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 the glory he deserves. 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, rightly 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.” The only thing “sad” about this is how quickly the Giants kicked Bonds to the curb. After years of marketing him as the Team, their cold shoulder treatment is one of the most unprofessional I’ve seen in a long time.

Barry did in fact surround himself with some questionable characters (present company excluded of course), and those who want to destroy him and his image have done so without probing those who actually have nice things to say about him and know what the truth is. I know, whether we like it or not, that ‘they’ have been chomping at the bit to bring him down. The situation has become so ridiculous that if Bonds got a speeding ticket they’d still put the noose around his neck. The ramifications of this indictment are going to incite more discussions than if the Pope got a sex change. It is going to send a ripple called the race card through the veins of MLB and yes, essentially change it forever. A good friend of mine, Michael Tillery of the Starting Five (and Slam contributor) said to me ‘Im not going to follow a sport that supports violence’. This made me think. Is MLB supporting hatred through the guise of marketing dollars, as Tillery stated? After yesterday’s public lynching of Bonds, I say Tillery hit the nail on the head.

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.

I can’t believe this circus act. Barry Bonds has been indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice, charged with lying when he told a federal grand jury that he did not knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs. The indictment was unsealed Thursday after a four-year-foot-dragging-investigation into steroid use by elite athletes. Part of the Indictment reads: “During the criminal investigation, evidence was obtained including positive tests for the presence of anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing substances for Bonds and other athletes.” Mind you- he is not charged with ‘using,’ he’s charged with lying. Whether you love him or hate him, this is a ridiculous assertion, especially four years after the fact. Pa-leeze. Even if there were juice in his tank, no one can prove he had knowledge. Prove as in proof-proof being the operative word. But proof isnt a word we can expect to hear from all the Bonds haters around the world. They’ve been waiting years to celebrate the culmination of the Barry Bonds witch-hunt. And it sickens me.

After passing Hank Aaron’s career home run record, getting his ball asterisked, earning a pass from the Giants and saying “No” to the Hall of Fame, I thought this piece of baseball history would be laid to rest. But I guess not. Even our simian President issued a statement-what kind of shit is that? Seriously? And does anyone else find it interesting that just this week, ESPN hired S.F. Chronicle reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada, one of the bozo’s who “broke the BALCO story”? ESPN’s coverage of this story is beyond RIDICULOUS. They are interviewing all sorts of “experts” to determine whether or not this might (ooh) “ruin the game itself.” Huh? What’s ruining the game itself is ESPN. With their freshly hired professional Bonds Hater, an oh-so-official ‘response’ from The President and their ad nauseam coverage, they are doing a great job of blowing-it-out-of-proportion. To suggest that Bonds can destroy the “game” is a joke. The media coverage is what’s destroying the game. A simple segment would have been fine, but extensive negative coverage seems to be what ESPN is grooving on.

Great timing on behalf of Bonds’ trainor Greg Anderson, who kept his mouth shut about Bonds for years, went to jail, and finally gave it up before being released. What about the timing of A-Rod? Alex Rodriguez re-signing with the Yankee’s-giving them “exclusive rights to market him as the Home Run King”….interesting. I’m not gonna say c-o-n-s-p-i-r-a-c-y but I am gonna say bullshit.

In any case, looks like the Bonds haters are gonna win. This indictment has essentially cock-blocked Bonds’ free agency. He’s been labeled one too many times and no team is gonna want him now. Whether he’s convicted or not may be up to a jury. A jury of Bay Area residents who might see the truth through the dust kicked up during this with hunt.

COPY OF INDICTMENT HERE.

PGA DRUG TESTING POLICY
The PGA Tour’s new drug ‘testing’ program has gotten approval from the policy board. Violators could be disqualified from an event with up to a year suspension for the first violation, up to five years for the second violation and up to a lifetime ban for numerous violations. Fines run up to $500,000. All rulings can be appealed and the Tour will report the name and penalty for any player who gets ‘busted.’ Testing on the Tour will begin sometime after July in order to educate the players…PGA powers-that-be can pounce at any time- with no maximum or minimum amount of tests. The educational process includes the distribution of manuals, weekly player sessions and a mandatory meeting at the Buick Invitational in late January. (Which I plan on attending even if I have to be a show-and-tell-poster-child for ‘this-is-what-happens-to-your-brain-on-drugs’) The manual will contain the full list of banned substances that fall into previously announced categories. And yes, Weed is on the List. My predictions for how many golfers will get yanked and spanked? None. Zero. Nada. Nil.

