Supershorts: 25 February

Blues winger Joe Rokocoko gets a little seasonal confusion during a Blues training session in Umhlanga, South Africa. Photo / Getty Images

Ecclestone Watch I

It's always good when the folks are in a position to help you out: a discreetly loaned tenner, a bit of dad's labour and know-how when you're building your first deck and a portion of mum's baking. Or - if you're Tamara Ecclestone, daughter of Bernie - a US$98 million ($131 million) house.

But you'd be wrong if you thought Tamara was spoilt.

"For me, 'spoilt' means ruined, and I don't feel ruined." Hell no.

Ecclestone Watch II

So when her octogenarian father said recently that he still had to work to fund the lifestyle of Tamara and her sister Petra, he was presumably talking cobblers? ...

Dad's got a "dry sense of humour - he tried to make a joke that wasn't funny," says the unspoilt one.

When she saw the reaction online to her lifestyle, Tamara took a turn for the worse. "I was so hated," she said. "It made me want to run a warm bath and cut my wrists."

Ecclestone Watch III

Still, having Bernie Ecclestone, 80, for a dad would not be without its trials. Having divorced Tamara's 52-year-old mum, he's now dating Brazilian Fabiana Flosi, 31.

"That's pretty weird," admits Tamara, 26. "I don't know her very well. I just think, 'It's his life."'

Homophobia I

Bundesliga officials pride themselves on efforts to get homophobia out of the game. Last week Schalke keeper Manuel Neuer encouraged gay players to come out, assuring them of a supportive environment. "Players who are gay should say so and take a load off their minds. The fans will get over it. What is important to [the fans] is the performances on the pitch of the player, not his sexual preferences."

A noble sentiment, but one prone to mistranslation to the tabloid press in Brazil, where La Voz said: "GERMAN KEEPER IS GAY. The German broke a lifetime of silence to show who he really is." Todo Noticias: "The keeper came out and says he feels the burden relieved." ABC: "The gay keeper asked others to be free." Trome: "Finally, football has its own Ricky Martin."

Homophobia II

English soccer's attempts to boot homophobia out of soccer rather fell flat when a sum total of zero English Premier League stars were willing to lend their public support to the campaign. "Everybody assumes footballers are full of confidence, but it is not easy on issues like this," PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said, rather underlining the need for a campaign.

Media fixer to the stars Max Clifford says he has privately advised gay Premier League players to keep their sexuality under wraps. "It's very sad that in my area of PR we deal with everything from celebrities to companies, actors to sports people and still the only field in which we experience this problem is football."

Striking a balance

If you think Sonny Bill Williams has a hard road ahead, balancing the demands of a boxing career with his All Black rugby hobby, spare a thought for Manny Pacquiao.

The world's greatest fighter is also a representative of the Sarangani province in the Philippine Congress.

"You need to love your job and what you're going to do, and it's just time management," says the man who is a world champion in eight divisions.

They said it...

"Vettori is handsome and a great player! He gives a lovely intellectual feel to the sport."

Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia reveals her secret fetish for blokes who look like Harry Potter.

"I do not know the rules. I like sport, of course, but I am not involved in sport."

Qatari Prime Minister Sheik Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani doesn't know much about soccer, but he knows he likes hosting mega-buck events.

"I'm just running back and forth," Bieber said during an in-game interview. "I'm controlling this whole team. I'm just kidding."

Vertically challenged pop moppet Justin Bieber goes eye-to-belly button in a celebrity pro-am basketball match.

"He has the softest hair."

Former LA Laker Rick Fox seizes the opportunity in the celebrity pro-am match to check out the follicles on his teammate Bieber.

"It's too much pressure. I gave up fighting, the weakest side always loses."

Joao Varzea da Cruz, a resident of the Vila Harmonia slum bows to pressure from authorities to clear the area to make way for construction projects linked to the 2016 Olympics. You can't stop progress, and even if you could, you can't stop the IOC.

"The transtasman rivalry is revered by New Zealand fans and we are pleased the Black Caps get the chance to compete for the trophy this season."

NZ Cricket chief Justin Vaughan announces that Black Caps are playing for the Chappell-Hadlee trophy. This is surely a sitter for meaningless gesture of the week.

Good week

Caltech Beavers
The California Institute of Technology basketball team ended a 310-match run of defeats by beating local rivals Occidental College 46-45. The team last won in 1985.

The bad week

Danny Cipriani
The Melbourne Rebels' token Pom has been involved in a "nightclub incident", helping himself to a bottle of booze in a bar after last weekend's 0-40 dousing by the Waratahs.

The number

$2,889,653
The earnings so far in 2011 of Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic