Markie's sprouting hair and other gossip

Don Shelby has delivered the foreword he wrote for his former WCCO-TV colleague Mark Rosen's book.

"The book is called 'The Best Seat in the House' and it is a book of great stories; the people he's met, things he's covered," Shelby told me. "He was sitting in that little arena at Lake Placid, the 1980 Miracle on Ice. He's been all over the world covering sports. It's just a fabulous book."

The book about his 40 years at WCCO-TV will "have some interesting CJ-type dirt in it as well," said Rosen. "It's not a sports book. It's about the experiences I've had in radio and TV. About all of the great people I've met and some other issues."

If "some other issues" is a reference to famous people behaving badly, then "little Markie" has a feel for what sells.

What does Shelby think of all this new hair Rosen has thanks to the Hair Restoration Institute? Rosen's got more hair now than he did when I moved to town.

"I call him Bushy," laughed Shelby, who was Minnesota Monthly's cover boy for his upcoming "Rocky Horror Show LIVE" turn at the Lab Theater.

Rosen said: "He should talk. Shelby had that done about five times. Did he tell you that?"

WCCO-TV's Grammy-picking grannies are up for an Emmy.

A handicapping segment by sports anchor Mark Rosen's mom, Doris, and anchor Frank Vascellaro's mom, Rosalie, on the Grammy Awards is up for an Upper Midwest Regional Emmy, when the hardware is passed out Sept. 24.

"I'm so thrilled for them," said Rosen, who sounded a little choked up.

Brand of radio brothers?

"My brother from another mother," former Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer called out while walking near KFAN's State Fair booth being manned by Paul Allen.

Emmer was walking around after finishing his News Talk AM 1130 morning show, which he loves. "Three hours just fly by" behind a mike, he said.

Emmer, who had previously apologized via e-mail, did so again for not returning my call the first time I wrote about this resemblance. Emmer said he later found out his calls were screened and kept not just me but other journalists away from him. I want to believe him.

"I would have [returned] them all. I didn't give a darn. I already had the [expletive] beaten out of me. Why wouldn't I do everything?" Emmer said.

Asked which of his sons is a reminder of how handsome the old man was as a kid, Emmer mined my question for humor. When asked if those handsome sons knew how to make sure they didn't become fathers before they planned to do so, Emmer quipped that he'd let me explain that to the kids.

By the way, if you happen on a channel where Paul Allen is doing Vikings TV shows, watch!

Williams wall of lame PR

That was one busy PR woman traveling with Wendy Williams when the TV talker's bus tour stopped here.

By my count there were five unusually controlling acts by the PR person. There was a sixth incident but, to be fair, changing the site of a photo I took of Williams was a move for the better. I have bored PR and columnist friends across the country with the detailed list, but here's the most interesting gripe:

When we were at the State Fair, I asked Williams' PR person if Bennett College had ever inquired about Wendy as a commencement speaker for the North Carolina college for women from which I graduated. Wendy's no Oprah, at the lectern or on TV. But I'm sure Williams, who comes from a higher-education-valuing family, would knock it out of the ballpark and the audience would enjoy her.

Since the PR woman didn't know, a few minutes later I decided to ask Williams' husband, Kevin Hunter, her manager and an executive producer of her show. He's rather threatening-looking, so I approached cautiously. Hunter's first response was "no comment," but I wedged in my commencement question anyhow.

As the PR woman receded, I tried to imagine the situation in which the imposing Hunter would need this woman to protect him from anybody.

From where I sit, Williams hasn't had a good PR firm since cutting ties with the pros at NYC's FerenComm, as this is my second unpleasant encounter with folks doing PR for Wendy.