NASHTY GETS MILKED

Steve Nash has finally joined the Body By Milk campaign and will sport that sexy milkstash in the mouthwatering ad to be run in various publications next month. Our smoking hot Suns babe will also serve as a judge for the ’08 SAMMY Awards (Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year), along with Mia Hamm, Tony Hawk, Michelle Kwan and Andy Roddick. The contest awards 25 high school seniors $7,500 scholarships and the chance to appear in a milk mustache ad in USA Today. And try as I may, I’m still not able to pass myself off as a high-school senior.

HIS FOOT IS FINE
Does our precious Rafael Nadal need more calcium in his diet? Our delectable tapa has denied a claim made by his uncle/coach Toni Nadal in Spains Diario de Mallorca that Rafa has a potentially career-threatening foot injury. “This injury hasn’t stopped me competing at the top level for over two years. The story that has come out is totally false,” purred the beast.

“Rafael’s career is not in danger. You can see that from the fact that he has just had his best year yet,” Rafael Nadal’s media manager Benito Perez-Barbadillo told Reuters. “He sustained an injury to his left foot in 2005 which was treated then. He sometimes has a little pain with it that comes and goes, but every player plays with a little pain. This year he has played the second highest number of matches of anyone on the tour and achieved his highest ever points total. It isn’t career-threatening.” Our kitten has won six majors this year, including his third French Open title, so lets just calm down, Rafa isnt going anywhere. I hope. (And a word of thanks to Nadalmania on Flickr for her incredible collection of spornworthy Nadal photos.)

DAVID BECKHAM GETS HONGIED

If Beckham would only take a BAD photo I’d be able to banish him for a day or two, but dear god, he never gets old. It was 1993 when he made his debut with Man-U, and since then, I’ve haven’t seen one bad photo published (aside from those denim shorts pics). It’s no wonder he’s worth more than his weight in gold.

In any case, the beautiful one and his posse landed in New Zealand for an exhibition match against Wellington Phoenix on December 1. When Golden Balls arrived he was, as expected, mobbed at the airport. I gotta give mad props to the “fan” holding out her checkbook for Beck’s to sign (L). That’s what I call quick improv thinking. Another Golden Beckham moment came when Beckham exchanged a Maori greeting, aka a “hongi” with Ritihia Hailwood (R) during a welcoming ceremony at the Wellington airport. I think its fair to say that Hailwood slept very well last night.

UEFA ME

The hottest man to so-far elude my capture, Didier Drogba, kicked in two goals to help our Chelsea babes win 4-0 during their UEFA Champions League match in Trondheim…smoking hot defending champion AC Milan (R) moved into the second round of the European Champion League with a 1-1 tie at Benfica. Arsenal, Barcelona, Internazionale of Milan, Manchester United, AS Roma and Sevilla also have clinched berths. (yahoo)

GREAT SCOTT

One of the sexiest men in the world has been able to ignore the dropped panties along the greens to grab a share of the lead after the first round of the Sun City Challenge in South Africa. Worlds number six Adam Scott fired a five-under-par 67 to move into a share of the lead with South African Trevor Immelman. “I’m very happy with the way I played, but I need to do a bit of work on my putting and get a good feel for the speed of the greens, they’re a bit slower than usual,” Scott cooed.

But Adam Scott wasn’t the only one having a field day on the Gary Player Course in South Africa, several baboons enjoyed a round of golf while watching our babies tee off. According to a 2006 National Geographic article, conflicts between baboons and humans in the suburbs of prosperous Cape Town have gotten so bad that monitoring teams have been deployed to keep the animals away. Joan Laing is co-chair of the Welcome Glen Baboon-Free Neighborhood Action Group. She says the animals are a menace. “They break windows to get into houses,” Laing said. “They even know how to open doors. And once inside, they make a mess. They empty the fridge, ruin furniture, and defecate all over.” Sounds like maybe these baboons were looking for John Daly?

As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.

PARTY LIKE BECKHAM

When David Beckham inhales it garners international attention, and when he hits the clubs we get a full-blown red alert. Golden Balls went out clubbing with Galaxy coach Ruud Gillit, assistant coach Kobi Jones and crybaby GM Alex Lalas in Aussie land this week. They started at Star City’s 36 Degrees bar, before heading to Establishment where they stayed until 3am. According to reports, Beckham and his posse arrived at the bar around 12:30am and were given the VIP treatment at exclusive Hemmesphere nightclub, which remained open after hours to service the boys. Owner Justin Hemmes confirmed the football star relaxed in the level 4 lounge, before heading down to the ground floor public bar. “We opened Hemmesphere for them but after an hour or so, they headed downstairs. It was salsa night, so there were dancers around but I’m not sure if he (Beckham) got up at all,” Hemmes said. The party posse were expected again last night after Hemmes said Beckham told staff “he loved it and plans to come back.” (news.com.au)

DREAM FOR DARFUR
“The two roles China is playing – host of the Games that symbolize peace and supporter of a genocidal regime – are inconsistent and must be reconciled.”

As the world prepares for the 2008 Olympic in China, Dream for Darfur seems to be keeping it real. “Why are the major corporations sponsoring the Olympics – some of the most recognizable brands in the world – refusing to speak out against the world’s most wrenching humanitarian crisis?” One of the leading Darfur-advocacy groups, Dream for Darfur has released a report card on 19 top 2008 Olympic sponsors. Visa, Coke and others were graded on their corporate social responsibility and how they are responding to China’s support of the genocide in Darfur. The report accompanying the report card is called: “And Now … Not a Word from Our Sponsors.” One sponsor in particular, Anheuser-Busch has been given an “F” because they have so far refused to take a tough stand with China, whose oil-and-weapons relationship with Sudan gives it leverage with the African nation. Dream for Darfurs grades for 19 Olympics sponsors: C-plus: General Electric. C: Adidas, McDonald’s. D: Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, UPS. FAILING GRADES go to: Anheuser-Busch, Atos Origin, BHP Billiton, Kodak, Lenovo, Manulife, Microsoft, Panasonic, Samsung, Staples, Swatch, Visa, Volkswagen.