SI’s Van Sickle wrote the Tour should be “applauded for having the guts to include marijuana and cocaine in the program. It seems doubtful that many players will fail the test for performance-enhancers, but drugs of abuse are a different story.” Pa-leeze….drugs of abuse? How about alcohol and tobacco? The most disturbing part of this “policy” is that Commissioner Finchem said “the tour can test without notice anytime and anywhere, either at a tournament or a player’s house.” Are you kidding me? How many rights does a player have to give up to play on the Tour? Sorry kids, I’m all for clean players, but to give ANYONE complete authority to come knock on your door, sniff the air and fine you is beyond the threshold of normalcy. And I find it equally as disturbing that most of the players seem to be okay with this kind of “policing.” Ain’t nothing sacred anymore.

RAFAEL NADAL WANT CHALLENGE NO?

As you all know, Rafael Nadal is my all-time post-match interviewee. After spanking Ferrer outta the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, Nadal didn’t disappoint in this wonderfully scripted interview… Q. You gave up challenging towards the end. Does that mean you gave up on this match towards the end? You didn’t challenge the last call on the line. Does that mean you gave up the match? RAFAEL NADAL: Nothing of this, no? The ball is out. This is stupid ask one thing if the ball is out. Is not nice. Because I asked to the referee the ball is out. I didn’t say, I want a challenge. Q. You two were very similar in terms of the way you were playing with fast footwork and topspin and running, strong defense. Did you ever think that you were actually competing against yourself on court? RAFAEL NADAL: I don’t understand very well the question, no, because I fight against David Ferrer, not against me. (Complete interview) Can Rafa get much cuter, no, when he say stupid ask one thing, he play not against himself yes?

NBA ALL STAR BALLOTING BEGINS

NBA All-Star balloting officially begins today. It will total 120 smoking hot players — 60 each from the Eastern and Western Conferences, with 24 gorgeous guards, 24 fine forwards and 12 sensual centers from each conference comprising the list. Voting will continue through Jan. 13 for paper balloting and Jan. 20 for NBA.com balloting.

The full list of NBA All Star nominees can be found at FOX Sports. Hotties of interest who comprise my All Star libido team: (from the East) Ray Allen, Chauncey Billups, Rip, Ben Gordon, Andre Iguodala, Jason Kapono, Jason Kidd, Jameer Nelson, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Luol Deng, Kevin Garnett, Kyle Korver, Rasheed, Antonio McDyess, Paul Pierce, Tayshaun Prince (lets just say all Pistons), Emeka Okafor, Shaq, and Big Bad Ben Wallace. Western picks: Leandro Barbosa, Raja Bell, BARON DAVIS, Allen Iverson, Stephen Jackson, Tracy McGrady, Cuttino Mobley, Steve Nash, Chris Paul (The Hornets have not had a player selected to an All-Star game since 2004, when the Beard and Jamaal Magloire were chosen), Carmelo Anthony, Ron Artest (How’d he make the list?) Shane Battier, Al Harrington, Grant Hill, Corey Maggette, Shawn Marion, Nene, Luke Walton, Marcus Camby, Amare Stoudemire, and of course, Yao Ming.

THE FRANCHISE: HOW CLEVELAND ‘REBUILT’ AROUND LEBRON JAMES

Want an inside look at how Nike and Reebok tried to woo Lebron James by throwing money, products, luxury hotels, and private jets his way before he eventually settled on Nike, who had their lips planted firmly on Lebrons ego, then check out ‘The Franchise’. Written by award-winning sports journalists Terry Pluto and Brian Windhorst, these guys break it down and give us an in-depth look at how the Cavaliers and the city are being rebuilt around LeBron James.

