Reason #104 to Despise Hulk Hogan

His penchant for leaking petty, lackluster, and most certainly non-newsworthy tidbits to drum up publicity for Hogan Knows Best while perpetuating his self-delusion of cultural relevance. Somebody please introduce me to the reporter that would actually spend an iota of their time and journalistic capital muckraking this nonsense. No, Jimmy Hart and Brian Knobbs are not reporters. They are sycophants.

From the New York Post's Page Six:

April 17, 2007 -- HAS the longest, strongest marriage in professional wrestling history suffered a fatal, bone-crunching blow?

Sources close to Hulk and Linda Hogan, who've been wedded for more than 20 years, say they're "going through a very hard time and their marriage is under a lot of strain."

The problems started several years ago when the Hogan family - including the couple's kids, aspiring pop singer Brooke and amateur race-car driver Nick - started filming the VH1 show "Hogan Knows Best." One friend said, "They have different beliefs on how to raise kids. Brooke started her music career, and they started getting into fights."

Some of the well-documented battles on the show have been over how scantily clad Brooke - just 18 when she did her first major magazine - should be, or how late she could stay out with boyfriends.

During the show, the Hogans moved from their longtime residence in Tampa to a Miami mansion, and also bought houses in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. While either Linda or Hulk traveled with Brooke or Nick to their various events, they rarely traveled together. Another source of tension was Hulk, 53, desperately wanting to get back into wrestling, while Linda wanted to body-block the idea, fearing he could get hurt.

At one point, the friend said, "Linda got so fed up she quit the VH1 show. She just walked off. No one knows what started that fight but it was serious." Linda is now back on set to film the fourth season.

Another insider said, "At one point they were talking divorce. It's still precarious."

A rep for the Hogans declined comment. But Hulk's wrestling manager, Jimmy Hart, told us, "There's ups and downs in every marriage. I was with them last weekend in Miami shooting the show and everything seemed fine.

"Dionne Warwick was there to do a song with Brooke, and Linda seemed fine. Ever since they went to marriage counseling on that VH1 show, people have said there were problems, but it's fine."

Sorry Hulkster (and minions), but a married couple navigating a rough patch in their relationship does not remotely qualify as "news" or even "juicy gossip." Now say Linda files for divorce from your resplendently leathery skinned carcass, that's news. Or that your marriage is legitimately the "longest and strongest in professional wrestling history," now that's news. Or that your vocally pitchy daughter Brooke engaged in a late-night lesbian tryst with the geriatric Dionne Warwick after their hit making recording session, now that's juicy gossip!