Im not gonna get too political here, but I do think its important for everyone to be aware that about 300,000 people have DIED in the past four years in the Darfur region of Sudan, and millions have been displaced. China is widely seen as the key to solving the crisis because it is the primary investor in Sudan’s oil industry and the largest supplier of arms to Sudan. Please take the time to read the info available at Dream for Darfur and make up your own minds. And while you’re at it, know that Steven Spielberg had agreed to be an artistic consultant to the games when Mia Farrow urged him not to lend his name without also pressing China to back a U.N. resolution to send a peacekeeping force to Sudan. After Spielberg and others spoke out, China agreed to the resolution but has largely stood by as Sudan has thwarted the effort. There’s also a very informative article in STL Today.

THE BEAUTIFUL RACE: SUPER LEAGUE

Sports continue to morph into things I could only dream of. We’ve seen beach tennis, beach soccer, Frisbee golf, snow-cross, sky-surfing, ski-boarding and now, the SuperLeague Formula Race has been delivered right into my libido where it’s celebrating the convergence of soccer and motor sports. The series will field about 20 cars, all sponsored by soccer clubs. Nine teams have already signed up including AC Milan (Italy), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands), FC Porto (Portugal), Olympiacos (Greece), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Flamengo (Brazil) RSC Anderlecht (Belgium), FC Basel (Switzerland) and Galatasaray SK (Turkey). Belgium soccer babes watched as Superleague Formula’s Alex Andreu (2ndL) and Anderlecht chairman Roger Vanden Stock (3rdR) unveiled the Anderlecht Superleague Formula car during its presentation on the pitch of the RSCA Anderlecht stadium, in Brussels. Unless I’m missing something, this is nothing more than Formula cars being sponsored by soccer teams and establishing their own race-which sits pretty well with me. I only wish they’d get our soccer babies behind the wheel. (F1SA.com)

MISCELLANEOUS

Dear god kill me now…. Jake Gyllenhaal is going to play Pro Football HOFer Joe Namath in a new film from Universal Pictures. Jake will play Joe in the as of yet untitled film to be written David Hollander…and the rumor mill has spit out the following info for all you Tony Romo fans-hot stuff has been confirmed as dating Jessica Simpson after spending Thanksgiving with her and her family in Waco Texas.

FALLEN SOLDIERS

The good peeps at USA Today ran a list of notable NFL players who have died during their playing careers since 2001. Korey Stringer, 27 - Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman died of heatstroke on Aug. 1, 2001. Pat Tillman, 27 - Former Arizona Cardinals safety died as a result of friendly fire in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Thomas Herrion, 23 - San Francisco 49ers offensive guard collapsed after an exhibition game and died on Aug. 20, 2005. It was later determined to be heart disease. Darrent Williams (above), 24 - Denver Broncos cornerback died after being shot in a drive-by on Jan. 1, 2007. Damien Nash, 24 - Denver Broncos running back collapsed during a charity basketball game on Feb. 23, 2007. Marquise Hill, 24 - New England Patriots defensive end drowned after an accident while jet skiing on May 28, 2007. Sean Taylor, 24 - Washington Redskins safety died Nov. 27, 2007 after being shot in an apparent burglary.

They’ve also listed several NBA hotties that have been victims of violence. In the Chicago area we got Antoine Walker (L) and Eddie Curry (R) as home invasion victims, Washington Wizards forward Andray Blatche was shot during an attempted carjacking near his home in Alexandria, Va., in September 2005. Houston Texans cornerback Dunta Robinson was robbed at gunpoint in his suburban Houston home in early September. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Phillip Buchanon was bound and pistol-whipped during an invasion of his home in Atlanta in March 2006. (USA Today).

As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.

SEAN TAYLOR: SHOT & KILLED
“It’s hard to expect a man to grow up overnight,” said teammate and close friend Clinton Portis, who played with Taylor at Miami. “But ever since he had his child, it was like a new Sean, and everybody around here knew it. He was always smiling, always happy, always talking about his child.”

Sean Taylor: April 1, 1983 - November 27, 2007. He had a bright future ahead of him, but now 24-year old Washington Redskin, Sean Taylor leaves behind a plethora of grieving family and friends after an intruder shot and killed him in his own home. The attack comes just eight days after an intruder was reported at Taylor’s home. Flash-forward to Monday, when the police were sent to Taylor’s home at about 1:45 a.m. after Taylor’s girlfriend called 911. She said the couple was awakened by loud noises, and Taylor grabbed a machete he keeps in the bedroom for protection. Someone then broke through the bedroom door and fired two shots, one missing and one hitting Taylor. Taylor’s 1-year-old daughter, Jackie, was also in the house, but neither she nor Taylor’s girlfriend were injured. (sports.yahoo) There are plenty of news stories with all the details so I’m not gonna get in depth about it. Its simply too sad and a painful reminder of how precious life is. Rest in Peace Sean Taylor, rest in peace.

DAVID BECKHAM DOWN UNDER

It feels perverse to glorify the hotness of David Beckham (and others) while I’m still trying to process the whole Sean Taylor murder, however, I cant think of anyone better to transition this blog from ‘sad’ to ‘oh-yeah’ than Becks.

On Monday, David Beckham spent the day at the Sydney Harbor, where he and several other hotties kicked soccer balls on a pontoon…he then frolicked with Sir Elton John and other celebrities at the Foxtel is Football party. “‘Allo, Golden Balls,” exclaimed the Rocket Man as he greeted Beckham. Ian Thorpe and Sydney FC co-owner Anthony LaPaglia, were also in attendance.

