PEACH BUZZ: Vile mouth gets Rocker thrown out

Former Atlanta Braves player John Rocker was ejected from the W Buckhead hotel’s grand opening late Thursday night after verbally assaulting local sports talker Steak Shapiro.

Hotel security guards escorted Rocker from the premises after he got into a screaming match and hurled ethnic slurs at 790 the Zone’s Shapiro upstairs in the hotel’s Whiskey Blue nightclub, a spokeswoman said.

According to witnesses at the party, Rocker insulted Shapiro repeatedly during the altercation, using various vulgarisms.

Over the years, Shapiro on his show has publicly taken Rocker to task numerous times for his behavior.

Nine years ago this month, Rocker was embroiled in a national controversy after an interview with Sports Illustrated in which he made statements about playing in New York. In the article, he slammed foreigners, gays and the city generally.

“Basically, last night, John proved he was everything I’ve said he was over the years,” Shapiro said Friday. “I saw him staring me up and down. I told him, ‘John, let’s be civil here, that was all a long time ago.’ He told me, ‘It wasn’t that long ago, mother [expletive]. And right away, he pulled out the ‘Jew’ card.”

Whiskey Blue representative Juliet Horn confirmed that Rocker was escorted out of the nightclub after making “inappropriate comments to one of our guests.”

Whiskey Blue owner Rande Gerber was at the hotel for the opening.

Shapiro was a guest of Mit Shah, one of the hotel’s developers. It was immediately unclear how Rocker gained entrance into the club. A hotel rep said Rocker was not on the guest list.

The hotel’s Market restaurant general manager A.D. Allushi said he got between the men in hopes of defusing the argument.

“But I’ll be honest, I only come up to John’s chest,” Allushi said Friday. “Both of those guys are a lot bigger than me. I’ve known John for many years since he was a customer of mine at Bluepointe. He’s always been a very cordial guy. I think last night had more to do with [Rocker and Shapiro’s] past history.”

On Friday, Rocker did not immediately reply to an e-mailed request for comment.

Celebs come out for hotel’s debut

Hundreds of other non-slur hurling, well-attired Atlantans had a grand time Thursday night, walking the purple carpet into the hotel’s cozy Living Room lobby designed by “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” celeb designer Thom Filicia. Among the TV stars flown in for the debut in addition to Filicia: “One Tree Hill” actress Sophia Bush, shimmering in a gold dress; “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” actress Michelle Trachtenberg (who also had a memorable multi-episode story arc as arch villainess Georgina Sparks last season on “Gossip Girl” and word is, Georgina might be returning to the CW hit show); and MTV’s “The City” reality show star Olivia Palermo.

And natch, NeNe Leakes, Kim Zolciak and Sheree Whitfield, the dignity-deprived divas from Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” were in attendance, basking in their remaining 15 minutes of fame (which, according to the clock on the wall at Buzz Central, is now on minute 14…).

Whiskey Blue impresario Gerber also attracted attention. We noted several clusters of ladies, sipping lemon martinis, suitably content just to stare at Cindy Crawford’s handsome hubby while he chatted with others. In the next room, guests were busy nibbling on treats in chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s seductively lit Market restaurant.

Atlanta Hawks player Zaza Pachulia and his attractive date almost managed to sneak past us undetected (no small feat, given that the center stands 6 feet, 11 inches). Pachulia was dashing in a tailored gray suit and studious black-framed eyeglasses. Atlanta fashion designer Mychael Knight was also nudging the fashion envelope, pairing a white cardigan sweater with a chic bow tie.

Buckhead Coalition president and former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell was also there to officially welcome the business to his section of the city.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Today: Actor Ernest Borgnine is 92. Singer Aaron Neville is 68. Singer Neil Diamond is 68. Actor Ed Helms (“The Office”) is 34. Actress Mischa Barton (“The O.C.”) is 23.

Sunday: Journalist Edwin Newman is 90. Actor Dean Jones is 78. Blues singer Etta James is 71. Actress Jenifer Lewis (“Meet the Browns,” “Madea’s Family Reunion”) is 52. Actress Ana Ortiz (“Ugly Betty”) is 38. Guitarist Matt Odmark of Jars of Clay is 35. Singer Alicia Keys (below) is 28.

EXPECTING

Collective Soul rocker bros Ed and Dean Roland also attended the W opening, celebrating with Ed’s gorgeous wife, Michaeline. The Rolands were confirming to well-wishing friends that Ed and Michaeline are, indeed, expecting a baby this year.

Contributing: News services.

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