DON JUAN: CAMILO VILLEGAS

There is an angel in Orlando Florida by the name of Elena. Elena, like the rest of us, is a fan of Camilo Villegas and understands the need to feed. This astute reader sent me a link to a cover article of our kat in the latest edition of Don Juan Magazine. The interview was done in Texas, and although it’s in Spanish, I understand ‘El swing de Camilo Villegas: Es la sensacion del PGA. Tiene miles de fans en los Estados Unidos’ just fine. The photos, to say the least, are phenomenal. Click here for the Camilo spread, click on the menu button and follow the link to El swing de Camilo Villegas…for your daily viewing pleasure and convenience, a permanent link has also been added to this site.

DIKEMBE MUTOMBO HAS POWER

The NBA and the Magic have banned the Mensa reject who called Dikembe Mutombo a ‘monkey’ during a preseason game last Thursday night, and have yanked his season tickets. Hooman Hamzehloui wrote a letter to Mutombo offering an apology, and solidified his reject status by claiming that he didn’t know using the word ‘monkey’ was bad. “I would like to take a moment of your time to offer a complete and unconditional apology for my poor behavior, and in particular, my poor choice of words last Thursday night while attending the Houston-Orlando basketball game,” the letter reads. “I am by no means a racist, and if you only knew me better you would never begin to have those thoughts. What I am guilty of is poor judgment in the use of words while doing what I do to many of the visiting team’s players, ‘heckle them.’” Hamzehloui also said that he “would not attend another Magic game until Mutombo gives the team his approval and that he would donate $5,000 to a charity of Mutombo’s choice.” Obviously, its nice for the idiot to bow to Mutombo and “not attend” another game, but what part of BANNED doesn’t’ he understand? NBA VP/Basketball Communications Tim Frank said that the investigation into the incident is now closed, and that Mutombo “will not be fined” for attempting to go into the stands to beat the shit outta Hooman.

SEEING STARS

Yesterday, Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Hotties (L-R) Kwame Brown, Luke (grow you hair back) Walton and Ronny Turiaf joked around on the red carpet for a reception honoring Buss at Level 3 in Hollywood. And where there’s free drinks and hotties, there’s Paris Hilton, who got her paws all over Sasha Vujacic…also Tom Arnold and John Salley were in da house. Can anyone tell me what the hell is wrong with Tom Arnold? Sporting jeans, a dirty shirt and I-just-rolled-outta-a-cave look?

NBA TIP OFF

The NBA season officially opens tonight and this girl couldn’t be happier. Celebrating the delicious tip-off, USA Today runs a front-page cover story on Lebron James and Dwyane Wade under the header, “LeBron or D-Wade: Who is the Best in the NBA?” Commissioner Stern, when asked his opinion, said, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if the answer to your question is, ‘None of the above?’ Stern said the league has more talent than ever…Could he be referring to Nuggets nugget Carmelo Anthony? The Denver Post ran a great interview with Melt-in-my-mouth, where the hottie discusses everything from being put on a pedestal next to Wade and Lebron, to his pending fatherhood…ouch.

MOST MARKETABLE NBA PLAYER?
They call it “marketable” but I call it Hot. The SportsBusiness Daily conducted a survey of 61 sports marketing and media executives and asked them who was the most marketable hottie in the NBA. All respondents were asked to list, in order, who they think are the five most marketable hotties (rookie or veteran) in the NBA. Points were awarded on a five-point scale, with five points for a first-place vote, four points for second place, three points for third, etc. The top ten reads looks like a fantasy roster created by my libido…

Lebron James received 59% of all first place votes, followed by Heat treat Dwyane Wade (25%) and Big Daddy Shaq (12%). Lakers cry baby Kobe Bryant and Yao Ming round out the top five. Spots 5-10 are occupied by perhaps the finest athletes in the NBA…Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, Kevin Garnett, Carmelo Anthony and Tony Parker. Yummy. “Dwyane, LeBron and Carmelo are emerging as the new class of NBA superstars,” said Davie-Brown Talent Client Manager Conor McCarthy. “Their stardom is making them incredibly marketable.” Citing James’ and Wade’s exceptional performances in last season’s playoffs, IMG Consulting Senior VP David Abrutyn said, “The 2006 NBA Playoffs will be looked upon by marketers as the coming of age of the next generation of NBA superstars.”

LOVE CONNECTION

Chelsea beast Didier Drogba has been spotted “playing” around with his teammate Geremi during training at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. I’d like to think it has something to do with me, but maybe the frisky babes in blue are just giddy in anticipation of their big game against FC Barcelona in the Group A UEFA Champions today? Which reminds me…the game is on and I gotta watch.