MY FOOTBALL CLUB

Now we’re talking…Internet fan collective MyFootballClub announced that it has agreed to buy a controlling interest in Ebbsfleet United FC, a soccer club in the fifth-tier English Football Conference. It is the first time that fans have been able to buy and control a football club. For a small fee of $72.50, you get a membership that allows you to vote on team selection, player transfers and the running of the club. Cant wait to see how this one plays out…If Chelsea had the same ‘rule’, I’m willing to bet we’d already have Ronaldinho, who was allegedly just offered $88M bucks from Chelsea to come play.

JUANITA $168 MILLION

Last December, Michael Jordan could have saved himself about $41M if he had signed the divorce papers. After MJ refused the settlement, sources say that the extra $41M was tacked on and now Jordan’s about to cut a check to his EX, Juanita Jordan for $168M. Juanita also gets the couple’s seven-acre estate in Chicago and custody of their three children. This “unprecedented” divorce settlement dwarfs other celebrity payouts, and the London Times breaks it down beautifully for ya.

SHAUN ALEXANDER AUCTION

Yesterday, CHOICES Education Group, announced it will auction fifty football-related items, each personally signed by Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander. Proceeds for the auction will be used to deliver the Choices message to teens in danger of dropping out of school. “Every school day 7,000 students become dropouts. We’re very appreciative that Shaun Alexander was able to take the time to personally sign all the items we are auctioning off,” said Leo Muller, Executive Director of the national not-for-profit. “Shaun has been a strong supporter of CHOICES in the past and this most recent contribution will absolutely help us serve more kids.” Choices offers interactive decision-making workshops to empower teens to achieve academic success-during each two hour-long session, business and community volunteers take students through real-world exercises on academic self-discipline, time and money management and goal setting. (Sounds like something I could use). Items up for bids include an “Alexander the Great” Poster, Madden NFL 07 Video Game (PlayStation 2), On Field Authentic Seahawks Home Jersey, Seahawks Logo 12th Man Gym Sack, Seahawks 2005 NFC Champions Highlight DVD and many others. Auction ends December 15th. Check it out here.

As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.

BECKHAM BARES ALL, AGAIN

Since 2003, Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani has provided off-field outfits to some of the world’s hottest soccer players. He’s been clothing England’s national soccer team, the Italian national team, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Real Madrid’s Ronaldo, Inter Milan’s Christian Vieri, AC Milan/Chelsea beast Andriy Shevchenko, and now, after sporting Armani with his English squad, David Beckham is going to be selling us Giorgio Armani’s Emporio Armani underwear collection. Beckham has been signed as the global package face of the underwear and shot the ad campaign in Los Angeles late last week…look for Beckahm is his Armani skivvies beginning in January. We can only hope that Armani uses Beckham is the same way he’s been using Italian tennis hottie Fiippo Volandri (R) and NOT come out with a new line of denim skivvies for Becks to embarrass himself in…And yes, rumor is that Posh is knocked up with number four- but only because she was spotted in a baby boutique, so don’t jump to conclusions just yet, she could have been shopping for a gift.

IN THE HOLE!

Justin Timberlake can’t bring sexy back because it never left. The luscious angelic-panty-melter will become the host of the PGA Tour event in Las Vegas, which will be renamed the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. “We will raise money for charity while participating in the greatest game ever played,” Timberlake said. “I thank the PGA Tour and the Shriners Hospitals for Children this amazing opportunity. Raising money to better children’s lives while playing golf? I can’t think of a better way to pass the time.” Mark your calendars; the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open will be played Oct. 13-19, 2008, at TPC-Summerlin. As part of his involvement, Timberlake will play in the Wednesday celebrity pro-am and host a concert during tournament week while attempting to fend off a redheaded stalker.

