THE GIANT BARRY BOND

Barry Bonds gave an exclusive interview with ESPN’s Jim Gray in which he explained why he won’t speak about steroids. Bonds: “I’m bound by a grand jury testimony. I’m bound by not saying anything, and then I’m also bound by (MLB) not to talk, and then I’m bound by my attorney.” Bonds, on racism contributing to the public’s negative perception of him: “From the bottom of my heart — truthfully — and I have time to think about it, I don’t think any really. I think I brought some of the anger on myself.” Wow! Barry admitted something! Bonds also said MLB not celebrating his 715th home run did not bother him “at all. And it’s funny because I don’t ever remember baseball celebrating anybody’s records –- ever. … I have the utmost respect for (MLB), (MLB Commissioner) Bud Selig, the player’s association, the game of baseball, and it didn’t bother me at all.” MLB.com is selling a bunch of items commemorating Bonds’ 715th career home run. However, the weirdest thing, all the items are on back order, with an estimate of two weeks to a month before it leaves the warehouse. Did they sell-out or never produce the goods in the first place?

SUNS
In Phoenix, Suns fans are going nuts for team merchandise at the Team Shop at US Airways Center. Forget finding a pair of purple and orange thongs- sold out. Three-foot tall bobblehead dolls of Steve Nash are sold out, but, good news, a limited supply of Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion versions are now on sale for $425! (*Note* Stoudemire has applied to the league to change his jersey number from 32 to 1 starting next season so this might be a worthwhile investment).

NBA WIVES FIGHT NIGHT
Last night, game four, tempers are flying. Suns season-ticket holders Jose Martinez and Rebecca Kettle were having a great time until Cassandra Johnson, wife of Mav’s coach Avery Johnson, “became belligerent after she complained they were standing too much during play.” The two Mensa rejects said that they filed a misdemeanor assault complaint against Cassandra. Martinez says Cassandra pushed he and Kettle, but Cassandra claims said she “didn’t touch him.” So we turn to trusty fan, Ron Duranti, who was sitting behind Cassandra Johnson to see what he had to say. She “took at least three swings” at Kettle…“she ended up making contact with” Martinez. Watkins reports three other fans support his account. Cassandra Johnson “left her seat to get security” and when she returned, Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban, Dir of Security Jim Colleran, and a gaggle of others entered the stands to see what happened. Avery Johnson: “We’ve been in situations before on the road. Mark’s wife has had problems, my wife, our president [Terdema Ussery]. When you’re on the road, you know things will happen.” Cuban called the situation a “‘non-event,’ saying that it was only something because it was Johnson’s wife.”

Mavericks hottie Dirk Nowitzki (L) arrives for the game looking exceptionally hot, as does the Suns’ sensational Boris Diaw, who also looks great out of a suit.

RICKY 420 WILLIAMS IS FULL OF PROMISE

“Smoking” hot suspended Dolphin Ricky Williams has signed a one-year, $240,000 contract with the CFL Argonauts, which makes him the league’s highest-paid running back. The deal was “worked out after the CFL essentially voided the option year that is included in most CFL contracts.” Williams’ agent, Leigh Steinberg, said that he and Williams “gave the Dolphins a ‘promise’ that he would return to the NFL as soon as he could.”

GOD AND SPORTS
After some wins, you hear hotties thanking “god” for his guidance. Now, in a cover story run by USA Today, we have learned that the Rockies organization has become “guided by Christianity –- open to other religious beliefs but embracing a Christian-based code of conduct they believe will bring them focus and success.” Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd said, “It’s the first time we ever talked about these issues publicly. The last thing we want to do is offend anyone because of our beliefs…We don’t just go after Christian players. That would be unfair to others. We go after players of character.” The Rockies are 27-25 so far this season, O’Dowd said, “Those [wins] aren’t just a coincidence. God has definitely had a hand in this.”

HINES WARD DOES GOOD

Not sure about those Rockies, but I would say god is more “hands-on” when it comes to charitable efforts than winning games. Steelers’ hottie Hines Ward has pledged an initial $1M to establish the HINES WARD HELPING HANDS FOUNDATION, which will benefit “mixed-race children like himself in South Korea, where they have suffered discrimination.”

WAYNE ROONEY AND P-DIDDY
Page Six outted Wayne Rooney and P-Diddy. Apparently Rooney paid $300,000 at a recent UNICEF benefit in London for a trip to N.Y., a night out with Sean “Diddy” Combs, a weekend at Combs’ house in the Hamptons and a record produced by him. I really hope this doesn’t mean Rooney is recording an album?

SURFRIDER HOTTIES COME OUT
The Surfrider Foundation and Propaganda Headquarters have announced the participants for the 2nd annual Surfrider Foundation Celebrity Surf Jam. This year’s Jam will again take place at Orange County’s Huntington Beach Pier on Saturday, June 10th, 2006 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Admission is free for the public and I strongly suggest that if you like hot surfers, you go. Pack the sunscreen and join the fun as celebrities and Athlebrity surfers raise awareness and support for our beach and coastal environments.

The Jam is once again being chaired Sal Masekela. Joining Sal and competing for the best waves will be event co-chair hottie Brandon Boyd, (above) along with those sexy Incubus members Mike Einziger and Ben Kenney. The gang of hot professionals surfers include Pat O’Connell, Rob Machado, Taylor Knox, Damien Hobgood, Tim Curran, Danny Fuller, Jeff Deffenbaugh and Pascal Stansfield. For more information on the event go to www.celebritysurfjam.com.

