Steve Nash: Showdown in Nashty Town
Showdown in Nashty Town
My favorite baller, sexy Sun Steve Nash, has more up his sleeve than a basketball. In fact, I’d call the humanitarian a true-cross over athlete. He can land a three-pointer from center court and he can dribble a soccer ball better than Beckham.
If you don’t believe me, get to one of Nash’s charity soccer games. Last year, Nashty’s Showdown in Chinatown (NY) had fans climbing light posts and breaking into buildings just to catch a glimpse of Sir Steve and his roster of hot soccer players and NBA studs. Although the official roster hasn’t been released yet, we can hopefully expect to see some of last years’ participants, which included Thierry Henry, Claudia Reyna, Jason Kidd, Raja Bell, Leandro Barbosa, and Baron Davis.
This year, Nash will ‘Showdown’ in three separate cities. Although he was born in South Africa, he was raised in Canada, so he’s including Vancouver in on the action when he ‘Showdowns’ on Sept. 19. Showdown’s will also be held in Los Angeles and New York.
Much more info at the Steve Nash Foundation website.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
David Beckham ‘Buys’ Time on AC Milan
David Beckham ‘Buys’ Time on AC Milan
AC Milan announces that David Beckham will remain with the Rossoneri until June 30
Finally, the saga of where Golden Balls will play has been settled. Our English beast will remain “on loan” to the hot Italian club AC Milan until May 31, the end of the season. While I’m not well versed on contracts etc…I do find it chuckle-worthy to read that Beckham’s ‘on-loan’ status is more like a “pay-to-play” arrangement. He and AC Milan are both shelling out big bucks for Beck’s to kick it Italian style. We don’t know how much Beckham or AC are paying for Becks to remain with the Italian studs, but it’s said to be a “multimillion dollar deal.” The Galaxy originally had Beckham on the chopping block for $10M, but AC apparently thought he was only worth $3M. I do know if I had deep pockets, I too would pay millions to hit the field alongside Maldini, Nesta, Gattuso, Seedorf, Pirlo, Kaka and Inzaghi….
“I’m grateful to both clubs for making this dream come true,” said Beckham, “My family is happy and settled and will remain in LA. The perfect result for 2009 would be for me to help Milan to reach the Champions League and for the LA Galaxy to make the playoffs and win the MLS Cup.”
Sir Golden’s first game with the Galaxy will be July 16 against the New York Red Bulls…but the game I wouldn’t miss goes down on July 19-an exhibition game between (gulp) the aforementioned smoking hot Italian squad (AC Milan) and the Galaxy.
And for all you So-Cal readers chomping at the bit to know who and what team Galaxy is all about, you are invited to join them at the 2009 LA Galaxy Kickoff Luncheon on Thursday March 19 at the Manhattan Beach Marriott Hotel. The event includes lunch and a short program and raises funds for the LA Galaxy Foundation’s charitable endeavors
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
KOBE GIVES MARTA GOOD SOL
KOBE GIVES MARTA GOOD SOL
“It’s big. It’s really big. Not only to have women’s soccer, but to wind up getting the best women’s soccer player in her prime. This is a special moment,” Kobe Bryant on Marta Viera da Silva joining the Los Angeles Sol.
In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new soccer star in Los Angeles. In fact, there’s a whole new team, the Los Angeles Sol…and a whole new Women’s Professional Soccer League and the season is about to open.
Women’s soccer got a jump-start last week with a ton of publicity for LA SOL’s version of David Beckham. Her name is Marta and she’s so good, that Kobe Bryant greeted her by helicopter. The 23 year old Brazilian has already played in two Olympic games; was selected as the best player in the world when she was only 20, and led the scoring in the 2007 World Cup where she logged in seven goals to lead Brazil to the final against Germany. “For me the most important thing is to be in a place where the best players in the world are playing and this is what they are trying to do here,” Marta said. “The American League is being considered one of the best in the world, so I had to come now.”
Now, I’ve got faith that Marta is more skilled than Beck’s, however the survival of the League worries me. Beckham didn’t do much for the Galaxy-he was marketed well (which isnt difficult) but Beckham fever was much more about Beckham than it was the sport. Could this be the case with Marta? Time will tell but I for one, hope women’s soccer takes off.
Kobe Bryant is helping spread the word about Marta being the new face of the league. On Thursday at her news conference at the Home Depot Center, the Black Mamba himself arrived via helicopter because Lakers’ practice ran late…he introduced the young spitfire as one of his favorite athletes. “I’m just as excited as anybody here,” Bryant said as he presented Marta with her jersey. “When they told me, that made my whole night.”
Marta also had a memorable night on Friday when Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigos presented Marta a certificate of welcome during the Timberwolves-Lakers game. “In Brazil, basketball is not played very much,” Marta said through a translator. “But now that I’m here in the U.S., I’ll have many opportunities to go.”
The inaugural match is March 29.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
NFL Players Record Your Voicemail
NFL Players Record Your Voicemail
This is one of the best-kept secrets out there…I’ve blogged about Auction Cause before, because quite frankly, I love what they’re doing. They get celebrity swag and hawk it on eBay for charity. Sometimes, admittedly, I ‘forget’ to blog about it because I want the item in question. But today, I’m letting the NFL players out of the bag- so to speak- because I think some of you will be all over this.
