Rebecca Bross snatched back the crown of the World gymnastics ladie’’s derby recently, but the big news is that her coach is still making it happen. To many gymnastics fans, Valeri Liukin was a East Bloc vet who coached his daughter Nastia to Olympic gold. Bridget Sloan was sort of the name at the top of the heap, ho-hum. Nastia Liukin was gold P.R., but she had genetics, the family relationship, and the Olympic heritage  on her side. But Bross’ Visa Worlds win proved Liukin can mold other stars than just his offspring. Liukin (senior) could be the legitimate inheritor to the Bela Karolyi berth in American gymnastics.

What becomes a sports legend best? Money! Those endorsement deals are pouring in for heavy hitters like Maria Sharapova, who pulled in almost $25 million from sponsors like Nike, Sony, Ericsson and Tiffany. Tiger Woods closed at least US $100 million last year, but considering how much of that is probably headed out in funnels between his wife in divorce court, Florida strippers bank accounts,  and lawyers, he may be rattling a tin cup before long.

Sharapova is poised to take some of Tiger’s money unless “Titanium Cup” starts sinking a few. Venus and Serena Williams see high numbers as well, but the economic downturn mean slower cash for top winners. David Beckham is behind Phil Mickelson at numbers five and four in the derby respectively, while Floyd Mayweather grabs the silver medal. Bronze medalist is Kobe Bryant, who is far from announcing retirement from the Lakers.

Beckham works hard for the money, bending it at about $40 million in soccer and endorsement and licensing. Roger Federer has a similar racket at number six on the world earnings list. LeBron James is trailed by Manny Pacquiao, the biggest name boxing has seen in decades. Pacquaio’s congressional offices in the Phillippines may have closed off the most lucrative boxing career ever.

And those looking for Peyton Manning can cross his name out,brother Eli Manning’s $97 million contract for the giants may require him to put a helmet on in practice. Some cro-magnon linebacker named Terrence Suggs with over $60 million in NFL contracts in his pocket will back the top-earning athletes’ line at number ten. That’s a lot of green for one man, quoth the Ravens’ accountant nevermore.

The Yahoo ads and food network site for the Great Food Truck race has been down for some time, which must mean record demand has blown a fuse at the NOC or that someone forgot to recharge whatever Iphone it’s running on. Nevertheless, the Great Food Truck race pits seven food trucks, three of them from Los Angeles, road trip Odyssey. Coverage is everywhere from TVsquad to Entertainment Weekly, just no originating domain bandwidth is available. Pity.

Just thinking up the names of a food truck is almost a porn name game.  The food trucks have names like Crepes Bonaparte, Grill ‘Em All, Nana Queens, Nom Nom Truck and Ragin Cajun. Anything with sibilance, R & B, and internal rhyme scheme or devil-may-care sentiment becomes a roach coach truck name. When the NBA recruiting doldrums hit and the college-NFL football heats slow down, grab a  cold one and chase your favorite truck team across the internet frontier.

The hot hot hot ticket generating heat this weekend in Los Angeles in the L. A. Galaxy featuring Clint Dempsey Landon Donovan and Tim Howard against the superfine Cristian Ronaldo of Real Madrid. The Special One Jose Mourinho may also be present. Check out the live stream here at www.totalsportsmadness.com. The Galaxy’s Clint Mathis retires.