WORLD CUP NOTABLES

Arsenal’s Swedish midfielder and legendary Athlebrity, Fredrik Ljungberg finally points me out to his teammates during a friendly.

Seriously, can the pre-World Cup matches get any hotter? David Beckham, left, congratulates John Terry after his goal against Hungary during their international friendly soccer match at Old Trafford Stadium in England, on Tuesday. Hotties beat Hungary 3-1.

Japan is being coached by Brazilian soccer legend Zico and the team is ripping it up. Japan’s Atsushi Yanagisawa (2nd L) is seen with a torn jersey after I tried to liberate the shirt off his back during a friendly soccer match in Germany yesterday.

INTER-PENITENTIARY FOOTBALL WORLD CUP

The penitentiary service and the government of the province of Buenos Aires organized the first Inter-Penitentiary Football World Cup. The countries that participate in the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 will be represented by inmates of 32 penitentiaries from different localities of the province of Buenos Aires. A prison guard (above) watches a football match between the teams of “Argentina” and the “Ivory Coast”, carried out by prisoners of penitentiaries #9 and #18 of the province of Buenos Aires.

THE US IS COMING

The beds are empty, for now. This apartment in the Hyatt hotel in Hamburg, northern Germany, will soon have several hotties in it. The US soccer team arrives on Friday, June 2, 2006 and will stay during the 2006 soccer World Cup at the Hyatt hotel. One question, why the twin beds?

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

TIGER WOODS

This morning, Tiger Woods made his first appearance since the death of his father Earl, who passed away on May 3. Tiger made a special appearance for the children at the Alotian Club in Roland, Arkansas where he put on a demonstration for the kids. Tiger only answered questions from the audience members, and not reporters. Woods was asked what advice he had for his young fans. “I think the greatest advice is to care and share,” Woods said. “My dad was so adamant about that line. He said if you care about something, you’ll share it. And if you love life, you’ll share life. I love kids and I’ll share with them whatever I have.” *Side note: I love ya Tiger, but the blue shorts gotta go.

CAMILO VILLEGAS
Camilo Villegas will be competing for his share of the $5.5 million dollar purse in the Memorial Tournement in Columbus Ohio. The tourney starts today and runs through June 4th. Fret not my Camilo fans, if he crawls, I will deliver the goods.

ANDY RODDICK IS OUT

It’s been a painful journey to watch. The downfall of one of the hottest men on the court, Andy Roddick, has reached its peak. Roddick was forced to retire and withdraw from the French Open today due to that eternally injured left ankle of his. Thankfully, we’ve got a plethora of hotties competing at the Open, including James Blake, Raphael Nadal, and that oh-so-arrogant Roger Federer. Best of luck to A-Rod, who really needs to re-evaluate what the hell he has been doing wrong for the last two years.

OWN A PIECE OF NASCAR?
Checkered Motorsports is offering NASCAR fans an opportunity to own a piece of the action. And no, that piece is not one of the drivers, sorry. As it stands, NASCAR allows anyone to field a Nextel Cup Team. Checkered Motorsports is betting that with over 75 million NASCAR fans, there’s a big chance that some people interested in doing so. Each year, NASCAR revises rules and regulations; and in a few years they might not allow anyone to get in, so now is your chance. Here’s how it works. Checkered Motorsports is asking interested fans to invest an initial $10 to get the process started; approximately 100,000 deposits are needed. Once this has been established, the balance, $500, will be due. At this time, “investors” will become co-owners and will receive their legal documents. James E. Pierce, President of C.M said: “As a co-owner, the sky’s the limit when it comes to benefits…among the return on investment, other benefits may include: auctions for racecar accessories; VIP passes; the ability to display a company logo; and much, much more.” Checkered Motorsports is the first fan-based corporation in the history of NASCAR. Learn how to become a co-owner at: www.checkeredmotorsports.com

WORLD CUP
According to reports, an estimated $420 million has been invested in officially partnering U.S.-based corporations to gain worldwide visibility during the World Cup. As we have seen, the U.S. lags significantly behind other countries, even India, when to comes to being passionate about “the beautiful game” of soccer. The latest poll by Global Market Insite, Inc. reveals that 56% of American World Cup fans do not know that the 2006 Soccer World Cup will take place in Germany, and only 1 in 10 plans to follow the game. What is wrong with you people? I’m trying to motivate, so start paying attention!

SHIRTS COMES OFF DURING THE GAMES

Denmark’s Jacob Sorensen, center, and his teammates, lost their European Under 21 Soccer Championship group B match against Ukraine Monday, advancing Ukraine to the semi finals. And they still took their shirts off!

Some ideal pin-up hotties to motivate you: Swiss national soccer player Ricardo Cabanas (L), and my favorite Italian dish, Alessandro Del Piero (R).

Brazilian Athlebrity Ronaldinho wears an earring, which reads R10 in reference to the number on his T-shirt.

The “beautiful game” has given us a peek at how the rest of the world is preparing for the big event, and has afforded us an opportunity to learn from other cultures.

This image of Irans national soccer team player (Ali Daei) talking to a “female journalist” made me immediately stop complaining about needing a new bathing suit.

An awesome display in Germany! (L) A pontoon carrying two huge video screens was fixed on the river Main today in Frankfurt. During the World Cup, which runs from June 9 to July 9, thousands of people can watch all the FIFA World Cup games live on the screens in this “public viewing area”. (R) Why post an image of the parliament building in Lisbon? Because Portugal’s lawmakers said they have changed their schedule on the day of a key World Cup match between the country and Mexico next month so that members of parliament could watch the game.

Tomorrow, England will play Hungary in an international friendly match at Old Trafford Stadium. And what a nice memento to bring home from the match(L)-World War II replica soldiers’ helmets! Beijing has got big balls (R). Inflated soccer balls motivate and celebrate the World Cup at the Workers Stadium in Beijing. China has a massive following of football fans that will be cheering for their favorite teams but not the home-nation, which failed to qualify for this year’s tournament.

Even the Albanians are pumped up! A poster with hot English soccer god David Beckham is displayed in the center of Kosovo capital Pristina, as well as a poster (R) of Beck’s and Brazilian Athlebrity Roberto Carlos.

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

BARRY BONDS

Fans scrambled to catch Barry Bonds historic 715th homerun ball, but only one fan prevailed. A very happy Andrew Morbitzer nabbed Barry’s ball while he was standing in line to buy a couple of beers.

The ball dropped onto an elevated platform beyond the fence and sat there few minutes before rolling off the roof and falling into Morbitzer’s beer.

RAPHAEL NADAL

Rafael Nadal has earned his spot in the history books. Nadal defeated Robin Soderling in their first round match during the French Open today, 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 and erases the record of 53 consecutive wins on clay held by former Argentinean tennis ace Guillermo Vilas(r) in 1977. This is Nadal’s 16th tournament title, and ties Bjorn Borg’s record for victories by a teenager.

Rafael Nadal is seen playing the match on a big screen behind a statue of French tennis legend Jean Borotra outside the Roland Garros stadium.

BRONSON ARROYO

Hot Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo should stick to mound and not singing, however, he gets a free pass for charity events. Arroyo and Raquel Aurilia, wife of Rich Aurilia, and the local band Screaming Mimes will jam June 15 in the Madison Theatre in Covington, Ky. Proceeds go to the Reds Community Fund, which supports local youths.

DAVID BECKHAM

Any reason to write about Beckham. Yesterday, David Beckham smiled.

WORLD CUP

One sexy beast to watch in the World Cup is Argentina’s Leandro Cufre (L) and of course, the hottest Argentinean player, Hernan Crespo (R). Argentina will play Angola in a pre-World Cup friendly match on Tuesday. Argentina is in Group C during the World Cup and will play against the Ivory Coast, Serbia and Montenegro and the Netherlands.

An Indian painter sketches some of the world’s top football stars on a roadside wall, in Kolkata. Every four years India puts aside its obsession with cricket and jumps aboard the World Cup frenzy. TV viewership in India for past World Cups has been known to surpass that of England, Brazil and Argentina.

A giant football rises in front of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate in preparation for the World Cup. Germans have been encouraged to “loosen up” and even discuss “World War II” in a bid to change their image when a million foreign visitors invade the country for the World Cup.

The World Cup is living up to the hype and as they say “one ball can change the world.” A Pakistani man walks past a giant promotional billboard showing some of the world’s hottest soccer players (Ronaldinho (L) and Roberto Carlos), in Islamabad. Pakistan’s representation in the World Cup is limited to sending a few hundred balls to be used in practice sessions, and to the presence of three Pakistan Football Federation officials at the opening ceremony.

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

BYE-BYE BABE

The hit was heard around the world today, as Barry Bonds slammed magic homerun number 715 and claimed sole possession of the number two spot on the all time list. Bonds’ milestone was celebrated in style and with due respect, by Barry’s hometown crowd in San Francisco as the Giants took on the Rockies.

CAMILO VILLEGAS

Athlebrity favorite, Camilo Villegas, completed the Fed-Ex St. Jude Classic today tied for 17th.

Although he didn’t win the event, he won over the crowd. Throngs of Camilo fans, mainly female, were prowling the greens to get a glimpse of the infamous ‘Camilo Crawl’. Unfortunately, we didnt get to see it.

INDY 500

Lance Armstrong can do it all, and today he did. Armstrong drove the pace car in today’s Indianapolis 500 and was presented the helmet worn by hot, hot, hot Indy driver Tony Kanaan of Brazil. Armstrong also presented the drivers with bicycles for the pre-Indy warm ups.

TRASH TALKING ROGER FEDERER
Roger Federer is getting cockier by the minute. Federer now contends that Raphael Nadal is getting “coaching tips” during the matches. (Coaching tips are a big no-no in the rules book.) On Friday, Raphael Nadal was asked if his uncle and coach provides in-match instruction, something Federer claimed after losing to Nadal in Rome earlier this month. The reigning French Open champion, Nadal, responded in that sweet Spanish voice: “If my uncle didn’t receive a warning in Rome, it must be because he was abiding by the rules,” Nadal said. “If my uncle was truly giving me coaching tips, he would have gotten a warning. All he was doing was spurring me on, saying, ‘Vamos!’ (Let’s go!) ‘Venga!’ (Come on!) ‘Con fuerza!’ (Go for it!)…explain to me: What kind of rule is this that coaches can’t say anything during a match? In what other sport does that happen?” he asked. And what did our favorite Spanish export have to say about Federer after this? “I know he’s No. 1. He’s the best,” Nadal said. “He can beat me in every surface, any match.” Talk about a humble hottie, or was he being facetious? Nadal is 5-1 against Federer in their careers. After the most recent loss in Rome, cocky Federer pulled out his famous excuse for losing: “He (Toni Nadal) was coaching a little bit too much again today. Yeah, I caught him in the act.” Pa-leeze!

