Heisman winner Robert Griffin primed for jump to NFL

Griffin won the 77th Heisman Trophy, beating out Andrew Luck, who has already been penciled in as the No. 1 pick in April's NFL draft. Luck is considered one of the most NFL-ready prospects to ever come of out college, having played brilliantly in Stanford's pro-style offense the last three seasons.Griffin is more of a Cam Newton-type prospect. Not as big as last year's winner — he's 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds — but faster. Griffin is an underclassmen only in a football sense. He's already completed a political science degree and was working on a master's in communications this season, which would have been his senior year if he had not torn a ligament in his right knee in the third game of his sophomore season. He took a medical redshirt that gave him an additional season of eligibility, so he could return to Waco, Texas, in 2012 and take a shot at leading Baylor to even bigger goals. The deadline to for underclassmen for declare for the NFL draft is Jan. 15. Griffin said he'll wait until after the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29 against Washington in San Antonio to make up his mind.


 Michael Jackson's daughter Paris to debut in movie
Michael Jackson's daughter Paris is continuing her father's show business legacy. The 13-year-old has accepted her debut movie role. She'll star in an upcoming live action-animated film called "Lundon's Bridge and the Three Keys". It's based on the young adult book series by Dennis H. Christen. Paris Jackson is set to play a human heroine in the fantasy adventure where, "sea magic turns a dolphin into a human, a teenage boy into a dragonfly and a loving jellyfish queen into an evil fairy godmother," according to the movie's website. She will be joined by other animated characters voiced by Larry King, Joey Fatone and others.
 

'New Year's Eve' drops the ball with $13.7 million; 'The Sitter' can't fill seats
As has been the case over so many frames this fall, audiences largely ignored this weekend’s two new wide releases. New Year’s Eve and The Sitter both opened to ho-hum results. New Year’s Eve led the box office with $13.7 million in its first three days. Jonah Hill’s babysitting comedy The Sitter started its run in second place with $10 million, continuing the recent trend of R-rated comedies not clicking at the box office.
1. New Year’s Eve – $13.7 million
2. The Sitter – $10 mil
3. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 – $7.9 mil
4. The Muppets – $7.1 mil
5. Arthur Christmas – $6.6 mil
 Smallville Actor Checks into Jail
Former "Smallville" actor Sam Jones just moved into his new home for the next year -- federal prison. Jones checked in to the low-security correctional facility in Lompoc, California beginning his 366-day sentence for the role he played in a massive drug ring. Jones pled "guilty" to conspiracy to sell more than 10,000 Oxycodone pills ... and was sentenced in June.

 Joe Paterno Falls and Breaks Hip
Joe Paterno fell and fractured his pelvis yesterday. The 84-year-old former Penn State football coach, who's currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment for lung cancer, was admitted to a local hospital after taking the tumble at his home, but will not need surgery. He is expected to make a full recovery.

 

Jermaine Dupri Sued Over Repossessed Lamborghini

Rap Mogul Jermaine Dupri is at the center of a lawsuit over his 2005 Lamborghini Murcielago. Premier Financial Services recently filed a lawsuit against the So So Def mogul in Georgia Superior Court, claiming he has failed to make payments on the car. According to the lawsuit, Jermaine Dupri made a $70,000 down payment on the car and financed the remainder of the luxury vehicle at a price of $330,000. He was to make 58 payments at a cost of $4,323, but around 2009, the mogul defaulted on the loan. The lawsuit claims that Jermaine Dupri still owes almost $80,000 on the car. Jermaine Dupri’s Lamborghini has already been repossessed and sold for $115,000, but the company is suing the rapper/producer for $79,095 damages.

 