Instead of using your voice to record the same “I’m not in right now” yawner on your phone, Auction Cause has gotten a stellar line-up of celebrities and hotties to record it for you. Any Simpson’s fans out there? You want Hank Azaria, THE voice of the show, to record your outgoing message? Seriously, they’ve got him up for bids. Azaria is the voice of Moe, Apu & Chief Wiggum from the Simpson’s, and bidding is hovering at $100…other celebrity voices waiting for you: Elizabeth Banks, Brooke Shields, Jennifer Garner, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Richard Kind and…
My personal favorites: Borat, Chris Rock, and NFL beasts Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders, and Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers). As of today, Borat and Chris Rock are outta my bidding range…but our men from the NFL are still at bargain bids. Now, I’m not much of a football fanatic, but I know a good deal when I see it. Faulk is a legend-Colts, Rams, injuries, formations, scandals, misunderstandings etc…what about twinkle toes Deion Saunders? Neon Deion telling your friends your not available cuz your chillen ‘Prime Time’…and Aaron Rogers? Why aren’t you people bidding on Aaron Rogers? This is Brett Favre’s little protégé. When he made his debut as a starter the Packers not only beat the Vikings, but it was the first time since 1992 that a quarterback other than Favre started a regular season game for the Packers…Rodgers owns an incredible streak of 157 consecutive pass attempts without an interception (the streak is the third longest in franchise history alongside my pass attempts at Melo) and Rodgers has been dubbed their quarterback of the future…the Packers signed him to a six-year extension on Oct 31, 2008 making him one of the highest paid players in the game…what’s not to love?
Winning bidders are allowed to suggest out going messages for their ‘prizes’ to record, but ultimately, the final recording will be completely at the celebrities’ discretion. And even if you can’t afford to bid, please check it out and share it with your friends, its for a great cause: All proceeds benefit International Medical Corps.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Poker Players Leading the Charity Craze
Poker Players Leading the Charity Craze
Yeah, I said it. Charity craze. As the economy continues to tank, celebrities are stepping up to donate big bucks in efforts to remind us that some of ‘em aren’t so bad. And I would say hands-down, ‘poker’ is going all-in with their players. This year alone, we’ve got Annie Duke on the Celebrity Apprentice 2; Phil Ivey and his Budding Ivey Foundation passing out books to kids; and Jennifer Harman is at it again with several charity poker events taking place. One of the most recent scores for ‘charity’ through poker comes from new Aced.com sponsored player Jamie Gold. Gold, who recently signed an insanely lucrative deal with Aced.com, is making sure we all know he’s for real…Gold recently hosted a $5k buy-in charity poker tournament at the Beverly Hilton Oscar party to support Children Uniting Nations. “I was called by Daphna Ziman, who runs Children Uniting Nations, and she said, ‘Listen, I know you’re playing in the LAPC, but I heard that you have a new sponsor that is very generous, Aced.com, and is there any way you would donate money and help us run a charity poker tournament?’ I said sure, we would do that, but I can’t be there, I have to play in the main event. And then, when I talked to Aced, they said, ‘No, screw it, you get a million chances to win a poker tournament, you have very few chances to connect.’”
One thing that’s hooked me on Gold is the fact they he’s genuinely interested in the causes he’s playing for, “This program is amazing; they’re lobbying congress successfully, and they are also donating a ton of money to foster children. I’m so proud to be a part of this, and so when the guys from Aced said they would donate all of this money, then I thought, let’s make this really special, I’ll donate a buy-in to the World Series. I’ll fly them out, I’ll put them up, and I’ll coach them. I don’t think anybody’s ever done that before; I’ll coach the winner through the World Series so they have the best shot at winning. I may not be the best player in the world, but I can definitely help them more than they can help themselves.
Something else exciting is coming from Gold…according to this interview Gold has created ‘a new TV show’ called ‘Jamie Gold’s Big Deal.’ Gold: “It’s poker, celebrities, and charity, it’s called Jamie Gold’s Big Deal. It’s going to be the new show after Real Time with Bill Maher…I hope my legacy is that I’ve raised as much money for charity as I possibly could; I hope other people do more than I can, and I hope that I really affect change in the world and help poker become more mainstream.”