WORLD CUP

Another fabulous World Cup fan has lifted the bar, or bra, higher. Brazilian soccer hottie Cicinho was more than happy to oblige a request to autograph bra’s. Keep up the good work girls!

The shirts are coming off more than just the fans. Germanys Marvin Mapip reminds us that when soccer hotties get excited, they take off their shirts. God bless the World Cup.

Gotta give props to adidas for one upping-Nike so far in the World Cup advertising wars. A hot, giant poster of Germany’s sexy goalkeeper Oliver Kahn was unveiled at the Munich Airport today. The 65 meter long poster is part of an adidas campaign.

While Nike hangs a giant United States soccer team jersey on the parking garage of the Connecticut Convention Center today. Where’s the giant Landon poster?

The Ecuador fans scare me.

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

MAVERICKS
With the Suns and Mavericks duking it out for the West, I don’t know who to cheer for. Whoever wins the series will face either the Pistons or the Heat. My money is on the Pistons and I’d be happy to see either the Suns or Mav’s get spanked by the bad-boys of Detroit. The series is tied 1-1, with game three going down tomorrow.

Giving us a glimpse of heaven is Erick Dampier of the Mavericks (right) as he soaks his feet in the hot tub before he and co-hotties beat the Suns 105-98 Friday night. While another Maverick hottie, Jason Terry endorses the dress code exceptionally well.

Wonder how the fans are feeling about their Mavericks right now? I haven’t seen this much insanity and passion in the NBA for a long time.

SUNS

Raja Bell of the Suns looks hot in a tan blazer and nice jeans as he struts his fine self to the locker room before Friday night’s game, while Eddie House, Tim Thomas and Amare Stoudamire leave me breathless, as they get ready in the locker room before game two against the Mavericks.

PISTONS

Alonzo Mourning of the Miami Heat wants to kill Detroit Pistons fan Jamie Pomaville as he screams his painted head off at Game 2 Thursday.

LANCE ARMSTRONG GOES GRAND PRIX

Lance Armstrong attended the second free practice session of Monaco’s Formula One Grand Prix in Monte Carlo on May 25, and listens to hot Ferrari’s Formula One driver Michael Schumacher.

TENNIS WARM UPS

On the eve of the French Open tennis tournament, Spain’s sexiest export and defending champion Rafael Nadal, left, returns the ball to a kid during a street exhibition in Paris today.

WORLD CUP

English pop-star Robbie Williams played soccer for the England XI soccer team against the Rest of the World side, in the Soccer Aid Charity soccer match at Man-U’s Old Trafford Stadium today. The charity match pitted celebrities and ex professional hotties against each other to raise funds for UNICEF. England’s Athlebrity soccer legend Paul Gascoigne (R) chatted with Robbie before the match. Guess which team won the game?

RONALDINHO

Okay, we get it! Brazilian striker Ronaldinho is amazing. Here he does a somersault with the ball on his foot during a training session today. And no, I haven’t seen David Beckham do that.

LANDON DONOVAN

Finally, Landon Donovan gives us something to cheer for. Donovan celebrated the USA’s 2-0 win over Venezuela after their match on Friday at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Ohio. Thank you fans of the USA for showing some love and pride to team USA. And thank you for being hot! Love you guys!

Supermarkets in Munich are stocking the shelves with wine bottles, barbeque sauces and chocolate cream ‘Nutella’ treats decorated with soccer details in celebration of the World Cup. Only 15 companies were awarded the right to market goods with official World Cup logo and FIFA. I now send out a plea to anyone willing to send me a World Cup memento! Pa-leeze!

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

CAMILO VILLEGAS
After two rounds, Camilo Villegas is tied for 5th, with 4-under par at the Fed-Ex St. Judes Classic. That’s all I got for ya.

SIDNEY CROSBY
The sexy golden boy of hockey, Penguins’ Sidney Crosby has three-year endorsement deals with Pepsi, and Frito Lay (in Canada). Financial terms weren’t disclosed, but Crosby’s agent said that hottie is “already the most expensive active hockey player in the [NHL], with each endorsement deal commanding six figures or more.”

LEINART AND VICK?

Cardinals draft pick Matt Leinart (above) is filming a Nike commercial with HELLO, Michael Vick. Appearing along with Vick and Leinart will be Brian Urlacher and (it’s about time) LaDainian Tomlinson!

THIS ROAD GOES TO THE WRONG SPORT
Gatorade is airing a new ad promoting its affiliation with the hot U.S. men’s soccer team. Gatorade is the “official” drink of the US Soccer Federation and is also endorsed by the delicious thirst quencher Landon Donovan. Here’s the problem, the 30-second ad is called “The Road.” The spot has no dialogue and the only thing you hear is a version of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.” Is Gatorade aware that the upcoming ball game is soccer and not baseball?

BRAD PITT SNUBS THE OILERS

I wrote a little piece a while back about the NHL and their attempt to get celebrities to the games. So now, we’re in the midst of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs’ two-month stretch, and the celeb’s aint buying it. Oilers President & CEO Patrick LaForge answered a few questions from Sports Business Daily Senior Staff Writer Jon Show. Q: What is the strangest ticket request you’ve received this year? LaForge: We were asked to prepare a suite for Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt, who was in town shooting a movie. The Oilers arranged a private suite for the evening, as well as additional security, and then were informed at the last minute that Brad had decided to jet out for the weekend instead.

