis office, was Sparks' cousin until I had that confirmed through another source. I thought Rutherford, a man about town, was teasing. Jordin's mom, Jodi, who was also in town, is James' first cousin.
After the Fitzgerald event, Sparks and Rutherford hit Envy Nightclub, where Jordin had an after-party. Another Brosseau client, Twiggs Salon in Wayzata, had Sparks tresses shimmering for the event.
While entering the Metropolitan club, Rutherford said he was wondering why I was outside taking pictures. That's because I was not welcome inside or outside. I haven't seen Larry Fitzgerald Sr. move so fast -- as he tried to avoid my camera -- since I beat him in tennis. He also sicced a guy who identified himself as Ray on me to obstruct video footage of the Sr. at the event. "That's just silly," Rutherford said.
Tell me. Even sillier was when a Metropolitan staffer told me I was not allowed outside to shoot pictures because the host of the event didn't want photos taken. That's not a convincing request with two KSTP-TV trucks outside and WCCO-TV's Mike Max was among the media there.
What's really going on, according to a fan of the Fitzgerald family, is that they are holding a grudge against me for writing the truth. Those Fitzgerald boys are too old to continue sucking their thumbs over this. Given the attitude with which Larry Jr., who was late as usual for his own event, made his entrance it's a sure bet Larry Sr. used his cell to call his son to report that I was out there darkening the doorway.
Who's your role model? Vikings coach Brad Childress was at the fundraiser and so was former Viking Warren Moon, who was frighteningly described as one of Jr.'s NFL role models.
If one has a choice between Childress or Moon, whether the subject is the NFL or how to treat your significant woman, the former is the much better role model, hands down.
C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject. Attachments aren't opened, so don't even try. More of her attitude can be seen on Fox 9 Thursday mornings.
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