The Best Thing About the Lakers Win?

I’ve been getting a lot of flack for not being a Lakers fan…as you all know, I cheer for character, so it was hard for me to watch Dwight Howard lose to Kobe Bryant and Gasol. My distaste for the Lakers also stems from the behavior of their fans. Sorry people, but I’d like to hear just ONE Lakers fan give props to an opposing team-any opposing team…but I have yet to see that happen. Instead I witnessed the ‘amazing’ destruction of police cars, burning trees, broken windows and looting in celebration of the Lakers 99-86 victory over the Magic…

But…there are some good guys on the Lakers and perhaps the non-violent and sane Lakers fans will use their passion productively and support Jordan Farmer and his foundation?

Farmar’s gearing up for two days of fundraising to benefit a variety of charities supported by his foundation including Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA, Seeds of Peace Camp, Peres Peace Center Basketball Clinics, and others. The inaugural Jordan Farmar Celebrity Golf Classic and Gala will be held on July 19-20 In Los Angeles…the Gala will be Sunday evening at Ten-Ten Wilshire in L.A. and the Golf Classic will be held on Monday at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California.

At the Gala guests will get to mingle with Jordan and a plethora of invited hotties and celebrities while enjoying the usual party swag- awesome food, music, and auction items to include unique sports memorabilia and event packages…the following day, athletes and celebrities will golf for the greater good. For those interested in a night of fun I highly recommend you purchase a ticket to the Gala because they are only $100.00 and it will be a sell-out. You can’t even go to a Lakers game and get out of Staples Center for less than that, so why not cough up a few bucks to party with some Lakers and their celebrity fans? (For ticket information, call the Jordan Farmar Foundation at 310 473-5445 or visit the website.)

Partial list of hotties invited to Jordan Farmar’s “All White Affair” include: George Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Earvin Magic Johnson, Rob Morrow, Mia Hamm, Flea, Kenny Lofton, Royce Clayton and Darryl Strawberry (Huh? He still around?), UCLA coach Ben Howland, and Lakers’ teammates Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Luke Walton, Trevor Ariza, Derek Fisher, and others.

Hope to see ya there…

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Soak In, Feel the Burn and Share Hope

Despite the weird weather we’ve been having in So-Cal recently, it doesn’t appear that June-gloom will be making an appearance anytime soon…especially in Palm Springs, and especially on June 20. That’s because the Riviera Resort & Spa in Palm Springs will be going off for one of the biggest parties of the year when they plunge into summer with Solstice.

Presented by the Scene, Solstice welcomes the longest day of the year (June 21) with the longest day of partying featuring two huge parties, world-class DJs, and celebrity appearances…I for one, will be there enjoying the Scene’s two Saturday parties dubbed “Soak In” and “Feel the Burn.”

‘Soak In’ runs all day Saturday-poolside at the Riviera…DJs will be spinning records so you can bust a move while enjoying the pool or you can simply relax on one of the plush daybeds while sipping an exotic cocktail or enjoying a glass of Hope Wine. ‘Feel the Burn’ picks up where the pool party ends…the Riviera ballroom will be transformed into an “audio-visual feast for the senses” with some of the world’s top DJs and electronic acts helping to usher in the longest day of the year.

So what does this have to do with athletes and charity? For one, I’ll be there so take that as your first clue. Two, it’s summer and I’m getting out from behind my desk to frolic in the sun and may or may not be posting until after this event. (Girl needs a vacation badly). And Three, it’s going to be a weekend filled with HOPE…wine that is. HOPE is all about making the world better and giving people an easy way to make a difference…and ONE HOPE Wine will be flowing in Palm Springs that weekend.

The company, ONE HOPE, started with a focus on three causes: Breast Cancer, Autism and AIDS. Since their launch in 2006, they’ve added two more causes- the environment and helping military families. 50% of their profits are donated to the above named causes and so far they’ve donated hundreds-of-thousands-of-dollars to make this world a better place through the sales of their Hope Wine.

