Pacquiao to meet J-Lin at Madison Square Garden

Plans are in the works for Manny Pacquiao and Jeremy Lin to meet up Wednesday in New York— a day before the boxer's press conference to announce his match against Timothy Bradley in Las Vegas on June 9.

Pacquiao— an unabashed basketball fan— is in the U.S. to fulfill a healthy dose of commitments but has found time to meet with Lin at Madison Square Garden before the Knicks game against the Atlanta Hawks.

Call it Pac-Mania meets Linsanity.

The WBO welterweight champ is a basketball fanatic and it comes as no surprise to know that Pacquiao and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. are in different corners when it comes to the Knicks phenom.

Mayweather said the Asian-American Lin is overhyped because of his race; while Pacquiao— a national treasure in the Philippines— considers Lin a hero and wants to shake his hand.




Pacquiao might feel a special kinship with Lin.

Like Lin, he was passed over for a long time before making a name for himself when he fought on the undercard of an Oscar De La Hoya-headliner in 2001.  It was never the same for Pac-Man since.

Pac-Man's promoter, Top Rank's Bob Arum, went the distance in arranging a meeting between—arguably— the world's best pound-for-pound fighter and the 23-year-old rising star.

Pacquiao owns a basketball team in the Philippines called the MP- Gensan Warriors which he regularly trains with.  He plays guard on the team and— coincidently— wears the same No. 17 as Lin.

"The only thing is when he is driving to the basket down the lane, the sea parts," said Top Rank spokesman Lee Samuels.

Linsane might be a good way to describe Pacquiao's upcoming itinerary.

His list of commitments to fulfill include having his deposition taken in relation with the defamation suit against Mayweather Jr., an endorsement gig with Nike, and holding press conferences in Beverly Hills and New York to promote his upcoming bout.

Something tells me that rubbing elbows with Lin might be a bigger thrill for the champ than the rest of his U.S. excursion.  And this is a guy who has met the likes of Kobe Bryant and hoards of Hollywood stars.

According to Samuels, when Pacquiao fought David Diaz in Chicago in 2008, one of the first things he wanted to do was see the statue of Michael Jordan outside the United Center.

"He just stared at it for the longest time," said Samuels. "He really loves basketball.  Wherever he is, he's always trying to get a pickup game."

Maybe we'll see a little one-on-one game between the two worldwide sensations.

NBA looking to add Jeremy Lin to All-Star Weekend

The NBA is giving serious thought to finding a way to get the season's biggest story down to its All-Star Weekend festivities in Orlando.

The idea of adding Jeremy Lin to the All-Star roster may be a hard sell considering the New York Knicks sensation has only five career starts; but it sounds like the league will somehow find a way to bring Linsanity to the party.

According to the New York Daily News, the NBA is trying to maximize the attention Lin is receiving and bringing the Knicks point guard down to the All-Star weekend is a no-brainer.

According to the Daily News source, the NBA is hoping to add Lin to its NBA All-Star lineup by having him participate in the Haier Shooting stars competition during All-Star Saturday night.  The competition features one current NBA player, one current WNBA player and one TNT on-air talent and legend on each team.

While it may hard to swallow the thought of a player who was cut by two teams and sitting on the Knicks bench just two weeks ago playing alongside Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Derrick Rose, the NBA knows the underdog Lin is too big a money-maker to keep away.



TV ratings have soared when he plays and stores can't keep his No. 17 jerseys on the racks.

The league hasn't seen a phenomenon like Lin in a long time and— by adding the player with a dozen nicknames to the All-Star weekend— it would be a nice gift to the fans from the NBA after the off-season lockout.

After all, he did breathe some life into the abbreviated season.

Even with basically a six-game season, Lin isn't undeserving of some kind of participation in the All-Star weekend in two weeks.

The 6-foot-3 Knick doesn't have the hops for the Slam Dunk Contest but the Skills Challenge seems to fit him a little better than one of his loose-fitting jerseys.

The Chinese-American Harvard-grad has become an overnight sensation after leading the Knicks to six straight wins since coming off the bench.

Last night, he buried three-point shot with :05 left in regulation to beat the Toronto Raptors and kept his legend growing.

Lin's humble personality and storybook season have made him a fan favorite. He is headed towards Tim Tebow-like adoration.

Linsanity has even made it to the White House.

According to ESPN, President Barack Obama is following the exploits of the reluctant star.

White House spokesman, Jay Carney said the President caught Lin's game-winning shot at the end of Tuesday game while on Marine One to Andrews Air Force Base.

He considers Lin's success a "great story" and it "transcends the sport itself,' said Carney.