DIDIER DROGBA

Chelsea’s Didier Drogba, who will play in his first World Cup for the Ivory Coast, is now an Athlebrity. Drogba will appear in a tempting ad for the country’s cocoa. Ivory Coast Coffee & Cocoa Director Tano Kassi Kadio said the national soccer team has “become the vehicle for promoting Ivory Coast’s cocoa.” I would agree that Drogba is the best vehicle for selling yummy, yummy cocoa.

MY HERO

It was bound to happen-let’s all put our hands together for Sheila Soares. Sheila represents what we all want to do, and would do given half-a-chance. She mauled her favorite athlete, Ronaldinho, on the field during a training session today.

Word of caution to Hernan Crespo, Sheila has set the bar, so look out. Had I been in Rome today, I would have molested you upon arrival.

WAYNE ROONEY UPDATE

And finally, a bulldog update. Wayne Rooney arrived at his girlfriend mother’s house in Manchester today. Man-U issued a statement this morning saying that a scan showed that his broken right foot was healing as expected but the little hottie will need another scan June 14, which means that Rooney will miss the opening games and wont be able to resume full training until June 14 at the earliest. And pa-leeze, don’t shoot the messanger people.

Have a great weekend. As always, thanks for reading. Delinda

PEARL JAMMING WITH THEO EPSTEIN

Last night, Pearl Jam not only rocked Boston, but also gave them a little something extra. At 11:23 an “unknown” guitarist emerged on stage wearing a brown hoodie, a wig and a blue hat. Mr. X started jamming ‘Rockin in the Free World’ with Eddie Vedder and before the song was over, Mr. X revealed himself to be non-other than the newly engaged GM of the Red Sox, Theo Epstein.

TIKI TIME

Tonight, hot Giants running back Tiki Barber will debut his “issues-oriented” show on Sirius Satellite Radio called “Tiki Barber’s National Sweep.” The show tips off at 7:00 ET and runs for TWO HOURS. Tonight’s scheduled guests are U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Pro Football HOF Lawrence Taylor. This is the second show for Barber, he and twin brother Ronde already host a show on Sirius’ NFL channel during the season.

JEREMY BLOOM TIME

Eagles Owner Jeffrey Lurie appeared on NFL Network’s “NFL Total Access” the other night, where he discussed how hot Jeremy Bloom is: “We’ve probably gotten about 1,800 phone calls from mostly women in Philly (asking about Bloom). I even got a call from a fellow NFL owner whose daughter goes to (the Univ. of Pennsylvania) who said to me, ‘Look, she wasn’t interested in our draft, but she’s very interested in your draft. One favor: Can you please introduce her to Jeremy Bloom?’” Get in line sister!

FEDERER VS NADAL

The US Opens begins this weekend. My money is on the most humble hottie with the best arms in tennis, Raphael Nadal. Federer and his cocky attitude aren’t flying with me anymore, even if he is seeded number one. Go get him Raphael.

WAYNE ROONEY WAS SPOTTED!

Stop the press, Wayne Rooney could be fit in time for the World Cup. He was spotted as he entered the practice facility.

Soccer god’s, and double d-licious England players, Steven Gerrard, left, and David Beckham, top, watched the friendly soccer match England B v Belarus from the stands at the Madejski Stadium.

Hines Ward, (US Super Bowl MVP) watches the friendly between South Korea and Bosnia-Herzegovina at the Seoul World Cup stadium in Seoul. Wow- is Hines Ward really still in SK?

BRAZILIN BRUTALITY

So this is the secret to good training? Brazils Edmilson (L) tortures teammate Roberto Carlos while Ronaldo Nazario (R) watches.

And yes, we’re gonna get us some Landon Donovan at the World Cup. Hottie was in fine form during practice at Cleveland Browns Stadium yesterday, and Drew Carey seems to be the only celebrity supporting our team.

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

BITCH SLAP
First and foremost, I have to bitch slap not only Duke University, but more importantly, the women’s lacrosse team. Rubbing salt in the wounds of the woman who was allegedly raped by members of the men’s lacrosse team, the women’s team plans to wear sweatbands with the word “Innocent” written on them. “Ignorant” would have been more fitting. Junior Leigh Jester, one of the Mensa rejects who plays on the women’s team said: “We want to win a national championship for ourselves, but definitely also for the university and the men’s team…they don’t really have a chance to play their season, which is a shame.” How about the fact that a woman was allegedly raped- isnt that a shame? The team even had the balls to invite former men’s lacrosse coach Mike Pressler to speak to the team after a practice Tuesday. A university spokesman said Wednesday that the school had no objections to either the sweatbands or the invitation to Pressler. “They don’t clear those things with us ever,” said John Burness, Duke’s vice-president for public affairs. “We’re not sitting here looking over people’s shoulders quite that much.” Why the hell not? Maybe if you were looking over “shoulders” and doing your job, this entire incident may not have happened. It seems to me that this is the time for Dukes public affairs office to be a little more involved.

