New Music (&DVD) Tuesday

Common is a FOX, and Hot Fuzz definitely has some chuckles...

In other news:
1) My friend, the delightful John Hoskinson, is playing at Molly Malone's (575 S. Fairfax Ave) TONIGHT at 8pm (sharp). Please come check him out!

2) Marat Safin plays Jan Hernych tonight in the second round of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in DC.

The Joy of Soccer

Iraq's national soccer team won the Asian Cup yesterday, beating Saudi Arabia (1-0) and bringing a little bit of joy to such a war-torn country.

In other sports news:
1) The date of Sweet Cheeks' (I mean, Becks') return to the Galaxy squad is still unknown. Damn it!

2) Liverpool's Jamie Carragher thinks Chelsea (NOT MAN U) is the EPL team to beat this season, and I couldn't agree more! Last season, Chelsea had so many horrendous injuries, and they still managed to win two trophies and a close second place finish. So, look out!

3) This week's U.S. Open Series of tennis has the ATP stopping in Washington, DC for the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, and the WTA will be in Carlsbad for the Acura Classic. For some odd reason, Robby Ginepri isn't entered in the DC tourney, but at least Marat Safin (who's seeded third) is!!!

Happy Birthday, Bill!

For my beloved FAUXancé, Bill, a gift with love:


(pic courtesy of Kenneth in the 212)

TM to ®, baby!

As of July 24th, Lady Hooligan® is a registered trademark! I just got my certificate of registration in the mail today! Look out!

The ATP's Loverboy

He's (half) Canadian, he wears a headband, and he was born in 1984! He's Frank Dancevic, and he's currently beating Andy Roddick in a sweat-wiping, shirt-lifting semi-final at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships. Dancevic has certainly worked hard to get to this weekend; let's see if he can make it to his first ATP final!

We are the Champions, my friends!

With potential Lady Hooligan points, hugs and booze on the line, I’m happy to report that I WON the championship match of my 4.0 ladies singles tennis league. I am beyond ecstatic, and I dedicate my victory to my beloved Wednesday night class and fellow Hooligans!

It was a tough match (2-1/2 hours long), and I must admit that I was quite nervous throughout it (even almost throwing up at one point). The weather was hot as well (it was about 90 degrees this afternoon), but I’ve played in worse conditions (Lady Lorelei and I once did cardio tennis in 105 degree weather). Ultimately, my serve and match fitness helped, and I fortunately came from a set down to win the match (2-6, 7-5, 6-3)!

Of course, I couldn't have done it without the support of my friends (which I summoned desperately during the match) and a few good luck charms:1) Bill & Rob. As I've mentioned before, they’re my pre-match-meal escorts.

2) My Chelsea wristband. I retired it after Dogg and I won the 2007 Humes Elite Invitational, but I had to bust it out for my semi-final and final matches.

3) The Staying Alivesoundtrack. I listened to it on my drive to the match, and it played in my head during the match. When I was losing the first set, I was a “Moody Girl”, but I kept telling myself that it was “Far From Over”. So, I played “So Close to the Fire” and STAYED ALIVE to win it all!

4) My Adidas and Under Armour gear. I always wear it as proof of my admiration for Marat Safin and Robby Ginepri respectively. I know I’m crazy, but I'm a marketer’s dream.

5) Finally, COURT 8. After the 2nd set, we noticed that we only had a few minutes left on our 2-hour court reservation (on Court #7). My opponent then asked the league manager if we had to move to a different court at the end of our allotted time. We did indeed and were told that we could play on (the infamous) Court #8 for the 3rd and final set. This is the court where the Hooligans and I take our weekly lessons with Coach Connz, and I knew it was a good sign to move there (8 also happens to be my lucky number). Being on OUR court really helped me to stay positive, and SELL IT (full price)!

In any case, it’s all over now, and I eagerly await my/our trophy!

Friday Restaurant Review

Bill and I were on the fence about The Simpsons Movie, so we decided to grab a late breakfast instead of going to a movie today. We've been wanting to try an eatery that we haven't yet (surprisingly) frequented: BLD. We were joined by our co-faux-boyfriend, Rob, who, being the hipster that he is, has already been to BLD several times prior.