The next day, Beckham swiped his tux for a uniform to give a Sydney crowd of 80,295 a goal from a trademark curling free kick. Yes, he bent it after limping around for almost 20 minutes on a sore left ankle and delivered the Galaxy’s only first-half goal in the exhibition against Sydney FC on Tuesday. “I was worried at first because I thought I’d twisted my ankle again and done the same injury as I’d done on the last day of the season with Real Madrid, but thankfully it wasn’t as bad,” he said. Ultimately, though, it wasn’t enough and the Galaxy lost 5-3. “It was an entertaining match for the 80,000 fans. That’s what they wanted, to see some goals and to see a bit of an exhibition - they got that.” But apparently some didn’t get what they wanted. According to a piece in USA Today, Beckham “failed to acknowledge” young cancer survivors waiting to greet him Sunday outside his hotel in Sydney. Beckham: “I would never have done that,” Beckham said. “Never have done, never will do. I’m more than willing to meet them wherever they want and at whatever time that they want. I apologize, but like I said, I didn’t actually see them.” (USA Today)

OH PA-LEEZE

Good try Bud Selig. The reigning Mensa reject MLB Commissioner recently invited “all of today’s prominent African-American players” and other MLB big-wigs to join him in a conference call so Selig could “receive information from the group on what it considered as the reasons for the drop in African-American players,” according to Terence Moore of the Atlanta Constitution. Seems that old Bud has gotten his panties in a twist and cant figure out why only 8% of MLBers are bruthas compared with 27% in the mid-70’s. Selig said, “I want to build more baseball academies, but I also want to know what they want us to do, and what they are willing to do with us, too.” I’ve got an idea Bud- stop crying over the repercussions of the Mitchell floodgate you opened or better yet-resign. Lets put a brutha in charge of MLB. I mean, really, who wants to play in a league riddled with government interference, witch-hunts, and George Mitchell’s latest attack on foreign-born players and their ‘visa restrictions.’ It doesn’t take a genius to figure this out Bud. The NBA is taking all the talent.

Except, of course, for the golden child of MLB. Selig has given the thumbs up to Alex Rodriguez’ new ten year $275M-plus contract. Even before Selig was finished destroying Barry Bonds, he had begun to scout out a new home run king. God forbid we get an arrogant Home Run King. A-Rod, for the most part, has a squeaky-clean image (minus the classless wife and hooker scandals) and sex symbol appeal, making him the ideal poster child for any sport. According to the NY Times, Rodriguez will “share in revenue the Yankees generate by marketing his home run milestones.” Rodriguez, who has hit 518 career home runs, will receive $6M when he ties Willie Mays’ 660 home run mark, Babe Ruth’s 714, Hank Aaron’s 755 and Barry Bonds’ 762, as well as when he breaks the record. He will also get “marketing money in exchange for making certain appearances linked to his home run milestones over and above what players are required by their contracts to do.” The Yankees and Rodriguez “had to keep changing the nature of the agreement to gain approval because players cannot receive bonuses for achievements like home run totals.” (N.Y. TIMES, 11/25)

BLACK ENTERPRISE 2007 HOT LIST
For the first time in Black Entertainment magazines 37-year history, the December issue will hit newsstands with five exclusive, consecutive covers featuring LeBron James, Pop/R&B god Chris Brown, Queen Latifah, Wyclef Jean, John Legend, and Venus Williams. In it, they give mad props via the BE Hot List comprised of ultimate achievers under the age of 40 in media, music, entertainment, and sports. “These celebrities have shrewdly leveraged their fame to build multimillion-dollar empires that will sustain them beyond their careers in sports and entertainment,” says be Editor-at- Large Carolyn Brown. “Plus, this year’s list goes outside the box to include business executives, top-ranked money managers, and medical researchers whose impact on our world is undeniable.”

The 2007 HOT LIST includes some of my personal favorites: Tyra Banks, Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown (C) (the youngest on the list at 18 years old!) Nick Cannon, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Thierry Henry, Lewis Hamilton, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Phil Ivey, Timbaland, Wyclef Jean, John Legend, Queen Latifah, Usher, Will Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson, Kanye West, skateboarder Stevie Williams, Venus Williams, and last but not least, Eldrick “Tiger” Woods. (prnewswire).

As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.

BOOM DIZZLE SAVES THE DAY
Our bearded beast Baron Davis doesn’t limit his heroics to the court. In fact, I’m pretty sure there’s a blue cape hidden under his clothes. On October 13, Diddy was minding his own business at the Oakland airport, when he witnessed a hit and run accident involving a kid and a 62-year old woman. “To run over a kid and keep going. That’s one of the worst things I’ve ever seen,” Davis said.

The pair was crossing a walkway at the airport when an SUV driven by Cyndie Lynne Myers struck the woman and boy. The woman was thrown across the hood of the car but Myers kept driving to the short-term parking lot where she left her 1995 white Suburban and walked to the terminal to pick up a friend. (She was later arrested.) Diddy said he saw the tail end of the hit-and-run and stopped to help the boy while they waited for an ambulance. “I just wanted to make sure he would be alright,” Davis said. “My heart went out to the kid and the woman.” ‘ The boy, Nicholas Handlery, and the woman, Shirley Jefferson-Knox, are still recovering. And our beloved BD has promised to take the boy to a game once he recovers. (Insidebayarea.com)

IAN POULTER CRAWLS

If you think I didn’t have one eye on the Golf World Cup, think again. Flashkat Ian Poulter paired up with Justin Rose to represent England at the Mission Hills Golf Club in China, and although there was some wicked play from the two, they finished two strokes back behind the US and Scotland. But I’m not here to discuss the final spectacular round of play, where Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren won the tournament in a play-off against Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum of the United States. What I am here to discuss is the Ian Poulter crawl. Yes, it seems that the beast isn’t afraid to get down and dirty when necessary.

Unlike Camilo Villegas, who seems to line up his putt using a Parivrtta Parsvakonasana inspired yoga move, Poulter lines his putt up while applying more of a Caturanga Dandasana inspired pose. ‘The body is held parallel to the ground by the strength of the legs and arms.’ Yoga, for those of you who don’t partake, is divided into eight ‘astanga’. Each one is interlinked; each has numerous facets that are revealed through the study and practice. And it seems that yoga and golf go hand-in-hand. The astanga include: Yama (nonviolence); Niyama (cleanliness of the mind, self awareness); Asanas (yoga poses); Pranayama (art of breathing); Pratyahra (drawing on your senses to block exterior distractions); Dharana (uninterrupted concentration); Dhyana (meditation) and finally Samadhi-this is transcending state beyond meditation where the psychological process stops as consciousness becomes totally absorbed in the soul. It is a state of truth and bliss….one can only hope more of our golf babes take to yoga (sans John Daly of course), because ain’t nothing better than watching bliss in action on the greens.

