RAFAEL NADAL AND HIS BICEPS CRUSH OPPONENT

French Open defending champion, Rafael Nadal defeated Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in their quarterfinal match today. Nadal was so hot on the court that Djokovic retired with a back injury after losing the first two sets.

VIVA LA LANCE!

In support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, PowerBar today introduced the PowerBar LIVE WELL LIVESTRONG campaign. The hot program includes a sweepstakes, an educational mobile tour and a retail program that includes Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Markets stores. PowerBar will support the campaign’s efforts with a $200,000 donation to the LAF and will feature the Foundation’s signature yellow wristband on the wrappers of Powerbars. PowerBar kicks off the campaign today with the launch of the PowerBar sweepstakes. One lucky winner will receive the grand prize package — a donation to the LAF in the winner’s name and a trip to Austin, Texas, to meet the hottie himself during the LAF’s annual Ride For the Roses fundraising event in October 2006. Another lucky winner will receive a cycling jersey autographed by Lance. You have until August 22 to register enter.
Visit www.powerbar.com/promo/livewelllivestrong/ for more info.

SIDNEY CROSBY IS GOLD

Rep’s for hockey hottie Sidney Crosby are in talks about an endorsement deal with Subway. Hottie is also apparently being chased by American Express and “a large auto maker” such as General Motors Corp. Most pro hockey players with endorsement contracts earn between $10,000-90,000 a year, but Crosby is so hot, that sources claim he is to receive at least” $500,000 per deal, and as much as $600,000 just from the Subway deal! Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, said that “no deal has been finalized [and] he’s still in talks with four restaurant chains and three domestic auto makers about Crosby.”

BLAME IT ON TOM CRUISE
We’ve all had some exposure to Scientology via Hollywood celebrities. While I’m not a Scientology expert, my understanding is that after you have completed the necessary steps to become “clear” a spaceship will return and pick you up. In keeping with the times, Scientology may now switch from the spaceship and use a NASCAR car to pick up its followers instead.

Bridge Publications’ “Dianetics”, the L. Ron Hubbard book about the “religion” is sponsoring a Freedom Motorsports car in a lower-tier NASCAR series. Bridge Publications Senior VP Mark McKinstry said of the move, “Dianetics is the number one self-help best seller; NASCAR is the number one spectator sport in America. It seemed like a perfect match for us.” Making this even more painful,
Freedom Motorsports CEO Grant Cardone said that the Scientology “principles of removing stress and self-doubt will give the Scientologist driver an edge.” The team, headed by driver Kenton Gray, will debut Saturday at a NASCAR Weekly Series race at Irwindale Speedway in California.

JASON GRIMSLEY: LEADED OR UNLEADED?

13 Federal agents raided the home of D’Backs Pitcher Jason Grimsley for six hours yesterday. The Feds were looking for evidence that could identify him as a distributor of human growth hormone [HGH], which is illegal but undetectable in urine tests. Agents would not comment on what they found during the raid, but in case they’re reading, and one of them snagged a jersey, could you send it to me? Investigators who cracked the bullshit Balco steroid scandal said Grimsley initially cooperated in the ‘probe’. Grimsley stopped talking in April, but not before he allegedly made “extensive statements” about illegal drug use, “for the purpose of performance enhancement,” according to the court documents. IRS Agent Jeff Novitsky told the judge that investigators wanted to search Grimsley’s crib for “any and all records showing contact or relationship with any and all amateur or professional athletes, athletic coaches or athletic trainers” regarding illicit drug use and purchases. Grimsley failed a league drug test in 2003. Authorities said when he was cooperating, he admitted to using human growth hormone, amphetamines and steroids. The Mensa reject also added that amphetamine use was prevalent in pro baseball, and that it was placed in coffee in clubhouses, marked “leaded” or “unleaded.” Novitsky also calims that Grimsley told him the names of other players he believed were using, but the names of those players were blacked out of the court records. “I have no comment about that and no idea about that,” Grimsley told the Arizona Republic on Tuesday, hours before the Diamondbacks played the Phillies. Grimsley spent the game in the bullpen and warmed up at one point. Arizona lost the game 10-1.