Now, let's get to the food already! We ordered the Spanish scramble with brioche, huevos rancheros, and braised pork with poached eggs. All of the dishes were rich and delicious. For L.A., the prices were average (about $12/entree), and the portions were large. The restaurant itself is spacious and modern, and the service was fine too. Overall, we had a delightful brunch, and I'd definitely go back again. BLD (which stands for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner) is located at 7450 Beverly Blvd. (just East of Gardener).

Well now, I'm off to rest (and digest) a bit before my tennis match. Bill and Rob are my official pre-match-meal good luck charms (I dined with them before my semi-final win on Monday), so hopefully I'll have some good news for y'all later today.

Five more years of JT!

It's official! John Terry has signed on with Chelsea FC for 5 more years! I guess it's time for me to get serious about my plan to move to London (or at least visit a lot more often)!

Tennis Upsets

MARION BARTOLI (the surprise '07 Wimbledon finalist) was upset yesterday in the 2nd round of the Bank of the West Classic by 29-year-old unseeded American (and Stanford alum) Lilia Osterloh. Although Marion was getting over the flu and had a bit of an injury, you have to be happy for Osterloh's big win.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC was also upset by qualifier (and fellow Serbian) Viktor Troicki yesterday in the 2nd round of the Croatia Open. A big win for Troicki, but hopefully Djokovic will be back to his winning ways when he comes to the States for the U.S. Open Series.

P.S. I'll be playing in my league final tomorrow afternoon, and hopefully I'll get to upset my opponent too. Wish me luck!

Boo, Becks, Boo!

I never thought I would ever BOO David Beckham, but I DID last night because he is working on my last nerve! Not only did he not play in last night's Galaxy Superliga game versus Pachuca, but he didn't even get into uniform and sit on the bench with his teammates. He instead took the night off and enjoyed the game in a VIP box with family and friends. I doubt any other Galaxy player could get away with similar behavior. I know Becks is a sexy super-star, and I'm thrilled he's on the L.A. team now. But, as a season ticket holder, I am getting ripped off! Here's a timeline that might help elaborate my frustration:

January 11, 2007: David Beckham's big move to Los Angeles is announced.

January 31, 2007: Against my better judgment, I splurged on season tickets. I knew that Becks would be finishing his current season with Real Madrid and missing part of the MLS season, but I had to at least have guaranteed tix to his debut. Of course, to heighten the drama and sell more tix, the Galaxy wouldn't confirm anything about Becks' debut at this point (or in the future as I came to sadly learn).

June 6, 2007: Becks hurt his ankle playing for England in a Euro 2008 qualifying match versus Estonia.

June 17, 2007: Becks played in his last (league-winning) game for Real Madrid, where he aggravated his ankle again.

July 13, 2007: He officially joined our Galaxy!

July 21, 2007: Becks made his long awaited Galaxy debut versus Chelsea FC. Although the game was very exciting, he only played in the last twelve minutes (and this after several days of stressful debate about whether he would play at all).

July 22, 2007: Posh and Becks danced the night away at their WELCOME TO LA party, hosted by the Cruises and the Smiths. I guess his ankle was feeling well enough to cut a rug on the dancefloor.

July 24, 2007: Becks sat out for what should have been his 2nd official game with the Galaxy! Thankfully, they won without him anyway.

So, long story short, I understand that they want Becks' ankle to be a 100% before he starts playing full games. But, what was he doing for the whole month between his last game for Real Madrid (June 17th) and his first game with the Galaxy (July 21st)? I hope he didn't aggravate his ankle even more as they packed up their Spanish mansion. And, what was he doing shaking his (oh so lovely) arse at a Scientology (I mean, Hollywood) party, when he should have been resting his ankle?

Listen, like everyone else, I think Becks is extremely hot and talented, but I only have tix to 7 more home games! With all this BS about his ankle AND the possibility of him having to miss even more games to perhaps play for England (in Euro 2008 qualifiers), I am beyond frustrated 'cause I WANT ME SOME BECKS, and I hate getting ripped off! I thought I could put up with all of the hype, but I highly doubt that I'll be renewing my season tix next year.

New Music Tuesday

Hmmm, the pickins seem sort of slim, but here are some fairly interesting ones:

WTA, here I come!

Yeah right, in my dreams! Actually, I'd settle for just being a towel-girl in the ATP. HEY NOW! No, but seriously, I just wanted to let you know that I won my singles semi-final league match tonight (6-2, 6-3). I'm very excited because now I'm in the finals, and I'm supposedly at least guaranteed a finalist trophy. I don't think I've ever won a sports trophy (perhaps a certificate or a plaque, but not a trophy). Anyway, thank you to my fellow playaz and to Coach Connz for all of your support!

P.S. Oy vey, Robby Ginepri lost in the first round of the Indianapolis Tennis Championships. I think he needs a hug, and my arms are, of course, open...

John Terry is my hero!

As if it's not obvious already (and although he's no longer single; booo and sniff), John Terry is a hero in my eyes. Not only is he the tough central defender and captain of Chelsea FC and ENGLAND, but he also scored the only and winning goal in the (Becks debut) game against the L.A. Galaxy on Saturday night. And not only did he score that great goal and play a full 90 pre-season minutes, but he did it with a BROKEN TOE! Yep, his right toe was broken on Tuesday night during Chelsea's other pre-season game against the Suwon Bluewings, and he scored the goal with his left foot on Saturday night. He deserves to be the highest paid player in the EPL!

In other "news":

1) Gorgeous midfielder (and CK underwear model) Freddie Ljungberg is moving from Arsenal to West Ham United! Although I always root for Chelsea, I had a fondness for Arsenal because of Freddie and the delightful Thierry Henry. But now with both of them gone (Henry left for Barcelona earlier this summer), I can officially take Arsenal off of my fan radar (which is admittedly somewhat of a relief).

2) I finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)last night, and it was really great! The one (minor) prediction I had about a couple of the characters was spot-on, but I won't give anything away!

3) I'm assuming my invitation to Becks' WELCOME-TO-LA party got lost in the mail.

4) I didn't have the energy to go to the Hollywood United FC charity game yesterday in Beverly Hills, but it sure looked fun.

5) Wish me luck! I have a singles semi-final league match tonight...

Soccer & Tennis this week

I'm going to try and muster up some energy to follow these sporting events this week:

Today, Sunday July 22nd (12pm PST on ESPNU)
FIFA UNDER-20 WORLD CUP FINAL
Czech Republic v. Argentina

Today, Sunday July 22nd (2pm PST on ESPN)
COUNTRYWIDE CLASSIC ATP FINAL
James Blake vs. Radek Stepanek

Starting Monday July 23rd (TV coverage starts Friday on TTC)
INDIANAPOLIS TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Robby Ginepri meets Michael Berrer in the first round.

Starting Monday July 23rd (TV coverage starts Saturday on ESPN2)
BANK OF THE WEST CLASSIC
I think I'll root for Marion Bartoli again.

Tuesday, July 24nd (8pm PST on TELEFUTURA)
SUPERLIGA
Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Pachuca
(I'll be attending this one in person!)

The Becks Debut!

I just got back from the Chelsea v. Galaxy game, and I'm still on a high! The game was so much fun. Chelsea played so well, and my beloved John Terry scored (the only and) winning goal! And YES, Becks made his long-awaited debut. He didn't start, but he was substituted in towards the end of the second half. It felt like the Super Bowl with all of the flashes going off as he ran onto the field. It really was a game that I'll never forget!
Now, I'm off to watch the game again on tivo. Tomorrow, we have the finals of the Countrywide Classic (on ESPN2 at 2pm PST), and I got my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)in the mail today (can't wait to start reading it). Life ain't too shabby!

Friday Movie Review (a day late)

For the past 5 years or so, I've been going to the movies with my sweet friend, Bill, almost every Friday morning (yes, we happily get most Fridays off). So, along with my "New Music Tuesday" picks, I've decided to add a "Friday Movie Review" piece to the blog. I/We have seen A LOT of movies this summer (Harry Potter, Die Hard, Licensed to Wed, Evan Almighty, Knocked Up, Pirates, Once, 28 Weeks Later, A Mighty Heart, Paris Je T'aime, Broken English and The Namesake to name a few...).

Yesterday, we saw HAIRSPRAY, the movie version of the Broadway musical, based on the original 1988 John Waters' flick. Not surprisingly, the movie was a water-downed, mainstream version of the fabulously campy and much saucier original. BUT, although I'm not a fan of musicals in general, I actually really enjoyed this movie!!

