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.