JOAKIM NOAH

Oh Noah, Noah, Noah, what am I gonna do with you? As the Chicago Bulls continue on the road to nowhere, it seems that our rookie beast has finally popped his cherry. Joakim Noah scored his first NBA field goal in a game against Denver. Hottie had been 0-of-8 (ouch) from the field in his previous five games. So to me, I was really happy for him. But seems that those big, succulent lips of his are singing a different tune. ”I don’t really care,” he said of his scoring. ”I don’t think I’m in position to be talking about it.”

REST IN PEACE

During the Lazio-Parma match in Rome yesterday, players warmed up in t-shirts depicting Gabrile Sandri (the Lazio fan who was killed by the cops). Fans entered the stadium twenty-minutes after the pitch to honor Sandri, but the most endearing tribute came from Lazio’s midfielder Fabio Firmani, who paid a topless tribute to Sandri after Lazio defeated Parma.

FIFA 2010
The FIFA 2010 football World Cup qualifying draws have officially began and I guess its time I start researching my ticket to South Africa. And I gotta thank FIFA for truly celebrating this beautiful game. While we here in the States are oh-so-busy taking medals away from people, FIFA has decided to give some away. In all, 122 former players who were in squads that won at tournaments (but didn’t play in the Final) between the first World Cup in 1930 and the 1974 finals in West Germany, will soon be receiving unexpected World Cup winners medals.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said: “Richard Caborn brought it up by saying `it’s not right that only the 11 players got a medal’. ‘I believe that is right we will go through our history records and reproduce medals, and we will give those medals to all those who have been in the squad and not just those who were on the field of play. It’s justice for all those players and for those that have died, we will give the medal to their families.” Among those receiving medals is Pele, who will be awarded a gold medal for the 1962 final, which he missed due to injury. And if you’re keeping count- this makes three winners’ medals in his possession. (soccernet.espn.go)

As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.

MY WORLD: CAMILO VILLEGAS
Yearning for a little Columbian love, I perused the Golf Channel website for about a second before coming across a hot little sporno called ‘My World: Camilo Villegas.’ I don’t know which part of heaven Villegas fell from, but this must-see video highlights Villegas as he readies himself for a (gulp) photo shoot for a Golf magazine…lowering himself into that oh-so-notorious crawl, caressing his clubs and posing in some hot Lindberg gear. Priceless.

What the video didn’t cover was Camilo’s participation at the BeLive Charity Gala in Miami. On November 15 at Karu & Y Restaurant, the BeLive Gala, hosted by Connie and Juan Pablo Montoya, was held to raise awareness for Columbia. Benefiting their foundation, Formula Smiles, and five others, the red carpet was rolled out and Camilo walked it like a true champion, along with Colombian Fashion Designer Silvia Tcherassi, who held a fashion show during the event. (USA Today)

B-DIDDY-LICIOUS

Someone tapped into their testosterone and put up 33 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds while ending the Wizards six-game winning steak. Baron Davis and his ferocious beard helped the Golden State Warriors to a 123-115 win over the Washington Wizards, who are playing without their injured star Gilbert Arenas. But another Wizard, Caron Butler deserves some love. Butler contributed 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and with that, he and B-Diddy became the first pair of NBA opponents with triple-doubles in the same game in more than 4 1/2 years. Orlando’s Tracy McGrady and New Jersey’s Jason Kidd did it Feb. 23, 2003. Ya really do gotta Fear The Beard sometimes.

THANK YOU PETE

Just prior to their final exhibition game in Macau, Roger Federer and Pete Sampras played tennis with ‘special needs’ kids for a charity event. I know it’s confusing, but Federer is the one wearing a baseball hat. The three-match Asian exhibition series served up a perfect platform for Federer to praise himself from-even AFTER Sampras beat him in the final game 7-6, 6-4. “It’s been tough beating my idol the last two times.” Federer said. “I’m sort of surprised. This guy can play tennis, you know.” (Yahoo.sports)

ITALIAN SOCCER

It’s not over yet…the shooting death of Lazio fan Gabriele Sandri on November 11 continues to have repercussions. (In case ya missed it: Sandri, a 26-year-old disc jockey from Rome and a Lazio fan, died after getting hit in the neck by a bullet while sitting in a car at a highway rest stop in Tuscany. Police said an officer fired shots to disperse a scuffle between two groups of rival fans. The officer is now under investigation for ‘murder’)

Seven suspects have been arrested in Rome, and another 18 people have been arrested in Milan and other cities where riots also erupted after news spread about the death of Sandri. Outta control fans have smashed windows, hurled stones at police cars and destroyed a few of their motorcycles. And now, two weeks after the incident, games have resumed. Atalanta’s fans protested by showing up 20 minutes after the pitch, and were held back by protection glass during their Serie A match against AC Milan.

Only four grounds have opened to visiting fans for this weekend’s games, and some Serie A fans planned a silent protest at games around the country. The operative words here are “silent protest”. I don’t think Italians are capable of such a thing-as evidenced by the increased violence-but lets see how they do. And before you say anything-I’m Italian so I can rip on my own peeps. If anything, they are passionate about their sports and don’t take kindly to a cop killing a fan. Power to the people…just don’t kill each other pa-leeze.

DAVID BECKHAM IN CHINA
England lost to Croatia 3-2 in a Euro 2008 Qualifying game at Wembley, in London, on Wednesday. I repeat, England has failed to qualify for Euro 2008. “It will be a summer without seeing the flags out in the streets and seeing the atmosphere around England, and that’s going to be devastating for the country,” David Beckham said. “We all know there are more important things than football in the world, but for us not to qualify for a competition it’s a huge, huge thing.”