You basically can't resist the music, dancing and the overall story (discriminated people rise up against the squares and prejudice of the early 1960's and find love too). The entire talented cast was fabulous! Zac Efron, who played heartthrob Link Larkin, was adorable, and teen girls in our theater were actually squealing whenever he was on screen. If I was 10-15 years younger, I probably would have acted the same way.

The only actor who was a tad annoying was John Travolta, in drag playing Edna Turnblad (the mother of the teen heroine, Tracy). His accent and mannerisms were off-base, BUT (here's another big BUT, Pee-Wee), in the end, he works in the movie. Not only is he a super-star draw for the production, but he truly is the King (well, Queen) of movie musicals. Thinking back to Saturday Night Fever, Grease, (my personal fave) Staying Alive, Urban Cowboy and even Pulp Fiction, you realize that there was no one else for (this modern, mainstream version of) the role.

In any case, Bill and I recommend HAIRSPRAY. It's just down-right entertaining!

Until next year, Countrywide...

I just got back from UCLA, where I watched a couple of quarterfinal matches of the Countrywide Classic. The first match I saw was James Blake versus (his supposed nemesis) Vince Spadea. Thankfully, Blake beat Spadea in two sets 'cause the weather was quite hot, and I was getting hungry.

By the way, during the match, I noticed Amer Delic sitting a handful of rows ahead of me, looking like a hot frat boy (with the backwards cap). Oh yeah, basketball superstars Kevin Garnett and Tyron Lue were sitting near him too...

The second match of the afternoon was between my beloved Marat Safin and Hyung-Taik Lee. Safin looked sexy as always (sporting a bright orange and black outfit), but unfortunately, he lost in 3 sets. It was a harsh loss because he had an early break in the 3rd set, but I guess he just lost his focus. So, since Marat is out of the tourney, I'm done with it too; until next year that is... Hopefully, both Robby Ginepri and Marat will be fit and ready then for my cheers.

The Becks Show

Hey now! Apparently, Becks is going to have his own reality tv show on the Fox Soccer Channel ("David Beckham's Soccer USA"). It premieres next Wednesday, July 25th. I'll be tuning in whether he's shirtless or not. (Thanks to Kenneth in the 212 for the heads-up.)

Emmy Nods

The 2007 Emmy nominations were announced early this morning. Here are the only shows (with nominations in various categories) that I care about: THE OFFICE, 30 ROCK, EXTRAS, GREY'S ANATOMY, KATHY GRIFFIN: MY LIFE ON THE D-LIST, and PROJECT RUNWAY!

And a hearty congrats to Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg (and their crew) for their Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics nomination for "Dick in a Box"!

The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards airs Sunday, Sept. 16th at 8pm on FOX.

Missing Marat

Marat Safin's 2nd round match at the Countrywide Classic takes place tonight, and I (gulp!) won't be there. Every Wednesday night, I take a (cherished) tennis class (more of a practice really), and I rarely miss it (except for family emergencies or a Madonna concert). So, I'm trying not to get too ill over the fact that I'm missing a chance to see Marat in person while he's in my hometown. But, I'm optimistic that he'll make the quarters on Friday, and I'll try to get a ticket to see him then.

Chelsea! Chelsea!

I just got back from the Home Depot Center where I saw Chelsea FC take on the Suwon Bluewings. Chelsea
won 1-0 with a late second-half goal scored by none other than their leading scorer, Didier Drogba (who's playing well with new signing Malouda up front by the way)! Even though I was a bit thrown off with Chelsea's new kit (which was fluorescent green; the Korean team was actually wearing the blue), I took a lot of pics at the game. But once again, they didn't turn out too nice. I'm beginning to hate my camera (I'm not going to doubt my photography skills just yet).

More importantly, I got to see my beloved John Terry up-close several times. Once, as he went through the players' tunnel (I told you my tix were close to it), I yelled "I love you, John!", and HE WAVED AT ME!
I wonder if he could see the image of his face on my t-shirt?

In any case, I'm looking forward to going back on Saturday night to see Chelsea face the L.A. Galaxy. It's going to be crazy! The stadium is decked out with a lot of Beckham fanfare; I really hope that hot bitch's ankle gets better in time for his big scheduled debut...

P.S. & F.Y.I. The churros are a lot tastier when you buy them from a stadium stand rather than from an aisle vendor.