FRAMED

Get ready kids because I think we have a winner…Reebok is launching a new TV show called “Framed” which will begin airing in mid December on IFC. The show gives up-close and personal insight into the lives of our hotties through the eyes of celebrities. For example, Baron Davis got “Framed” by Emmanuelle Chriqui (Both will be hosting a private screening this Monday, in NY, and NO they are not dating!) Aside from Diddy and his ferocious Beard, others who got ‘Framed’ are: Allen Iverson “framed” by Nelly (now there’s a visual), Thierry Henry “framed” by Paz Vega (above right), Vince Young “framed” by Regina King, and David Ortiz “framed” by comedian Carlos Mencia. Each episode was shot in a location that has personal meaning to the athlebrities featured. For example, Baron Davis was shot in two locations that he is passionate about, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. (D&D were on-site in Vegas for part of the filming-memories are locked in the vault until air-time, sorry) Thierry Henry was shot in his new home city of Barcelona, Spain. Allen Iverson was shot in Atlanta because it is one of his favorite cities and where he spends a lot of time in the off-season, and Vince Young was shot in his hometown of Houston, Texas.

ITALIAN SOCCER VIOLENCE

After the po-po gunned down a Lazio fan last weekend, Italian prosecutors have opened a manslaughter inquiry against the reject who killed the fan. The incident has sparked numerous riots by supporters across the country, and where there are angry supporters, there are fireworks and bloodshed. Atalanta’s goalkeeper Ferdinando Coppola was lucky to toss away a firecracker before it exploded in his hand, but the violence hasn’t been limited to Italy and soccer. Don’t know why the crowd went nuts during a Jerusalem basketball game, but Israeli Yoav Glitzenstein wasn’t as lucky as Coppola…a home made firecracker exploded in his hand after it was thrown by an unidentified member of the crowd in a basketball arena. Dude lost three of his fingers…and you guys thought a Raiders game was bad?

CELEBRITY BLOGGERS

The votes are in, and Wizards babe Gilbert Arenas has won the 2007 Weblog Award for best ‘celebrity’ blog with 35.6% of the votes. Scary thing, second place with 34.7% of the votes went to Wil Wheaton? Curt Schilling finished fifth with 5.1% of the votes, while the Mouth of the Mavericks, Mark Cuban finished eighth with 2.4%. And I don’t know who’s voting, but Kanye West checked in with only 1.9% of the votes. Also gotta say, that this poll must have been completed before Baron Davis began his posts at yardbarker, because if you’ve ever checked in with the Beard, his shit is far more entertaining that Curt Shillings rants. (WEBLOGAWARDS)

As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.

EW GROSS

Sorry people, but if the rumor of Lance Armstrong dating Ashley Olsen is true, then I’m grossed out beyond belief. Armstrong was born in 1971, Olsen in 1986. While this age gap is perfectly acceptable for the queen of cougars, Demi Moore and her delicious boy-toy Ashton Kutcher, the double standard doesn’t sit well when it involves a man apparently suffering a mid-life crisis and an infant we watched grow up on TV. Ash-strong were spotted “making out in public” at NY’s Rose Bar on October 29, and while Armstrong was prepping to run the New York City Marathon, they holed up in Luxe Hotel Soho House. I can only hope that Ashley was hired to baby-sit Lances three children…

LAZIO FAN KILLED IN ITALY

Rest in peace my friend…Gabriele Sandri, a Lazio soccer fan from Rome, was killed today during an altercation with Juventus fans at a highway rest stop while en route to the Lazio match. Authorities believe a stray bullet may have killed him after the po-po fired a warning shot. The Italian soccer federation postponed the Inter-Lazio game and Sunday’s other games started 10 minutes late, with players and referees wearing black armbands. And once again, don’t ever go to a match in Italy.

LEWIS HAMILTON: GOSSIP CENTRAL
There is so much drama swirling around Lewis Hamilton that’s its almost impossible to keep up. The beast recently released his new book, “Lewis Hamilton My Story” in central London. Mind you, there are at least 8 other books already in print about the rookie sensation, but Hamilton insists that his book is the most accurate and informative- covering everything from his debut season where he won four races and finished on the podium eight times, and a detailed account of every race in this year’s championship. At the launch of the book, Hamilton said: “I heard about the other books and I thought it was important I get my story, the true story, out there, coming from me.”

