HOTBOX

Sporting News, The, Sept 13, 1999

Celebrating an athletic success--whether scoring a touchdown, hitting a homer or bowling a strike--has been a longstanding tradition in sports. Throughout history, our sporting heroes have found varied ways to bask in their accomplishments. From the simplicity of a firm handshake as a teammate crosses the plate to the rubbery-legged perfection of a Billy "White Shoes" Johnson touchdown dance to the complexity of the Ickey Shuffle and the Dirty Bird, the "celebration" always is evolving--but we had never heard of anything like the following item. As Dave Barry wrote recently: "Last year in Brazil, there was a soccer match between two archrival teams, one of which is nicknamed `the Rabbits.' The other team scored a goal, and the guy who scored it celebrated by reaching into his shorts, pulling out a carrot, and eating it. He had a carrot in his shorts the whole time! Talk about team spirit! You wonder what he'd do if he played a team nicknamed `the Eel Eaters.' "It sure seems to us there are plenty of better places to keep a carrot--a nice crisper inside a two-doored fridge comes to mind.

HISTORY LESSON: A new exhibit in Chicago's Field Museum called "The Chicago Bears: 80 Years of Gridiron Legends," was served up to current Bears players for a sneak peak. The exhibit boasts such varied items as Jim McMahon's headbands and George Halas' fedora. "We think we've got it tough with two-a-days today, but they had two-a-days with just a little hat on their heads," rookie linebacker Warrick Holdman says. "It makes me respect these guys even more." Another interesting piece of history is Halas' receipt, book, in which he kept track of players' salaries in 1925 (roughly $150 a game). If you're in Chicago, check out the exhibit, which runs through January 2.

REALITY CHECK: It's tough enough to walk away from a sport you have played so well on your terms, much less having to leave on someone else's terms. Consider the case of Ruben Sierra. As Shav Glick of the Los Angeles Times writes: "Ruben Sierra was a four-time All-Star and runner-up for the 1989 American League Most Valuable Player with the Texas Rangers. Only 33, younger than Barry Bonds or Rafael Palmeiro, where is he now?. Playing for the Atlantic City Surf of the independent Atlantic League. `It's a little hard after 12 years of flying and good hotels,' says Sierra, who makes $3,000 a month, with $20 a day for meal money." ... Here's one for your buddies after you hit the back nine at the local course (hopefully carting a score below 90 as you tee off on No. 10), courtesy of Tony Kornhesier of The Washington Post. Two guys are on the 14th tee one afternoon when they notice a funeral procession going by the golf course. One of the men takes off his hat and bows his head. Moved by this unusual display of respect, his playing partner inquires politely, `You knew the deceased?' The man nods, then hits his tee shot and says, `We would have been married 30 years today.' Bada-bing."