An alternative weekly newspaper in Miami spent considerable time combing through blogs to come up with what it considers the definitive “Top 10 List of Worst Celebrity Tippers.”
Checking in at No. 4? You guessed it.
The Miami New Times says Akron’s LeBron James “once made a Cleveland steak house stay open until 4 in the morning so he could finish his feast. The bill: $800. The tip: $10. Obviously LeBron is waiting to win a championship and use the windfall for tipping.”
Locally, LeBron’s status as a horrible tipper has been legendary for years.
But judging by another star’s history in Akron, the man who tops the entire list has tightened up over time.
Back in 1997, when Tiger Woods was in town to play at Firestone, he tipped one young server about 300 percent.
Woods rolled up in a limo to a Baskin-Robbins at Fairlawn Town Centre. He bought a two-scoop ice cream cone and handed the 17-year-old server a $10 tip.
Of course, Woods was only 21 at the time and still an emerging superstar. His image has changed a wee bit since then. Apparently his tipping habits have, too. The report said these days he attempts to justify his lousy reputation by saying he doesn’t carry cash.
Right.
The second worst superstar reportedly is Madonna, followed by Barbra Streisand, who is not only consistently cheap but also verbally abusive.
No. 6 on the list: LeBron’s buddy Usher.
Nobody expects every superstar to hand a server $1,500 to $4,000, as actor Johnny Depp is said to do. But these high-profile multimillionaires should certainly tip at least 20 percent if they get good service — which they undoubtedly do.
Waste of cash
If I were spending campaign money on a mayoral election in Akron, I probably wouldn’t mail a slick, full-color flier to someone who is legally incapable of voting for me. But a Don Plusquellic mailing was addressed to a resident of Mattingly Road in Hinckley. Not even close!
Secret code
My old buddy Omar Vizquel texted me the other day to say he has finally followed the lead of so many other athletes and created a Twitter account. The address: @VizquelOmar13.
The former Cleveland Indians star, now employed by the evil Chicago White Sox, was proud of his creation and asked me to take a look. So I punched it up. And I’m here to tell you that it is — well, I have no idea. It’s almost entirely in Spanish.
Those six years of French I took are really paying off.
Say what?
Bill Howell of Kent howled at a recent report about the caller who insisted that “the stone doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
He offered another malapropism he heard years ago during an Akron Jaycees meeting:
“Let’s run it up the flagpole and see if anyone steps in it.”
Sage advice
Mr. Dyer: “You did an enlightening and informative article on the use and misuse of the phrase ‘couldn’t care less.’ Would you please do the same for ‘him and I’? Every time I watch a Bachelor show I cringe at ‘Jake and I’s’ relationship/connection/etc. Please help.”
Linda Crissey
Linda: Sure, I’ll help. Don’t watch Bachelor shows.
Wise decision
When Oakwood High and Glenwood High in Stark County merged back in 1975, they became GlenOak.
Which is a very good thing. As Beacon Journal Metro Editor Rich Desrosiers points out, another alternative to blending the names would have been Woodwood.
Bob Dyer can be reached at 330-996-3580 or bdyer@thebeaconjournal.com.