The Kobe Bryant Video

Here is the Kobe Bryant video that everyone has been talking about. Apparently the guys who wanted $1.99 per viewing have relented and are now sharing it with the world. Decide for yourself if this is worthy of all the attention it has been getting.

This second video is not really a video but an audio clip of Kobe talking about that fans should buy Chicago Bulls jerseys since that's where he thinks (wants?) he will end up. It's kind of hard to understand everything that is said.

Golf Hottie O' The Day

OK, so I think I'm on to something here with this tennis hottie o' the day thing from before. In addition to Wimbledon, this weekend also is the U.S. Women's Open in North Carolina, one of the LPGA's majors. It's a golf event for those of you who don't know. Anyway, I don't think Jane Park usually looks this good, but we'll take it. She's from UCLA by the way. We saw her earlier on TV but at the time there was no graphic to identify her. We're guessing this is just a really good photo. Sorry. BTW, she's eyeing the line of her putt.

Stephen A. Smith Heckled

If you watch ESPN for any amount of time, especially the NBA coverage, then you've no doubt heard Stephen A. Smith on the air. I won't bore you with details about him except to say that many have taken to calling him "Screamin'" A Smith. The video below is from a guy who attended Thursday's NBA draft in New York and who makes it his life's work to heckle Mr. Smith. Some classic stuff although a tad long. Think: A poor man's Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Here is this year's version:

Here's what the guy did to Smith last year:

How 'Bout Hair & Eyebrows Next

Hear the latest about our favorite NBA owner Mark Cuban? Well, in his latest attempt to become more like Phil Jackson, the Dallas Mavericks billionaire owner had a "procedure" done.

DALLAS (AP) — Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had hip replacement surgery Friday.
Cuban is expected to remain in the hospital for 2-3 days after having his left hip replaced. Cuban will have to use crutches to get around for about three weeks after that.
Team officials said the 48-year-old Cuban is expected to make a full recovery, and that the replacement will not prevent him from doing his regular activities. Cuban said during the NBA draft Thursday night that he’d still be able to play basketball after getting his hip replaced.

"Farfour" The Martyr Mouse

There's not much to say about this post except to read the article below. And we wonder why our Western mentalities clash so vigorously with those of some Middle Eastern countries. Pretty heady stuff for a kids' show, I think.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — A Mickey Mouse lookalike who preached Islamic domination on a Hamas-affiliated children’s television program was beaten to death in the show’s final episode Friday.
In the final skit, “Farfour” was killed by an actor posing as an Israeli official trying to buy Farfour’s land. At one point, the mouse called the Israeli a “terrorist.”
“Farfour was martyred while defending his land,” said Sara, the teen presenter. He was killed “by the killers of children,” she added.
The weekly show, featuring a giant black-and-white rodent with a high-pitched voice, had attracted worldwide attention because the character urged Palestinian children to fight Israel. It was broadcast on Hamas-affiliated Al Aqsa TV.
Station officials said Friday that Farfour was taken off the air to make room for new programs. Station manager Mohammed Bilal said he did not know what would be shown instead.
Israeli officials have denounced the program, “Tomorrow’s Pioneers,” as incendiary and outrageous. The program was also opposed by the state-run Palestinian Broadcasting Corp., which is controlled by Fatah, Hamas’ rival.

Tennis Hottie O' The Day (2)

Today's tennis hottie from Wimbledon is Sania Mirza of India. Sania is a rather controversial figure in her homeland because of her affinity for the Western culture. Many criticize her lack of modesty in tennis outfits and are outraged when they've see her "dress up." I've included a photo of her off the court as well.

Chris Benoit's Last Interview

If this was indeed wrestler Chris Benoit's last television interview before he killed his wife and young son last weekend, it really is rather cryptic. You are looking into the eyes of a murderer. If you don't know what I'm talking about, click here.

Paris Gives King A Rise

There's no surprise that after Paris Hilton did Larry King, it would mean an ample increase somewhere. In this case, it was Larry King's ratings. The data is below. Guess we Americans DO care about Paris after all.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paris Hilton’s post-jail appearance on CNN’s “Larry King Live” drew about 3.2 million viewers, nearly triple the show’s average audience.
Hilton’s first TV chat since her release from jail aired Wednesday and gave King’s show its best ratings of the year to date for a regularly scheduled telecast, CNN said Thursday. The program has been drawing about 1.1 million daily viewers.
Hilton, who spent about 23 days in custody before she was released Tuesday, told King that the jail experience prompted her to re-evaluate the role of partying in her life and that she intended to continue her “journey” of self-discovery.
She also wants to raise money for worthy causes including “for kids and for breast cancer and multiple sclerosis.”
Hilton said the media has exaggerated her party-girl image and told King she’s never taken drugs and does not have a drinking problem.
She was jailed after driving with a suspended license in violation of her probation on alcohol-related reckless driving charges.
The hour-long interview was scheduled to be aired again at 8 p.m. EDT Friday, followed by a King interview with filmmaker Michael Moore (“Sicko”).

MSNBC Reporter Hates Paris Hilton

MSNBC reporter Mika Brzezinski refuses to report the Paris Hilton story on Joe Scarborough's "Morning Joe" show. She makes a lot of good points, but where would be without our Paris? Mika's look after they show video of Paris walking out of jail is priceless. And how many times does she say, "To the news now."

Christina Aguilera's Many Looks

Christina Aguilera is currently on the Asian leg of her "Back to Basics" tour. So it raises the question, which Christina do we like best:

First, there's the current Christina, all dressed in white and sporting a stylish blond hairstyle.

Next, we have the Christina who went through a phase when dark hair and a rather goth look was all the rage.

Then, there was the Christina who tried to mix it up, not being able to decide whether blonde or brunette was the way to go so why not combine them.

But I think this is my favorite Christina of all, hair color notwithstanding.

But this one is the stuff of nightmares. Please Christina, never do this again, no matter what your people tell you.

Girl Power Back In Vogue

Yes, it's true! The Spice Girls are getting back together for a reunion tour. I always had a thing for Baby Spice for some reason. Maybe it was the ponytails. Who knows? The tour will open in Los Angeles on Dec. 7 and end in Argentina on Jan. 24. Wow, that's pretty grueling stuff.

So here's the girls in their original form:

And here they are now:

LONDON (AP) — The Spice Girls wannabe stars again.
Following a calculated publicity buildup, the original Girl Power group of the 1990s announced Thursday they had agreed to get together for 11 concerts around the world in December and January.
The shows will be their first concerts since breaking up in 2001, and the first with all five of the original group since Geri “Ginger Spice” Halliwell quit to pursue a solo career in 1998.
“Imagine you got divorced and you’ve got back together with your ex-husband,” Halliwell said, explaining how she felt about the reunion.
“She just appreciates the fact we’ve let her back in,” joked Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham.
The group said the shows would be in Los Angeles on Dec. 7; Las Vegas on Dec. 8; New York on Dec. 11; London on Dec. 15; Cologne, Germany, on Dec. 20; Madrid, Spain, on Dec. 23; Beijing on Jan. 10; Hong Kong on Jan. 12; Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 17; Cape Town, South Africa, on Jan. 20; and Buenos Aires, Argentina on Jan. 24.
Halliwell and Beckham joined with Melanie “Sporty Spice” Chisholm, Emma “Baby Spice” Bunton and Melanie “Scary Spice” Brown to pose for photos and announce tour plans.

Amazing Goal In Futsal

Futsal is basically indoor soccer. The clip below is from a futsal game that appears to have been played in Italy. It's video of a goal that was scored but it's still quite an amazing feat. Some fine athleticism at work here.

John Stamos High On Something

Here is an interview that John Stamos, of "Full House" fame, did on Australian TV recently. He seems either drunk or under the influence of something. Hard to tell. Clip is a little long, but if you enjoy trainwrecks, it's pretty good. Stamos has always been a good guest when he's been on Howard Stern and this time he's good again but in a different way.

Tennis Hottie O' The Day

In honor of Wimbledon beginning this week, here is a photo of the tennis hottie of the day. Some you may have heard from. Others might not be so familiar. Today's hottie is Ana Ivanovic of Serbia. She's got a cute tummy and I like her ponytail. She looks like she has nice teeth too.

David Beckham Meets Reggie Bush

David Beckham mania is on the verge of breaking free in the States with the English footballer less than a month away from making his debut with the L.A. Galaxy. Because of Beckham's iconic standing seemingly everywhere in the world but the U.S., Adidas has taken it upon itself to sell the Beckham persona to the American public. And what better way to do that than tie Beckham to one of its most important endorsers -- NFL star running back Reggie Bush. There will be an ad campaign launched similar to the one done years ago with Michael Jordan and Mia Hamm when she began infiltrating the American public consciousness. It's a brilliant move by Adidas considering the utter nastiness and contempt that many Americans hold for soccer. By tying together Beckham with someone who plays a sport most American sports fans embrace, it will provide a dose of credibility. The video below is from an afternoon that Beckham and Bush recently spent together as they tried to learn about the other's sport. As Bush himself states at the end, "I have a new-found respect for soccer now." This is all Adidas (or anyone hoping soccer continues to grow in this country) can expect from those who aren't fans yet. Of course, soccer will never be like baseball, basketball or football, but it does deserve a respected place. Or as ESPN puts it in their promos for their Thursday night MLS telecasts: "You're a fan... you just don't know it yet."