Sounds like an endorsement to me.

"Metta World Peace" to Lakers: "You Can Still Call Me Ron"

He might have legally changed his name to Metta World Peace, but the Los Angeles Lakers forward told his teammates he will still answer to the name of Ron.

The former-Ron Artest said, "I really don't have a preference" about what you call him at a Lakers shootaround.

He even smiled when someone called him "Queensbridge" at a press conference yesterday.

If you aren't from New York City, the Queensbridge projects are the former- St. John's basketball star's old stomping grounds and some of the toughest streets in the city.

World Peace was very busy during the NBA lockout auctioning off his championship ring for 500+K and donating the proceeds to mental health organizations, PETA and children's charities.

At a recent Lakers' game against the Utah Jazz, fans at the Staples Center chanted, "We Want World Peace" while the former-Ron Artest sat on the bench.

That seemed to be music to the New Yorker's ears.

"I think I accomplished a lot already," he said.  "Changing lives."

People in the media are still getting used to the revised name and even his new coach Mike Brown admitted it's not in the Lakers' vocabulary yet.

"I try to call him Metta more than anyone else," the coach said.  "And then you hear Steve Blake say, 'Hey Ron' or Kobe say 'Hey Ron-Ron' and it throws me off.  I'm trying, but no one's helping me."

It's doesn't matter what he is calling himself these days because when the former-Redmen star steps onto the streets of New York, he's still Ron Artest from Queens.

Ex-Magic CEO's Booty-Call Could Help Nets Land Dwight Howard

Nothing says "I love you" like a late night phone call to your ex—or soon-to-be free-agent—after a few rounds of drinks but the same call also says "run for the hills."

Either way, it's never a smart thing to do as ex-Orlando Magic CEO, Bob Vander Weide, found out after admitting he phoned Dwight Howard pleading with the star center to stay with with his team.

It sounds like the CEO's booty-call might have backfired.

Vander Weide, who unexpectedly retired yesterday, told Bright House Sports Network he called Howard a few days ago after having "a couple of glasses of wine" and "maybe should have waited until the morning."

"Maybe Dwight thought it was inappropriate to talk business after a couple glasses of wine," Vander Weide told the network about the 1 a.m. phone call.  "I was playing paddle with a couple of friends."

The Magic are desperate to keep Howard in Orlando.  Arguably the NBA's best big man, Howard can opt-out of the final year of his contract on July 1, and has expressed his desire to go to another team.

The situation has pretty much forced the Magic to deal the five-time All-Star now before they risk losing him for nothing in return when he becomes a free-agent.

In the meantime, teams have been taking advantage of the shaky relationship between Howard and his current team.

The Los Angeles Lakers—most notably—have offered everyone but Kobe Bryant for Howard but it's the New Jersey Nets who have actually put a tangible deal on the table.

The Nets have offered Brook Lopez, draft picks and cap space in order to keep their own All-Star point guard Deron Williams in Newark before they team moves to Brooklyn next year.

On Monday, Williams—who has his own opt-out decision to make after this season— claimed he had spoken with Howard about coming north and is "sure" he would sign an extension if he was dealt to the Nets.  The two players were teammates on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

"[Howard's] a monster," gushed Williams.  "He's like a created player.  He's not real."

The Nets might be facing an uphill battle for the coveted big guy playing alongside Williams.

Los Angeles—and the bright lights of Hollywood—might be too much of a draw for the aspiring actor Howard and the trade bait—Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum—might be too tempting for the Magic.

While the desperate call by Vander Weide might have been fueled by liquor—as suspected by Howard—the Magic are still in the mix for Howard.  The former CEO told Bright House that Howard is still waiting to see what Orlando offers the center before he becomes a free-agent after this season.

"We have a pretty good relationship," said Vander Weide.  "I have a pretty clear understanding where Dwight's head is and that's between him and this organization."

Still, the Nets don't want to turn any trade negotiations with the Magic into a media feeding frenzy, ala the Knicks and Carmelo Anthony.

"We're confident—Billy [Nets GM Billy King] and I," said Nets coach Avery Johnson.  "We've been confident all along.  Last year, we had a circus atmosphere when we were trying to make deals for some guys.  Hopefully, if we do anything, you guys [the media] won't find out until you kind of find out what we did [with Williams]," said Johnson.

Johnson said that trade talks with Orlando are in the preliminary stages and will be kept under wraps until the time is right.

"I can't talk about it publicly," said Johnson.  "But it's a foregone conclusion that we're working at it and hopefully, we'll get something done."