Happy Halloween…As always, thanks for reading. Delinda
delinda@athlebrities.com

ROGER FEDERER

I hate to do it, but I gotta give love to Roger Federer who fulfilled his boyhood dream with his first career title, indoors, at the Swiss Indoors ATP tourney. This is the first time I’ve seen real enthusiasm at a victory…the funny smile and genuine ‘trophy’ kiss warmed me up a little…that is, until he opened his mouth. “It is indeed magnificent,” Federer said. “Different countries, different titles, they all have a different meaning. Winning Basel, my home tournament, it’s one of those moments I’ll never forget.” Yes we know, you are magnificent…surprisingly, Federer has pulled out of the Paris Masters due to “fatigue.” Andy Roddick pulled out because he’s too busy chasing girls, and our sexy tapa, Rafael Nadal also pulled out due to an injury to his six-pack. Nadal described his injury as not serious and he should be back in full-bicep flexing action for the Masters Cup in Shanghai, November 12 to 19. “I woke up on Thursday morning feeling pain in my abdominals but I still decided to practice. Everything was ok until I started serving and felt pain at that stage. I practiced again on Friday but the pain got worse and I had to stop in the middle of the session. I decided to take an MRI on Saturday morning and they told me it showed a rupture of the fibre. I traveled to Paris to take another MRI and that showed that there was a rupture of 4.3mm.” I think I may have ruptured something when I read that, no?

CARDINALS HOTTIES

The team of redbirds displayed a few hotties during the St. Louis Cardinals World Series Victory Parade and Rally at Busch Stadium yesterday. Closer Adam Wainwright (L) and Albert Pujoles (C) stirred my maternal juices something fierce, while Jeff Weaver proved that he is indeed, much, much hotter, without the uniform-especially when his Calvin Klein’s are peeking out.

CAMILO VILLEGAS

While Adam Scott missed the cut, Camilo Villegas crawled his way to a 31st place finish and $29, 415 in winnings. The beast completed the Chrysler Championships at 1-under and effectively went unnoticed by the photographers who were too busy capturing K.J. Choi and his incredible 13-under finish. I honestly believe that we are seeing less and less coverage of Camilo because the powers-that-be want us focused on his game, not his sexy yoga moves. With that said, only 10 days left until AT&T delivers us into Camilo’s house via their See How They Live campaign…

THE QUIET EYE
I read this interesting article about how scientists in Canada have discovered the exact spots hockey goalies need to watch to successfully block shots. Using ‘elite’ goalies as guinea pigs, researchers discovered these goalies focused directly on the puck nearly a full second before the shot was released nearly three-quarters of the time. They also concentrated on the ice in front of the stick when it came to a quarter of all shots. Their gaze was only on the body of the shooter 2 percent of the time. This critical moment of focus, prior to the action has been dubbed “the quiet eye” by researcher Joan Vickers at the University of Calgary. My eyes are never gonna be quiet, and I’ll never just watch the ‘body of the shooter’ for 2 percent of the time, especially when the shooter is off the ice. Last Thursday, for example, the Pittsburgh Penguins headed to Dick’s Sporting Goods at The Mall at Robinson for the annual Penguins Personal Shopping Day for Project Bundle-Up.

In conjunction with The Salvation Army, the ice-melting hotties helped disadvantaged children pick out warm clothing for the upcoming winter months. Each child was paired with a hottie as they shopped for coats, boots, gloves, hats, scarves…sexy Sidney Crosby and rookie Jordan Staal (R) could not have been any hotter. Staal helped one little girl get ‘pink’. “She was into pink, so I just dressed her from head to toe in pink and that was about it. It wasn’t very difficult,” he said with a smile. “It’s always nice just to come out and hang around with the little kids and have some fun with them. We’re just trying to help out and have a good time. I really enjoy doing this kind of stuff, I had a lot of fun today and I wouldn’t mind doing it again.” Goddamn these boys are cute! The full story can be read here. (Thanks to reader Chrissy for the heads-up on this delicious hot-points earning activity.)

DAVID BECKHAM
So I have temporarily lifted the David Beckham ban due to his recent press conference. It’s not what he said that’s important, it’s the photos. Beckham, who generates more Google alerts than anyone I know, has spent much of the season as a benchwarmer for Real Madrid. Becks’ status on the team has been downgraded to ‘substitute’ by Real’s new coach, but props to Becks for taking the spanking with a smile. “I am not considering any possibility of a transfer at the moment, my family and I are very happy in Madrid,” Beckham said. “I want to stay with Real Madrid because I believe in the (club) project and respect the coach.”

But In London, Neil Ashton reports that Beckham is “being offered the chance to end his career with [MLS Galaxy] by joining them next summer.” AEG Chair and Galaxy Owner Philip Anschutz “is confident that Beckham will move” to L.A., and he believes that he will “be able to persuade him to quit Real Madrid when his contract ends in June.” Just what Hollywood needs, another boring power-couple to obsess about.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES READ TO ACHIEVE

Dahntay Jones, Hakim Warrick, and Rudy Gay of the Memphis Grizzlies earn mega hot points for doing a little dance during the Memphis Grizzlies Read to Achieve Tip-Off today at Grahamwood Elementary School in Memphis, Tennessee. Superfine Mike Miller has got me reading to achieve a chance to run my hands through that wavy hair of his and, and…well, you know. Nothing is sexier than a hottie helping kids.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda
delinda@athlebrities.com

THOSE WET BIRDS

Admittedly, I’m not really a Cardinals fan. Sometimes I pick my hotties by uniform and there’s something about a man with two birds on his chest that just isnt sexy. But, there is something sexy about men who win the World Series and then douse themselves with beer, champagne, or Tequila. Destroying my ‘birds ain’t hot’ myth, the Cardinals won their first World Series since 1982 and effectively woke up my libido during the celebration.

