Keeping Score

The Ryder Cup, which was played last weekend in Kentucky, is named in honour of Samuel Ryder. He so loved golf that ’tis said his five-iron is buried with him. "Really, the only sensible thing to do with golf clubs," writes Bernie Lincicome of the Rocky Mountain News. . . . Steve Schrader of the Detroit Free Press had a favourite Ryder Cup player: "Boo Weekley. It sounds like a Lions fan, doesn't it?" . . . Headline at SportsPickle.com: "Hockey Mom voting bloc beats up Figure Skating Mom voting bloc." . . . Dan Daly, in the Washington Times: "First, David Eckstein, 5-foot-7 with his spikes on, is voted Most Valuable Player of the 2006 World Series. And now Dustin Pedroia, listed at 5-foot-9 but said to be closer to Eckstein's size, is making a serious run at the American League MVP Award. Welcome to post-BALCO baseball."

Last week, before facing New England, Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter, noting that Matt Cassel would be quarterbacking the Patriots, said: “If it's not Tom Brady, it shouldn't be that hard.'' To which the Miami Herald’s Greg Cote wrote: “Maybe the fact Joey is getting up there in football years explains it. Or, has he had a recent concussion they didn't tell us about? All I can figure is that Porter momentarily forgot where he was and thought he was still playing for mighty Pittsburgh.” . . . Porter had the last laugh when the Dolphins whipped the Patriots. . . . One more from Cote: “A Russian sumo wrestler banned for life from competing in Japan after a marijuana charge is suing for reinstatement. Hmm. A pot-smoking sumo wrestler? Great. Just what a guy that size needs. The munchies.” . . . Cote had a fine week: “Syracuse unveiled a bronze statue honoring 1950s football star Ernie Davis, the first black Heisman winner. One problem. Davis is shown in a modern uniform, including cleats with a Nike swoosh. Cannot confirm the sculptor is working on a statue of Abraham Lincoln listening to an iPod.”

Social note: Jerry Crowe of the Los Angeles Times points out that Cassel and his brother, Jack, a Houston Astros pitcher, are married to Lauren Killian and Julie Mariani, who are former college roommates and were teammates on USC’s women's volleyball team. . . . Here’s a little Jeopardy from Elliott Harris of the Chicago Sun-Times. . . . Answer: "Magic number." . . . Question: "What would you call the anesthesia that former Lakers star Earvin Johnson receives from the dentist?" . . . A quick quiz from Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: “The Howard who is not one of The Three Stooges (though certainly not for lacking of trying) is: (a) Moe; (b) Curly; (c) Shemp; (d) Josh." . . . The way the Kamloops Blazers played their first three games, a nickname soon may be in order. Sorry, but Cardiac Kids has been overused.

Jeff Schultz, in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Baseball playoffs: Yankees out, Dodgers in. Imagine this is going over differently in the Steinbrenner and Torre households?” . . . You realize, of course, that the stars have aligned and it’ll be the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox in the World Series. Gotta think Manny will just be Manny in that one. . . . Trivia question: With Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium done after this season, name the four oldest remaining Major League Baseball parks. . . . It was the late Rodney Dangerfield who said he once went to a fight and a hockey game broke out. Well, someone mentioned the other night that they went to a Blazers game and an automobile commercial broke out.

Word on the street is that former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher is taking piano lessons. As L.A. Times reader Bill Littlejohn noted: "He gives new meaning to the phrase 'chin music.' " . . . Trivia answer: 1. Fenway Park; 2. Wrigley Field; 3. