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Starkey stars don't fumble this AP test

July 27, 2010 at 1:58AM

Brett Favre didn't look chubby to coach Brad Childress, who also predicted that Adrian Peterson isn't going to be the kind of chucklehead who fumbles the ball this season.

Childress was among the celebrities at the Starkey Hearing Foundation gala on Sunday at St. Paul's RiverCentre, where $6 million was reportedly raised to provide hearing aids to children in need worldwide.

"Didn't look like it to me," said Childress, when asked if our expected QB looked like he had gained weight, as USA Today reported he told Mississippi's WDAM-TV.

I put my question about AP's fumbling to Childress, Cincinnati Bengals safety Roy L. Williams and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald Jr.

"I wouldn't want to change one thing about the way he runs with the football," Childress said. "I'll bet you see that hold-on-to-the-football stuff shored up. Adrian does a pretty good job of holding on. He'll continue to be the best running back in the National Football League."

As you can see from startribune.com/video, Williams went from jovial to tight as soon as I asked about Fumblelina.

"That is none of my business," said Williams, who declared the question inappropriate even to ask Peterson. Williams said AP is out there fighting for yardage against opponents who are trained at stripping away the football. Williams encouraged me to become the first woman to play in the NFL and see if I could do better than Peterson. Mercifully, Williams, who has pretty brown eyes, suppressed the urge to lay that first hit on me.

Fitzgerald told me, "We're here for a night of charity, it's not about football tonight." AP seemed mighty charitable with the football. "I don't want to touch on that," he said, smiling. "Good to see you."

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By the way, Fitz, Stribber Judd Zulgad was at the gala posing non-charity questions to athletes. When offered a chance to talk to the Doobie Brothers, by someone stressing that it would have to be short, Zulgad did one better: Nope.

Strib fashion writer Sara Glassman had a funny, annoying encounter when she was ignored and/or denied an interview shot with an "American Idol" winner. "I got skipped over for the Pioneer Press when they were bringing by Jordin Sparks?" said Glassman. "I don't think so!"

Small talk not neededMyTalk FM107.1's Lori Barghini wasn't attempting sotto voce as Verne Troyer motored down the red carpet.

"He's sooo tiny! I had no idea," squealed Barghini. I like Barghini, but not very much at that moment; I asked if she was 12. She used to be more sophisticated in person, if not on the radio.

She later came to my spot on the red carpet and continued: "I saw him on 'Celebrity Rehab' and he didn't look smaller than a yardstick. I had no idea!"

I changed the subject to the people in charge doing a poor job of introducing celebrities to media. "They've got wranglers," said Barghini. "Lazy wranglers."

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Later another member of the media, reacting to Barghini's cringe-worthy Troyer outburst, said, "I'm sure he's heard that before. I'm sure he heard Lori."

Chelsea's wedding guests?Secret Service guys watched the red carpet even though former President Clinton did not walk it?

I was prepared to speculate with him about potential wedding guests, by way of a copy of a photo of Chelsea Clinton tenderly holding the face of Aarthi Belani at her 2006 wedding at the Minikahda Club.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who's on orders from Chelsea to treat details of Saturday's nuptials like state secrets, told NBC's Andrea Mitchell: "The people coming are her friends and people [who] have been meaningful in her life, as it should be."

Chelsea and Aarthi are Stanford chums. Her husband, Dr. Anil Soni, is CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative.

Two videos better than oneFor your viewing pleasure I have two Starkey videos.

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One features celebrities and the other sports-world figures, for fans who can't stomach the ravishing Vanessa Minnillo, with Nick Lachey, or the beautiful woman who arrived with NBC reporter Peter Alexander.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar's day included ducking out of the Starkey gala to pay her respects at the Burnsville funeral for First Lt. Christopher Goeke. She returned to hear former President Clinton speak.

C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject -- "Hello" doesn't count. Attachments are not opened, so don't even try. More of her attitude can be seen on Fox 9 Thursday mornings.

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about the writer

C.J.

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