Morning Link Dump
Obligatory Sports Babe 
Yasmine Bleeth is completely unrelated to sports, save for the fact that she played a lifeguard on television and has her own line of swimwear, but we did get a request from a reader to make this week Yasmine Bleeth week, and she does make me both sexually aroused and nostalgic for my youth, so Bleeth week it is.
Today's Sports Birthday
Wayne Gretzky's actress/model/singer daughter Paulina turns 23 today.
I'm assuming she'll celebrate by showing off her cleavage on Twitter, but then again, that's pretty much how she celebrates days ending in "y."
Quotable
Say what you will about Jeremy Shockey, but the man is one hell of a patriot. Apparently the Panthers tight end was very unhappy with the number of Houston Texans players who didn't put their hands over their hearts during the anthem prior to yesterday's game:
"I was pretty upset in the way that they weren't showing respect to American during the national anthem. There were about 10 players that didn't put their arms across their chest... This is America. You should at least respect America."
(Via State of the Texans)
Quickly
North Korean golf legend Kim Jong Il died yesterday. His 11 hole-in-one game will live on forever. (The Big Lead)
Mark Cuban says that we'll probably see an openly gay NBA player in the not-too-distant future, but it will be much longer before we see a woman coach. (NESN)
Rumour has it that Kobe Bryant's latest extramartial dalliance – the one that finally prompted Vanessa to say "enough" – was with Playboy model Jessica Burciaga. (Full Court Pumps)
Deion Sanders is divorcing his super hot wife. (Black Sports Online)
Because the Penn State Nittany Lions weren't getting enough bad press as it was, their quarterback, Matt McGloin, and receiver Curtis Drake decided to have a punch-up in the locker room that ended in McGloin being sent to hospital. (Deadspin)
Dick Vermeil says that Jerry Sandusky cared about the kids in the Second Mile "in a different way that what's being portrayed right now." (Sports by Brooks)
Video
