It’s a beautiful day. Two 20-year-old Duke University lacrosse players were arrested early this morning on charges of raping and kidnapping the stripper hired to dance at an off-campus party.

READE SELIGMANN

Duke lacrosse player Reade Seligmann is processed at the Durham County Detention Facility in Durham, N.C., Tuesday, April 18, 2006. Seligmann was arrested and charged with first degree forceable rape, first degree sexual assault and kidnapping in the case.

COLLIN FINNERTY

Duke lacrosse player Collin Finnerty is processed at the Durham County Detention Facility in Durham, N.C., Tuesday, April 18, 2006. Finnerty was arrested and charged with first degree forceable rape, first degree sexual assault and kidnapping.

Reade Seligmann posted a $400,000 bond and Collin Finnerty was in the process of doing so for the same amount, said Col. George Naylor of the Durham County jail. By posting bond, the players avoided making an initial court appearance later in the day.

Monday, school officials said the lacrosse coach was warned last year that his players had too many violations of the campus judicial code and he needed to “get them in line.” Duke athletic director Joe Alleva said the university’s executive vice president reviewed the lacrosse team’s disciplinary record last year, then discussed his findings with Alleva. “He said there were too many incidents, but there’s not enough incidents to make a drastic change in the program at this point in time,” Alleva told The Herald-Sun of Durham. Alleva then met with Pressler, telling the coach that “his team was under the microscope, and he had to do everything he could to get them in line and to not have any more behavior problems,” he said. The review by Tallman Trask III, Duke’s executive vice president, was spurred by reports of “boorish behavior” by the lacrosse team, Alleva said. Sue Wasiolek, Duke’s dean of students and assistant vice president for student affairs, said the review showed the lacrosse team had a “disproportionate” number of violations of the campus judicial code. None was particularly serious, but administrators were concerned about the cumulative record and the fact that some players had several violations, she said.

The victims father was interviewed on Nancy Grace last night. He stated that he saw his daughter prior to the party that night. She was “happy and laughing” and had no bruises or injuries of any kind. She was also sober. The second exotic dancer that was at the Duke rape-party talked about the night the “alleged” rape occurred. Her interview can been seen here.

HELP WITH HOT HOCKEY PLAYERS
In case you’re having trouble appreciating the NHL and all the edible athletes that glide across the ice, then this might help. Currently, the Rangers, Devils and Flyers are facing off for the Atlantic division. I have picked the Rangers as my team because its roster is overflowing with hot young Czechs, Russians and Swedes. Yummy. Tonight, at our favorite hot-bed of sexual harassment cases-Madison Square Garden, the Rangers can clinch the Atlantic Division title with a victory over the Ottawa Senators, making this one of the most notable regular-season finales in Rangers history because the Rangers have never played for a division title in their season finale before.

First up, we have sexy Swedish Henrik Lundqvist.

This hot import goal-tends for the Rangers, is 6’1, and plays in a band called Power Play. (gotta deduct Mensa points: athletes + music= automatic deduction). He describes his music as “Swedish rock.” Regardless, let’s hope hottie holds up, Lundqvist has sat out seven straight games with a strained hip flexor that he said feels “great” now. I bet it does!

Fighting alongside him is another sexy import, teammate Petr Prucha. This delicious nugget comes to us from Czechoslovakia and is as phenomenal as the rest of the Rangers. A blurb from his scouting report reads: “A proactive player …possesses superior hockey sense and skills … is always around the puck in the offensive zone … seems to find a way to create scoring chances by playing a hard, determined game around the net … his speed and skill force the opposing defensemen to always be alert when he is on the ice. I don’t know about you, but I am very alert when Prucha is in the house!

“PAT’S RUN”

Smoking hot Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer was one of more than 8,000 people who participated in the 4.2-mile “Pat’s Run” Saturday, raising $350,000 for the foundation established to honor Pat Tillman’s memory. The race finished at the 42-yard line of Sun Devil Stadium, where Tillman wore No. 42 as a Sun Devils linebacker. He also played in the stadium as defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals. The 27-year-old Tillman died on April 22, 2004, in a friendly fire accident in Afghanistan that is still being investigated. He walked away from a $3.6 million NFL contract to volunteer for the Army Rangers after the Sept. 11, 2001, “alleged” terrorist attacks.

Weird trophies were handed out to the top finishers in each division. Each received a replicas of “A mountain” with Pat Tillman’s 42. Sorry, but that mountain looks more like a…well, you know.

Current hot ASU Football team member Robert Gustavis was among supporters at the finish line congratulating participants and looking mighty hot as he did so.

Other current ASU Football hotties greeted Specialist Michael Stewart as he completes Pat’s Run wearing full fatigues. Stewart, from Ft. Riley, Kansas is part of the 1st Infantry Division. For a complete list of runners and finish times, you can click here.
Good job by Jake Plummer, he’s one hell of a football player and remains a generous, down to earth athlete whose allegiance to Tillman is touching. Upcoming events from Plummer include the 2006 Celebrity Bowl-O-Rama on June 23rd and 24th. For more info, check out the Jake Plummer Foundation.

JULIUS HODGE BITES THE BULLET
Julius Hodge is still mending from the four bullets that pierced his body in a drive-by shooting. “I can still shoot,” he said, flipping a basketball into the air. “I’m a passer though.”

The hot 22-year-old Denver Nugget returned to the Pepsi Center on Monday for the first time since the shooting nine days earlier. He was happy to be alive, but unsure when he’ll play again. “I want to take this opportunity to let everyone know that I’m feeling good and on the road to recovery,” Hodge said at the team’s shoot-around, his first public comments since the shooting. “I just try to smile as much as possible every day,” he said. “It’s definitely a real tough time on my family and friends. I just try to pick everybody’s spirits up and just try to use my laughter as a defense mechanism, try to smile and not frown a lot, or be down on myself because it’s definitely a blessing I’m still here.”

TONY GONZALEZ IS TOO HOT FOR THE KITCHEN

I tried not to watch, but when Tony Gonzalez was introduced on Celebrity Cooking Showdown last night, I was suddenly ravenous.

Tony prepared a meal which eerily describes himself…Caprese salad tower with smooth, fresh, melt-in-your-mouth-mozzerrala; Penne ala vodka w/hot smoked salmon; and for desert, an Affogado “Italian sundae” with sweet, hot espresso and cream that pleaded to be licked off his ab’s. Aside from that, the show sucked.

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