Maybe it's time for the Nets to bring out the big guns to lure Howard to Jersey and their new Brooklyn home next year—Madison Avenue and Jay-Z.

Gymnast Does "Kobe" Over Speeding Cars

Remember when Kobe Bryant's jump over an Aston-Martin sports car for a Nike ad—that he later confessed was fake—was all the rage?  Well, gymnast Aaron Evans has become an expert at flipping over moving vehicles and now holds the world-record by leaping over three cars in-a-row.

While Kobe's jump was admittedly "Hollywood," the 22 year-old Evans nail-biting stunts are void of any special effects.  He actually hops over the car, not beside it.

Evans does his dangerous flips over cars traveling at speeds of up to 30 mph on slippery oil-spotted parking lots.  He turns asphalt roads into a trampolines and could easily dunk a basketball on a 12-foot high rim.

The talented gymnast and acrobat said he was inspired to perform the stunt more from watching Bruce Lee movies than the Los Angeles Lakers star's video.

Kobe's ad was fun, but whatever shoes Evans is selling— I'm buying.

Lingerie League Puts 'Fun' into Fundamental Basketball

If the looming NBA lockout has bred anything but thoughts of NBA stars playing overseas, watching games live on ESPN at 3 a.m. and long winter nights yearning for a Blake Griffin dunk highlight, you're wrong.  No Lakers, no problem.  Mix a little Kobe Bryant and Kardashian sisters and you get the Lingerie Basketball League.  Only from the beaches of California could an idea like this make you forget about David Stern.  It's similar to Lingerie Football-- only with even less padding.

The professional women's basketball league debuted July 23 and, as the league's slogan says it's, "Where Beauty Meets the Hardwood."

The players wear little more than brightly-colored panties, garters and sports bras.  Even a flagrant foul is pretty easy on the eyes and 'driving the lane' just got a whole new meaning.

The Los Angeles-based league has four teams:  The Beauties, The Divas, The Glam and The Starlets-- and the girls can play.  See for yourself:

The league uses most of the same rules as traditional women's basketball.  There is a 35-second clock, two 20-minute halves, but uses a high-school 3-point line.  A held ball results in a jump ball between the Amazonian beauties and the "Red Light Special" gives a player 60 seconds to score bonus points.

Trash talking is rampant although there hasn't been a dunk yet.  That's OK, because the fans are there to see good, fundamental basketball skills.

Some women's rights groups have already condemned the league-- so what else is new-- but the league has shown to be gaining popularity pretty fast.

How the LBL expects to gain fans around the country when all four teams are based in L.A. is a mystery--oh yeah, they play in their underwear.

Still can't see the WNBA following suit.

Derek Jeter Is Most Popular Male Athlete Despite Recent Bad Publicity

Derek Jeter was voted the "Most Popular Male Athlete" according to a just-released Harris Poll.  The New York Yankees shortstop is perched at the top spot for the first time, replacing Kobe Bryant who held the title last year.

Jeter's rise from the No. 3 spot in 2010 to the No. 1 position wasn't influenced too much by his highly-publicized quest for his milestone 3,000th hit because the poll of 2,163 participants were contacted during the week of June 13-20, when Jeter was on the disabled list.

Peyton Manning moved up from No. 5 to the second spot.  The face of the NFL also endorses half a dozen prominent products and his mug is seen on plenty of TV commercials.  The Indianapolis Colts quarterback had a popular faux '70's movie trailer, co-starring his brother Eli, flooding the Internet about the same time of the poll.

Even the NFL lockout couldn't dim the ubiquitous football star's popularity.  He was the most popular athlete polled by Gen-X (ages 35-46).

Michael Jordan, whose final NBA game was eight years ago, still tied for third place with Los Angeles Laker Bryant.  Jordan was the most popular athlete from 1993-2005, when the title was handed over to golfer Tiger Woods.

Surprisingly,  Woods was the most popular this year with the "matures" (ages 66+) according to the Harris Group.  He was number one from 2006-2009.  Still, the shamed and slumping golfer had the biggest drop in the top-ten.

"As his playing woes continue, it is likely that his (Woods) fall will continue next year", said a Harris representative.

Even so, Woods marketing team has to be happy.

Bryant was the most popular among Hispanic and African-Americans in the Harris Poll.

Jeter was big among the Baby Boomers (ages 47-65) even though the The Captain has been in the news a lot lately-- and not for all the most popular reasons.

