TV ratings were way down for the Masters this weekend. Maybe because Phil Mickelson got more airtime than Tiger Woods? There was hardly any coverage of Adam Scott and no, Camilo Villegas wasn’t playing.

In the end, Phil Mickelson, right, got his Masters Green Jacket from last years champ Tiger Woods after winning the tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday. Athlebrity favorite, sexy Burberry boy-toy, Adam Scott finished 27th and won $49, 700.

This morning, as fans and hot players from the Masters golf tournament headed out of town, the baggage area inside the terminal at Augusta Regional Airport was cordoned off and passengers were evacuated from the area after an airport employee identified a “suspicious bag” on the sidewalk outside around 8 a.m. The bag was considered suspicious because it was “unattended” and the bomb squad was called in. No further details were released. The unattended bag was removed, no hotties were harmed, and everything went back to normal. Simply put, someone forgot their luggage and the media, bomb squad, po-po and airport authorities overreacted. Can’t wait to read the interview with the Mensa reject that left his bag –OH! “unattended.”

HOT ATHLETES AND GUNS
So, last week, Tom Lehman was shot at in a random drive-by incident. (see posting for April 6th), and this weekend, Nuggets nugget Julius Hodge was shot three times while driving on Interstate 76 in north Denver at about 2 a.m. Saturday. Hodge and a passenger flagged down a motorist after the shooting, who took both men to a hospital. Yesterday Hodge was released from the hospital and issued a statement through the team expressing thanks, especially to a woman who stopped on the highway and drove Hodge and his passenger to the hospital. “I want to say a special thank you to the Good Samaritan who showed the true character of Colorado people,” Hodge said. “I would love the opportunity to meet with her and express my gratitude personally…I’m feeling good, keeping my spirits up and looking forward to wearing a Nuggets uniform again,” Hodge said.

The Nuggets said that Hodge was expected to recover and could play in two to three weeks. Investigators said they had no suspects and did not have a motive. “Apparently Julius did nothing to provoke this at all,” Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said. The authorities were able to eliminate Kasey Kahne as a suspect…

Kasey Kahne fires blanks out of a pair of revolvers in victory lane following his win in the NASCAR Samsung RadioShack 500 auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, Sunday, April 9, 2006. Yeeeehaw!

BUCKY LASEK

Hot professional skateboarder Bucky Lasek won the 2006 PEOPLE pole award Friday and led the race from start to finish to win the 30th Anniversary Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race.

Bucky and Dave Mirra

“It was an exciting race. I got out in front and no one was able to catch me,” said Lasek. “I just concentrated on going faster and smoother, and did my best to stay out of trouble.” Lasek donated his $15,000 pole-prize money to the International Campaign for Tibet, an organization that promotes human rights and democratic freedoms for the people of Tibet.

BO BICE

The 2006 race will be broadcast in its entirety on Speed Channel on April 22 at 2:30 p.m., EST. Other hot athletes and celebs who participated include sexy Dave get-on-my-BMX Mirra, Antonio Sabato Jr, John Elway, Captain Kirk, Xzibit, and yum-yum-yummy Bo Bice.

ANDY RODDICK’S NEW MANTRA:
“It feels good. I just hope I can keep it going.”

Mr. No-mo-mojo but still hot Andy Roddick reacts after winning the third set against Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez during their Davis Cup quarterfinals tennis match Sunday in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Roddick won the match, sending the U.S. team to the semifinals.
“I don’t care if I win another match for the rest of the year, if we can hold up that Cup, I really don’t care,” Roddick said. “That’s probably the one time of the year where you can say that and be that selfless and mean it…I guess I’m the one in the right place at the right time,” he said. “I always play first on the last day. I like playing on the third day, and my team has always put me in position to come through…It feels good. I just hope I can keep it going.”

COOL KICKS?
People gotta chill out. These super cute adidas shoes are the subject of controversy…some Asian-Americans are claiming that a design on the tongue of a limited-edition adidas shoe “perpetuates a negative stereotype of Asians.” The image depicts an Asian man with “bowl-cut hair, slanted eyes, pig nose and buck teeth.”

Some are overreacting and believe that it is “similar to ones used in anti-Chinese political cartoons in the past.” The $250 shoe, which is part of the Adicolor Yellow series, is “aimed at die-hard sneaker collectors, not everyday shoe-shoppers.” Only 1,000 pairs of the shoes have been produced, they are hot and I want a pair! An adidas spokesperson said the company “had no intention of offending any individual or group. adidas knew of (McGee’s) work and did not intend nor foresee any offense.”

BULLSHIT FROM DUKE LACROSSE ATTORNEY
Now the victim is under attack. The exotic dancer who was raped by members of the Duke Lacrosse team was “already injured” and “very impaired” when she arrived at the party-an attorney for one of the scumbag athletes said Sunday.

Durham attorney Bill Thomas said some of the photographs, taken when she arrived at the house, indicate the woman was injured before getting to the party March 13. “This young lady was substantially impaired. She had fallen several times during the course of the evening,” Thomas said.

If I were on the jury I’d say that an “impaired victim” is bad for your case…she couldn’t fight back could she? But hey, that’s just me, an ex criminal defense paralegal who can recognize an attorney grasping for straws.

Continuing his idiotic attack, attorney Thomas declined to identify the athlete he represents and said he would not release the photos, taken by at least two cameras, until pending DNA tests are completed. He also wouldn’t say whether the photos were taken by a lacrosse team member or someone else; court documents have indicated that only team members were present at the party.

District Attorney Mike Nifong has not commented on the case in the past several days, has said previously he is confident a rape occurred. Court documents said a medical exam of the alleged victim found injuries consistent with sexual assault.

Thomas said the photos contradict the alleged victim’s assertion she was scared, as they show her standing at the door of the off-campus house with “a major grin on her face” as she tried to get back inside…blah, blah, blah, smear tactics-what we have is a team of white athletes who are gonna be pulling the “power in numbers” bullshit out of their asses to discredit the witness. Sorry boys, no one believes you.

**DNA testing is completed**
The state crime lab has completed DNA testing of members of Duke University’s lacrosse team, sending the results to police and prosecutors investigating the rape. The State Attorney Generals Office will release the test results to the defense attorneys and district attoreny. An administrative assistant to District Attorney Mike Nifong, said today that the prosecutor would not comment on the results. She said copies were being made Monday afternoon for defense attorneys. “If the defense releases them, that’s up to them..If charges are going to be pending, he can’t be discussing them.”

Yeah, but we can! IF the results come back negative, that does NOT indicate a rape didnt occur, it simply means the “rapists” could have worn condoms.

That’s it for now. As always, thanks for reading. Delinda