Shoe is on the other foot now

Sonny Vaccaro practically invented the murky world of summer basketball and shoe company megabucks, but he has left it all behind.

He’s gone Ivy League.

Vaccaro has dates to speak at Harvard and Yale in September, and already has lectured Duke law students as well as business students at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

“I haven’t missed what I used to do one bit. I swear to God almighty,” said Vaccaro, who revolutionized the shoe business by signing coaches and future superstar players to endorsement contracts during his years with Nike, Adidas and Reebok.

Now he’s in demand as an expert in sports marketing and a commentator on the hypocrisy of college athletics, with New York University and Notre Dame among other universities interested in having him speak.

It’s heady stuff for “this little Italian kid from Pittsburgh a long time ago,” said Vaccaro, who signed such players as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant early in their careers and said that if not for basketball he would have ended up working in coal mines, a steel mill or on the railroad.

Instead, the Youngstown State graduate is calling it like he sees it on the most elite campuses in America.

“I even said, ‘You are not without sin here at Duke,’ ” Vaccaro said.

Yes, Sonny Vaccaro, guest speaker at Duke Law School.

“Duke, like how in the hell did that happen?” Vaccaro said.

And be nervous, NCAA: Vaccaro is writing a book.

--

Trivia time

Who holds the record for training titles won at Del Mar, with 11?

--

Age: Just a number

Jennifer Braff, a 48-year-old executive assistant to Lakers owner Jerry Buss, made an impressive showing by finishing second to a 25-year-old in “Age of Love,” the NBC reality show that pitted 20-somethings against 40-somethings for the affection of Australian tennis pro Mark Philippoussis.

Philippoussis, 30, often seemed awkward and unsophisticated, but Braff said his best quality is “he has a huge heart.”

“I went on a TV show and the guys kept saying he was a little dense and kept trying to get me to say it. I think in a lot of ways he’s not as socially conditioned to be out there dating. He’s been playing tennis since he was 8 years old, and was trained by his father,” Braff said.

“It seemed as though he’d been more sheltered. NBA players seem to kind of get thrown out there when they’re young. The girls approach them and are always around. That’s a big difference, socially.”

The best part of the show for Braff: “I’ve gotten hundreds of e-mails, ‘I’m 30 or 40 or 50, but I’m back in the gym because you inspired me,’ ” she said.

As for her success, maybe part of it was thanks to Buss, who long before the show told her to never, ever worry about dating someone younger.

“He said it depends on the person. You can fall for someone at any age. Enjoy your life and enjoy the person.”

No doubt.

--

Friends . . . to a point

Tiger Woods told Golf World magazine that Bill Walsh was like “my father away from home” when Woods was a freshman at Stanford and Walsh was back on campus in his second stint as football coach and, later, as an administrator.

“He took an interest in me, and I enjoyed the heck out of just shooting the breeze with him about anything,” Woods said. “I felt privileged. He was a really bright man, and it wasn’t like he was giving me advice on stuff. Although you could learn just by listening.”

Woods didn’t listen on every subject, apparently.

“Bill was a genius and a friend, but I was always and still am an Oakland Raiders’ fan,” Woods said.

--

Trivia answer

Farrell Jones, who died in March at 84.

--

And finally

From comedian Argus Hamilton:

“President Bush called Barry Bonds Wednesday to salute him on breaking Hank Aaron’s record. There was more. President Bush wants to know how he can get Hank Aaron to make a videotaped message saying the liberation of Iraq is a tremendous achievement.”

--

robyn.norwood@latimes.com