From their website: ‘To put it into perspective, if just one in four, out of the estimated 19.5 million women who are or will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. received one bottle of our ONEHOPE Chardonnay every month for one year, ONEHOPE Wine could raise $70 million dollars for breast cancer research.’

So, for all my wine drinking readers, please buy your bottles from One Hope and do your part to improve this world. In the meantime, I’ll be on hiatus until I-don’t-know-when and I hope to see some of you getting jiggy-with-it on June 20 in Palm Springs. Until then, be good, spread love and live Hope.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

If You’re at a SuperBowl Charity Event, Don’t Snub the Writer; The Callaway Golf Foundation Challenge You Wont Get Snubbed At

Glad I’m not the only one…as you know, I’ve been to a ton of charity events, mixing and mingling with the athlebrities and celebs who donate-yes donate- their time to raise awareness. From Charles Barkley to Drew Brees to Sammy Jackson to Kevin Costner To Terry Crews…I’ve seen these guys front and center at various charity events, signing autographs and interacting with fans while thanking them for ‘coming out’ to the event and ‘supporting the ‘cause’…not to sound like a broken record-but sometimes it’s difficult to know who’s in it for the PR and who’s in it for love. And oddly enough, I feel a bit vindicated in regards to my post yesterday (although I shouldn’t really) after reading this article regarding the Par and Poker Charity event in Florida. Last year, celebrity Golf Magazine named Par and Poker as one of the top celebrity golf events. Awesome. But have they ever been to this event? Just wondering, because I’ve been to about 30 different celebrity golf events that have never gotten a peep of bad press due to their invited celebrity talent…so, Par and Poker, aside from the free publicity I gave you without so much as a thank you, perhaps you best recheck your ‘celebrity talent’…because yes-one bad apple can spoil the entire event…and the apple I speak of is Lawrence Taylor.

Par and Poker review written by Erica Pitzi, Tamp Bay 10 News:
One of the biggest names there is also arguably the NFL’s greatest defensive player of all time: Lawrence Taylor. Standing what seemed to be seven feet tall, ‘LT’ dwarfed nearly everything and everyone around him. (Although the dozens of fans hoping for an autograph couldn’t get any closer than the thirty feet a yellow rope allowed.) On the outside, he looked like a pretty intimidating fellow. He was warming up when I walked up to ask for an interview and without looking up, he said, “Nope, I’m done,” and he lit a large cigar. Too concerned with his golf game I guess, even though he was hitting balls in flip-flops. I stuck around for a minute to try and change his mind and with a huff Taylor said, “Fine. You get two questions, that’s it.” I asked my first question on how he felt about contributing to local charities through the tournament. Taylor told me he “wasn’t here for any charity.” He said there are always charity events going on and he doesn’t do them just for the charities. Instead, he told me he came to this charity tournament only for his friend, fellow football star (and charity tournament founder) Seth Joyner. “This charity is strong to his heart. I respect him, I like him. So, I support his charity,” said Taylor. (Full article here).

Callaway Golf Foundation Challenge

This Monday, if you’re on the west coast and don’t want to be snubbed by anyone, I highly recommend Callaway’s Golf Foundation Challenge. The event benefits the cancer research initiative of the (EIF) Entertainment Industry Foundation…which also does amazing things such as lure companies like Philosophy to donate 100% of their proceeds (from certain products) to the cause.

The Callaway Golf Foundation Challenge, a pro-celebrity charity golf tournament benefiting the cancer research initiatives of the EIF is set to tee off this Monday, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. This fundraising event pairs leading professional golfers with celebrated actors, chief business leaders and entertainment industry executives for a round of golf in a “Modified Best Ball” tournament format. During the event, amateur golfers will have an opportunity to work on their technique at the Johnny Miller Skills Clinic. Proceeds will benefit EIF’s Cancer Research Programs to fast-track scientific research to support the discovery of new prevention tests and improved, non-toxic therapies for ovarian, breast, colon and prostate cancers.

