ANTONIO PUERTA
His death was reported in Africa, India, Spain, the UK, Finland, Ireland, France, and Australia…it was mentioned briefly in San Diego, Denver and Pittsburgh, among others, and barely made headlines in any other sports page. What a shame. The death of Antonio Puerta should not go unnoticed here in the States. ESPN can spend hours discussing the Beckham cam or Vick, but come on people- this kid is a national hero to thousands and he drops dead leaving behind a pregnant wife, a country in mourning and his team in shock-and no one here seems to care. Aside from a handful of friends, I feel as if Im the only one in the ‘blog world’ who noticed his passing.

In a testament to Puerta’s character, more than 25,000 people were waiting outside the stadium for the arrival of his coffin. There was applause and shouts of ‘Puerta Puerta’ just after midnight last night when fans were permitted to file past the coffin. The player’s parents, and his 8-month pregnant girlfriend led the mourners, who continued to file past the coffin in droves ALL night. The funeral took place at 2 pm this afternoon…rest in peace my friend, rest in peace.

IONIZE YOUR BODY
Who Knew? The Rugby World Cup, which begins September 7, will be the “most popular global sporting event of the year,” as it drew a worldwide TV audience of over 3 billion people when it was last held four years ago, according to a cover story in the Hollywood Reporter. Believe it or not, the event ranks third among the most-watched sporting events worldwide, behind the FIFA World Cup and Summer Olympics.

I can honestly say that I have never had an interest in rugby or its players. But I do like the jerseys…some of the beasts competing in next month’s Rugby World Cup in France will be wearing jerseys that New Zealand-based manufacturer Canterbury claims will “improve their performance by ionising the body.” (Financial Times.) The process was developed though a “scientific formula developed” by a U.S.-based textile designer and a crazy redhead, that, when worn, the fabric “generates a small microelectronic charge in the body which stimulates the blood stream, improving blood flow and oxygen delivery to major muscles.” It’s just too bad they didn’t make matching shorts…

BEN GORDON

And yet another fantastic event soared under the media radar..while ESPN and others continue to ignore these great events, I relish them. As do the peeps at PressPassTV.com. The third annual Ben Gordon Community Unity Weekend went down at Mt. Vernon (New York) last weekend and was a raging success. The Founder of PressPassTV, Dan Cohen covered the event and said “Ben Gordon is a genuinely good guy.” (Video will soon be available from PressPassTV, so make sure to check out their YouTube videos for some warm fuzzies and wonderful sporn.)

Ben Gordon, spending the weekend making kids smile…priceless. Read more about his future plans in the community here. Because really, don’t we all need just a little bit more good news in this day and age of stabbings, shootings, scandals, dog fighting, juicing, car wrecks, deaths, sexual assaults, and all that other bullshit? “I feel that it’s my duty to come out here and do something for the community, try to be a positive role model and not just go and be successful and nobody ever see me,” Gordon said. “Even though it’s only a weekend, I think it has a long-lasting impression on people, and I think it’s something that is valued and will be appreciated for years.” (JournalNews) Indeed it will Mr. Gordon.

ROGER FEDERER: FASHIONISTA?

Once again, Roger Federer has made me laugh and admittedly I have been secretly enjoying watching the Swiss-Mister as he frolics in stardom, especially with his newfound sense of fashion. Nike is providing Roger Federer with an all-black outfit for his evening matches…R-Fed will hit the court running in a tuxedo inspired outfit, complete with bonded satin tape down the legs of his shorts and warm-up pants. Federer: “People are a little bit intrigued of what I was going to wear. I’ve got a day session and night sessions outfits [for the Open]. I’m looking forward to playing at night.” (Huh? Are people really intrigued? Seriously?)

FIBA GAMES FALLING FLAT
What’s wrong with the FIBA games? During the NBA’s regular season, you gotta fight for tickets. I assume the priority in going to a game is to see the hotties in action? So why isnt anyone going to the FIBA games in Las Vegas? You can get a courtside seat for CHEAP, and ogle the hotties such a Dwight Howard and his forceful dunks, Kobe, LeBron, Melo, Kidd, Amare and others…so why am I reading that the arena is practically empty when our babies are shooting?

The Las Vegas Review Journal reports that the FIBA Americas Championship basketball tournament has “produced the buzz of a librarians’ convention” and has become an “average event with a foreseeable outcome.” Ouch! The U.S. team’s four preliminary-round games at the Thomas & Mack Center have drawn an average of 7,000 fans, and pre-tournament ticket sales were at 40,000. USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team Managing Dir Jerry Colangelo said, “I don’t think this tournament was an easy sell. I think the crowds have been pretty good when we have played. I didn’t expect a sellout.” Here’s my opinion: if you love hoops and hotties, Vegas is the place to be right now. Forget trying to get an autograph from a playa during the regular season and get your asses out to Vegas, support our ballers and romp around the casinos, clubs and pools that are littered with NBA players hanging out in their free time.

ALL-STAR CLASSIC FOR WHEELCHAIR CHARITIES
The 15th annual All-Star Classic for Wheelchair Charities returns to Madison Square Garden on Saturday, September 9th at 4pm. Tickets are on sale at the MSG Box Office and Ticketmaster.com. Scheduled to play are Stephon Marbury, Ron Artest, 2005-06 NBA Rookie of the Year Chris Paul, Speedy Claxton, Sam Cassell, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Desmond Mason, Rafer Alston, Charlie Villanueva and Damon Jones. More players will be announced shortly.

The All-Star Game for Wheelchair Charities has been held annually since 1991 (skipping 2001), and has raised more than $1.5 million for patients at Goldwater Hospital. Wheelchair Charities, Inc., founded by Henry J. (Hank) Carter in 1973, is a non-profit organization, which assists in-patient and outpatients at Goldwater Memorial Hospital on Roosevelt Island. The money has gone towards the purchase of motorized wheelchairs, computers, specialized beds and specially equipped buses. Wheelchair Charities’ mission is to improve the quality of life for paraplegic and quadriplegic patients at Goldwater.

As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.