Not only did Wheaties have the Chris Carpenter box ready before the game even started, but Albert Pujoles and his arms had me asking ‘hey daddy, wanna ‘nother’ when I saw his son on his big, strong shoulders…

Extra, hot points go to World Series MVP David Eckstein for switching from water to Tequila. But the real hot points go to a Tiger.

Aside from the post-series celebration, there is another highlight of the game that must be shared. During who-knows-what inning, Detroit Tigers pitcher Wilfredo Ledezma was in the dugout rubbing “balm” all over his tan, strong, buff, juicy, hot arm…. thank god for DVR’s because I rewound that shit about ten times.

IT WASN’T ME
The police chased two ‘burglary’ suspects through the woods and part of the Copperhead course yesterday during the Chrysler Championships. “Never had a manhunt out here,” Brian Gay said. *Note to Gay: there is always a manhunt when Camilo Villegas is playing. Gay was tied when he approached the third tee, and then backed off his shot when he heard the commotion. “The cops were racing up in a cart, running through the bushes and holding their gun,” Gay said. “We had to get out of the way. There were cops coming down the street. The chopper was overhead, and one of the cops said they (the suspects) were armed.” Danny Coulson, a security consultant for the PGA Tour, confirmed that it was not ME, or any of my wing girls attempting to molest Camilo Villegas or Adam Scott. Speaking of our sultry Burberry babe, he missed the cut…but Villegas is still alive.

VINCE YOUNG VISA

Bad credit? No problem. Now, fans of NFL stud Vince Young can spend and save on their own terms with the new Vince Young All- Access Visa Prepaid Card from NetSpend Corporation. The prepaid, reloadable debit, gift and travel card coincides with Young’s first NFL game against his hometown franchise, the Houston Texans. The card can be purchased now for $9.95 at authorized NetSpend agents in Texas and Tennessee. Starting November 28, fans can also purchase the card online at www.netspend.com.

WHO?

Former Inter Milan player Christian Vieri receives media attention after being questioned in Rome Friday, Oct. 27, 2006, by investigators…blah, blah, blah… Italian soccer federation…the alleged wiretapping and tailing of the striker…. whatever. Why the investigation? I can assure you, dude has more than one person tailing his fine, wiretapped ass.

DONATE A SMILE

Italian super studs Marco Materazzi and Fabio Grosso teamed up with Beppe Baresi, Giuseppe Bergomi, Paolo Maldini and a plethora of other athlebrities to take part in the first ‘Golden Award - Donate a Smile’ gala evening at the Hotel Marriott in Milan. Over 600 people attended Thursday’s event, which raised almost €100,000 to help finance a center for children and adults with psychiatric problems. I’m checking in on Monday.

DIEGO MARADONA

That feisty little Diego Maradona is all over the place. The hairy beast fielded questions at a press conference yesterday in San Salvador, before a match with ex Salvadorian members. Maradona criticized the US and its decision to build the ‘border wall’ with Mexico, and called it a “shame”. He said Mexican President Vicente Fox “should defend Mexicans, that are being killed like flies” for trying to cross illegally to the US. If Diego says “no wall”, then I say no wall. Speaking of walls, where the hell is Maradona’s World Cup bodyguard?

CHELSEA WINS

Chelsea beat Sheffield United today 2-0. Why? Because Jose Mourinho knows how to elicit passion from Frank Lampard and his boys, but mainly because Didier Drogba swats his opponents like flies.

ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO

Juventus hottie Alessandro del Piero…Juventus had its penalty in the Italian match-fixing scandal reduced by eight points on Friday. Juventus had been stripped of its 2005 and 2006 Series A titles, demoted to Series B, and docked 17 points by a sports tribunal in July…again, blah blah, blah…point is, Alessandro del Piero, and his tongue, are hot.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda
delinda@athlebrities.com

CAMILO VILLEGAS

Oh, the Chrysler championships. Camilo Villegas is giving us some temporary respite from our Villegas-withdrawals, and I say temporary because our lawn crawling feline is not projected to make the cut. Remember, all good things come to those who wait…he’s young and still learning how to hang with the big boys. We know it’s just a matter of time before Camilo Villegas is a household name, so let’s enjoy these intimate tournement moments before our kitty explodes into mainstream America.

PHILADELPHIA 76ers FREE GAS

The Philadelphia 76ers gave away gas at a Lukoil gas station yesterday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pumping away at my libido were Allen Iverson, Kyle Korver, Chris Webber et al, who did not cause any explosions at the pump.