Paris On Larry King

In case you missed it, here's a story about Paris Hilton's appearance on Larry King tonight. The interview is still going on at the moment.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Being locked in a cell was a “traumatic experience” and something she never expected after driving with a suspended license, a subdued Paris Hilton told CNN’s Larry King on Wednesday.
Letters from fans and supporters from around the world, including U.S. soldiers in Iraq and people as far away as India, helped her get through the 23 days in lockup, Hilton told King in her first broadcast interview since leaving jail on Tuesday.
All of the letters were positive, she said, adding that reading them in her cell sometimes reduced her to tears. “I’ve been through a lot,” said Hilton, her blond hair cascading across her forehead. “And it was a pretty traumatic experience, something that I really have grown from.”
Asked why she was going public about her experience, she told King, “I just want to let people know what I went through.”
She added that going to jail was the last thing she expected when Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer ordered her to his court in May for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless-driving case.
“I was walking in there assuming I was just going to get community service,” Hilton said. “That’s what my lawyer said at the time. So when he sentenced me to that much time in jail it was shocking because that doesn’t happen, ever.
Asked if she thought she got a “raw deal,” she said yes. At the same time, Hilton vowed never to drink and drive again.
“I’ll never make that mistake again,” she said.
Hilton also told King she thought the experience had changed her for the better.
“I feel like God does make everything happen for a reason,” she said. “And it gave me, you know, a time-out in life just to really find out what is important and what I want to do, figure out who I am. And even though it was really hard, I took that time just to get to know myself.”
She said she is looking at getting involved in a number of charitable causes, including those helping children.
Asked about her reputation as a party girl, the 26-year-old hotel heiress acknowledged she likes to have a good time with friends, but insisted that only represents one side of her.
“I am a social person,” she said. “I love to dance, I love to go out, I love music. But a lot of people don’t know that I’m a business person. I run several businesses.”
She pointed out she has a successful reality TV show, has made movies, recorded an album and written a best-selling book.
Hilton, who said she supports herself and doesn’t take money from her parents, also acknowledged it may be time to cut back on her partying.
“I’m frankly sick of it,” she said. “I’ve been going out for a long time now, and yeah, it’s fun, but it’s not going to be the mainstay of my life anymore.”
She said she eventually hopes to marry and have children.
“When I have a daughter I have a lot of good advice for her,” she said.
Hilton laughed with embarrassment when she was shown her mugshot.
Being strip-searched in jail, she said, was “the most humiliating experience of my life.”
Hilton said she has never used illegal drugs although she has been in the presence of those who have. She also said she has cut some friends out of her life who were causing her trouble.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings but they know who they are,” she said.
As she said during interviews in jail, Hilton also complained about the food.
“Lunch was basically a baloney sandwich,” she said. “They call it mystery meat. It’s pretty scary. Two pieces of bread and some mayonnaise.”
Although her fellow inmates were nice to her, Hilton said, she sometimes had nightmares in which she feared someone would break into her cell and hurt her.
She called her release early Tuesday “one of the happiest days of my life.”
“It’s hard to even describe. It was so exciting,” she said of walking past a gauntlet of reporters and photographers to an SUV where her mother and father were waiting for her.
“It was just pandemonium, and then as soon as I saw my mom I just ran to her to go give her a hug.”

Cubs Pitcher Confronted By Fan

Did you hear about the Chicago Cubs fan who jumped out of the stands and confronted Cubs pitcher Bobby Howry after the pitcher had given up a home run to lose the lead against the Colorado Rockies? Well, here is the video. Nothing that exciting although it is strange to see a fan rushing out to the mound. I don't know if that's more ridiculous or the running commentary the guy who videotaped this off TV has going.

Pretty Girls In Baseball Pants

Well, it looks as if softball is gaining support for a return to the Olympics. It might be too little too late for players such as Jennie Finch, but at least there could be another Finch on the horizon. Taryne Mowatt of Arizona just led the Wildcats to the national title and we do see some potential. There probably are plenty of others out there who look good in baseball pants too. And even Taryne looks as if she has a wilder side (or at least free-spirited) based on this since taken down photo she displayed on her MySpace. Yeah, I know that for every Jennie Finch in softball, there are 10 Rosie O'Donnells, but I'll still take those ratios just to have the payoff. At least our Western influence (young girls in tight-fitting pants) will be around to tempt the commies in Beijing next summer. Incidentally, here are four more players (I'm too lazy to identify them) from the Arizona team this year. Something about that desert sun, I guess.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The International Softball Federation announced a “Back Softball” campaign Wednesday to push for the sport to be reinstated for the 2016 Olympic Games.
“We’ve got great athletes. Young athletes in all parts of the world are playing the sport, and we want to make sure that people are aware that it is a sport that is very competitive and it’s a worldwide sport,” ISF President Don Porter said by phone from the Netherlands, where the announcement was made. “We want to be back in the Olympic program.”
Porter said the federation is focused on spreading softball to more countries in different areas of the world, developing the sport so more countries are able to compete at the highest level and raising awareness of softball around the globe.
“We want to get on and get moving because we want to see our sport back in the Olympic program after 2012,” Porter said.
After three rounds in the Olympics, softball was eliminated from the 2012 London Games during a 2005 vote by the International Olympic Committee in which the same number of secret ballots — 52 — supported keeping the sport as supported its removal. A majority was required to retain the sport, and one member abstained. A reinstatement attempt last year was defeated in a 47-43 vote.
The next chance for softball to regain its Olympic status will come in 2009, when the IOC will select the sports for the 2016 Games.
“That’s pretty disappointing when you lose by one vote, but the thing is it’s not that we just wanted one more vote to come back. We want more than one vote,” Porter said. “We want a lot more to show that the IOC members are supportive of our sport.”
The ISF formed a task force featuring former International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch as the honorary chairperson and has put together a plan to seek reinstatement. Officials plan to lobby for support next week at an IOC gathering in Guatemala.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Michele Smith visited President Bush on Wednesday as an honorary commissioner for a T-ball game on the White House South Lawn, and she said the president told her he’s “100 percent” behind the effort to reinstate softball.
“Today was a huge day for us in a lot of ways and in a lot of different countries,” Smith said by phone.
“For us, our Olympics is everything,” Smith said.

Alyssa Milano In Baseball Pants

OK, this is just a good excuse for me to put up a picture of Alyssa Milano. Nothing more, nothing less. I will say, I absolutely HATE when Alyssa has her hair short. Ahhhhhhh! Also, we do have another chance to see if Miss USA falls on her ass again.

NEW YORK (AP) — Actress Alyssa Milano, Kevin Dillon of HBO’s “Entourage” and Miss USA Rachel Smith are among the scheduled participants in the All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball game in San Francisco on July 8.
Former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice also is scheduled to play along with baseball Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Ozzie Smith, Rollie Fingers, Wade Boggs, Gary Carter and Dave Winfield, Major League Baseball said Wednesday.
Actor Marcus Giamatti, the son of former baseball commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti, also is slated to be in the game along with chef Bobby Flay, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and model Leeann Tweeden. Other former major leaguers include Rich Gossage, Rickey Henderson, Andre Dawson and Fred Lynn.

Paris Hilton Released From Jail!!!

We knew she was getting out on Tuesday, but we never thought that Paris Hilton would be leaving her Lynwood jail mere moments after the stroke of midnight. But there she was, in all her glory, headed back home to hopefully a better life and little more perspective. She vowed that the experience has made her a better person and that she was tired of acting "dumb" and that she wanted to make a difference in the world. Certainly someone with the media attention she commands has an opportunity to do plenty of good. Let's hope that her words do not ring hollow and that she realizes there are more important things than partying. I actually want to like her and she looks pretty cute in these photos I must say. Good luck Paris.

LYNWOOD (AP) Paris Hilton left jail Tuesday after a bizarre, three-week stay in which the hotel heiress was briefly released to her Hollywood Hills home, then sent screaming and crying back to a county lockup.
The 26-year-old celebutante walked out of the all-women's jail in Lynwood to an enormous horde of cameras and reporters after midnight. She had checked into the jail, largely avoiding the spotlight, late June 3 after a surprise appearance at the MTV Movie Awards.
Hilton smiled as she left the jail, her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her parents, Kathy and Rick, met her in a black SUV as cameras snapped pictures and Hilton, wearing a gold blouse with white trim over a white shirt and black slacks, waved to the crowd. She didn't say anything, and it wasn't immediately clear where she was going.
"She fulfilled her debt. She was obviously in good spirits. She thanked people as she left," said sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore.
Hilton will complete her probation in March 2009 as long as she keeps her driver's license current and doesn't break any laws. She can reduce that time by 12 months if she does community service that could include a public-service announcement, the city attorney's office has said.
Hilton began her 45-day sentence for violating her probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case. She was mostly confined to a solitary cell in the special needs unit away from the other 2,200 inmates.

Big Ol' Jet Airliner

Not sure where this is, but the landing of this jet is pretty amazing at the angle at which it is shot. Nothing bad happens, but the video really makes you feel as if you are standing there right with these people watching this aircraft roar by. The only words I hear from anyone on the video are when the jet is approaching, someone says, "Don't be afraid." That seems as if it might be somewhere in South America, where there are numerous airports nestled below mountains and harrowing landings are commonplace. Anyone have any idea where this is?

It also brings to mind this internet short film sensation from a few years back. This is pretty cool too considering that if you're from SoCal you've no doubt driven on the 405.

Lo Duca Has A Temper

You probably heard (and saw) Paul Lo Duca's meltdown over the weekend after getting kicked out of a game against the Mets.

They say Lo Duca went crazy after the ump called him out on an strike that Lo Duca thought was inside. But perhaps there are larger things here at work. Can we possibly be sure that Lo Duca wasn't pissed because maybe the ump was trying to move in on his action. We never heard about this when Lo Duca was in L.A., but once he went East, all the talk started about how the guy was not only a womanizer, but that he was a fan of the younger ladies to put it mildly. Of course the New York Post was all over it and little Paulee's reputation as a good guy suddenly didn't seem so sterling. It's classic New York stuff. But the Big Apple can have him. We're more than happy with Russell Martin here on the West Coast. By the way, Lo Duca was suspended for two games today because of his tamtrum. We all know Lo Duca can get a bit out of hand when he's angry (I'd be afraid to be young tart o' the month waiting for him to come home after a bad day at the office. "Paulee! Whadday mean you can't take me to Chuck E Cheese!"). Sometimes Lo Duca gets bug-eyed when he's mad, and frankly it can be a menacing sight. But we can't imagine that he gets to this point of our friend pictured above either. That's a real, undoctored photo of Jalisa "The Eyepopper" Thompson, who was in New York recently for the grand opening of the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Odditorium. Get Odd-itorium.

Rosie Not Coming On Down

Some good news on the TPIR front: Rosie O'Donnell will not be replacing Bob Barker as host. I was all for Rosie in her beatdown of Elisabeth Hasselbeck a few weeks ago, but the thought of someone reaching into her pocket to grab a $100 bill after guessing the exact price on an item up for bids ... well, that was just a little much for me.

NEW YORK (AP) — Rosie O’Donnell says she’s out of the running to replace Bob Barker as host of “The Price Is Right.”
O’Donnell, a superfan of the CBS game show, said on her blog that she had a “nice lunch” with the show’s producers.
Barker, 83, retired earlier this month after 35 years with the show, which is filmed in Los Angeles.
Although O’Donnell has said she would love to fill Barker’s shoes, the 45-year-old comedian has changed her mind.
“Well, here’s the thing: I don’t really need a job,” O’Donnell says in a video posted on her Web site. “I’m in a weird position. I don’t need the money.”
“So to get my entire family uprooted from their lives and move them across the country so that I can have a fantasy childhood indulgence, you know, job ... it just doesn’t seem fair.”
O’Donnell lives in Nyack, N.Y., near New York City, with her partner, Kelli, and their four children.

Mayra Veronica Settles Suit

You'll be glad to know that model Mayra Veronica has settled her lawsuit against Silver Reign, a Los Angeles-area strip club. Apparently the strip club had used Mayra's photo in an ad but actually forgot to tell Mayra about it. Obviously, this made Mayra mad, but the two sides settled today. And based on this picture, I really can't understand why ANYONE would want to exploit Mayra. If you want to not understand even more, click on this link.
Alexander Rufus-Isaacs, an attorney for the club, declined to divulge the terms of the accord but said, “It was settled to the mutual satisfaction of both parties.”
We're quickly finding that we're all about "mutual satisfaction" after getting to know Mayra a little.

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A Cuban model well-known in Latin America settled a lawsuit today with the owners of a West Los Angeles strip club over their alleged use of her photo in a club ad, the establishment’s attorney said today.
Mayra Veronica Aruca filed her lawsuit Oct. 18 in Los Angeles Superior Court against Stars Planet Inc., owners of the Silver Reign club at 11908 Mississippi Ave, alleging misappropriation of image and likeness, invasion of privacy and unjust enrichment.
Aruca asked for unspecified general, special and punitive damages, as well as restitution of profits earned by the business for allegedly obtaining a financial benefit from using the photo without her permission. The ads ran in the L.A. Weekly and other unspecified publications.
According to the lawsuit, the photo put Aruca in a false light because it suggests she approves and recommends live nude entertainment.
Aruca, 29, is known professionally as Mayra Veronica and is a regular cast member of Univision’s “Don Francisco Presenta.”
She also has been featured in ads for Coca-Cola, Burger King, Ford, Tide, Colgate and L’Oreal. A status conference scheduled today before Judge Paul Gutman was canceled after the settlement was reached.

Henry Draws A Crowd

Thierry Henry had his official presentation at Barcelona today and 30,000 fans turned out at Nou Camp Stadium to greet their new striker. Yes, that's 30,000 (no typo). Henry said all the right things and the Barca faithful certainly have to feel good that his addition will be the difference in winning the Spanish league title next season. But what shocks me is the 30,000. Can you imagine any professional athlete in this country drawing that many people to their signing press conference ... on a weekday? Perhaps when a team wins a title in something. By comparison, recently after the Ducks won the Stanley Cup the team had a rally at the Honda Center where a crowd of 15,000 showed up. Yeah, I know the Lakers draw huge crowds when they win, but would 30,000 show up if Kevin Garnett were signed? No way.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A crowd of nearly 30,000 came to Barcelona’s Nou Camp on Monday to greet Thierry Henry, who completed his $32 million transfer to Barcelona from Arsenal after passing a medical exam.
“I’m really pleased to be here. It’s been a long chase but I’m finally here,” Henry said. “Hopefully, I can be a great asset to the team.”
Henry, who agreed to a four-year contract, left Arsenal with a club-record 226 goals in 364 appearances. The 29-year-old Frenchman helped the London team to two Premier League titles and three Football Association Cups.
“I always said that if I ever leave Arsenal, it would be to play for Barcelona. It’s no disrespect to anybody. It’s my choice,” Henry said. “The way Barcelona plays, the fans, just being here and what I’m noticing now, it’s outstanding.”
Henry was limited to 17 Premier League games last season because of stomach and groin injuries after playing over 30 games a season since joining Arsenal in 1999.
“If you look at my record of injuries, there is only one,” Henry said. “Today I passed the medical easy, and nothing was bad anyway. Maybe not having played too much the season before can be good for this season.”
He joins a roster that includes two-time FIFA Player of the Year Ronaldinho, Cameroon forward Samuel Eto’o, Argentina winger Lionel Messi as well as playmaking midfielders Deco, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.
“Sometimes you have to sit on the bench, sometimes you play — that’s how you win titles,” Henry said. “You have to adapt.”

Kobe Bryant's Tour Of Destruction

Below is the small clip (and I really mean small) of the Kobe Bryant video everyone's all up in arms over. It's only a few words, but Kobe does use the F-word during the snippet. Who knows what it all means, although the "Kobe Video Guys" sure think they have something. Still, I'm really starting to lose patience with Kobe after having been one of his biggest supporters during the Colorado incident and the Shaq trade. Now I don't know what to think of the guy. How can you defend him anymore? But do I think the Lakers will trade him? No way in hell. At least not right away. From a business standpoint, it makes no sense, and what's best for business seems to be what the Buss family cares about most these days. No Kobe, regardless of how big a baby he's being, means no buzz at Staples and thus no asses in the seats. It also makes sense that the Lakers should pull off a blockbuster deal and put it all on Kobe's shoulders to give him what he wants and see what he can do. Kevin Garnett would seem to be the way to go. You deal Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, another player and the No. 1 draft pick. It doesn't matter that you're imploding the roster because from a business standpoint (there's that word again) it makes sense. The Lakers are already the No. 1 draw on the road. Can you imagine them with Kobe and KG? It wouldn't matter if you put those guys out there with three stiffs, they'd still draw attention and generate income anywhere they go. Certainly moreso than getting Jermaine O'Neal to L.A.. Although O'Neal makes more sense from a basketball standpoint, the thought of Bryant-O'Neal II just doesn't stand the test when it comes to the hype factor. And frankly, after the damage Kobe has done in the last few weeks, the Lakers would be smart to milk his economic prowess for as long as they can and use him as much as he is trying to exploit his situation. Either way, it's all setting up for an ugly ending at some point.

Feilhaber's GOLAZO On Mexico

The U.S. beat Mexico, 2-1, to win the Gold Cup championship today in one of the most entertaining matches ever involving the teams. It was spirited, well-played and extremely tense. The winning goal was scored by Benny Feilhaber, a former UCLA standout from Irvine who now plays in the German Bundesliga. You're not going to see a better goal than this. World-class stuff.

Lennon Brothers Speaking Again

I've always liked Julian Lennon and felt he got the short end of the stick after his father was killed so long ago. The few instances I heard about Julian came from the Howard Stern show when he was a guest. Howard drudged up all this stuff about how Julian had been treated by Yoko during the years after John's death. Julian always seemed to take the high road so I felt bad for the guy, who is such a dead ringer for his father it's scary (although Julian does have more of a receding hairline). Anyway, it's nice to see the story below:

NEW YORK (AP) — Half brothers Julian and Sean Lennon have begun speaking to each other again.
Their reconciliation follows Julian’s eight-year feud with Sean and Sean’s mother, Yoko Ono, the widow of the men’s father, Beatle John Lennon, the New York Post reported in Sunday’s editions.
The rift stemmed from comments Julian made about Yoko Ono, he told the Post. Julian’s mother is John’s first wife, Cynthia.
“I thought it time to make big changes in my own life,” Julian, 44, told the Post in what the paper said was his first interview since 1999. “Part of that has been to get Sean back into my life, because I love him so much.”
After contacting Sean’s tour manager this year, Julian surprised his half brother backstage after a show in Prague. “We just hugged and held each other,” Julian recalled.
Julian joined Sean, 31, on the tour bus, sleeping on the floor and traveling through Croatia and Slovenia, he said.

Rod Beck Dead At 38

Rod Beck, the former major league reliever with the bushy mustache and burly physique, was found dead by police in his home near Phoenix. Really sad. Didn't realize the guy was this young. I thought he was in late 40s or something. I remember how much I hated this guy because I am a Dodgers fan and never wanted to see him get the upper hand. As a Dodgers fan, he was the epitome of a Giant. I remember hating the way he looked, like a beer-league dude that in no way, shape or form belonged in the majors. Still, I hate to see someone die so young. He had a wife a two kids.

PHOENIX (AP) -- Rod Beck, an All-Star relief pitcher who wore a bushy mustache while earning 286 career saves, was found dead Saturday. He was 38.
Beck was found by police officers responding to a call to his home in suburban Phoenix, police department spokesman Andy Hill said Sunday. Foul play is not suspected, though the cause of death might not be known for several days.
With unruly hair framing a menacing stare and an aggressive arm swing before delivering a pitch, the outgoing right-hander was a colorful baseball personality and a three-time All-Star who twice led the NL in saves. He spent the first seven of his 13 major league seasons with the San Francisco Giants.
Beck was popular with teammates, reporters and fans, but battled personal demons late in his life. He abruptly left the San Diego Padres for a two-month stint in drug rehabilitation during his final major league season in 2004.
"He was having some problems, and I just knew he went into rehab and joined us later that year," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, the Padres' manager at the time. "It's so sad when you see healthy players go at such a young age. This is a bad day in baseball to lose a guy who did so much for the game."

Oden, Durant Put Through The Paces

With the NBA draft coming up this Thursday, here's a look at the draft workouts of Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. Oden spent an hour with the Portland Trail Blazers, who hold the No. 1 pick and are expected to select Oden. Durant's video is with his personal trainer, but he does have quite a sweet jumper despite the fact that he can't bench press 185 pounds.
Oden's workout:

Durant's workout:

Mexico's Goal Vs. Guadeloupe

Speaking of the Gold Cup, the U.S. plays Mexico for the championship on Sunday at noon Pacific time at Chicago's Soldier Field. It will be a sellout crowd and hopefully another classic U.S.-Mexico matchup. However, Mexico has not been playing well during the tournament and the U.S. has slipped in the last two games by giving up late goals to make things close. Anyway, the video below is Mexico's goal against Guadeloupe in the semifinals. It's a tremendous shot by Pavel Pardo. Goooooool!!! Gooooooooolazo!! Azo!!! Azo!!! Azo!!!

Video Evidence Of Canada Screwing

In case you missed it and were interested, here is the video of Canada getting robbed from tying the U.S. the other night in the Gold Cup. My previous post on this can be found here. The Canadian announcers do themselves well to not go more crazy than they did. I would've been livid if I were a Canadian.

The Lion (And Singer) Sleep Tonight

I remember this song being sung to me as a lay in the backseat of someone's car during a druken stupor. If I'm not mistaken, I believe it was John doing the singing and everyone laughing. Could they have been making fun of me? Nah. Anyway, when I heard this guy died, it left me a little sad as I reflected on my youth. "Uh, weem, uh, wem... uh, weem, uh wem... uh, weem, uh wem..." Everybody!! By the way, Medress wasn't the lead singer of the band. It was Jay Siegel as you will see below in the video.

NEW YORK (AP) — Hank Medress, whose vocals with the doo wop group the Tokens helped propel their irrepressible single “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” to the top of the charts and who produced hits with other groups, has died of lung cancer. He was 68.
Medress died Monday at his Manhattan home, relatives said.
He was a teenager at Brooklyn’s Lincoln High School when he launched his vocal quartet in 1955 with Neil Sedaka, performing as the Linc-Tones. When Sedaka departed for a successful solo career, lead singer Jay Siegel joined brothers Mitch and Phil Margo and Medress to become the Tokens.
It wasn’t until 1961 that the group scored its singular smash, its hypnotic “Wimowehs” derived from a traditional Zulu melody. The Weavers had made the song a folk staple in the ’50s, but the Tokens brought their version to No. 1 on the pop charts.
The band had other minor Top 40 hits, including “I Hear the Trumpets Blow” in 1966 and “Portrait of My Love” in 1967 — but never recaptured the success of its enduring single.
Medress would return to the charts, though, when the Tokens landed a production deal. The all-girl vocal group the Chiffons benefited from his studio touch with the classic ’60s singles “He’s So Fine” and “One Fine Day.”
After splitting with the Tokens in the 1970s, Medress worked with a record company executive named Tony Orlando, persuading him to handle vocals on “Knock Three Times” — a move that catapulted the song into pop history. Medress and production partner Dave Appell also produced the Orlando and Dawn hit “Candida.”
In the 1980s, Medress helped former New York Dolls lead singer David Johansen reinvent himself as lounge lizard hipster Buster Poindexter, producing his debut album and the single “Hot, Hot, Hot.”
From 1990-92, he served as president of EMI Music Publishing Canada. More recently, he worked as a consultant to Sound Exchange, a nonprofit group helping musicians collect royalties.
He was survived by four children and two grandchildren.

Then there's this:

And this:

Paris Hilton Doing Larry King

Just wanted to grab your attention with the headline. So when Paris gets out of jail on Tuesday she's wasting no time beginning the media tour. No word if this will be the only stop, but something tells me it won't.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paris Hilton plans to appear on CNN’s “Larry King Live” on Wednesday night in what will be her first television interview upon being released from jail, a spokeswoman for King said Saturday.
“We do have Paris on Wednesday,” said the show’s spokeswoman, Bridget Leininger. “She’ll do the whole hour.”
Hilton spokesman Elliott Mintz didn’t immediately return a call for comment.
CNN’s announcement followed competition for the interview between ABC and NBC that ended Friday with both networks saying they were no longer interested. Both networks were embarrassed by reports that they were willing to pay the Hilton family for materials related to an interview. CBS said it has never pursued the interview.
“Larry doesn’t pay for interviews or do ground rules,” Leininger said. The show will air from from 6 to 7 p.m. PDT.

Bob Barker's Top 10 List

I'm in a Bob Barker mood I guess. In case you missed it, here's the Top 10 Things Bob Baker Can Say Now That He's Retiring. This was from the David Letterman show a few weeks ago.

Bob Barker On SportsCenter

Bob Barker's "audition" tape to be an anchor for SportsCenter. "Don't get too close ... man. I'm the greatest!" Classic stuff. Via WithLeather.

Maddux And The 80s Go Together

I saw this photo and thought I had walked into a time warp. I was waiting to see Steve Garvey in the next frame. Somehow, the awful uniform seems to work on Greg Maddux, who donned the duds Friday against the Boston Red Sox during their interleague series at Petco Park. Maddux has that old-school quality about him and seems as if he would fit in perfectly with those Padres' teams of the 1980s. Maybe if he had been pitching, Kirk Gibson wouldn't have hit that mammoth home run in the '84 World Series. The photo is by the Associated Press.

This Is A Bad Way To Go

This has gotta be one of the worst stories I've ever read. How's this for a just-minding-your-own-business moment. Just goes to show how things can end in an instant and that, as the cliche goes, we should try to enjoy every moment. Sorry for bumming you out.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — An Oakland man died after being struck in the back of the head by a flying, 200-pound fire hydrant that was dislodged after a sport utility vehicle crashed into it, police said.
Humberto Hernandez, 24, was walking with his wife around 5:52 p.m. Thursday night when a 2007 Ford Escape blew a tire and swerved onto the sidewalk, striking the hydrant, police said. Water pressure and the impact of the crash sent the hydrant flying like a “bullet,” said Phil Abrams, an Alameda County deputy sheriff.
Hernandez was hit in the head, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
After striking Hernandez, the hydrant hit a fence before landing another 20 feet away.
“I’ve seen a lot of accidents but never anything like this,” said Oakland police Lt. Fausto Melara.
Hernandez suffered a blunt trauma wound to the left side of his body, Abrams said.
Hernandez’s wife was not hurt.

Henry Headed To Barcelona

Wow! Not that it's a complete shocker, but French striker Thierry Henry is leaving Arsenal and will play in Barcelona next season. Ronaldihno, Messi and now Henry. Whoa! Henry has always been one of the favorite players. I love his coolness under pressure and his ability to finish. Whenever I think of him, I'm reminded of a story about the NBA Finals. A friend of mine was covering the Finals in Philadelphia and Henry was there. But no one knew who this athletic-looking guy was. Henry loved the anonymity and was able to come and go as he pleased without anyone bothering him. He even played in some pickup basketball games with journalists covering the Finals, with none of them figuring out that this lanky with the decent jumper was a world-class athlete. A similar thing happened with Ruud Van Nistelrooy when Manchester United was here on an American tour several years ago. The guys was like in North Carolina, hanging out and had the itch to play. So he found a local gym where indoor games were going on. A few North Carolina women's players happened to be there and slowly they all realized who this guy was. So they called their friends to hustle down to the gym to watch.

MADRID, Spain (AP) — Thierry Henry is leaving Arsenal to sign with Barcelona in one of European soccer’s major transfers of the offseason.
Barcelona will pay $32 million for the 29-year-old forward, who agreed to a four-year contract, Cadena Ser radio and the newspaper El Pais said Friday. Barcelona planned to announce the signing on Saturday.
Henry has been with Arsenal since 1999, scoring a club-record 226 goals in 364 appearances. He helped the Gunners win two English Premier League titles and three Football Association Cups.

Paris Hilton's Release Date Set

Paris Hilton is getting out of jail on Tuesday. This just in from Sherrif's Headquarters:

According to Deputy Dana Camarillo of the Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau, Paris Hilton will be released from jail on TUESDAY.
“As a result of numerous inquiries, it has come to our attention that clarification is necessary regarding the actual release date of Paris Hilton,” Camarillo says. “In the case of Ms. Hilton, records specialists from the Inmate Reception Center have calculated her actual release date to be Tuesday, June 26, 2007,” Camarillo says

All That's Gold Here Is Hideous

I'm not one to usually to stop progress, but I have to say I'm not a big fan of what the U.S. women's national soccer team plans to wear at the Women's World Cup in China this fall. Gold jerseys? Well, at least gold as the dominant color. What is this, the USFL? But as U.S. forward Abby Wambach says, "This is a statement from Nike and the rest of us are taking on."


The first part of her quote is what bothers me. A statement from Nike? This is ridiculous albeit not surprising. Since when does a country allow its national colors to be sold out? After all, this isn't a professional sports league we're talking about here. It's an international competition. How can a U.S. team NOT have a red, white and blue uniform? The answer is simple. Nike wouldn't make as much money selling the traditional U.S. jerseys that millions of little girls clamored for throughout the late 1990s until now as women's soccer went through its popularity boom. I will say that although Cat Whitehill and Lindsey Tarpley do look cute (even hot) in their jerseys, the gold just doesn't do it for me. But that won't change anything, I know. Just wanted to go on the record to say how much these jerseys suck.

USA Advances, But Woe Canada

The U.S. men's soccer team reached the final of the Gold Cup tonight with a 2-1 victory over Canada at Soldier Field in Chicago, but despite the fact that I'm a staunch supporter of the red, white and blue, I really feel the Maple Leafs wuz robbed. Canada scored what appeared to be the game-tying goal in the dying moments of second-half extra time, but the celebration was quashed when referee Benito Archundia waved off Atiba Hutchinson's goal past U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Archundia -- who is from Mexico, and who doesn't want to see a U.S.-Mexico final? Just sayin' -- ruled that Hutchinson was offside. On the replay however, it was clear that U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu headed the ball -- inadvertently or not -- back toward his goal. Therefore, it shouldn't have mattered whether Hutchinson was in an offside position or not since a player can't be offside on a back pass. The Canadians were livid and pleaded their case to Archundia, who waved them away and moments later whistled the game over. Wonder what the conspiracy theorists are cooking up right now.