Going another round in De La Hoya’s camp

T he old man is a year closer to Social Security, millionaire captain of his own yacht, and preferring to spend most days with his baby and wife. Gootchy gootchy goo, Oscar.

Now he’s going to fight a younger, hungrier and brash Mayweather, and if it were Mayweather Sr., Oscar probably would still be the underdog. But instead he’s going to tangle with Junior, 37-0 -- like that’s fair.

The oddsmakers in Las Vegas have made Junior an overwhelming favorite for Saturday’s sold-out fight at the MGM Grand, and Monday when Oscar spars a little with Mario Lopez in Pasadena, there’s some concern Lopez might dance him off his feet. The old man and the sea, all right, and just what’s left in that old carcass?

HERE WE go again with the expectation that Oscar is about to get his butt kicked. Last year, he gave Page 2 complete access behind the scenes in the final week leading up to his tussle with Mayorga, and he’s doing so again. Obviously, the guy can take a beating.

I can’t stand boxing, think Oscar is finished and every time he pulled out his Giorgio Armani compact -- never walking past a mirror without stopping to admire himself -- I laughed. He dieted and I ate. He ran and I sat and watched. He gets manicures and pedicures and I spend time with a woman who gets them. He reads “Veranda,” while I sit on one. He said “The Notebook” was one of his favorite movies and groaned when recalling the final scene, while I thought about slapping him with mine.

And yet, we will be flying together to Las Vegas on his private plane, beginning our journey Monday, but first -- just like a year ago -- accepting an invite from the “Tonight Show With Jay Leno.” Don’t know why, but the guy just won’t leave us alone.

For some reason, though, I didn’t make it onstage last year, Dr. Phil dominating the time, and I guess Jay had more problems than any of us knew.

Jay has invited Eric Bana to be his guest this time, and much like Oscar, Bana was the decided underdog when he took on Achilles in “Troy,” failing to go the distance and allowing Pretty Boy Brad Pitt to wipe the floor with him.

Now you know at some point Oscar is going to raise his fists for Jay’s benefit to show him how tough he is, probably sending Bana, who wasn’t smart enough to kick Achilles in the heel, running and screaming offstage.

I imagine that’s when I’ll be introduced, just hoping that Jay doesn’t ask me who I think will win the big fight.

SPEAKING OF Mayweather, the blowhard is still undecided about whether he’ll give Page 2 the same behind-the-scenes access as Oscar in Las Vegas.

They tell me Junior will probably run from Oscar in the ring, and they wouldn’t be surprised if he does the same when he sees me.

Some fight folks think Junior just won’t be able to handle it, jab after jab maybe flattening the guy, and with Mayweather weighing in Friday at 150 pounds, let me just say he’s no heavyweight like Page 2.

Shoot, I’ve got a daughter who weighs more than Mayweather, and you know those are fighting words and she’s got her mother in her corner.

Yet, I still wrote them here in the newspaper ... which reminds me, I’d like to take this opportunity to advise the circulation department they can resume delivering the newspaper next week to the daughter and the wife.

LAST YEAR, Oscar had no problem taking a jab, but then he was fighting Mayorga, who proved to be a joke.

Oscar invited me to join him in Puerto Rico earlier while he was training, promised a boat ride and maybe some fishing. Then he changed his mind, forcing me to stay with the Clippers and the Lakers, a low blow if you ask me.

Now if he gets past Mr. Dancing With the Stars on Monday morning, the Pasadena gym is going to be closed and he’s going to spar some more with Shane Mosley. He doesn’t want anyone, including Page 2, to be there -- like I haven’t already seen Mosley do a number on him. Twice before.

Maybe he’s just superstitious, and this is the way he always gets ready for a fight. Maybe he’s not as relaxed or prepared as he was for Mayorga, making him more uptight. Maybe he wanted to do some singing while waiting for Mosley to get ready and was trying to be considerate; he knows how I can’t stand that noise he makes.

Now I wonder if I’ve got both Oscar and Junior on the run.

THE FANS of Barbaro, a.k.a. FOB, will be meeting at Hollywood Park today for Barbaro’s fourth birthday, which means Hollywood Park might actually attract a crowd for a change.

According to “Tim Woolley Racing,” Hollywood Park’s announcer “will speak about Barbaro, mention its birthday and show a beautiful shot of our boy in his ‘sublime performance’ at the Kentucky Derby last year ... there are about 40 FOBs confirmed.”

They gave an e-mail address for more information, and I e-mailed asking if there were any plans to also honor Skippy the Squirrel, who bought it while trying to cross I-5 about the same time Barbaro went four hoofs up.

Still waiting for a response.

NFL COMMISSIONER Roger Goodell apologized to Calvin Johnson, Gaines Adams and Amobi Okoye because someone squealed and revealed they had admitted to using marijuana. Johnson was the second player selected in the NFL draft Saturday, Adams fourth and Okoye 10th, making it pretty obvious the NFL holds nothing against admitted drug users -- especially if they are really good players.

TODAY’S LAST word comes in a news release from the Chargers:

“The San Diego Chargers selected Auburn wide receiver Craig Davis ... “

A little later the Chargers sent the following news release:

“The San Diego Chargers selected LSU wide receiver Craig Davis,” and apologized for the mistake, although it’s still unclear whether the team had any idea what it was doing.

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T.J. Simers can be reached at

t.j.simers@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Simers, go to latimes.com/simers.