SWIM WITH HOTTIES

Sexy swimmer Ryan Lochte has signed with Speedo to a ten-year contract through 2016. This deal is “virtually unprecedented in its duration.” The hottest part about it? Peter Carlisle, who reps Lochte is producing fantasy and swim camps for this summer. One such fantasy camp is June 16-17 in Atlanta, and for $745, a camper can “take classes and get a one-on-one session” with Olympic Gold Medallists Michael Phelps, Ian Crocker or Lenny Krayzelburg. Carlisle: “It’s never been done before, but I think it shows potential to be a good revenue generator.” This Carlisle guy is a genius. Sign me up!

CAMILO VILLEGAS

Our favorite lawn-kat is crawling around the Fed-Ex St. Jude’s classic, which runs through Sunday. Villegas is currently tied for 22nd, and looking mighty sexy as he does. In the first round, Camilo hit three bogies and three birdies, leaving him with an even status. Unfortunately, and as predicted, media coverage of Camilo is scarce.

PEARL JAMMING AT FENWAY

Hot young Red Sox GM Theo Epstein chilled out with Pearl Jam at Tuesday’s Yankees-Red Sox game from Epstein’s private box at Fenway Park. Additionally, Epstein’s ‘A Foundation to be Named Later’ charity will match Pearl Jams donation of $1 from each ticket sold at last night’s concert in Boston to the Horizons For Homeless Children.

THE GREAT WALL OF HOTTIES

Dwight Howard and TJ Ford posed with a photo of themselves and hang a banner on the Great Wall of China today. Both hotties are counselors at this year’s Adidas Asia Superstar camp taking place at the Beijing Sports University.

APOLO OHNO GOES HOLLYWOOD
Hot Olympic Gold Medal-winning speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno said that he “may be done with competitive skating…I am living in L.A., exploring the entertainment industry.”

ANDY RODDICK STILL CAN’T FIND HIS MOJO

Andy Roddick should follow the lead of Apolo Ohno and move to L.A. to enjoy his Athlebrity status, because he certainly can’t mojo it up anymore on the court. A-Rod hurt his left foot yesterday at the World Team Cup and was forced to retire from the match in the first set. “I don’t know how bad it is yet,” Roddick said. “It’s not responding to movement very well when you try to flex it…I slid and kind of went over on it and felt something clip or pop. I wasn’t able to really step on it, much less move, so it was pointless just going through the motions out there,” Roddick said. The boo-boo comes just four days before the French Open begins and Andy isnt sure where his mojo has gone. “It’s just annoying. It’s disappointing. I feel like every time there’s progress being made something happens and there’s a little bit of a setback…I’ve been hitting the ball great in practice since I’ve been over here and I was really excited. I felt like I started serving well again. If it’s not one thing it’s another right now. I’m just a little unlucky right now.”

U2 IS TAKING OVER THE WORLD
ESPN and ABC Sports have unveiled a new marketing campaign for this summer’s FIFA World Cup. The incredible spots called “One Game Changes Everything,” currently features four TV spots, and a fifth featuring the U.S. National Team is currently in production.

Each spot is narrated by a member of U2 and features their inspirational music.
“Anthem” features “City of Blinding Lights” with a voiceover that says a “simple thing” like a ball or a goal can “drastically change the world” as teams gather to play the World Cup. “Sick Days” features “Beautiful Day,” and tells viewers how “sick days around the world in the month of June increase by 300%, and yet not one employee is fired.” “Ivory Coast” spot features “Where the Streets Have No Name,” and says how peace came to the war-torn Ivory Coast after it qualified for its first-ever World Cup. “Tartan Army” features “I Will Follow” and chronicles how the majority of the Scotland will faithfully follow the tournament and still cheer for Scotland despite the fact that their team did not qualify for the Cup. The unnamed fifth spot featuring the U.S. team will include an undetermined U2 song. The spot will examine why the U.S. team does not generate headlines or big crowds here in the U.S. How about “Pride.” In the name of love people, hop on the World Cup bandwagon.
“It’s a simple thing – just a ball and a goal,” said Bono. Or, as he puts it in one of the spots ‘If history means anything, the world as we know it, is about to change!’

WORLD CUP
The best dressed hotties in the World Cup have to be the Italians. Their new suits, team uniforms and jerseys have been designed by Dolce & Gabbana.

Alessandro Del Piero, left, and Agelo Peruzzi were giddy while waiting for the official photo shoot in their new garb (left image), as were Francesco Totti, center, Filippo Inzaghi, left, and Marco Amelia.

Yummy! Italy’s soccer team hotties, from left, Gianluigi Buffon, Angelo Peruzzi, Alessandro Del Piero, and Fabio Cannavaro, look fabulous in the new official suits of the Italian team.

WHERE’S ROONEY?

Press photographers make fools of themselves on a wall outside the BUPA Hospital in England, hoping for a glimpse of injured Athlebrity Wayne Rooney. The little bulldog returned to the hospital today for an MRI on his broken foot. England’s team doctors have to inform FIFA by May 30 if they expect Wayne Rooney to recover in time to take part in the World Cup.

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

APPLE AND NIKE TEAM UP
Yesterday, Apple and Nike unveiled a product line that will mix running shoes with iPods. The cool system integrates footwear with an iPod Nano to allow audible tracking of distance, time, pace, calories burned, and music.

You’ll need the iPod Nano, which starts at $149, AND the special Nike shoes. The $100 Nike + Air Zoom Moire will be the first footwear that works with the system and will be available beginning July 13. Six more compatible kicks are expected to be on sale before the end of the year.