Jeter's quest for the 3,000 Hit Club was accomplished in grand style last week after he went 5-for-5 and bashed the historic hit into the centerfield stands.  The home run ball was caught by a fan, Christian Lopez, who was immediately whisked out of his seat by Yankees personnel, who--many believe-- overwhelmed the young man into turning the ball over to Jeter for a mere pittance.  Now Lopez is stuck with a whopping income tax bill to cover the season tickets he got as a reward.  Now,  even Yankees fans say that Jeter should foot the IRS bill in exchange for the ball.

After that controversy,  Jeter skipped out on the All-Star Game he was elected to; citing his recovery from a strained calf and preparing for the wear-and-tear of the second half of the season as his reasons.  Many fans didn't think he deserved to be in the Mid-summer Classic in the first place.  He spent the break in Miami with his girlfriend actress Minka Kelly.

Noticeably absent from the Top Ten is Lebron James.  King James "Decision" last summer seems to have turned off more than only Cleveland fans.  James was No. 6 last year.

Besides Woods, another bad boy made the list.  Hines Ward tied with Albert Pujols at the seventh position.  The Pittsburgh Steeler was arrested a couple of weeks ago--after the poll was taken-- for suspicion of DUI.  Ward's "Dancing With the Stars" victory probably pulled in a lot of the ladies' votes, but apparently not as many as Manning.  The QB was the most popular athlete among the women polled.

First timers to the Top Ten included Ward, Pujols, Derrick Rose and Aaron Rodgers.

The top three female athletes were at No. 1, tennis-star Serena Williams followed by her sister Venus and race car driver Danica Patrick.

Sean Avery Speaks Out For Gay Marriage; Gets Bashed For It

Who knew that New York Rangers hockey-goon and serial dater Sean Avery had such a soft spot for relationships?  The abrasive and controversial NHL winger appeared in an ad this week endorsing same-sex marriage for the Human Rights Campaign's New Yorkers for Marriage Equality drive.  Now Avery is garnering criticism for standing up for the group's message.

Avery might seem like an odd choice to appear in the video, along with former-President Bill Clinton, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and actors Julianne Moore and Sam Waterston,  which advocates gay marriage.

The polarizing Avery--who once interned a summer at Vogue magazine, got suspended for making nasty remarks about his ex-girlfriend actress Elisha Cuthbert and got bum-rushed from Dallas to New York for his dirty play and filthier mouth--has never fit squarely into any mold.  Supporting same-sex marriage in the macho world of professional sports is another twist in his colorful image.

"I treat everyone the way that I expect to be treated, and that includes marriage," said Avery.

It would have been easier for Avery to stump for other popular, cut-and-dry social issues like safe-sex or drug use, but he took a position that even the most ardent Avery fans might not accept.



The tough guy is promoting an issue that no other New York pro-athlete has publicly talked about--never mind openly supported--and Avery is getting roundly applauded by gay and lesbian groups around the country.  But Avery's stand is not coming with out it's detractors.

Avery's view drew a barrage of critical tweets from hockey agent Todd Reynolds.  The vice-president of the Ontario-based Uptown Sports Management company represents about 10 NHL players including Nashville Predators Mike Fisher--husband of singer Carrie Underwood--called Avery's appearance in the ad "wrong."

"I'm very sad to read Sean Avery's misguided support of same-gender marriage, legal or not, it will always be wrong," said Reynolds.  " I believe in voicing your opinion and not being part of the silent majority.  If Sean Avery, or another player, can comment on one side of the discussion, then I'm in hockey 24/7, why can't I comment on it as well?"

Other agents and players were more acceptable of Avery's stance.  

Phoenix Coyotes winger Paul Bissonette tweeted, " I agree with Sean Avery and his comments on same-sex marriage..If 2 people are happy together let them be happy."

Agent Scott Norton told the New York Daily News, "I'm shocked that an agency would come out and have those views publicly, when you're speaking not only for yourself and your employees, but the  people you represent and the sport you represent."

The potty-mouthed Avery might be the last person anyone would consider politically correct, but his support may be louder than a cross-check to the boards.

In the world of professional men's sports, homosexuality is still a forbidden topic.  It is one of the last major barriers waiting to be knocked down.  The F-word hangs like a scarlet letter in every locker room and, even in the heat of a game, the utterance could have dire consequences.  Look at the huge fine levied on Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant for mouthing the word on national TV two weeks ago.

No star-athlete from a major sport has ever come out.  Only a few lesser-knowns have come out after their playing days are over.

Without Avery, this ad would have probably been lost in the glut of public service announcements.  Maybe the most unlikely of spoke persons, a pro hockey player, will give gay-marriage the high-profile it never would have received by going to a new audience who normally care more about skating rinks than wedding rings.