Celebrities set to participate and who I’ve never heard of snubbing a writer covering a charity event before include: Mark Wahlberg, Ray Romano, Gabriel Aubry, George Lopez, Tim Allen, James Caan, Kevin McKidd, Joe Pesci, Kevin Nealon, Peter Gallagher, Michael Chiklis, Josh Kelley, Don Cheadle, Jack Wagner, Matthew Lillard, Tom Dreesen, Jason Sehorn, Andy Richter, Flex Alexander, Johnny Mathis, CS Lee, Joel Gretsch, Joe Mantegna, Kevin Sorbo, and more. Professional Golfers set to participate include: Rocco Mediate, Johnny Miller, Gary Player, Leta Lindley, Roger Cleveland, Nicholas Thompson, Stuart Appleby, Vicky Hurst, Notah Begay III, Fredrik Jacobsen, Mark Brooks, and more.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Charity Poker Events Hosted by Harman

As I was driving back from LA last weekend, a friend of mine said “Jennifer who” after I mentioned Harman. For those out of the poker-loop, Jennifer Harman is the only woman to hold TWO WSOP bracelets, granted, I’m straying from my usual ‘hot pro athletes only’ on my blog because Jen is hosting two celebrity poker events that deserve some love and will-without question-attract some smoking hot babes from the sports world. The first ‘Charity Poker Tournament’ is on my birthday, March 11. Unfortunately, the proceeds wont go to me but will benefit The National Kidney Foundation. The fun starts at 11am at the Grand Sierra Resort, Reno, Nevada…joining her will be Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, Lee Watkinson, Roy Winston, Lee Markholt, professional poker players, and celebrities to be announced soon…which my libido translates as dear god I hope Antonio Esfandiari and Phil Laak are there cuz I need a lil fix.

But perhaps the most anticipated event Harman’s hosting is her Charity Poker Tournament Benefiting the Nevada SPCA. (Friday, 17 April, 4 P.M., The Venetian, Las Vegas). Included in the schedule of events are a red carpet walk with celebrities and animal companions, a silent auction, media party, a raffle, and video presentation. All proceeds benefit the Nevada SPCA…It’s not expensive to play in the event-and last years’ winner entered the tournement after adopting a pet at the SPCA. Yeah-how cute is that? More details as they are released and by visiting GREASIE WHEELS.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Steve Nash Grants Make-A-Wish

Phoenix Sun Steve Nash recently hung out with some kids from the Make-a-Wish Foundation…the video pretty much covers it all…the mighty-mighty fine beast always goes above and beyond to make wishes come true…my wish? A ticket to the vitaminwater Nash Bash to benefit the Steve Nash Foundation. “All-Star’s in Phoenix this year, and I’m really looking forward to hosting some of my Foundation’s best supporters, new friends and just having my family around’” said Nashty. “All-Star Weekend is one of the most entertaining events of the year, and, for me, it’s another opportunity to mesh my job with my other passions.” If you wanna mesh your job with other passions, the love fest goes down on Friday, February 13 at the Mondrian Scottsdale. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Steve Nash Foundation’s local initiative, Educare Arizona. “Educare is one of the best things we can do for our community,” said Steve. “It’s a holistic approach to the child and family, and will make an incredible impact nationally.” (Stevenash.org)

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Celebrity Soccer: Mia Hamm, Nomar Garciaparra, Tony Hawk, Ryan Sheckler, Jimmy Jean-Louis

Saturday afternoon I hit up the Mia Hamm-Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer event at the (beautiful) Home Depot center in Los Angeles. This is the second year Mia’s held the event to raise money for the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Mia Hamm Foundation- while also encouraging fans to sign up as bone-marrow donors. Last year, the event saved at least one life after they found a donor…during halftime, there were a few tears shed as donors were introduced to recipients…seriously, I even noticed a few celeb’s with wet eyes.

