The Inquirer ran a feature story today about burlesque dancer Deirdre Guerin and her second annual “Pinups for Pitbulls” calendar, which features 12 months full of Suicide Girls-caliber vixens in numerous provocative outfits posing with their pet dogs. The object is to let the world know that, contrary to popular opinion, pit bulls will not rip your throat out if you try to pet them.

Apparently, it’s worked so far. Last year’s calendar raised $4,000 for area dog rescue shelters, and this year’s calendar appears to be outselling it. The new PFP calendar features proud burlesque-dancing pit bull owners “Little Darling,” “Bombshell Mandy” and “Mona DeLux.” Woof?

My only question is: Does an intimidating woman kissing a pit bull make these dogs less ferocious-looking or more so? Based on some of the photos, I think I’d be more terrified of some of the women biting my face off than the dogs. Maybe that’s the point.

Hubba-hubba! They’re pit bull lovahs! [Philly.com]

Last week I caught wind of a rumor that some current and former Philadelphia Eagle(s) were being investigated for their alleged involvement in dog fighting. It was a rumor, in the purest sense of the word. However, based on the volatile and supposedly pervasive nature of the problem, it did require some general, friendly reporterly investigation.

I made some phone calls to various members of the local media that cover the team, all of whom said that there was not an ounce of evidence supporting it, and that they’ve never heard any of the rumors. I called PETA, which had also never heard of any rumors involving these certain players. I called the Eagles front office and, of course, they declined comment. Story over.

However, this morning at 9 a.m., a man named James Clark, a card-carrying “National Football League Security Representative,” stopped by the offices of Philadelphia magazine unannounced. It appears the NFL had sent some sort of operative over to ask me some questions about where I got my information.

The answer was simple: It was a rumor, friend-of-a-friend-who-knows-somebody-type thing. In fact, a tiny sports blog already mentioned the name of one of the players rumored to be involved — exiled linebacker Jeremiah Trotter — but that appeared to be, again, just unsubstantiated rumor.

Mr. Clark and I had about 10 minutes of conversation that he wrote down on his yellow notepad, most of which was me explaining how I found nothing in any of the conversations I’d had with other people that was worth reporting. However, Mr. Clark explained that the league had received a call from the Eagles, and that this is what the NFL does in certain criminal matters — regardless of how, in this case, unfounded or questionable the source of the allegations may be.

So, I never published the story— I had nothing, really — and, yet, the NFL felt it had just enough loosely based info to send someone over to check it out without even the courtesy of a phone call. So, either these rumors (with a big, blinking capital “R,” remember) have a little more credibility than suspected, or the Eagles are completely paranoid right now and have resorted to public relations buffoonery by turning a non-story into one.

Oh, and the Eagles response to the NFL security squad stopping by the office? No comment. Of course.