HANG OUT WITH ANDY RODDICK

The best thing about France is Lacoste. Lacoste is giving you and a friend a chance to win a full expense paid trip to Andy Roddick’s Hometown of Austin Texas and molest the hottie in person. Here’s the deal- you and a friend (preferably me, if you win) will enjoy a two night stay and attend the 2nd Annual Andy Roddick Foundation Charity Gala on December 17th. This event rocks, so to enter to win before midnight EST on November 13th!

NO GUNS?
“We have to respect his wishes when it’s dealing with the game, but everybody is entitled to their own opinion off the court” – Pacers G Stephen Jackson, on NBA Commissioner David Stern asking NBA players to leave their guns at home.

I gotta side with the bad boys on this one and say guns should be allowed at all times. Fortunately, Dikembe Mutombo wasn’t packing last night when an asshole in the crowd called him a “monkey.” Mutombo had to be restrained from going into stands after the idiot yelled racial slurs at Mutombo. Mutombo, who then flipped the guy off, said, “If they fine me, I will go straight to the stands next time and (mess) somebody up.” Hopefully, there is no next time. Although the fan was removed from the arena, and the incident “was turned over to NBA Security” nothing will happen. If the NBA fines Mutombo for his actions, I’m gonna go off for days…he only flipped the guy off, I’d say that’s incredible restraint on his behalf. “If they didn’t kick him out of this arena, he would have seen me off the court,” Mutombo said. “I will not accept that. We are not in the ’60s. People have paid the price for us to be where we are today. For him to call a black man a monkey in the middle of the game, he was in the second row, for him to stand up and call, ‘Mutombo the monkey,’ is an insult. It insulted my integrity, my body, my family, my race.” This entire thing disgusts me. Why didn’t anyone in the crowd react? If I were sitting next to someone, in the 2nd row, and heard those comments, I would have beaten the guy myself. I say the “fan” gets banned from all NBA games for life, forced to donate a massive “fine” to Mutombo’s Foundation, and then hung-old school style-from a tree. Mutombo said. “I hope they won’t allow him in the arena any more. I’ll call the commissioner (David Stern) myself. He’s got no business to be in the arena. If he’s not going to come and watch the game and enjoy it, the beauty of this game, the success of the league, he should not be allowed. The league is getting tougher on the player. We need to get tougher to the people who accuse us and mistreat us. It’s sad that this is still going on in America.” Its beyond sad Mutombo, it embarrassing.

FLOYD LANDIS
Talk about tasteless…Tour de France organizers yesterday unveiled the route for the ’07 event, which will begin in London. A video shown at the unveiling ended with an image of U.S. cyclist Floyd Landis on top of the winner’s podium, “before the image shattered and fell off the screen to the sound of broken glass.” I don’t know the whole story behind this, but come on people, get over it already. Are we gonna cycle through this nonsense again? I would have expected something a little more professional-oh, wait, we’re talking about the French…never mind.

LEBRON JAMES: WISE, BUSINESS & KID ARE BACK

The “LeBrons” are back…Wise LeBron, Business LeBron, Kid LeBron, and LeBron James himself. Yummy. The new trio of the metaphor-personified hottie returns for Season 2 as part of Nike’s advertising and marketing campaign to introduce James’ signature Zoom LeBron IV shoes. The LeBrons ads debut on Sunday, October 29.

If you missed last year’s debut, LeBron actually demonstrated some pretty good acting skills in each spot. The personalities: Wise is an old-school old-soul living in an environment of youth and hyperactivity. Business is cool, calculating and highly confident. Kid displays the joyful exuberance of a child, while the athlete LeBron James embodies superior physical attributes and talent. In the initial ad, ‘Pool,’ Wise, sits poolside imparting knowledge and drinking (spiked?) lemonade while the athlete LeBron engages in a water-conditioning workout (holla!). Meanwhile, Kid prepares to cannonball into the pool from a 10-meter high board. Not to be outdone, Business, dressed in a suit and talking to Delinda on his cell phone, accepts a challenge from the ever- harassing Wise and executes a masterful dive into the water. The music used in the Lebrons Pool spot is a a little number titled “Summer Madness” by Kool & the Gang, which adds an air of Superfly-ness to the ad. Plus, you got three wet Lebrons in the pool, what could be better?

HOT POINTS

Corey Maggette #50 of the Los Angeles Clippers. ‘Nough said?

FREE TOM BRADY FATHEAD
Last Chance…I’m giving away a Tom Brady Fathead. Yes, 100% free. If you are not familiar with these wall-mountable-life-sized edible shrines, check out www.fathead.com.Through October 31st, send me an email telling me what turns you on about this NFL hottie. I’m looking for that one special reader who can best describe why Tom Brady is worthy of our love, on & off the field. The winner may also have their “observations” published on my site. So, write-away my hungry little sporn kats, and Tom Brady might just end up being mounted on your wall. (This promotion is not affiliated with Fathead…just me being nice)

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda
delinda@athlebrities.com

DWYANE WADE

The November issue of GQ Magazine is now on sale. If you haven’t gotten yourself a copy of this sporn laden publication, I suggest you do so. Joel Lovell penned the Wade article, part of which reads: “It’s hard for a writer to sound more like a bag of gas than when he’s attempting to elevate sports into art, but if you’re thinking of Wade only in the context of the NBA, or even in the context of basketball, then you’re missing the more fundamental and exciting thing about him: When he’s playing basketball, he’s as beautiful as any human expressing him- or herself physically in any way.”