A NEW GAME FOR CURT SHILLING

Today it was announced that it’s finally your chance to play Curt Shilling in EverQuest. The Boston Red Sox pitcher plays an “epically awesome, loot-dropping” virtual bad guy who battles unwary players. And it’s all for a good cause. Shilling’s character will reside within the online world of EQII for three days during the Yankees vs. Red Sox series (June 5-7). During this time, fans can register for and log into EverQuest II at www.battleals.com to challenge the evil Schilling character, appropriately named “Curt Schilling.” Every time a player defeats the virtual Schilling character, Sony Online Entertainment (creators of EverQuest II) will make a donation of $5 dollars (up to a maximum of $10,000) to the ALS Association, (ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). After the three-day Yanks-Sox series, Curt’s character will remain within the game as an enemy. At the launch on June 5th, Schilling’s 10-year-old son, Gehrig will be one of the first to battle his virtual dad in-game.

BRING ON THE THUNDER DOME
Athlebrity George Foreman headlined a press release yesterday for the upcoming Superfighter gladiatorial elimination boxing tournament and unveiled the Superfighter belt.

Foreman slung the leather belt bearing the Superfighter logo “Nothing compares” in hammered steel over his shoulder and claimed, “I should be named the real Superfighter, because I’m the only boxer who ever beat five other fighters in one day!” (He speaks the truth. Toronto, 1975, 5 men fell to the mighty boxer). Superfighter co-founder and CEO Stephen Duval announced the lineup for this testosterone filled event: Chris Byrd, Former IBF World Champion 39-3 (20 KO); O’Neil Bell, WBC & IBF Cruiserweight No 1, 26-1 (24 KO); Steve Cunningham WBC Cruiserweight No 1, 19-0 (10 KO); Samuel Peter WBC No 3, 25-1 (21 KO); Shannon Briggs, WBC No 7, 45-4 (40 KO); Alexander Povetkin, 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist, 7-0 (5 KO); Tye Fields, Looking for his shot, 36-1 (33 KO). Unfortunately, the event has been rescheduled for the fall of this year in Melbourne, Australia, due to contract negotiations with some of the fighters. However, the second Superfighter event, aka the “red hot middleweight division” is being planned for New York City in 2007. See my blog posted May 8th for the dirty details of this slugfest, and check out www.superfighter.tv.

NO NUMBER 5 FOR REGGIE BUSH

Looks like the closest number to 5 Reggie Bush will get to wear is 25, that is, if Fred McAfee stays true to his word and sells it to Bush. The decision to deny Bush’s request was made by the “committee” after two, count them, TWO, conference calls and the issue was also never discussed by the owners! Atlanta general manager Rich McKay, co-chairman of the competition “committee” said Tuesday that the committee had recommended against Bush’s request for his college number because the committee is comprised of Mensa rejects. “Nobody is comfortable that an exception be made to the policy and no one is confident that there will ever be a change,” McKay said at the NFL owners meetings-ah, wait a minute, the issue was never discussed with the owners-so what the hell is going on here. Is the “committee” really sugar daddy to the NFL?

HOT, HOTTER AND HOTTEST

Last weekend, (R to L) Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, and Vince Young posed for a drool-worthy photo during the Reebok NFL Players Rookie Premiere at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

And despite the fact that he’s tainted himself with Paris, Matt Leinart, remains at the top the Athlebrity favorites list. A word of caution for Leinart, the last Athlebrity to lock-lips with the poisonous vixen ended up loosing ALL of his mojo.

WORLD CUP

Italy’s national soccer team Gianluca Zambrotta, left, Fabio Cannavaro, center, and Mauro German Camoranesi run towards me during a practice session at the Coverciano training grounds. The hot Italians will play in Group E with the United States, Czech Republic and Ghana.

Manchester United’s little bulldog Wayne Rooney wore a protective cast on his injured foot on May 7. Manchester United have said that club doctor Mike Stone, who was treating Rooney, has left “because of a difference of opinion”. Yeah- he probably doesn’t want Rooney to play and Man-U is pushing for the young stud to hit the field.

Wanna freak people out? The Conta Optic GmbH company released two different contact lens designs in celebration of the upcoming World Cup. The contacts are available in the German national colors, or in a soccer ball pattern. If ya gotta have ‘em, go to www.contaoptic.de.

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

NBA PLAYOFFS

Thank you Dallas Mavericks. Finally, the NBA playoff coverage wont be dominated by Eva Longoria. Eva and her Spurs went jingle-jangle right out of the playoffs, as the Mavericks spanked the Spurs 119-111 in overtime. Mark Cuban went Brokeback on a bewildered Josh Howard (center) after the win.

The sun went down on the Clippers last night as the Phoenix Suns eliminated the Clippers from the semifinals. Elton Brand (above right) of the Clippers talks with the media after the loss. He didn’t, however, mention his production company. Gibraltar Entertainment, the production company that Elton Brand owns 50% of, has been named in four lawsuits since the beginning of this year! None allege any wrongdoing by Brand, but they do illustrate how important it is for athletes to know what the hell they are doing before investing in a company. One attorney said that Brand “settled a $250,000 claim out of his own funds to end a lawsuit.”

NBA X-MEN
With the release of “X-Men: The Last Stand” scheduled for Friday, 20th Century Fox followed up a cross-promotion it did on FX’ coverage of the Nextel All-Star Challenge.

