J-Lo cashes out on Super Bowl XXXVII

According to a Jan. 30 story in the Las Vegas Sun, actress/singer Jennifer Lopez (star of such recent box-office flops as "Maid in Manhattan" and "Enough") put a whopping $250,000 on the Tampa Bay Bucs to win Super Bowl XXXVII at the MGM Grand sports book.

As we all know at this juncture, J-Lo picked right, and was awarded $400,000, as well as the return of her original wager.

It seems Lopez, who is engaged to marry actor and Las Vegas gambling legend Ben Affleck, has caught the fever. The couple's affinity for the desert paradise extends far beyond sports gambling, slot machines and craps tables. Over Thanksgiving, Affleck treated J-Lo's extended family to a Vegas excursion during which the "Daredevil" star paid $200,000 cash for two brand new Mercedes automobiles. According to the Sun report, Lopez and Affleck recently spoke with Hard Rock Hotel officials to discuss the opening of a Vegas branch of J-Lo's Pasadena restaurant, Madre's.

Fairfield University to drop two programs



Fairfield University (Fairfield, Conn.) President Rev. Aloysius P. Kelley announced Thursday that the private Jesuit school is cutting its men's football and hockey teams in order to save $570,000 and support the University's finanical aid program.

The decision leaves Division I Fairfield with 19 varsity teams, including men's and women's basketball squads. While the hockey team, which will complete their current season, offers four scholarships, the Fairfield football team had none.

While hockey had been a fixture at the Connecticut school since 1974, Fairfield had struggled to fund their varsity football program. Established as a Division I-AA participant in 1996, the Stags compiled an all-time record of 44-28 under Head Coach Joe Bernard (who resigned on Jan. 16 to accept a coordinator position at Duquesne University).

Mickelson takes shot at Tiger's equipment



Tiger Woods isn't a happy camper these days, and it has a lot to do with recent remarks made by his fellow PGA tour member Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson, or "Lefty" as he's known on the tour, recently lashed out at Woods' club manufacturer in a tirade published in the March edition of Golf Magazine.

While Mickelson insists in the piece that he has a wonderful relationship with Woods, he had some less than flattering comments about the Nike equipment the world's number one golfer utilizes. "He hates that I can fly it past him now," Mickelson said, "He has a faster swing speed than I do, but he has inferior equipment. Tiger is the only player who's good enough to overcome the equipment he's stuck with."

Woods switched to Nike golf balls in 2000 and the drivers a year ago at Pebble Beach. "Phil doesn't have a clue about the quality of our products," said Nike Golf President Bob Wood, "He's never even touched them.