It Appears They Spur Each Other to Succeed

Actress Eva Longoria of “Desperate Housewives” tops Maxim’s “Hot 100” list of the most successful women in film, TV, music, sports and fashion for the second straight year.

Asked by the Associated Press how boyfriend Tony Parker responded to the news, Longoria said, “Oh, he’s very proud. He thinks he’s with a beautiful girl every day, so for him it’s, you know, someone else solidifying what he already thinks.”

The question now is, can Parker and the desperate San Antonio Spurs rally past the Dallas Mavericks in a quest to pull off a repeat of their own -- winning a second consecutive NBA championship?

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Trivia time: On this date in history, two major leaguers recorded their 3,000th hits. One was the Atlanta Braves’ Hank Aaron against Cincinnati’s Wayne Simpson in 1970. Who was the other?

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Interchangeable: Geoff Ogilvy is a recognizable figure on the PGA Tour. Trouble is, he’s usually mistaken for fellow pro Joe Ogilvie.

Ogilvy told Golf Digest: “Joe came in second two years ago in New Orleans, and the next week I must have been congratulated on every tee box for coming in second. It’s a bit of a running joke between us. We have the law firm of Ogilvy and Ogilvie.”

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Case closed: Ogilvy and Ogilvie aren’t needed in Hawaii, where a judge has ruled that a player cannot be held liable for accidentally striking another player with a golf ball.

The Hawaii Supreme Court said it is “common knowledge that not every shot played by a golfer goes exactly where he intends it to go” and thus players assume risk each time out.

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Long and straight: The court further reasoned that golf wouldn’t be very sporting if every shot went where it was intended it to go. But wouldn’t it be fun for at least a round or two?

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A juicy proposition: Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals, who leads the majors with 19 home runs, is on pace to hit more than 80. Bookmakers are not sold, however. Caesars Palace placed the “over-under” line on Pujols at 57 1/2 . And the Las Vegas Hilton still lists the number for anyone else becoming the home run leader at a not-so-juicy 52 1/2 .

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More Pujols: From Greg Cote of the Miami Herald: “Team publicists are so concerned over the stunning lack of attention, they are considering planting a steroid rumor.”

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Unit conversion: New York Yankees fans are wondering what became of the Big Unit. As Larry Brooks of the New York Post wrote: “Randy Johnson was larger than life when he first pulled on pinstripes a year ago, and that’s saying more than a mouthful about a man who stands 6-10. Now, however, he’s hardly half the pitcher he used to be. And we’re all left wondering what happened to the rest of him.”

Johnson had an earned-run average of 5.13 through Tuesday.

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Trivia answer: Tris Speaker of the Cleveland Indians in 1925, against Tom Zachary in a 2-1 loss to the Washington Senators.

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And finally: New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton to reporters, regarding Reggie Bush’s injured hamstring: “He’s been sitting in a limousine too long.”