Indeed. It’s the first major tournament England will miss since the 1994 World Cup, they last missed the Euros in 1984. This ONE loss hit manager Steve McClaren like a ton of bricks, “Ultimately I take responsibility and I accept that. It is my job to get us qualified and I failed to do that. I don’t want to discuss my future.” McClaren doesn’t have to discuss anything, because he was yanked and spanked immediately following the loss-essentially opening the floodgates of discussion as to who will be the new manager of our English babes.

Meanwhile, Becks wasn’t sitting around crying about the loss, he went to Beijing for a promotional event, where some very intelligent children swamped the beast and gave us a wonderful photo.

As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.

GIL TV

We’ve all seen the wonderful Gilbert Arenas ‘Impossible is Nothing’ commercial, and for me, it never gets old. Now, as the Wizards babe gets ready to debut his new Gil II Zero shoe Friday against the Warriors, adidas will launch GilTV.com. The Web site will host various vignettes featuring Gilbert Arenas as some of his of well-known personas: Agent Zero, Black President, Cuba and Hibachi. And if you want the shoes, they will be visible on the site only on the days that Arenas wears them on court. Beware though, if you have trouble making decisions, these shoes may not be for you- they will be 20 variations of the Gil II Zero. (adidas). For more on Agent Zero, check out his blog and you’ll understand why it’s difficult not to love Arenas.

WARRIORS BEARD

Speaking of the Warriors, I found this photo of Baron Davis and his family. Obviously his grandma, mother, sisters and nieces or nephews…either way, I want that baby in the red-hat and was hoping I could get the Beard to make a ferocious donation. Note to B-Diddy- thanks to the other magnificent beards in the world, I’ve been schooled on how to properly groom a beard. Because once again, the good peeps at Fear the Beard are killing me with their blog.

CADDY FOR A CURE
The Caddy for a Cure season will kick off at the FBR Open in Phoenix on January 29th and 30th, where some of the world’s top ranked players in skill and “fan-appeal” will partake. Expect to see our usual hotties: Aaron are-you-kidding-me Baddeley, Adam Scott, and Camilo Villegas among others.

Caddy For A Cure was created by PGA TOUR caddie Russ Holden to raise money for the families and children afflicted by Fanconi anemia, and since its inception, the program has donated nearly $100,000 to charities, including donations to the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund. It’s a great program, where fans get to bid on the opportunity to caddy for a hottie. Check out all the details at PGA news.

GILLETTE HOME MOVIES

Gillette is starting to roll out a new holiday-themed spot featuring Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Thierry Henry. The ad begins with grainy footage of each athlete as a child opening a present, followed by actual youth highlight clips. In the voiceover, Woods describes how some gifts bring out the best in people. The ad ends with all three holding the Gillette Fusion razor. “Home Movies” begins airing this week in France, Portugal, Belgium and Holland. It will start airing in the U.S. on Monday, and roll out in Spain, Canada and other Latin American markets in the weeks that follow. While Federer and Henry combined fluently speak at least three languages other than English, actors will do the voiceovers in all non-English versions. The best snub of this campaign? The ad will not air in Federer’s native Switzerland. Ha-ha.

RED BULL EXPERIMENT
This New Year’s Eve at the Rio in Las Vegas, the Red Bull Experiment will take place. Two babes from the world of motor sports, Robbie Maddison and Rhys Millen, will be performing two insane feats. One Experiment will take place at the stroke of midnight on the East Coast, and the second will take place when the clock strikes “12″ on the West Coast.

Maddison, a freestyle motocross ‘star’ from Australia, will attempt to jump the length of a football field (more than 300 feet) to set a new motorcycle distance jumping world record. Millen, a champion drifter and movie stunt driver hailing from New Zealand, will attempt the first-ever back flip of an off-road racing truck. “I have ridden dirt bikes for over 20 years - this is what I do!” said Maddison. “All the success and injuries over the years have molded me into someone who wants to achieve the biggest feat on a motorcycle ever.” Peeps from the Guinness Book of World Records will there to validate each jump. “In my extreme world of motor sports and stunts, pushing the limits is a way of life,” added Millen. “Being the first to back flip a truck ramp to ramp is the ultimate high.” Tickets for the public to witness the Red Bull Experiment can be purchased for $12, starting on Monday, December 3, at http://www.newyearnolimits.com and at the Rio Box Office.

LADAINIAN & MAMA T WEIGH IN FOR CHUNKY

On Tuesday, LaDainian Tomlinson and his mama weighed-in for Campbell’s Chunky Soup in an effort to tackle hunger in San Diego. LaDainian and his mama sat on an oversized scale and the reigning NFL MVP/ Chunky soup spokesman and his mama weighed enough for 456 cans of Campbell’s Chunky soup to be donated to the San Diego Food Bank. And for that, LT and mama T earn a mighty-mighty-good-family nod.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Ya wonder why I don’t like Eva Longoria? This was just sent to me via email…
While picking up Koo Koo Roo mashed potatoes today I witnessed a fine example of Los Angeles kindness. A woman who short-changed the parking attending by only giving him half of the required two dollars to leave the lot, yelled at him. (This was happening while she was trying to navigate her SUV and talk on the cell phone): Attendant: “You only gave me a dollar?” Shrew: “Jesus! It’s Thanksgiving. Be nice. FUCK!” And she drove off. Yes. I swear it was… I kid you not…Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria.

As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.

CELEBRITY APPRENTICE

Donald Trump has rounded up an interesting group of celebrities to take part in ‘Celebrity Apprentice’, where the cast will compete in an effort to raise money for their favorite charities-with the winner earning an extra $250,00 for their charity. Celebrity Apprentice debuts January 3, with cast members to include former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis (above), UFC fighter Tito Ortiz, Vincent “Big Pussy” Pastore, Stephen Baldwin (“I thought it would be fun to play the game”), and Gene Simmons among others. In total, 14 celebrities will compete in business-oriented tasks around New York City to raise money for their favorite charities. For more info and a complete list of participants ABCNews.Go.com.