In other-words, he’s an Athlebrity. Adorning the cover topless, Dwyane Wade is not only as beautiful as his game, but he’s got some serious drool worthy abs teasing the hell outta me. Let’s take a moment to applaud Peggy Sirota, who astutely & effectively captured Wades sex appeal with her fantastic photography.

And for those of you who weren’t watching Wade work his magic on the court last night, you may have missed the debut of the Converse-Spike Lee directed TV ads. The campaign is for Wade’s new signature 1.3 shoe line, but as I watched the spot and heard Dwyane saying “I can hit it, I can hit it, I can hit it” the last thing on my mind was shoes. Check out all the spots, and behind the scenes coverage at www.converse.com.

LEBRON JAMES

The new issue of ESPN the Magazine is also available today. “LeBron James wants to make everyone look good, but don’t confuse a soft heart with being soft. Killer instinct or not, King James is out to prove nice guys finish first. The Magazine’s Chris Broussard reports.” And as the magazine hits the stands, Lebron is scheduled to be in New York City today for a promotional appearance for Cub Cadet. Weird part: Cub Cadet produces trackers. Lebrons appearance is not part of a new endorsement deal and is also separate from Cub Cadet’s sponsorship of the Cavs. Word is, James’ first major endorsement deal in three years is on the way. Lets hope he’s got something better than lawnmowers for us.

RAJA BELL

It’s all in a name…sexy Suns guard Raja Bell has inked an endorsement deal with Taco Bell. The deal comes with a photo ID card that entitles him to eat for free at any TB location for the life of the deal. And yes, that includes drive-through. Luckily, Bell also has a deal with a Phoenix-area Cadillac dealer, under which he gets to drive an Escalade for the season.

HOT HITTERS

Each year, the Hank Aaron Award for the best overall hitter in each league is given out. This years winners are Derek Jeter and Ryan Howard (Phillies)…hotties received the award prior to game four of the World Series.

SUCK IT BABY, SUCK IT

AS Roma’s Francesco Totti celebrates after scoring during the Italian Series A soccer match between AS Roma and Ascoli at Rome’s Olympic Stadium. Need I say more?

DIEGO MARADONA

I know he’s technically not a hot pro athlete, but Diego Maradona is an Athlebrity, and I adore his enthusiastic persona. The charismatic spitfire traveled to Honduras with a team of selected former Argentinean hotties to perform a ’showbol’ show. Luckily, Argentina’s team won 9-3.

FREE TOM BRADY FATHEAD
In the spirit of sharing, I’m giving away a Tom Brady Fathead. Yes, 100% free. If you are not familiar with these wall-mountable-life-sized edible shrines, check out www.fathead.com.Through October 31st, send me an email telling me what turns you on about this NFL hottie. I’m looking for that one special reader who can best describe why Tom Brady is worthy of our love, on & off the field. The winner may also have their “observations” published on my site. So, write-away my hungry little sporn kats, and Tom Brady might just end up being mounted on your wall. (This promotion is not affiliated with Fathead…just me being nice)

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda
delinda@athlebrities.com

RAFAEL NADAL BITES BACK

Rafael Nadal is hot, but when the beast bites back, he’s sexier beyond his years. Why? Because he is too nice and too friggen cute when he tries. After Czech player Tomas Berdych spanked our tapa in the quarterfinals at Madrid last week, he was taunted by the Spanish crowd and put a finger to his lips to try and silence them. Nadal told Berdych he shouldn’t have done it and was “a bad person.” (How cute is that?) Spanish fans then badgered Berdych during his semifinal loss. “It is better we don’t speak about that. Better to speak about Paris and the next tournament,” Nadal said. “Something happened on court, but let’s forget it. I don’t want to think about Berdych.” Nor do we. Instead, let’s focus on what went wrong. “I had a lot of matches in the first half of the season and my muscles were very tired,” Nadal said Tuesday after failing to contact me for a massage. Hopefully, Nadal is rested and those ‘muscles’ he speaks of are ready for next weeks Paris Masters. The defending champion of the tourney? Shhh, Tomas Berdych.

IAN POULTER GETS SPOONED

What I wouldn’t give to be in Spain right now. The Pro-Am Volvo Masters in Cadiz Spain to be precise. Why? Because sexy flash-kat Ian Poulter is in a playful mood. In need of some love, Poulter danced with DJ Spoony (Jonathan Joseph) on the 10th hole. The sexy Cobra endorsed hottie might also be the only one who can pull off those pants. (Actually, I’d be more than happy to, but I was referencing the style). And tomorrow, the 2006 Chrysler Championships begin in Florida. Athlebrities will closely follow all crawling by Camilo Villegas and each breath taking swing by Burberry babe Adam Scott.

