Author tests brain-frying what-ifs, spawns e-contest

Finally, any American has a chance to play a tennis star -- specifically, Andy Roddick -- who will have to swing a frying pan, not a racket.

Todd Gallagher did that for his recent book whose title, Andy Roddick Beat Me with a Frying Pan: Taking the Field with Pro Athletes and Olympic Legends to Answer Sports Fans' Burning Questions, is ironic, given that the author actually won the match. The book, which Gallagher says tries to answer "barroom sports debates," led to an espn.com contest in which users can send in home videos of re-enactments of great sports moments -- with the winner playing a pan-wielding Roddick in December.

Gallagher's book looked at whether the "fattest" person imaginable might be an effective hockey goalie. Gallagher put a college hockey goalie in padding meant to simulate a 1,400-pound person and put him in ...