SWEET MELON’S NEW KICKS
“Immediately following last basketball season [Jordan Brand] footwear designer D’Wayne Edwards approached me with questions about my basketball goals for the 2007-2008 season and how I thought my next signature shoe could play a role in accomplishing all of them,” said Carmelo Anthony. “I knew I needed a shoe that would help me become quicker and more agile; that was lighter and had better traction. I wanted the shoe to be aggressive yet stylish at the same time.”

Jordan Brand has announced the launch of Carmelo Anthony’s Jordan Melo M4, and the best part of any ‘new’ release is the marketing campaign. First of all, the press release reads like a page out of my diary…Dear Diary: How can I elevate Sweet Melons world-class performance to an even higher level by helping to improve his quickness and agility? Is there anything available to improve his performance that might include increased ankle support and a unique compression sock to act as another layer of support? What about a shoe designed after a Jaguar to represent power and strength much like the feline with its stealth-like precision…the bottom of the outsole would work similar to that of the jungle cat’s powerful paws as it tip-toes across my abdomen, with a soft inside lining top cloth to provide comfort, and a deep exposed midsole flex groove for superior flexibility and handling and finally a sculpted shank (oh!) to provide an adaptive fit for improved support while playing. Dear god kill me now….

The Jordan Melo M4 has several other cool details that pay homage to the beast. There’s an ‘M’ representing Melo, the number four (4) representing his 4th shoe within the Jordan Brand and the number of times I would test out the shoe, his four tattoos to represent loyalty, dedication, respect and determination, the words “Uno” and “Cinco” on the left and right shoe respectively paying homage to his Puerto Rican heritage while referring to the numbers “one” and “five” from his Denver Nuggets uniform…The good peeps at Jordan brand also filmed a new 60-second TV sporn-ad starring Sweet Melon, set to launch on Thanksgiving Day. The spot itled “Engine” showcases Anthony in-training, juxtaposed to on-the-court, moving from slow-motion to real time as sounds of a single engine train warms-up to full speed. Melo: “I know I can.” The sixty-second piece of heaven will air on CBS, ESPN, FOX and TNT. More details can be found at Jumpman23.com like a provocative and inspiring online campaign to coincide with the national ad launch allowing us to drool over exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of Carmelo telling his story in his own words, along with the making of the Jordan Melo M4. And mark your calendars, on November 28 Melo will celebrate the launch at a Hollywood black-carpet premiere of the Jordan Melo M4 at Hornburg Jaguar in Los Angeles.

BUG OFF

It was October 5th when the bugs attacked the Yankees during the game two of the ALDS and now you can own a piece of that history. The cans of bug spray used in the dugout will be part of a 15-day game-used/autographed items auction on MLB staring this Friday through December 7. More than 50 items are up for grabs, including a signed Jason Varitek jersey and a Manny Ramirez signed base and ball. (MLB)

ENOUGH WITH YOURSELF

“It was a little tricky situation. I’d been playing well and Pete’s been retired for five years,” Federer said. “I expected myself to win tonight. I am very happy with my performance but I think Pete’s still playing very, very well.” And you all think I’m too hard on the Swiss-Mister? (Sports yahoo)

GOLD DIGGERS ALERT
Just in case you were wondering what are hotties are getting paid in the NBA, here’s a list of the top 25. Oddly enough, my Melo isnt listed…all dollar amounts are in the millions.

1) Kevin Garnett $23.75; Michael Finley $20.46; Shaq $20.4; Jermaine O’Neal $19.72; Jason Kidd $19.72; Kobe $19.49; Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury $19.01; Tracy McGrady $18.25; Chris Webber (free agent) $18.01; Baron Davis, Shaun Marion $16.44; Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Antawn Jamison $16.36; Ray Allen $16; Steve Francis $15.73; Ben Wallace $15.5; Elton Brand $15.34; Rasheed Lewis $14.88; Michael Redd $14.52; Amare Stoudemire, Yao Ming $13.76; Andrie Kirilenko and Pau Gasol $13.73.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.

PA-LEEZE WIN PETE

Former World number one tennis beast Pete Sampras has agreed to play the Swiss Mister in an invitational exhibition Hyundai Card Super Match VI on November 20, 2007 in Seoul. Pa-leeze, for the love of god, let Sampras humble you-know-who. I’ve got my prayer beads handy…

GRETZKY GOLF
After watching Janet Jones Gretzky golf with the big boys in the High Stakes Golf event, I was impressed. So it’s no surprise that her hubby Wayne Gretzky is hosting an event. Today, the Nationwide Tour has announced that the Wayne Gretzky Foundation is hosting a new event called the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic. The event will be held June 27-29 at the Georgian Bay Club and the Raven Golf Club (north of Toronto). In a nod to Gretzky’s former No. 99 uniform, the purse is $800,099. The event will be televised on the Golf Channel.

Don’t think Gretzky’s event can compete with the Dubai World Championship, which is set to take place around November of 2009 at Jumeirah Golf Estates. This tourney is the world’s richest golf tournament with a $10M prize fund in Dubai, United Arab. The European PGA Tour has given the Gulf emirate of Dubai a green light for this lucrative season-ending event.

LUNCHBOXES FOR CHARITY

In 2005, lunchboxes were created by everyone from Bono to Bill Clinton to Bill Gates and auctioned off to aid hungry children in New York City and South Africa. The good peeps at Charity Folks raised more than $100,000 and this year, they are hoping to raise even more for the Food Bank for NY City and the Lunchbox Fund to feed hungry kids in Africa their only meal of the day. This year’s online auction will kick off on December 6, 2007. Be sure to check out their website for more information and help feed the kids. (Charity Folks)

HUNGRY FOR SOME HORNETS

More thanksgiving love coming from some NBA hotties. The New Orleans Hornets provided over 200 dinners for needy peeps at the Dryades YMCA in New Orleans, Louisiana. Chris Paul (L) and Bobby Jackson are shown…

IN DA CROWD

Mel Gibson attended the Bulls-Lakers game in LA yesterday. Sources claim he was in fact ‘sober’…Jeremy Piven was also in the house, and as usual, took the time to smile pretty for the camera…. and finally, spotted in the crowd at a Euro 2008 qualifying match between Scotland and Italy, was Rod Stewart, who scared the hell outta me.