Tuesday Sports Schedule

I'll be skipping the Countrywide today and tonight. Tonight's main attractions are the first-round matches of top seeds Fernando Gonzalez and James Blake. I used to like Fernando but that stopped once he kept beating Gineps. And although James Blake is a doll (and I loved his book Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life), I have other plans tonight.

I'll be cheering on my favorite EPL team, Chelsea FC, tonight as they take on the Korean Suwon Bluewings at the Home Depot Center. Although I adore the whole squad, I can't wait to see my beloved John Terry! I often wonder if he ever got the fax I sent to his hotel last summer? Hmmm, doubt it!

In any case, there's a terrible rumor going around that David Beckham might not be able to play in his scheduled L.A. Galaxy debut this Saturday night vs. Chelsea due to an ankle issue. If that happens, all I would have to say is BOOOOOOO!!

New Music Tuesday

New releases that I'll be checking out...

Kathy Griffin

Don't even think about missing her high-larious reality show, My Life on the D-List, TUESDAYS at 10pm on Bravo.

Vamos Comrade!

I just got back from UCLA (my alma mater), where I went to go see a couple of first round matches of the Countrywide Classic. The first match was dubz between Americans Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish versus the British team of Ross Hutchins and Alex Bogdanovic. Querrey & Fishy won in the 3rd set tie-break (10-8). Although I was sitting at the very top of stadium, I still had a great view. Check out Mardy's black Adidas shoes (he's serving in the ad court); I wish they made black tennis court shoes for us Lady(s) 'cause I really dislike all of the nerdy white ones. But, I'll save that rant for another day...

The second match of the evening featured my beloved Marat Safin versus Aussie Chris Guccione. It was a tough 3-set match, but Marat thankfully prevailed. I snuck down to about the 10th row to take pics of Marat, but unfortunately I didn't get any great ones. This one's the best of the bunch (I took about 40). But, I'm just happy that I got to be fairly close to Marat and just soak him in. It was so sexy when he swore in Spanish (with a hint of his Russian accent)!

In other news, I kept having Tommy Haas sightings tonight. I guess he's hanging in L.A. even though he's not playing in the tourney. I saw him driving a tournament Mercedes SUV as I was arriving; I saw him hanging around the players' tunnel between the matches, and I saw him sitting in the 3rd row (making out with his girlfriend) during Marat's match. He's not my cup of tea, but I just thought I'd give you a full report.

Monday Night TV

I'll be TIVOing 3 shows tonight:

1) VICTORIA BECKHAM COMING TO AMERICA (8pm on NBC)
Although I could care less about Posh (and her new-found sense of humor), I'll definitely be tuning in to see her hot, shirtless hubby David on location at their steamy W Magazine shoot. Hey now!


2)AGE OF LOVE (9pm on NBC)
Posh's special is followed by the reality dating experiment show, Age of Love. Thirty-year-old Australian tennis hunk, Mark Philippoussis, is put to the test as he dates a group of twenty-year-olds (aka kittens) and a group of forty-year-olds (aka cougars). Although this show is BO-RING, I admit that I've been following it this summer just 'cause a) there's nothing much else to watch; b) the tennis connection; and c) the eye-candy (both Mark, the bachelor, and Mark Consuelos, the host, ain't too bad).

3) CHELSEA LATELY (11:30pm on E!)
Comedian, Chelsea Handler, joins the late night crowd with the premiere of her new show. She's a riot; just check out the title of her forthcoming book: Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea.

Monday's Order of Play

Since Robby Ginepri is out of the Countrywide Classic at UCLA (sniff, sniff), my main man will OBVIOUSLY be Marat Safin. He's scheduled to play tonight, and I plan to be cheering him on court-side (well, stadium-side).

The other playaz that might get a bit of my attention at this particular tourney are James Blake, the Bryan Brothers, and Jamie Murray (along with his doubles pard Eric Butorac). Oh and, Amer Delic ain't bad either (you gotta appreciate his sleeveless shirts).

Chelsea 2 - Club América 1

Chelsea FC won the first of their California pre-season games against Mexican powerhouse, Club América, yesterday at Stanford Stadium. New signing, Florent Malouda, scored first for the Blues, and (my BELOVED) Captain John Terry netted the game winner! Next up for Chelsea are the Korean Suwon Bluewings on Tuesday night at the Home Depot Center. I'll be there, and I can't wait to cheer the Blues on!

