RONALDINHO INSTITUTE

I’m trying so hard to ignore Ronaldinho, but every time I get close to a Ronaldinho free blog, he does something special. Like cry. Yesterday, the Brazilian mega-star opened the Ronaldinho Institute in the shantytown of Porte Alegre, in southern Brazil. Twenty-seven children were on hand as he launched the institute that will allow 3,500 kids from low-income families to practice sports. This in itself is enough to make me like the guy and ditch the ‘trannie’ nickname, but in an incredible display of sincerity, Ronaldinho cried during the opening ceremony. “This is something I have always dreamed of doing,” Ronaldinho told media before bursting into tears.

The Ronaldinho Institute, which covers nearly 120,000 square meters, will employ 100 staff including doctors, dentists and teachers. It has a soccer field that meets the standards set by the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), as well as 47,000 square meters of forest, two multi-purpose soccer fields, two tennis pitches, two swimming pools and a 4,000-seat gym.

And in an effort to raise money for the Institute, Ronaldinho also autographed a pair of shoes, named after him, which will be auctioned off to benefit the Institute. The school will open on March 27, his birthday, and will be funded by donations, individuals, the state and private companies. Okay, I admit, he’s a mighty, mighty good man.

KIDD ON FIRE

Freedom of speech in the NBA? Non-existent, or very expensive? For Jason Kidd, it’s expensive. The Nets firecracker was fined $20k by the NBA on Wednesday for referring to Jim Clark, Tom Washington and Eric Lewis as “three blind mice.” So what could have possibly caused Kidd to use such harsh language? Hottie was angry about the officiating during a 92-91 spanking at Detroit on Tuesday night. Apparently, Vince Carter was fouled by (surprise surprise) Rasheed Wallace, causing Carter to miss a potentially game winning shot. “We come to work, and we work extremely hard at this, only for the officials to screw us,” Kidd said. “We fought, but that doesn’t mean anything when you have the officials take over the game like that. You go with the three blind mice, and it’s just sad that Tom screwed up that game for us.” Unfortunately, I missed the game, but I am leaning towards agreeing with Kidd. Although he doesn’t plan to appeal the fine, he’s remained vocal on the subject. “That’s how I felt. “That’s how our team felt. It was the truth. There is no reason to talk about yesterday. We have to worry about today.”

XQUA CLOTHING

Italian designer Allesandro Ferrari has been inspired by Mensa reject Zidane. This undated hottie-photo shows a fleece of from the new “Xqua” line of clothing inspired by Zinedine Zidane’s infamous head butt on Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final. The logo of a new line of leisurewear features a man head butting another man. Huh? Taken from their website, Xqua describes their logo as ‘Two men elegantly stylized in the act of reproducing the famous clash.’ The site further attempts to sell a plate of BS by claiming that ‘The French footballer’s gesture is an unusual stimulus designed to make us think about the reasoning behind violence. (Its simple, Zidane is an arrogant ass hole) Ferrari, the founder of Xqua, explains “the idea came to me during the emotional high of Italy’s World Cup victory. After Zidane head butted Materazzi, I thought I might use that unpleasant episode in an initiative aimed at young people, to give a positive social message while offering a high-quality, high fashion product at the same time. The brand’s name comes from the repeated exclamations of the French commentator. Xqua is pronounced like the French pourquoi. “Why” is the question we ask when faced with any act of violence.” The logo is accompanied by a target which combines the colors of the Italian and French flags, symbolizing the “peacemaking” between the two countries. Huh?

BARRY ZITO CROSSES THE BAY

The most effeminate man in MLB is now part of the Giants roster. Barry Zito. Pretty boy has apparently agreed to a seven-year, $126 million contract with the SF Giants. Sure, Zito is hot, has a wicked arm and a solid fan base, but he’s just too pretty for the girl to get excited about.

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