(Larry) King for a day, sort of the way he used to be in USAToday:
Jerry Colangelo is Wayne Huizenga southwest. He has mortgaged thefranchise's future by taking on a ton of deferred salaries that hemight not even be around to pay off. The difference is if theDiamondbacks owner decides to have a fire sale as Huizenga did afterthe Marlins won the World Series in 1997, most of Arizona's playersare so old that they would qualify as fossil fuel. . . . All thoseempty seats in Phoenix and Atlanta for the NLCS? Far fewer than atany Chicago ballpark for the same dates. . . . There's somethingnostalgic about calling the Bulls' offices and having the phoneanswered without the world champion' before the team's name. Anychance of scaling back ticket prices to that pre-title era, too?Didn't think so. Is there any question who the better businessman isamong two-sport owners, Colangelo (Diamondbacks and Suns) or JerryReinsdorf (White Sox and Bulls)? Didn't think so.
Speaking of raising prices, NBC and Turner Sports have increasedtheir asking prices for commercials during NBA games because of theanticipated additional viewers with Michael Jordan back in theleague. Recession? What recession? . . . As for MJ and that 27.5number from Vegas regarding his comeback: Is that supposed to be hisseason scoring average or the over/under for games played?
Phoenix, hello. . . . That MasterCard Fan Cam on Fox's baseballcoverage is so annoying, you suspect it is secretly sponsored byVisa. . . . The network's Series opener pregame had such a patrioticflavor that it was a surprise Jeanie Zelasko and Kevin Kennedy wereonfield announcers rather than Condoleeza Rice and Ari Fleischer.
Shane Matthews is much more effective as a backup than as astarter. . . . Anthony Thomas is much more effective as a runningback than James Allen. ... Overrated: prolonged pregnancy.Underrated: short labor. . . . Three weeks early (more if you believetheir child was due in December), tennis legend Steffi Graf gavebirth Friday to a son, Jaden Gil, with father/tennis star AndreAgassi present at Las Vegas' Valley Hospital. This kid may not havebeen born with a silver spoon in his mouth as much as he was with aplatinum racket in his hand. Any odds on whether the kid will win apro tournament before Anna Kournikova does? Just asking. . . . Aportion of the proceeds from the sale of special red, white and blueWorld Series baseball will be donated to relief organizations andcharities. It might be nice to know what portion.
Speaking of relief organizations, she may be out of a job aspresident of the American Red Cross, but Dr. Bernadine Healy canrescue me with a small keg of brandy any time. The St. Bernard isoptional. . . . Jalalabad, hello. Jalalabad? Your bad.
In a drug-induced (legal presciptions only) stupor over theweekend because of having a tooth pulled, did these things reallyhappen: Bulls win a game (so what if it was an exhibition game, theycould have trouble winning an intrasquad contest if too many moreproven players are injured), Nebraska beats Oklahoma in the Game ofthe Century' (which century is unclear), Penn State defeats somebodyother than Northwestern, Yankees put their instructional league teamon the field for their World Series opener, and Dez White catches apass on the Bears' first play from scrimmage.
When Steve McMichael was asking fans last week on Ch. 5 to comparethe current Bears to the '85 team, did you think he really wascurious--or that he couldn't remember that far back? Just asking.