Kobe upset about Lakers trading Odom

Even Kobe Bryant can't figure out why the Los Angeles Lakers apparently are trading Lamar Odom to one of their biggest rivals. ''To be honest with you, I don't like it,'' Bryant said Sunday when the Lakers showed up for their third day of training camp knowing their top reserve probably will be shipped to the Dallas Mavericks for nothing but a trade exception. ''It's tough to lose Lamar,'' Bryant added. ''Pau (Gasol) is still here, and we're all thankful for that. It's hard when you've been through so many battles with players to just see them go somewhere else. It's tough.'' Neither team formally announced a trade early Sunday, but Dallas coach Rick Carlisle and star Dirk Nowitzki both essentially confirmed the deal, acknowledging their excitement about adding Odom to the defending NBA champions' roster without losing a player in return. Odom wasn't at the Lakers' training complex Sunday, and his teammates aren't thrilled to know he's probably on his way to Dallas, which swept the Lakers out of the second round of the postseason last spring. ''Especially to them,'' Bryant said. ''We were supposed to come back and get them back. It's tough. ... Do I think we got too little? Who did we get? I don't think Mark Cuban is protesting this trade.'' Bryant and Derek Fisher don't know what to make of their front office's aggressive pursuit of Chris Paul followed by an apparent change of focus toward Orlando center Dwight Howard, who has requested a trade from the Magic, after the NBA blocked a megatrade for Paul on Thursday. Odom didn't attend the Lakers' first two days of practice after the team attempted to include him with Gasol in that three-team trade for Paul. Odom starred in a reality show last season with his wife, Khloe Kardashian, clearly enjoying his celebrity at the main intersection of sports and Hollywood.  ''You're talking about the sixth man of the year last year,'' Bryant said of Odom, who averaged 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3 assists while playing in all 82 games last season. ''He played lights-out. I don't understand the criticism of reality shows and this. I don't get that. He had his best season last year, clearly wasn't a distraction, played his (rear) off. I don't get where that comes from.''

 

Michelle Duggar Miscarries

A day of joyful anticipation has turned to anguish for Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. At a routine check-up Thursday to find out the sex of their 20th child, their doctor was unable to find a heartbeat and told the couple they had miscarried in the second trimester. "After the appointment, we came back home and told the children," says Michelle, 45. She says the family will select a name after they know if the baby was a boy or girl, and then plan to have a funeral service.

 TV NEWS

The Nate Berkus Show is coming to an end. Sony and Harpo, the studios behind the syndicated series, announced Friday that they have decided not to renew the Oprah offshoot beyond this season, the show’s second. “I’m incredibly proud of my hard working and talented staff, and proud of the show we were able to produce every day,” Berkus said in a statement. The Nate Berkus Show remains in production and will deliver all remaining Season 2 episodes. This marks Oprah Winfrey’s first syndicated misfire, following the successful launches of Dr. Phil, the Rachael Ray Show and The Dr. Oz Show.

 Denis O’Hare (American Horror Story) will reprise his role as the liberal Judge Abernathy on an upcoming episode of The Good Wife.


Kevin Pollak has landed a guest spot in the Jan. 11 installment of Law & Order: SVU. He will play a judge who finds himself in trouble with the law.
 The Vampire Diaries is rounding out its Originals. Australian actor Nathaniel Buzolic (Out of the Blue) and Britain’s own Caspar Zafer (La Femme Muskateer) have landed recurring gigs on the CW drama, playing Klaus’ brothers Kol and Finn, respectively.

 NBC’s Up All Night has dug deeper into Ava’s (Maya Rudolph) pop star past and turned up a surprising collaborator: Alanis Morissette. Morissette has been tapped to guest star as a hip-hop legend from Ava’s ’90s band, Sound LLC.

 Lifetime has given the green light to a modern-day remake of the 1980s hit, Blue Lagoon.

 Richard Dreyfuss (Parenthood), James Woods (Shark), Geena Davis (Commander in Chief), Ellen Burstyn (Big Love), Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under), and Steven Pasquale (Rescue Me) will star in Coma, A&E’s four-hour miniseries based on the Robin Cook novel of the same name. The thriller — which is set to premiere Memorial Day 2012 — is about a doctor who discovers sinister things happening in his hospital after healthy patients begin to fall into comas.

 When it comes to Castle‘s current fourth season, 22 episodes just won’t cut it for ABC. The network has ordered an additional episode of the show, bringing its Season 4 total to 23.

 Ringer fans will have to wait a little longer before fresh episodes resume in the new year. Why? The CW is double-pumping its new reality series, Remodeled (premiering Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 9/8c), by slotting multiple original and repeat installments during its first two weeks on the air.

 Ringer will now resume with new episodes three weeks behind schedule on Jan. 31. Additionally, 90210‘s return has been pushed back a week to Jan. 17.


Law & Order: SVU‘s erstwhile ADA Casey Novak, Diane Neal, will get her lawyer on in a different capacity and for a different show, as a guest star on A Gifted Man. Neal Baer, the former SVU boss who now executive-produces CBS’ freshman medical drama, de facto announced the casting via a tweet to the actress, saying, “Great to have you on A Gifted Man grilling Patrick Wilson on the stand.” Neal responded by tweeting to her fans, “I’m playing a lawyer. A DEFENSE attorney, with better suits-ha!”