Partial roster of do-gooders kicking it for Hamm: Andrea Bowen (Desperate Housewives), C. Thomas Howell, Josh Hutcherson, Mark Consuelos (All My Children), Jimmy Jean-Louis (Heroes), Angus Jones (Two and a Half Men), James Leisure (Lipstick Jungle/Las Vegas), Josh Henderson (90210), Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden, skate-gods Tony Hawk and Ryan Sheckler, and several of Hamm’s teammates from the U.S. National Team including Brandi Chastain, Kristine Lilly, Joy Fawcett, Tisha Hoch, Abby Wambach and current and former male soccer hotties Cobi Jones, Chris Seitz, Matt Reis, Brian Dunseth and Alexi Lalas.

Love for each and every celebrity who kicked it under the hot sun for Mia’s Foundation and in support of a great cause. Hamm spoke before the event about her motivation: “My foundation started about 1999 and was motivated from my relationship with my brother who passed away in 1997 after complications from a bone-marrow transplant,” she said prior to the game. “For us, we shared a love of sport and I also saw first hand what my parents and his parents had to go through, not just financially, but struggling to find a bone-marrow match, so my foundation-the proceeds go to help families find bone-marrow transplants and also to encourage and empower young female athletes.”

Aside from Nomar and Mia, I’m giving extra love to a few celebrities who I noticed go above and beyond during the day. First time participant, actress Andrea Bowen…girl never stopped smiling or signing autographs for the young fans: “This is my first game and I’m pretty excited that I get to play with all these people. They’re definitely going to have to pull extra weight because I really don’t know what I’m doing but it should be fun and its all for a really good cause”

Next up, Ryan Sheckler, who was simply hoping for a goal. ‘This is actually the first time I’ve ever played soccer. It feels great, it’s going to be a great day. Hopefully I make a goal, my goal is to make a goal today, just one and I’ll go home happy.” Going home happy were the hundreds of prepubescent girls who squealed with delight each time Sheckler inhaled. Proving that you can be young, rich, arrogant and humble at the same time-Sheckler took about 20-minutes to sign autographs while others were on the field warming up.

Tony Hawk-aka Ryan Sheckler in 20-years- also impressed the hell outta me. Hawk went out of his way to sign autographs for a group of screaming fans desperate to meet their hero. I’ve been to a lot of events, and not every celebrity who appears takes extra steps to ensure everyone leaves happy…Hawk is definitely an exception.

Perhaps the happiest participant was Heroes star Jimmy Jean-Louis. Now, don’t kill me kids but I don’t watch the show, so I wasn’t really hip to the Haitian. What I was hip to were his dimples, “It is a beautiful day today and we are going to have a great time.” Indeed. Jean-Louis is one of the busiest celebrity charity advocates I’ve met in a while. He is a member of the celebrity soccer team Hollywood United, which plays tons of charity events, and as a spin off to it, dimples founded his own organization to help the people of Haiti. “I started my own organization Hollywood Unites for Haiti. What I’ve been doing is collecting all the used equipment and going to Haiti to give it to them because they really need this-that’s really how the whole idea of Hollywood Unites for Haiti started. About a month ago, some of us were invited to Haiti-including Josh Brolin and Diane Lane and that was for the opening of a hospital for handicapped, so that was nice and I plan to bring more awareness to Haiti because they really need help.” Since I don’t watch his show and I’ve seen his soccer skills in action- Jimmy Jean-Louis (for purposes of this site) is now classified as an athlete. Much, much, more info about him and his organization to come.

And finally, what was Benji Madden (Good Charlotte) doing with this baby to make it cry? Feeding it a nectarine? Benji ran off the field, took the kid in his arms, baby instantly began crying and then he’s holding a piece of fruit up to it…kinda funny, don’t know if it’s his baby or not because I’m not into celebrity gossip but thought some of you may get a kick out of it.

Here’s a link to most of my photos…Mia Hamm & Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Challenge. Enjoy. And next year, might I suggest you cough up the $20 bucks to be there yourself?

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

A FEW OF MY OFF-COURT NBA ALL STARS

Generally, you’ll have me at ‘Rockets’ due to the number of good-guys on the roster…and yesterday one of those mighty-mighty-fine men, Shane Battier, was at the Children’s Museum in Houston. At first I was certain that he had been “added” as an exhibit until I saw him reading to the kids and learned that he was there for the Read to Achieve event. Little to no media coverage so I thought I’d do it here. The NBA’s Read to Achieve program is a year-round campaign which helps young people develop a life-long love for reading…which isnt really too hard when you got guys like Shane reading to you.

And pinky props to Piston Tayshaun Prince (and his wife Farah) for chanting the mantra ‘Power, Peace, Purpose’, after presenting a scholarship check for $2,500 to Kids Kicking Cancers as part of the Pistons Read to Achieve Tour.

Just a lil love for Grizzlies Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, Elliot Perry, Kyle Lowry and Hakim Warrick for taking part in the Samaritan’s feet shoe distribution at Street Ministries yesterday in Memphis…actually, I’m giving more than just a lil love to these guys because they not only fitted kids for sneakers, but also handed out kicks to the kids AND (gulp) even washed their feet. This is the first time I’ve ever come across any of our ballers or athletes actually washing kids’ feet. (Like to see Lebron do that)…again, massive hugs to the Grizzlies.

Hope to see you here: Tomorrow is the 2009 Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Challenge to benefit bone marrow patient and family services at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Mia Hamm Foundation. Celebrities expected: Nomar Garciaparra [LA Dodgers], Mia Hamm [Soccer Hall of Famer], Tony hawk, Maksim Chmerkovski, Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh, Zachary Levi, Josh Henderson, C. Thomas Howell, Ryan Sheckler, Sal Masekela, Marcus Allen, Benji Madden, Angus T. Jones, Dule Hill, Anthony Lapaglia, Andrea Bowen, Chris Richardson, Josh Hutchenson, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Rivers Cuomo, members of the U.S. Olympic Men’s and Women’s Soccer Teams and many others. Home Depot Center, 18400 Avalon Blvd., Carson, CA.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

ALL STARS FOR HOPE

On June 14 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford New Jersey, some of the hottest men in Euro soccer are taking the field for the ALL STARS FOR HOPE charity game to benefit Mikael Silvestri’s Schools for Hope. Silvestri is a French defender who kicks it for Arsenal-but he’s all right in my book…he’s on a quest to build schools around the world-so far completing several in Guinea and Niger…

“When my children first started to go to school I realized that education is the basis for a better life for poor children everywhere in the world,” Silvestre said. “I said to myself that I want to act, I want to be involved, with my own money. The focus is not on football at these schools, it is getting a good education, basic skills and professional skills, so the students are able to go out and get a good job.”

All Stars for Hope could have easily been named ‘Hotties for Hope’ as it includes (in addition to Silvestre); Thierry Henry (France/Barcelona), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast/Chelsea), Wayne Rooney (England/Manchester United), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Man-United), Nicolas Anelka (France/Chelsea), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo/Arsenal), Manuel Almunia (Spain/Arsenal), Frank Lampard (England/Chelsea), Ryan Giggs (Wales/Manchester United) and others.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

18th Annual Taste of NFL

For those of you with an affinity for fine food and NFL players, this is your chance to sink your teeth into some mighty fine men while tackling hunger in America. The 18th Annual Taste of NFL is taking place on Saturday January 31 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg (FL). Here’s how it works, one celebrity chef and one current/alumni NFL beast from each city will pair up on the eve of SuperBowl…you get to sample specialty foods, meet the chefs, get autographs, and bid on some great silent auction items…

