Come to Think of it...Friday Facts & Fun

Some thoughts and observations around the sports world...

I want my Mommy: More Olympics flap. In addition to the reports of enhanced fireworks and lip-synched singing performances, you can add age-related issues. It came to light that some of the Chinese gymnasts might be underage when it was discovered that one girl was wearing a diaper and asked for her ba-ba during one of the televised routines.

This Bud's For You: From the Commissioner files...Bud said he won't roll out instant replay until it's "nearly flawless." Oh, we believe that one. Based on the way steroids went unnoticed right under his nose, I'm sure you can't pull a fast one on ol' eagle eyed Bud. No sir. Expect replay to initially work as well as the tied all-star game, the cancelled world series and the punishment from the Mitchell Report. After all, Selig wasn't once a used car salesman for nothing.

To QB (or not to QB):Can you have a quarterback competition without a real starting quarterback? That's apparently what the Chicago Bears are hoping. No truth to the rumor that both Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton were seen applying at Wal-Mart, just in case.

Where Receivers go to Hide:Apparently former Bears wideout Muhsin Muhammid, who recently said Chicago is where receivers go to die, has gone back into hiding behind Steve Smith with Carolina. Maybe if you'd have caught a few more passes Moose, and played like the true number one receiver you were being paid to be, things would have worked out better.

Relationship Bonding: Any truth to the rumor that Mark Prior recently asked to use the super glue Kerry Wood used to treat his blister to reattach his right arm?

Just Like Sampson: At the bequest of his manager, Manny Ramirez cut his hair and immediately went 0-for-3 against the Phillies. This after having hit .467 since the trade. You just can't make stuff like this up.  

The Shots Nobody Heard:If you're going to hit for the cycle, don't do it against the Cubs. Mark Kotsay hit for the cycle in a loss to the Cubs yesterday. The last man to do it against the Cubs was Willie McGee, who accomplished the feat in the infamous 'Ryne Sandberg game' back in 1984, when Ryno hit two game tying home runs off of Bruce Sutter on national TV. Talk about feeling unappreciated...

Cub-Dum:In another one of those 'you just can't make this stuff up' items, Cubs broadcaster and former third baseman Ron Santo was told that "on this day in Cubs history, Billy Williams played his first game." To which the always sharp Santo replied, "I remember that. Wasn't that in September?" No, Ronny, it was on this day...

A streak to Amaze even Cal Ripken dept:From Jayson Stark, of espn.com. Ever heard of a 522-game winning streak? Well, that's the streak the Rangers snapped Tuesday. According to Elias, American League teams that scored 17 runs or more were 522-0 in the history of the league before Texas put up 17 in this game and lost.

And Finally:From the Elias bureau. Charlie Zink pitched his first ever game for the Boston Red Sox the other day. They scored 10 runs for him in the first inning.  Yet Zink ended up not winning the game. That's right. Perhaps even more absurd is the other pitcher, the Texas Rangers Scott Feldman, became the first starting pitcher to dodge a loss in a game in which he gave up a dozen runs or more since 1918. 2 2/3 IP, 10 H, 12 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, 90 pitches to get eight outs and no loss!

Some amazing things happen when you come to think of it...