Last night, during the Mavericks-Spurs game, a 15-second promo aired with movie footage interspersed with NBA game action, with the copy “The Last Stand 5-26-06” and “The NBA Playoffs Continue” across the bottom of the screen. The spot featured hot Nets forward Vince Carter with wings on his back similar to the “X-Men” character “Angel,” Shaq imitating the way “Juggernaut” runs through people and walls, and Steve (I’m bored with you) Nash’s passes with lightning bolts emanating from him, a reference to the character “Storm.”

FROM JORDAN TO GORDON

Last week sexy Bull Ben Gordon launched his new White Tea based Energy Drink “BG7.” The yummy tea is being produced and marketed by HTRE. Now, Gordon and Harlem Hip Hop hottie Juelz Santana have agreed to be principal partners in HTRE’s flagship HipHopSodaShop store on 125th Street in Harlem. “It’s time for every one of us to start giving back,” said Gordon, “HTRE is all about investing in our own culture and in our own communities…the store on 125th alone will create about one hundred new jobs…we’re setting up scholarship programs and computer giveaways to make equal educational opportunity our top priority. I’ve also obtained the exclusive SodaShop rights to Chicago from H3 and look forward to working with my teammates on the Bulls to bring good health, great entertainment, and economic empowerment to all the communities across the Windy City.” More details will be announced at a press conference Thursday in Manhattan and I’m hoping it’s led by H3’s Director of Corporate Communications, Adrian Walton, who may wanna lay off the Tony Robbins tapes for awhile: “We’re in the process of putting partnerships like this together all over the USA! Hooking up the biggest stars in the NBA with the baddest rappers around to get our SodaShops popping everywhere! It’s time to get the party started so just keep watching America! You’re about to find out what H3Teamwork is all about.”

Juelz inked his deal with HTRE in February and performed at the HipHopSodaShop booth during the NBA All Star Weekend. Juelz is making the rounds, as he recently appeared on BET’s 106th and Park to talk about- guess what? His new HipHopSodaShop! He’s hot and nasty and I love this Hip Hop Soda Shop stuff. Check out Juelz website (*Parental advisory!*) at www.santanastown.com, or to view the video visit hiphopsodashop.com.

JEROME BETTIS GETS BREWED

Pittsburgh Brewing Co. is producing more than 50,000 cases of limited-edition beer cans and bottles with the image of former hot Steeler Jerome Bettis on them. In case you were wondering, Bettis isnt profiting from this frothy deal. The brewery paid an undisclosed amount to Bettis’ The Bus Stops Here Foundation for the rights to his image.

ROGER FEDERER REIGNS ARROGANT
Roger Federer is one hottie who no longer gets the benefit of the doubt. After his whoa-is-me loss to Spain’s hottest export, Raphael Nadal, Federer still hasn’t learned how to be humble.

In fact, Federer speaks like a boxer. “I’ve never beaten him on clay but every time I’ve played him I’ve got closer and closer and I should have won in Rome… I really hope we do play (in Paris),” the 24-year-old Swiss told reporters at the Laureus World Sports awards on Monday. When asked what he could do to beat Nadal, Federer said: “Nothing more. I should have won. I was one shot away.” If Federer can win in Paris, we will never hear the end of it-as he would become the first man to hold all four grand slams at the same time. The only thing standing between Federer and the title is Raphael Nadal. The two will compete in at the French Open in Paris May 28th-June 11th. Both hotties were recognized at the Laureus Sports Award show. Nadal won the Newcomer of the Year Award, and Federer won the World Sportsman of the Year Award for the second straight year, joining Tiger Woods as the only back-to-back winner of the top award. How or why Federer deserves this is beyond me, as it certainly doesn’t put him anywhere near the same class as Tiger.

Speaking of the sexy beast, Tiger Woods and Ernie Els have created the Friendship Cup in which junior golfers from their foundations will meet every year to play a three-day match and learn about the others’ background and cultures. The first match will be held July 2-8 at Edgewood Valley Country Club in La Grange, Illinois.

LENNOX LEWIS PLAYS CHESS

Today, former boxer Lennox Lewis will compete in speed chess matches at online gaming site www.king.com. Opponents can win $1,000 by beating the worlds hottest retired boxer. “For me, playing chess takes the stress away, which is why I enjoyed playing when I was training,” Lennox, who retired from boxing in February 2004, said in a statement. “The sports are similar in that it’s one-on-one, and in boxing, it helped me prepare a strategy to beat my opponent.

According to the Sun Online, Evander Holyfield is coming out of retirement in order to become “The Real Deal” again. Guess those grills didn’t sell very well? The Sun reports that Holyfield has sent a shout-out to Lennox Lewis to also come out of retirement and fight for the world title once again. (yawn) Speaking to Neil Custis of the Sun, Holyfield said: “I would love to fight Lennox again. Not just in any old fight but for a world title…the first time we fought he could have won — the second time I thought I should have got the decision. It would be great to have a third fight. But I don’t know if I can draw him out of retirement.” How about we stick to the next generation of young, hot boxers and rid boxing of its corruption. And by the way Evander, everyone who watched the first fight knows you really lost. Greased palms anyone?

WORLD CUP

One of England’s hottest men alive, David Beckham, signs autographs on the helmets of workers in Wembley stadium, which is currently under construction. England will play against Paraguay, Sweden and Trinidad and Tobago in Group B.

Spain’s national soccer coach Luis Aragones, points to a crazy redheaded female fan going nuts on the sidelines as Raul Gonzalez sits during a training session just outside of Madrid yesterday. Gonzalez was discouraged from “sitting in such a provocative way.”

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