WORLD CUP OPENING CEREMONY

Friday is almost here, and with it comes the World Cup! The 30-minute opening ceremony in Munich on Friday will be held prior to the opening Costa Rica-Germany match, will feature native music, hip-hop songs, and (I couldn’t make this up) ‘flying women’ who will be lifted to the top of [the] stadium. The kick-off party will include 170 past World Cup hotties, including the legendary Pele and Diego Maradona. In this photo, fans walk under a huge screen over the Boulevard ‘Strasse des 17. Juni’ where the central Fan-Party for the soccer World Cup takes place today in Berlin. The ‘Fan Mile’ can house up to 400,000 soccer fans. Party time!

RONALDINHO HURTS HIS….

A very lucky doctor gets to check on Ronaldinho’s injury after an elastic rope hit him during a training session today. Anyone see what I see?

Italy’s Francesco Totti (L) drives my libido crazy, and as does goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon (R). Italy’s chance of winning lies on the beautiful shoulders of Totti, who is coming back after a nasty ankle injury. Italy will play in Group E with USA, Czech Republic and Ghana. Group E is officially known as the “Group of Death.” Italy has three world champion titles under their boot. The Czech Republic has been called “stunningly fluid” and Ghana is making their first World Cup appearance. Hope for Ghana comes in the form of Chelsea’s hot Michael Essien, who was acquired last year by Chelsea for $43 million big ones.

Hot, hot, hot Calvin Klein model and world famous Athlebrity, Freddie Ljungberg of Sweden sits on a ball while co-hottie Henrik Larsson stretches behind him. Sweden has ten World Cup appearances and one second place finish.

It just keeps better and better. England’s sexiest players and Chelsea teammates John Terry, left, and Frank Lampard pose for photographs on a bridge in Germany today.

England’s little bulldog, Wayne Rooney went to a private hospital in Manchester, England today. Rooney flew back from Germany for a scan on his injured right foot. Hopefully, the scan will determine whether he’ll be able to play in the World Cup.

England has my estrogen going haywire.

In the church of Athlebritolgy, David Beckham is God. Beckham, second left, puts on a heart rate monitor, while Frank Lampard, left, Gary Neville, bottom, and John Terry, right, prepare during an England national soccer squad training session in Germany. God, (R) stretches during the squad training while I check my heart rate.

Let’s also give some love to the Costa Rican team. The hotties wait for their ICE highspeed train to whisk them away to Munich. Costa Rica will play Germany in the opening match on Friday. I suspect this may be the last we see of this team. Germany is gonna be difficult to beat, as they have 15 World Cup appearances and three titles.

Czech player Pavel Nedved gets some love. Sexy Czech Athlebrity Nedved came out of retirement-thank god- and kicked ass during their playoff matches to bring team Czech to their first World Cup appearance. I even had a local chef bring a soccer field shaped cake to welcome the Czech hotties at the airport in Germany today.

WORLD CUP CELEBRATIONS

A larger-than-life poster (L) of Argentina’s soccer hottie Lionel Messi hangs from a high-rise bank building in the center of Frankfurt. A shop window is decorated with a poster of Brazilian soccer player Roberto Carlos (R).

Against the backdrop of a billboard advertising the World Cup, a group of fans from Palestine are stopped by Israeli soldiers as they have their identification checked at a checkpoint near the West Bank town of Ramallah. As World Cup fever sweeps soccer-mad Arab countries, Mideast governments are scrambling to make sure fans will be able to see the games. But not for free. A Saudi billionaire scooped up exclusive broadcasting rights across the region and is charging stiff fees to watch. Can you say ass-hole! The Arabic writing on the billboard reads, “World Cup 2006, Winning until the end!”

South Korean team members, Darae and Arong, warm-up during a soccer match held in hopes of the South Korean soccer team’s success in the World Cup. South Korea will face France, Togo and Switzerland in the World Cup Group G. This will be the sixth World Cup appearance for the team, with their best finish, 4th place, in 2002. South Korea is going to have a difficult time beating France and Thierry Henry.

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