Any Top Chef fans out there? Take note, Tom Colicchio will be there with former Top Chef contestants…entertainment for the night will be Max Weinberg from Late Night with Conan. Partial list of NFL babes pairing up with a chef: Ben Patrick (AZ Cardinals); Derrick Martin (Baltimore Ravens); Richard Marshall (Carolina Panthers); Shaun Gayle (Chicago Bears); Jacoby Jones (Houston Texans); Kevin Houser (N.O. Saints). This is one of the most popular and worthwhile events happening during SuperBowl week and tickets usually sell out fast. Please visit www.Tasteofthenfl.com for more info and tickets.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com

Inaugurate With Carmelo Anthony as his Foundation is Honored, Hoop It Up with Snoop Dogg, Bid on Kurt Warner’s Ball and Hope Phelps Auctions His Speedo

With President Hot-Stuff ready to be sworn-in, the East Coast parties are being announced. It kills me that I cant be right up in the middle of D.C. for all the action…yes, Jay-Z is hosting a gala-but the event I would chew-my arm off to get to is being thrown by Perennial Sports and Entertainment…included in their “Party With a Purpose: An Inauguration Celebration” series of events is a special night recognizing Carmelo Anthony’s Foundation (as well as Ne-Yo’s Compound Foundation). Details: FRIDAY, JANUARY 16: Denver Nuggets superstar Carmelo Anthony, Grammy Award Winner singer/songwriter Ne-Yo and PSE join to present Artists and Athletes for a Cause. PSE will recognize the Carmelo Anthony Foundation and Ne-Yo’s Compound Foundation and honor the organizations’ efforts to address the challenges facing our nation’s youth. Who: NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony, Honored Guest R&B Recording Artist Ne-Yo, Honored Guest Former MTV Veejay, Lala Vazquez, Host BET and Political Commentator Jeff Johnson, Host. When: 6:45-11 pm Where: House of Sweden, 2900 K St, NW, Washington, DC.

If you live in So-Cal or find yourself in Compton this weekend, you might wanna throw down ten bucks to help out ‘The Stepping Stone’-a new youth center in Compton which helps local kids by teaching ‘em sports and arts and offers academic tutoring. The building has been under construction for sometime and needs just a bit more money to finish it up before it opens this Spring. This event’s garnered a ton of celebrity athletes support, most notably my favorite local Snoop Dogg…joining the Snoop: Warren G, Lil Eazy E, Allen Payne (“House of Payne”), Arlen Escarpeta (“American Dreams”), Brian McKnight, Los Angeles Sparks coach Michael Cooper, two-time NBA All-Star Champion and former Los Angeles Laker Norman Nixon, WNBA Champion and All-Star Game MVP Los Angeles Sparks Center Lisa Leslie, and former NBA players Khalid Reeves (Chicago Bulls Guard), Pooh Richardson (Los Angeles Clippers Point Guard), and Byron Russell (Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets Shooting Guard). The game will take place at 4 p.m. at Compton High School (601 S. Acacia Avenue Compton). Tickets are $10 and can be purchased on the day or by phone at (877) 689-7717.

If you’re a regular, you know I’m a huge supporter of Celebrity Fight Night. Last years honored ‘celebrity’ was LaDainian Tomlinson…this year the Muhammad Ali Sports Leadership Award goes to Kurt Warner. (Check out event details on my calendar of events page). CFN is being held on March 28 in Phoenix, and if the gods are smiling upon me, I will be there again this year because (gulp) they just announced that Michael Phelps is going to be awarded the Muhammad Ali Sports Achievement Award. Additionally, Warner will be featured on a limited-edition commemorative football being produced to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The footballs will be available for $99.00 each and only 2,009 will be made…to get one call 800-345-2868 or check out nikosports.com….I am now awaiting word on weather or not Michael Phelps will auction off one of his Speedo’s to benefit my libido. The sexy eight-time gold medallist is currently at a promotional event in Beijing as the spokesperson for Mazda…seen here holding up a Chinese character “Niu” or Ox to mark the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Ox.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com