Gotta also give a shout out to Freddy Deeb…Deeb just won $100k at the WPT L.A. Poker Classic Celebrity Invitational and donated $37,000 of that prize money to the event’s featured charity, The Vine Group USA. “This is huge,” said Mekhi Phifer, Chairman of The Vine Group USA. “The funds raised will allow us to complete the Mekhi Phifer Research Center we are currently building in Nigeria, which will service more than 100,000 students as well as neighboring universities. Our goal is to save millions of lives by providing the tools for education and the ability to build a future full of possibilities.” The event raised over $112,000 in less than three days of poker for charity.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Charity Madness: Adonal Foyle Lights Way for Kids
Charity Madness: Adonal Foyle Lights Way for Kids
Now, some of you may be wondering why I chose to spotlight Adonal Foyle and his charity work. Several reasons…one, the beast received a Community Contribution award from the NBA Players Association during All Star Weekend. Foyle was honored along with sexy Sun Steve Nash and Dwayne Wade. Obviously, all things Steve Nash are of great interest to me…while on the other end of the spectrum is D-Wade who has sorely disappointed me based on his questionable off-court behavior I’ve been hearing about…anyway, Lakers hottie Derek Fisher, who is also President of the NBPA, presented the award to Adonal Foyle and commended him on his 11 and a half years of making a difference in the NBA as well as in the community…the modest baller said that ‘he does not work in the community for public acknowledgement, but rather for the opportunity to pass on some of his own good fortune’…
This month, the NBA beast and his Kerosene Lamp Foundation (KLF) are running a ‘March $10K Campaign’ in efforts to raise money for camps in St. Vincent and The Grenadines. As Adonal prepares to celebrate his 34th birthday on March 9, he’s asking us all to pitch in as little as ten bucks to help thousands of kids enjoy hoops in his hometown. “I launched the Athletics & Academics Camps as an avenue through which the Kerosene Lamp Foundation could, in some small way, encourage a child to strive for success in the classroom and beyond,” said Foyle. “St. Vincent & The Grenadines is a tiny nation, one that is dependent on the potential of the next generation to make it thrive. With these camps, I use basketball to connect with the kids to promote a healthy lifestyle and stress their need to take an active role in their education.”
The March $10K Campaign gives fans the option of purchasing a $10 raffle ticket for a chance to win a ton of schwag including autographed goodies from the big guy well as from Dwight Hot-Hot Howard…you can also help by bidding on online auction items or by donating gifts such as basketballs or books to the camp. Also, be sure to check out the “D.C. KLF Fundraiser” on March 13th at the Wizards/Magic NBA game. Just a minimum donation of $10 per person will help KLF reach the goal of $10,000…check it all out here www.KeroseneLampFoundation.org and help support one of the NBA’s mighty-mighty-good men put smiles on the faces of kids..
Due to Foyle’s trade from Orlando to Memphis last month, JJ Redick has agreed to step up and take AF’s place at the upcoming Boston & DC fundraisers. Also, as a result of the trade, the KLF fundraisers in New York City, Orlando & Atlanta have been canceled.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Iverson Speaks the Truth on Charity While the Grizzlies Feed the Children and the NBA Takes Out a $200M Loan
Iverson on Charity, The Grizzlies Feed the Children and the NBA Takes Out a $200M Loan
We live in a confusing world…ballers perceived as thugs get ignored when they do something good…Olympic poster-children smoke pot and get shunned despite the fact that they’ve donated enough cash to charity to rebuild a small country…and the NBA decides to take out a $200M loan to ‘assist teams’ while still overpaying a bulk of their athletes as the economy goes to hell. 12 of the NBA’s 30 teams plan to borrow between $13 million and $20 million a piece and the NBA said there’s no restriction on how the money can be used. Maybe they’ll buy more chalk? This should OUTRAGE us all…(Which teams are actually tapping the loan remains a secret-we do know the Pacers have said no, but Orlando and Sac-Town said yes.)
Anyway…last week I read an interesting article where Allen Iverson spoke pretty openly about the NBA and charity. “I just look forward to doing it. I don’t need all the publicity that comes with it. I don’t need that. When it’s time for me to get toward that gate, either He [is] gonna say, ‘Come in,’ or He [is] gonna say, ‘Turn around.’ And a camera won’t decide whether I get in or not.”
The Answer also said something that I wish would register with certain NBA charity-fakers (a-hem Lebron): “We have more impact on the world than people may think, than even we might think, you know what I mean? When I was younger, when we talk about role-model-type situations, I never knew that we were important like we are.” The doe-eyed, freshly de-braided hottie continued, “We are role models, regardless if we like it or not. It is something that we got to accept, but it is something that people should know that we’re human and we make mistakes and we are not going to be perfect. You can want to be like Allen Iverson, but I don’t think people should try to be like Allen Iverson. I think people should be better than Allen Iverson.”
Iverson has also made no bones about calling the NBA’s charity work “fake.” Not sure what Iverson’s definition of ‘fake’ is, but I’ll agree that it’s somewhat more of a business than sincerity on behalf of the Organization-but this doesn’t mean the players aren’t interested in participating.
One team that’s registered as ‘genuine’ in my book: The Memphis Grizzlies. Yesterday, the boys teamed up with Feed the Children to provide free lunch and 800 boxes of food items to needy Memphis families. The event was held at the National Civil Rights Museum-making it that much more special.
The 400 families who received a food box were pre-identified by Feed The Children partner agency The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis. The boxes were designed to help supplement a family for up to one week. “We are so grateful for the players of the Memphis Grizzlies,” said Larry Jones, founder and president of Feed The Children. “We send our most sincere ‘Thank you!’ to the Grizzlies!” Indeed-sincere thank you’s to Hakim Warrick, O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Darrell Arthur, and Quinton Ross for stimulating my appetite this morning. And a very special thanks to O.J. Mayo and that jug of syrup…wonder if he used it all.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com