Harry Potter vs. Becks

Ok, I admit it. The reason I didn't go to the David Beckham press conference yesterday was because I went to go see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with my friends instead. The movie was great (I just love the whole series), and although I love me some Becks, I wasn't interested in driving down to Carson for a lame press conference in the heat. I'd rather see Becks running around on the pitch being chased by other hot guys, which I will do in exactly one week!

Speaking of Harry Potter, I can't wait for the final book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)due out on July 21st!

INTERESTING... I'll be seeing Becks play on the day that the new Harry Potter book comes out, and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie on the day of the Becks' press conference. Hmm... I wonder what that means? I'm an immature Anglophile!?!?

Get well, Robby!

OK, in the country diva words of Faith Hill, I need to JUST BREATHE. The Countrywide Classic recently posted the men's singles main draw on their site, and I don't see Robby Ginepri on it even though he's on the frickin' players list! He's ranked in the ATP top 50, so he can't be a qualifier. I did a little digging, and it looks like he'll missing the tournament due to a staph infection?!?!

Argh!!! I am BEYOND bummed. I was really looking forward to seeing him play (and exposing his abs). Don't even get me started again on how happy I would be to see a Robby vs. Marat match-up! But now, it doesn't look like it's meant to be.

So, get well, Robby!

Marat, good luck at your first round match against the young and talented Australian, Chris Guccione!

P.S. Andy Murray's out too apparently.

New Star in the Galaxy!

FINALLY! David Beckham (and current SI cover boy) joins the Los Angeles Galaxy today! Although I was invited (did I mention that I'm a season ticket holder?), I'll be missing his official press conference. But, I'll be seeing him soon at his debut game against none other than my beloved Chelsea FC on Saturday, July 21st!

Sunscreen Study

Unless I want to burn and blister, I wouldn't be able to play tennis without wearing sunscreen and am always looking out for the ultimate lotion. I dream of this combo: UVA/UVB protection, waterproof, sweatproof, non-greasy, wrinkle-reducing, and non-stinging (perhaps with a light tint too). I know I'm probably just dreaming of finding that ideal product or am I? Check out this sunscreen study.

New Music Tuesday (a day late)

INTERPOL's first major label release Our Love to Admirebrings us more of what we know and love from them: Frontman Paul's sexy and flat singing on top of moody rock.

Although I'm not into religious-themed anything, this full-length debut Crossfrom the French production duo, JUSTICE, is a must for dance/electronica fans.

You know what else is darn good? Versionfrom producer extraordinaire, MARK RONSON (featuring guest artists such as Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Kasabian, and Phantom Planet). It's actually been out for a bit, but the whole album is finally available on iTunes.

CROWDED HOUSE is back too with their first new album in 14 years: Time on Earth

H&M on Sunset!

I was driving home after lunch today when I noticed that they're opening an H&M store right on Sunset Blvd. near Sunset Plaza! I know there's one at the nearby Beverly Center but that's inconveniently located up on the 8th floor by the movie theaters. After years of only having access to H&M while on rare trips to NYC or Europe, there's one finally coming to my neck of the woods! Cheap accessories, here I come!

Coming to America!

Chelsea FC was scheduled to land in Los Angeles yesterday for their annual pre-season summer visit to the States. I imagine that they'll be staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel and training at UCLA twice at day (at 10am and 4pm) like they did last summer WHEN I MET THEM IN PERSON! I'll be staked out at UCLA anyway for the Countrywide Classic next week, so I guess I'll keep my eye out for them.

In any case, I'm so excited to see them play. I'm going to both of their games in the World Series of Football at the Home Depot Center (July 17th and July 21st). Apparently, a little-known player named David Beckham will be making his L.A. Galaxy debut at the July 21st game. Oooh-OOOH!!

Sick Boy!

I went to my local Trader Joe's yesterday afternoon and had a celebrity eye-candy sighting. I spotted the sexy Jonny Lee Miller; you know, Sick Boy from "Trainspotting". I also loved him in "Mansfield Park". Anyway, he was looking cute and scruffy (with some cool tattoos on his arms). But he, OF COURSE and unfortunately, had his lady with him. She was none other than model/actress Michele Hicks (one of lesser 1990's super-models and more recently on the show "The Shield"). Boooo!! Yes, I'm a bitter Betty.