IVORY COAST QUALIFIES

The Ivory Coast are going to the Olympics for the first time after the hotties overwhelmed Zambia 4-1 in Abidjan to record a fourth consecutive Group B victory and build a five-point advantage. So why do I care? Because the Ivory Coast produces more hotties per year than the Dominican Republic or Italy. Add Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou (both Chelsea babes) into the mix, and ya got one hell-of-a-team to keep an eye on. I actually contemplated rushing Drogba on the pitch mid-game, until I noticed this poor fool getting schooled by the local po-po. (BBC.co.uk.)

HOUSE OF HOOPS

Ever wanted to walk into a store that carries limited edition kicks that you cant find anywhere else in the world? Wanna kick back in a VIP area filled with magazines, videos, and behind the scenes interviews while melting into a plush leather chair that’s planted in front of a 65-inch TV screen? Now you can. Nike and Foot Locker opened the doors to the House of Hoops on Harlem’s 125th Street. And it’s the first of its kind- exclusively selling Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse under one roof. “House of Hoops is a hub for all things basketball and a new home for consumers who live and breathe the game,” said Charlie Denson, President of the Nike Brand. “It’s the ultimate basketball store. House of Hoops offers a stellar line-up of performance and basketball inspired footwear, apparel and equipment from the game’s biggest names, meeting the needs of the every day player.” (Press release on CNN.com)

BRADY OR ROMO?

Any excuse to run side-by-side photos of the hottest QB’s to grace the game.

As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.

IAN POULTER GETS IT IN THE HOLE

My king of flash, kitten of style, beast o’ plaid, Ian Poulter shot a 1-under 69 to win the Dunlop Phoenix Tournement in Japan today. His three-stroke win gives the delicious Englishmen his first victory of the year. “I was very much aware that this was the last stroke play event of the year. It’s a lovely feeling to win again, and it’s so nice to come and do it in Japan,” Poulter said. Although I would have preferred Poulters ‘last stroke play’ to take place with me, his two-shot lead going into the final round was worthy of a ‘are-you’kidding-me’ shout out. Poulter had three birdies and two bogeys to finish three strokes ahead of Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano. Poulter said: “I don’t generally look at who’s behind me on the leaderboard. I look at who is ahead of me, and in this position I don’t have to look too far in front. I just need to play the way I’m playing. The last thing you want to be doing is thinking ‘what if I get beaten’?” Hottie killed it on the 18th; where he sealed his victory by holing a 10-footer for birdie and went on to receive his winner’s check of $360,068.

The book, Pro Golf Secrets Revealed, by Stephen Govenlock, offers insight into several issues that the young pro babes will face on their way to becoming an athlebrity. Im fairly sure they do NOT cover such topics as how to avoid redheads, what to do if someone spits in the cup ahead of you, or which cut of trousers drive me wild. But they do address the pitfalls of the professional game, and it’s apparently good enough for Ian Poulter. The flashkat has autographed several copies, which are being given away at Today’s Golfer. The give-away ends December 10. (todaysgolfer.co.uk)

SURPRISE: FEDERER WINS

“I surprise myself at times,” Federer said. “I’ve always had a tendency to all of a sudden go in streaks. Once you get on a roll, it’s so hard for the opponent to come back into it. I don’t allow them. I can mix it up and change it up. This is my big strength. I hope I can keep that going for many more years to come, obviously.” (Insert finger down throat) Roger Federer won his fourth Masters Cup title in five years after smearing the court with super hot-hot-hot David Ferrer 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. “It was a nice victory, especially proving it to myself and the world, that I can do it over and over again,” Federer said. “This is the year-end tournament that only the best can make it to. For me to win is a fantastic experience.”

PATRON PHOTO BOOTH

Tons of celebrities sat in the Patrón Photo Booth at the Star Lounge to have their photos taken before autographing the snapshots for an auction to benefit the G&P Foundation for Cancer Research. The purpose of The G&P Foundation for Cancer Research is to encourage the development of more effective therapies for patients with leukemia, lymphoma and related cancers. Starting bids are about ten-bucks and the auction runs for another 8 days. Autographed photos from the booth include John Salley, Ludacris, Joss Stone, Nelly, Ryan Shaw, Paul Allen and tons of others. It’s for a good cause, so get bidding.

MELTING ME ON THANKSGIVING

I’d like to thank Mary Anthony for giving us Carmelo Anthony. Sweet Melons mama is busy at the Carmelo Anthony Youth Center and the Robert C. Marsh Center distributing 300 turkeys to local families who can’t afford food this Thanksgiving. “God has blessed us tremendously, and I feel like we can give back to those coming from similar circumstances as we came from,” Mary Anthony said.

I’d also like to give props to Joan Romeo of Littleton, Colorado. Romeo celebrated her birthday yesterday while watching her dream come true: A Nuggets win over the Knicks 115-83. Sister-friend turned 75 and she’s still got it going on-notice her props to Melo on the sign? Love it.

And if this doesn’t make you say ‘ah’…Lakers babes Jordan Farmar, Brian Cook, Javaris Crittenton, Maurice Evans, Andrew Bynum (and the Lakers Girls) served a traditional Thanksgiving meal to families at the Watts-Willowbrook Boys & Girls Club yesterday.

As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.