Hamilton is also making waves with news that he and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinge are now an item. Rumor has it that the two met at the MTV Euro Awards last week. A source close to the couple said: “They’re smitten with each other. They’ve been on the phone non-stop since they met at the EMAs, chatting, laughing and arranging plans to meet.” Being the skeptic that I am, I’m not convinced about this rumor and will check in with my own sources at MTV to get the real scoop…. in another turn of events, Formula One has racked up some more fabulous espionage drama. Now it seems that Renault had the layout, dimensions and details of the McLaren car. Renault says that a former McLaren engineer brought the information on floppy disks when he switched teams in 2006. But wait, there’s more- a court battle is underway- alleging two teams, Williams and BMW, may have used fuel that was below the legal temperature during the final race of the season in Brazil. The cooler the fuel, the faster it flows into the car’s tank and the more power it can produce. If they are found “guilty” of breaking the rules, then the fourth-, fifth- and sixth-place cars in Brazil will lose their championship points, thereby giving Hamilton a move from seventh to fourth and he’d win the championship. Oh the glory…more details available at sport.guardian.co.uk.

YOUR PLACE OR MINE?
Take Home Hottie Curtis Stone was the guest speaker at this years ‘Good Food, Good Wine Show’ where he gave a little demonstration entitled “Your Place or Mine?” (Any-place would work for me) Thankfully, the hottest man to wield a spatula shared one of his ‘sexiest recipes’ with the brisbanetimes.com.au, his Chocolate Kiss and Tell. “I always talk about food bringing people together… this is the ultimate way to do it.”

Ingredients: 500g high-quality chopped chocolate (dark, semi-sweet or bittersweet), 400ml cream, ½ bunch finely chopped mint, 1 finely chopped chili pepper and a double shot of espresso. Method: Divide the cream into 3 individual pans; add mint into one pan, chili into the second pan and espresso into the third; Slowly warm each pan to a near simmer and remove from heat, allowing flavour to infuse for 15 minutes while you make out with the chef; place the chocolate in a small bowl and set the bowl over a small saucepan of barely simmering water; stir constantly until the chocolate melts like Melo on a hot summer night; remove the pan from the heat. Divide chocolate into 3 small pots; return the pans of cream to heat and strain each pan of cream into one chocolate pot, creating 3 separate flavoured chocolate body paints; using a small brush, your tongue, fingers and imagination, paint away. *Note: White chocolate is recommended for dark canvases…

RAFAEL NADAL: PERFECT

Our Mallorcan babe Rafael Nadal changed his shirt during his match against Gasquet at the Shanghai 2007 Tennis Masters Cup, where he won 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Nadal played with both knees taped, leading me to wonder if he was perhaps hiding rug burns? “Every match is very difficult because you play only against the best,” he said. “So I start the match with, well, little bit doubts. But later I play a little bit more aggressive. I finish much better than I start.” Ain’t that music to my ears…

KILL ME NOW MOMENT

As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.

TOMMY HAAS POISONED?
The International Tennis Federation is investigating allegations that Tommy Haas was poisoned before Germany’s Davis Cup match against Russia. And before everyone gets his or her panties in a twist, keep in mind that this is all hearsay. Haas’ German teammate Alexander Waske said he was told by a Russian manager that it was poisoning, not a virus. He didn’t name the manager but apparently he said that it “was bitter that Tommy Haas was poisoned.”

“I’m shocked that something like that appears possible,” said Haas, “When I think of how bad I felt, I can imagine it. I’ve been feeling weak for weeks…I was the only one ever to order dessert or a Latte macchiato after dinner. If all this is true, since no one else got sick, that must have been when it happened.” Pa-leeze…dude wasn’t poisoned, his blood work came back positive for a Virus, and this silly accusation is just another bad blow to a sport that’s quickly becoming tainted by a few bad rumors. It just bums me out that such a stud could believe someone laced his Latte. If anything, they would have dropped a Roofie in there.

JOAKIM NOAH

I suggest you all get used to hearing about that precious Bull Joakim Noah. I love this kid- he’s kooky, outspoken, and has big delicious lips that seem to piss a lot of writers off. And in case you didn’t know, his daddy, Yannick Noah was a well-known tennis player-turned singer. Following in his footsteps, Joakim just signed a six-year endorsement deal with French footwear and apparel company Le Coq Sportif. The same company Daddy Noah has endorsed. Look for Joakim shoes and apparel soon, and keep in mind, that sweetie-pie is partially endorsing the company in a royalty-based investment, similar to what Michael Jordan did with Nike.

