Caught on the fly

Sporting News, The, June 14, 2004

Not to say the NFL's post-June 1 free-agent period was much ado about nothing, but Fly has seen better on the cutting-room floor at UPN.

Rave reviews? Hardly

The Ravens added veteran quarterback depth last week by signing Kordell Stewart. The team sees Slash as more than an insurance guy--it expects him to tutor Kyle Boller. Which is strange because in watching Boller as a rookie, it seemed he already had mastered the arts of happy feet, poorly timed throws and leaky clock management.

If Stern has power over the officials, why don't they read his rulebook?

In the NBA playoffs, there were loud rumblings of Lakers favoritism when Brent Musburger, while calling the game on radio, overheard an official asking how many fouls Shaq had in Game 6 against the T-wolves. Truly fascinating stuff. You know, that Musburger was able to hear that over his incessant babbling.

The Dodger way: Arrive late, leave early

Footage from the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm helped free a man from prison when it showed he was at Dodger Stadium the night he allegedly committed the crime. Of course, the prosecution could have pointed out that still wouldn't account for the man's whereabouts in the first three or the last two innings.

Nothing to sneeze at

Sammy Sosa began swinging a bat last week and is nearing a return to the Cubs' lineup. The club apparently considered sending him to Class AAA Iowa for a rehab assignment, but then it remembered that Des Moines has had a terrible time with ragweed this year.

Bias? What bias?

The NBA isn't the only league dealing with conspiracy theories in the playoffs. Calgary coach Darryl Sutter was upset over the suspension of Flames winger Ville Nieminen during the Stanley Cup finals. Sutter intimated that there was a strong anti-Canadian bias among NHL officials and media members and then went on to say some other things in a funny accent.

And you thought the cost of unleaded was bad

Adidas has come out with running shoes that feature a computer microchip that allows for adjustments in the cushions of the heels, based on the runners' steps and the terrain on which they are running. On the downside, the people who drop 250 bills for these also have to live with the realization that they now own shoes smarter than them.

Hey, didn't you used to be Bob Brenly?