Champions!

Wimbledon is now over, and none of my favorites won, except for the adorable mixed doubles pair of Jelena Jankovic and Jamie Murray. It was their first time teaming up together, and they now have a Grand Slam trophy. Here's hoping some more sparks flew between them at the Champion's Ball tonight!

P.S. Bravo, Rafa! A valiant effort!

The end of Wimbledon. Love Match?

Wimbledon ends tomorrow, and it's been a fun and exhausting tournament (aka delusional part-time tv viewing job for me). Although I was hoping for an upset, Marion Bartoli unfortunately lost to Venus Williams today in the Ladies' Singles final.

The only other playaz that I've been rooting for who are still in the tourney are Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic. I would love to see Rafa upset Roger Federer in the Men's Singles final tomorrow.

In Mixed Dubz, Jelena has teamed with Jamie Murray, and they've made it to the finals! They're a cute team, and I'm wondering if there's a love match between them beyond their on-court partnership? Well, before I go off on a tangent about WTA/ATP hook-ups, I'll be rooting for them tomorrow as well.

P.S. The countdown to the Countrywide Classic in L.A. has begun!

Jim, I mean John

I'm a huge fan of the tv show "The Office", and the only reason I went to go see "Licensed to Wed" last night was because of the adorable and charming John Krasinski (who plays Jim on The Office). The movie was quite bad as I had expected, but (as I had hoped) it was so lovely to see John on the big screen and actually making out with someone (even if it was the annoyingly sad-faced Mandy Moore and not Pam/Jenna Fischer from The Office).

Wha???

In a huge upset today, France's Marion Bartoli beat Justine Henin in the Wimbledon Ladies' Singles semi-final. Bartoli completely stunned Henin with her amazing two-handed shots from both wings, giving hope to big girls everywhere! She'll meet Venus Williams in the Wimbledon final tomorrow. GO, LADY!

Churros & Becks!

Yummy! In January, when I first heard that David Beckham was joining the Los Angeles Galaxy, I immediately bought season tickets. But since Becks isn't due to play until July 21st (vs. Chelsea FC), I haven't been motivated to go to a pre-Becks game; until last night... I finally went to a game, and I'm really pleased with my seats. I'm twelve rows up from the South end goal, and the field is only about 50 feet ahead. The players' tunnel is about 20 feet to the right, and the boisterous Galaxians are just a few sections over. The overall atmosphere at the Home Depot Center is fantastic.

I CANNOT wait to see Chelsea walking out of the players' tunnel, and Beckham bending in a corner kick! Although I've had my regrets about shelling out a good chunk of change for the tickets, I'm looking forward to some major (league) soccer fun. Here's a new chant that I've come up with: "Olé! Olé! Olé! Olé! Churros & Becks! Churros & Becks!"

Gun Control

Happy 4th of July!



Picture courtesy of Lady Candy

James Blake's book

James Blake's autobiography Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Lifecomes out today, and I am eagerly awaiting my Amazon delivery of it. James seems like a smart guy, and he's quite adorable too. So, I think his book is an ideal summer read for every tennis fan. Hopefully, I'll pick up some pointers for my game (and life) too!

U.S. Open Series commercial

I know we're not even done with Wimbledon yet, but the U.S. Open Series is right around the corner, starting with the Countrywide Classic on July 16th in Los Angeles, my hometown. I just saw the 2007 commercial for "The Greatest Roadtrip in Sports", which features a handful of top ATP and WTA playaz. Of course, I was delighted to see the Robby Ginepri segment, where he says that his favorite part of the series is "the ladies"! Well, he doesn't know what's coming because there are only a few things I like more than screaming "Go, Robby!".

Tommy Haas is OUT!

Of Wimbledon, that is... He pulled out of his upcoming 4th round match against Roger Federer due to a stomach muscle tear. So, Federer gets a free pass into the quarters (like he needs any help), and Haas' grass court bad luck continues. Remember when he rolled his ankle over a stray ball? Ouch! Anyway, I'm not a Haas fan by any means because (as you may recall) he prevented a delicious Marat Safin/Robby Ginepri match-up at the 2006 US Open. But, I still feel a little bad for that crazy German.