FOOT JOY DELIVERS
With Camilo Villegas and Ian Poulter prowling the greens at the Honda Classic, while Burberry beast Adam Scott vies for the title at the Johnnie Walker Classic, I did some more research and found those delicious FootJoy SignBoy Ad’s.

The first spot, ‘Checking the Line,’ features the impeccable Camilo Villegas. Just as our golf-kitten assumes his trademark crawl, SignBoy jumps in to grab a closer look at Camilo’s sweet Classics Dry Premiere shoes. The second spot, ‘Courtesy Car- Version 1’ also delivers a serious blow to our hormones. SignBoy finds his way into the player’s parking lot, offering Adam Scott his recommendation on the perfect pair of FJ shoes while struggling out of Scott’s trunk. In the background, Villegas is seen appropriately unloading two beautiful women from his trunk. And finally, the third spot ‘Courtesy Car- Version 2’ again stars Adam Scott. SignBoy finds his way into the player’s parking lot, offering Adam Scott his recommendation on the perfect pair of FJ shoes for the round. This version takes the fun through end of the round and back to the courtesy car and lands on my libido. Check out all the spots here.

JOHN DALY

John Daly could be the first professional athlete to claim an injury by hearing a camera click. While the super-fit anti-Christ of the Tour was playing in a (a-hem) threesome with Joe Ogilvie and Shigeki Maruyama, a woman decided to snap a photo just as Daly started his back swing. He stopped and reportedly glared at the woman before trying to swing again, but immediately complained of pain and walked off to seek treatment in the tour’s medical trailer. He declined comment afterward. “All he said to us was, ‘I’m done,”‘ Ogilvie said. “It wasn’t good.” Daly withdrew from the event and was last seen plowing through a pile of chicken wings at Hooters.

RAFAEL AND R-FED

Rafael Nadal broke more than a few hearts yesterday as Mikhail Youzhny eliminated him in Dubai. “I lost the first set in the last point,” Nadal said. “I saw and even the referee saw, the ball was outside. There was a mark on the court. The ball was definitely out, but when he challenged, it was in. So it was really unbelievable.” Even Youzhny admitted he was shocked that his challenge was upheld by Hawk-Eye. “(It) looked like it was a little bit out. I saw the mark was a little out, but it was such an important point, I decided to call for the Hawk-Eye. Even I was shocked it was called in, because, to be honest, I thought it was out.”

Now that’s how I like my hotties, humble. In contrast, Swiss Miss Roger Federer, had nothing but praise for himself after winning, yet again: “Some half-court balls, I usually put them away in my sleep…Maybe I should have closed it out earlier and not be in that position…I can see the headlines already, kind of going like ‘Oh God, he missed match point with the Hawk-Eye,’ and the whole thing. This wasn’t exactly our best match, but I think it was more of a battle on the day, kind of who manages to play better. It was me in the end, so I am happy about that…as the opponents get tougher, my game also rises to the occasion.” Yes, yes, we know…but it also appears that as your opponents get tougher, you get a bit cockier, no?

Now, with Youzhny’s defeat of Soderling today, the Russian beast will face either R-Fed or Tommy Haas in Saturdays Final. And nothing would make me happier than Youzhny putting the breaks on R-Fed and his attitude. After Youzhny spanked our tapa, he said: “Of course I was tired after playing Rafa, but there were a lot of Russians here and they gave me power. I slept maybe a little bit at the beginning of the match, but after I woke up. After I broke him he started missing more. In the second set I didn’t start to play much better, but in the first game of the second set he made three or four mistakes. I didn’t do any unbelievable winners or anything.” Again, another hottie who earns hot points for keeping it real.

SI SERVING TAINTED FOOD

Speaking of food…the catering at SI’s February 14 swimsuit issue party in L.A. may have exposed guests to Hepatitis A. The L.A. County Health Department recommended anyone who ate uncooked food at the event get treatment. Apparently, someone who works for Wolfgang Puck Catering has been diagnosed with the hepatitis-A virus and may have exposed guests at several events. Wolfgang Puck Catering issued a statement in which president Carl Schuster said the health of other employees had been checked and food-processing areas had been disinfected. “While the risk of infection is low, we will continue to work with the health department to bring a speedy and thorough resolution to this investigation,” he said. And don’t worry- Beyonce didn’t eat at the event.

GOLD DIGGERS DELIGHT

Sitting pretty is a little known minor league Dodger named Matt White. Three years ago, White purchased a 50-acre plot of land for $50,000 from his elderly aunt who needed the money to pay for a nursing home. (Taking advantage of an old aunt?) While clearing out a couple acres to build a home, he discovered stone ledges, which prompted him to have the property surveyed. A geologist estimated there were 24 million tons of the stone on his land. Stone that is being sold for upward of $100 per ton, equating to more than $2 billion worth of material. “It sounds bogus even saying those numbers,” White said. “I’m just a small town guy trying to get to the big leagues. It’s beyond comprehension…I’m a minor league guy who’s played winter ball to make ends meet. I plan to play baseball until I can’t play anymore. My goal is to play in the big leagues, regardless of what happens with the rock quarry.” Anyone know what the odds are in Vegas for this? I say he ditches his big league dreams ten seconds after receiving his first rock-check.

MY BABY

It was just a few months ago that Didier Drogba was named African Footballer of the Year, but yesterday they made it official. After my ebony beast helped the Ivory Coast reach the final of the African Nations Cup and flaunted his skills in the World Cup finals, he beat Samuel Eto’o and teammate Michael Essien for the award.

STILL BOYCOTTING THE CELTICS

Cedric Maxwell, the Celtics Mensa Reject radio analyst who jokingly said that referee Violet Palmer should “get back in the kitchen” during Monday’s game in Houston, apologized on-air before last night’s game. His big apology: “Violet Palmer, as a woman of color and as a woman, worked extremely hard to get to this position,” he said. “If I said anything that was sexist, then I apologize.” (IF?) After making the apology, Maxwell said: “That’s the story everybody, that’s all.” He later said: “Let’s go on back to basketball.” UM, no lets not…Sean Grande, Maxwell’s broadcast partner, said their broadcasts would not change and urged listeners to e-mail complaints to the announcers at grandeandmax@celtics.com. PLEASE, if you feel the same way, send an email. As a woman in the sports business, I will not and cannot accept male dominance and the ignorance surrounding these remarks.

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