BONDS INDICTMENT
My rant about Bonds’ indictment yesterday was nothing compared to what’s in my head. And its gonna get ugly kids…I’m certainly not gonna bore anyone with all the details of this case, I’ve read the newspapers and found the most informative and unbiased piece in the SFGATE.Com. But ESPN is another story. ESPN.com’s Gene Wojciechowski wrote, “The government is trying to do what Selig, the owners, the union and … the media, wouldn’t or couldn’t do: stop the cheating.” I nearly choked on my coffee after reading that one- but it does address an important issue: collusion. (Collusion: In the study of economics and market competiton, collusion takes place within an industry when rival companies cooperate for their mutual benefit. Collusion most often takes place within the market form of oligopoly, where the decision of a few firms to collude can significantly impact the market as a whole.) Selig, the owners, the union and the media all hate Barry Bonds. They aren’t trying to ‘stop the cheating’ they are making sure the most hated man in MLB doesn’t earn any glory. They’d much rather pass it off to the golden child Alex Rodriguez, who’s already agreed to give the Yankees (who he recently dumped) exclusive marketing rights to the Home Run King (After he kissed and made up with them the same day as BB’s indictment). Talk about lions ready to pounce. This situation has gone well beyond whether Bonds lied or not. It is an issue of Race. Dare I say that A-Rod has just enough ‘white’ in him to make a perfect Home Run King poster child?

Michael Rains, Bonds’ attorney, criticized the public release of the indictment. Rains: “All you need to know about the government’s case is that they leaked an official indictment to every media outlet in America and withheld it from Barry, his lawyer, and everyone else who could read it and defend him…I am utterly confident that this case will absolutely dissipate when the misconduct of the government comes to the forefront.”

And what about the team Bonds put on the map after playing with them for the last 15 years? The Giants adored him while he was slamming them into McCovey Cove and selling tickets, but yesterday they were oh-so-quick to turn their backs on their Hero. In a statement Thursday, the Giants said it’s a “sad day” and added, “Now that the judicial process has begun, we look forward to this matter being resolved in a court of law.”

STANFORD ST JUDE AND VIJAY SINGH

The Stanford Financial Group CFO, along with Vijay Singh and others, presented a check for $1.76 million from the inaugural Stanford St. Jude Championship. This is the largest contribution in the 34 years that St. Jude has been benefiting from the Memphis PGA TOUR event. The increased donation was due, in part, to the blessing of a chubby monk and through the Eagles for St. Jude program, in which Stanford is donating $1,000 for every Eagle carded on the PGA Tour.

After Vijay Singh joined in to support Eagles for St. Jude, he was named the PGA Tour Ambassador for the program and donated a personal check for $50,000. He also announced that he is committing $5,000 for every eagle he makes in 2008 to Eagles for St. Jude. “Obviously, I have my own motivation to make as many eagles as possible - but with the Eagles for St. Jude program there’s an even greater reward when I do so. Eagles for St. Jude allows me to share that good feeling that I have on the golf course and turn it into something truly lasting and meaningful off the golf course. I feel like my accomplishments help St. Jude accomplish its mission to find cures for these special children.” I think Vijay has earned a mighty-mighty-good-man nod for this…. (www.eaglesforstjude.org)

THE BETTER A-ROD

He came, he contorted, and he lost. Andy Roddick, to put it nicely, got eaten alive by the Swiss Mister today 6-4, 6-2. “When you’re down 6-4 4-0 you’re not adoring your chances,” shrugged Roddick. “It seems like most times we play he’s on top of his game, which is a little annoying.” What’s annoying is R-Feds comments about Andy: “He gives off an attitude sometimes of being very disappointed,” said Federer. “So sometimes you’re like ‘Okay, sorry I hit that passing shot’. But at the same times that’s tennis and he knows it.” What we do know is that R-Fed has secured a place in the Masters Cup semifinals, chasing his fourth Masters Cup title in five years, but must get by our unpredictable Rafa and his knees first. So what did the Swiss Mister have to say about that? “I’m excited to play Rafa. I think if I’m on top of my game indoors I’m the favorite.” Of course you are Roger, of course.

PHIL JACKSON: BRINGING BROKEBACK BACK

Phil Jackson is now one of my favorite people. In case you missed this story, which has been blown out of proportion and gotten a few closeted panties in a twist- on Wednesday, Lakers coach Phil Jackson made some hilarious comments following the Lakers’ loss to the San Longoria Spurs. The Spurs made 13 3-pointers in their 107-92 victory and Jackson was asked if too much penetration was leading to open outside shooters. “We call this a ‘Brokeback Mountain’ game, because there’s so much penetration and kick-outs,” Jackson said. “It was one of those games.” I was laughing. My gay buddies were laughing. But the NBA wasn’t. They even forced Phil Jackson to back-peddle himself deeper into the “oh-no-he-did-unt” hole. “But in retrospect, it wasn’t really funny,” Jackson said before the Lakers played Houston on Wednesday night. “When you take it out of context, it wasn’t funny. It was a poor attempt at humor and I deserved to be reprimanded by the NBA…If I’ve offended any horses, Texans, cowboys or gays, I apologize.” At this point, Jackson earned a star in my book. Once again, if this weren’t plastered all over ESPN, it wouldn’t have been taken out of context or offended anyone. Jackson wasn’t aiming to offend, just be funny, and for me he was. Do we really need to be so overly sensitive about e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g?

CARIBINIERI GONE WILD

The po-po who shot the Lazio fan last weekend will be charged with “voluntary homicide” in relation to the shooting incident which claimed the life of Gabriele Sandri. Named in the Italian media, Luigi Spaccarotella has admitted firing the shot. “This traffic policeman fired the shot at the height of a human being, that is a certified fact,” chief prosecutor Ennio Di Cicco told www.gazzetta.it. “We don’t know the motives but whatever they are it’s an unforgivable act. The gun is a last resort, even for members of the security forces: unless someone has pointed a pistol at you, you can not shoot.”

Ya gotta love the Italians. Fans and hotties turned out in the hundreds for the funeral of the downed fan, and my Francesco Totti was one of those in attendance. “For the funeral of Gabriele Sandri I felt so much bitterness, it is absurd, we can not die so,” said Totti. The AS Roma captain has been very upset by the death and is concerned about the increasing violence in futbol. (LaGazzetta)

As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.