Passing on his two cents

Worried that Jessica Simpson may be distracting Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens told the sexy singer to steer clear of the QB. Owens and other Cowboys are blaming the team's loss Sunday on Simpson, who was in the stands cheering her new boyfriend Romo. "Right now, Jessica Simpson is not a fan favorite - in this locker room or in Texas Stadium," said Owens. Romo also played poorly when his last lady love Carrie Underwood came to see him play. "With everything that has happened, obviously with the way Tony played and the comparison between her and Carrie Underwood, I think a lot of people feel she has taken his focus away," said T.O. Can you imagine Randy Moss upbraiding Tom Brady's girlfriend Gisele Bundchen that way? Didn't think so. (New York Daily News)

A federal jury yesterday ruled against a man who says he helped "The Sopranos" creator David Chase develop ideas for the HBO drama. The jury dismissed the claims of Robert Baer, ruling the aspiring writer and ex-prosecutor was not owed anything for help he provided while Chase wrote an early draft of the pilot. Baer claimed a moral victory because the jury determined he had performed services for Chase with a reasonable expectation of compensation. But it awarded no money because it found Baer did not prove he had a reasonable expectation of being compensated by Chase. (AP)

Producers of the People's Choice Awards said yesterday the upcoming show will be presented in a new prerecorded magazine-style format because of the Hollywood writers' strike. The usual live format for the awards, which would have been held at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, with winners taking the stage to accept their awards as announced, has been scrapped, along with the red carpet. Instead, the two-hour CBS broadcast on Jan. 8 will consist of host Queen Latifah appearing in prerecorded segments, introducing a string of video clips of nominees and winners, who will be contacted in advance to tape their speeches. (Reuters)

Lynne Spears's book about parenting has been delayed indefinitely. A spokeswoman for Christian book publisher Thomas Nelson Inc. said yesterday that the memoir by the mother of Britney Spears was put on hold last week. She declined to comment on whether the delay was connected to the revelation that Spears's 16-year-old daughter, Jamie Lynn, is pregnant. (AP)

"I'd like to live in the country and have a walled garden, and chickens and pigs." - British singer Lily Allen, 22, who is pregnant with her first child and says she might retire from music when she’s 25.