DEPUTY SHAQ O’NEAL KNOCKS ON WRONG DOOR
I love Miami and it’s daily roster of madness. Adding to the entertainment value of the city is Deputy Shaq. We’ve all anxiously awaited his first big “bust”, and now that it’s happened, it might be safer to keep the big guy on the court. According to various reports, last month, Shaq was part of a botched raid in Bedford County where he’s a reserve deputy. In an attempt to catch a predator, an Internet crime police unit was sent out to search the house of an alleged child porn freak. Shaq and the unit “raided the house of a local farmer but the police had the “incorrect physical address.” O’Neal said, “it wasn’t me” when asked about the raid, but later made reference to “knocking down the wrong door.” A.J. Nuckols, the innocent farmer, said he’s filed formal complaints and wrote in a letter that he and his family were “scared beyond description.” The farmer described being “held at gunpoint, taunted and led into the house,” and said the home was ransacked by a “paramilitary search-and-seizure team” that took computers, cameras, DVDs and VHS tapes. (VHS tapes still around?) Oddly enough, Nuckols said that he didn’t specifically see the 7-foot-1, 325-pound Shaq Daddy in all the commotion.

DWAYNE WADE AND SPIKE LEE

Dwyane Wade is featured in a Q&A with Newsweek, and when asked why he signed with Converse, Wade said, “You get your pitches (from different athletic shoe companies). What I heard back, I didn’t like. I decided I was going to wait until the right thing came along. … I understood where Converse came from.” In addition, he gets to work with Spike Lee, who is directing the TV spots.

HOW’D THEY DO THAT

Soon, levitating will be against the NBA rules, so let’s enjoy it while we can. Working their magic are Celtics’ Rajon Rondo (L), 76ers Andre Iguodala (C) and Monte Ellis of the Golden State Warriors.

ROBERTO CLEMENTE AWARD

Each year, MLB awards the Roberto Clemente Award for on-field performance and community service. This year’s recipient, Carlos Delgado rightfully earned the award. Among other things, delicious Delgado donated $500,000 over the last five years to his child-focused Extra Bases foundation. With the Award, Delgado earns mega hot points

SEE HOW ALBERT PUJOLES LIVES

Hell yeah! The newest AT&T Home Turf webisodes features MVP Albert Pujoles. Check out the hottie in his home, meet his family, and learn all about his dedication to charity. You all know how much I love this campaign, especially since we have about two weeks until the See How Camilo Villegas Lives spot breaks. Check out http://blueroom.att.com/sports/home/index.php.

DUEL AT THE DOCKS
“Spectators will be amazed by these supermoto racers,” says Gavin Trippe, the original creator of supermoto in 1979. “In a single lap, they catch tremendous air over jumps, battle it out through banked dirt turns, then reach speeds of over 100 mph on a pavement straightaway. There’s something exciting happening during every second of every race.”

On the first weekend of November, Troy Lee’s “Duel At The Docks” supermoto race roars onto the Queen Mary pier. Hot racers from around the globe will compete in the U.S. championship final of the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) Supermoto series. The interesting part of this event is that it’s a first of its kind. It’s a hybrid event where racers compete on tracks that are part dirt, (motocross) and part pavement (road racing). The course layout includes a narrow tunnel, (a supermoto track first) and a 40-foot bridge that will catapult the hotties sky-high. The track borders the Long Beach Harbor waterfront, with the downtown city skyline and Queen Mary as the Backdrop. Hotties named to compete: Jeff Ward, Doug Henry, Mike Metzger, Ronnie Renner, Carey Hart, Johnny Murphree, Danny Eslick, Josh Hayes and Billy Hamill. For more info: www.troyleedesigns.com

FREE TOM BRADY FATHEAD
In the spirit of sharing, I’m giving away a Tom Brady Fathead. Yes, 100% free. If you are not familiar with these wall-mountable-life-sized edible shrines, check out www.fathead.com.Through October 31st, send me an email telling me what turns you on about this NFL hottie. I’m looking for that one special reader who can best describe why Tom Brady is worthy of our love, on & off the field. The winner may also have their “observations” published on my site. So, write-away my hungry little sporn kats, and Tom Brady might just end up being mounted on your wall. (This promotion is not affiliated with Fathead…just me being nice)

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda
delinda@athlebrities.com

TOP GUNS AND HOW TO GET ‘EM
“It seems every week a Charger is in trouble with real or NFL law. Sorry, I know everyone thinks this is a good locker room with decent people, but it’s gone out of control” – Nick Canepa, on Chargers LB Shawne Merriman testing positive for steroids.

I don’t know what Nick Canepa is smoking, but an “out of control” locker room is right up our ally. So what if this is the 4th off-field situation with the Chargers? Steve Foley gets shot and faces two DUI charges, then Terrence Keil is charged with 5 felony drug counts for importing codeine laced cough-syrup, then Marcus Curry gets fired by the team after a “domestic violence” incident, and now Shawne Merriman gets spanked with a four game suspension for juicing-up. I’m okay with the Chargers letting go of Marcus Curry, but lets go easy on Lights Out Merriman. Debbie and I have conferred on the situation and come to the conclusion that Shawne Merriman will NOT be downgraded or banned for his actions. We’ve got our season tickets to the ‘gun show’ and don’t care how he got ’em.

ATHENS GONE CRAZY

In Greece, fans of Panathinaikos Athens clashed with supporters of rival AEK during a match at Athens Olympic Stadium on Monday. At least ten idiots were injured in the violence as AEK Athens supporters threw objects at fans of Panathinaikos. The police arrested several people, but were leery of bending down to pick up the thrown objects.

YANKEES VICTORY PLANE

It’s only October and already the holiday nonsense has started. Off to a very tasteless start are the NY Yankees, who have unveiled the “Yankees Victory Plane” Christmas ornament featuring the Yankees logo & Corey Lidle Santa Claus flying a plane. MLB Senior VP/PR Rich Levin: “The timing’s unfortunate. I’m sure this was done well before the Cory Lidle incident.” The residential building ornament will be released next week.

KENNY ROGERS TAR-GATE

Game three of the World Series starts tonight, and with it, some drama. In case you’ve been under a rock, here’s the run down. During game two, several of the Cardinals tweeted to manager Tony La Russa that there “was funny movement” on Rogers’ pitches. (This movement is called wickedly good pitching). La Russa then cried to the umpires. The home plate umpire noticed some dirt on Rogers’ hand and said to him “Kenny, that dirt thing that you’ve got on your hand, if you’ll do me a favor and just take it off.” Rogers washed it off and went on to pitch seven more scoreless innings. The Tigers won 3-1. “I don’t believe it was dirt,” said La Russa. “Didn’t look like dirt.” On this point, I’ll agree. It did look like pine tar, which pitchers use to improve their grip on the ball and, sometimes, alter its spin. And yes, it’s against the rules. Seeing as this is La Russa’s 5th World Series appearance, you’d think at least one brain cell would spark, but guess again. Reject La Russa did NOT demand the umpires inspect Rogers, “I said, ‘Let’s get rid of it and keep playing. That’s the attitude I took. If he didn’t get rid of it, I would have challenged it.” So in the end, La Russa let it go, and as mentioned, even after washing his hands, Rogers still pitched the hell outta that ball.

DETROIT PISTONS WARMING ME UP

Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess & Lindsey Hunter are just a few of the Detroit Pistons who are warming me up…

DALLAS MAVERICKS

Spreading some love, the Mavericks hosted a Penguin Classics Books reading event at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas yesterday. Hotties (R-L) Maurice Ager, Jason Terry and Devin Harris of the Dallas Mavericks field questions from the lucky little raptors. Extra hot points for Jason Terry (R) for pumping up the crowd.

TIMBERWOLVES LOVE
I love me some Timberwolves. Especially when they are off the court helping the community. Yesterday, the lupine hotties appeared at the dedication of the new Reading & Learning Center at the St. Joseph’s Home for Children in Minnesota.

Rashad McCant wrote a poem, which is now hanging on the wall alongside autographs and hottie handprints. Mike James and that sincere smile on the face of that boy: priceless.

ROCKETS: READ TO ACHIEVE

The Houston Rockets were also spreading their love around. Mega hot points winner, Dikembe Mutombo read to children during the Rockets Read to Achieve, as did Juwan Howard (L) and Yao Ming. *Not sure how Yao made it through this activity, I can’t even understand a single word he says.

FREE TOM BRADY FATHEAD
In the spirit of sharing, I’m giving away a Tom Brady Fathead. Yes, 100% free. If you are not familiar with these wall-mountable-life-sized edible shrines, check out www.fathead.com.Through October 31st, send me an email telling me what turns you on about this NFL hottie. I’m looking for that one special reader who can best describe why Tom Brady is worthy of our love, on & off the field. The winner may also have their “observations” published on my site. So, write-away my hungry little sporn kats, and Tom Brady might just end up being mounted on your wall. (This promotion is not affiliated with Fathead…just me being nice)

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda
delinda@athlebrities.com

ROGER FEDERER GETS WET

Roger Federer won his first Madrid Masters Sunday with a 7-5, 6-1, 6-0 victory over Fernando Gonzalez. Federer’s ego needed the boost; after all, he is the first player in the Open era to win 10 titles in three straight years. I’ll give him a little love for being a human-tennis machine. The humble hottie commented: “I haven’t played (here) for two years because of fatigue and injury, and I’ve been able to come back and win this tournament, so it’s a great day for my career.” Yes Roger, we know.