GOLDEN STATE HOTTIES

Anyone catch the Beard, the Babe and the Gremlin squaring off against the Mavericks last night? Whether you like them or not, the Golden State Warriors are brimming with so much passion and charisma that I didn’t even notice Dirk Nowitzki landing every three-pointer he attempted. I was much more enthralled with Baron Davis and his beard working the court like a Whirling Dervish, Al (Gremlin) Harrington schooling the Mav’s defense, and Matt Barnes ready to throw down with Devin Harris. In the end, the Mav’s won, but the entertainment value of the game was off the charts. And speaking of entertaining, anyone obsessed with B-Diddy and his Beard shouldn’t overlook the on-line shrine to our favorite furry baller: Fearthebeard.com. The site kicks ass. Period.

NEW GALAXY MANAGER-CHELSEA WEBSITE

It was just announced that former Chelsea and Newcastle United manager Ruud Gullit is expected to be the new coach of the Galaxy. And yes, the move has been approved by David Beckham who apparently thinks of Gullit “as a respected coach who is comfortable moving within celebrity circles.” No surprise that Beckham’s management company, 19 Entertainment, played a key role in landing Gullit. At least we don’t have to hear Alexi whining anymore…and for those of you outta the Chelsea loop, they just launched a new website for us yanks. I suggest you bookmark it and use it as a reference tool-great bio’s on all the Babes in Blue- and you might learn a thing or two about why I love my Drogba so much.

MANNY ME PA-LEEZE
Bidding is up to $28,100 for Manny Ramirez. Well, his car actually. I venture to guess that B.C. would go for much more, but for now, we’ll have to settle for his car. The Red Sox beast is auctioning off his ’06 Chrysler 300M on Ebay. West Roxbury Motors Owner Jerry Nasif is handling the auction and estimates the car’s worth at $35,000 but expects it to sell for around $50,000. Nasif: “The lucky winner will get a trunk full of autographed items, a jersey, bat and ball, four tickets to a future Red Sox game and a meet-and-greet with Manny to talk about the car.”

The Ebay listing reads like a sporno: This STR8 has a silver exterior with black leather/suede dreads that deliver a head snapping 425 horsepower. The car has only 19,638 miles and “is striking to look at, and a monster to drive,” just like Manny. Its equipped with 22″ (a-hem) wheels and tires…the car stops on a dime or for crazy redheads, it has a sunroof, navigation system, power options…dear god, someone buy this car for me…they also claim the car “is amazingly nimble unwinding back roads” and has (gulp) rear sensors. Add a sound system with 7 speakers, a 7 disc cd changer and satellite radio and you got yourself one hell of a Manny ride. And I’m not joking-will someone pa-leeze buy me this car?

CURTIS STONE SNUBS TRUMP

News from down under on our Take Home Hottie Curtis Stone. The Ian-Poulteresq babe told the Don he didn’t want to be on the Apprentice. Trump had the audacity to ask Curtis to “apply” as a contestant on The Apprentice. “I’m pretty busy and had a couple of concerns. I didn’t want to get fired. I’ve never been fired yet and I don’t want to get fired now.” Thank you Curtis-and please turn down any offers to appear on Dancing With the Stars-please, please don’t sell out like that….and oddly enough, the beast has yet to contact me after our encounter in Vegas? Cant imagine why, especially since he’s not ‘pulling the chicks’ as imagined. “I rang one buddy and he was like, ‘You lucky b…… think of the chicks you’ll be able to pull’. It hasn’t really worked that way.” THEN PICK UP THE PHONE ALREADY! (newsau)

VACATION

For those of you curious about my vacation, I went to Oahu again, where it rained for five days. I did, however, manage to do the two things I went there for-I got my fill of coconut shrimp from those wonderful shrimp trucks along the North Shore, and I proudly crashed the set of Lost for the second time in two years. I didn’t take any props-ya gotta respect the set-and left only footprints behind. Here’s the link to the photos from the (Lost) set. There was also a surf competition we hit up, just before it was halted due to weather. All in all, its good to be home.

As always, thanks for reading.
delinda@athlebrities.