LLEYTON HEWITT: MOBILE PHONE GAMES

Hottie from down under, Lleyton Hewitt has been chosen as the cover boy and as a character for Gameloft’s first tennis game, Tennis Open 2007. Gameloft publishes and develops video games for mobile phones. “With its realistic presentation and exceptionally easy pick-up-and-play controls, Tennis Open 2007 is ideally designed for short, intensive sessions on the go.” Just the way we like it. For a short, intensive session with Lleyton Hewitt, check out www.gameloft.com.

LANCE ARMSTRONG & MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY

On SNL this weekend, Seth Myers did a fantastic impression of Matthew Mcconaughey. Said Myers during Weekend Update “Lance Armstrong is denying rumors that he had a homosexual affair with Matthew Mcconaughey after he broke up with Sheryl Crow. Said Mcconaughey: “Hey, the dudes only got one nut. The way I count, makes him a chick.”’ And for the record people, they are NOT gay…

THE RAIDERS BEAT ARIZONA?

The Raiders defeated the Cardinals 22-9. Poor Matt Leinart was sacked twice in the third quarter, most notably, and deliciously by Derrick Burgess. Again, the Oakland Raiders defeated the Arizona Cardinals. I never thought I’d be able to say that.

WHY MICHAEL, WHY?

Michael Jordan is continuing to add Athlebrity notches to his belt. This weekend he not only made an appearance during the “Jordan Classic” contest in Barcelona, but also has lost a few Hot Points. First, for meeting with Brazilian transvestite Ronaldinho and giving him a “present”…and secondly for that shirt he’s wearing. I really hope its not part of the ‘collection’ he’s promoting.

WHY LUKE, WHY?

I’m sure there some of us who clearly remember the day Steve Nash cut his hair. Now, another upset in the world of NBA coifs. Luke Walton needs a serious talking to. Why would he cut off those gorgeous, pa-leese pull-me golden curls to look like a boring baller? Grow it back Luke, grow it back!

BIG BAD BULL: BEN WALLACE

The Chicago Bulls held their Fan Scrimmage event over the weekend. Looking as edible as ever, Mr. Ben Wallace. I don’t care what uniform the beast is wearing, he remains one of the hottest Athlebrities alive.

NBA RULES CHANGE
First, they take away our NBA hotties’ ability to strip on the sidelines, but now they’ve really gone too far. Lame rules regarding our NBA hotties on-court behavior have been specified. The NBA sent a letter to its teams on October 2nd, which read: “This season, the NBA is adopting new rules designed to reduce the amount of complaining about officiating that players engage in during games. This behavior interrupts the action, distracts the fans, and conveys a negative impression of NBA players.” (DUI’s, shooting, hit & runs, weed in the car, and strip club fights still permitted).

Prohibited actions include “arm-flailing, dramatizing contact by slapping one’s arm, or through other gestures, raising one’s arms in the air in a questioning manner. Approaching an official in a hostile or otherwise threatening manner, running or jumping in disbelief over a call, or clapping sarcastically after a call has been made.” In other words, the NBA wants our hotties to lose their passion. Its gonna be fantastic to witness the NBA enforcing these new rules and an exceptional season to watch Rasheed Wallace.

TONY HAWK IS SOARING

Rolling Stone magazine is teaming up with Activision and Jeep for a promo featuring skateboard-king Tony Hawk. Hawk, who has separate deals with both brands, will now be able to sell merchandise for both companies at once; for example, Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 incorporates Jeeps into what players see on screen. I expect that more companies are moving in the direction of cross-promotional advertising. Since the advent of Tivo and DVR’s, viewers don’t watch commercials anymore and companies are finding clever ways to promote their goods via product placement in video games, movies, TV shows, and reality programs. Hawks program will begin with an ad in the November 2 issue of Rolling Stone.

ROCKET RACING

Now this is creative…the Daily Variety reports that Producer A. Smith & Co. “has sealed an exclusive deal to head up production for the nascent Rocket Racing League [RRL].” Former FSN Exec VP/Programming Arthur Smith “has already put together a plan to televise the sport, which would involve the planes competing across a race track in the air.” The RRL hopes to hold its debut race next fall. RRL President & CEO Granger Whitelaw said that he “hopes to secure a contract with one of the major networks for Sunday afternoon races, with Saturday qualifying races airing on a cable outlet.” Aljazeera has already expressed interest.

HOT POINTS

Francisco Totti, who scored against Chievo during an Italian major league soccer orgy at the Olympic stadium in Rome yesterday…and got that thumb right where I like it.

FREE TOM BRADY FATHEAD
In the spirit of sharing, I’m giving away a Tom Brady Fathead. Yes, 100% free. If you are not familiar with these wall-mountable-life-sized edible shrines, check out www.fathead.com.Through October 31st, send me an email telling me what turns you on about this NFL hottie. I’m looking for that one special reader who can best describe why Tom Brady is worthy of our love, on & off the field. The winner may also have their “observations” published on my site. So, write-away my hungry little sporn kats, and Tom Brady might just end up being mounted on your wall. (This promotion is not affiliated with Fathead…just me being nice)

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda
delinda@athlebrities.com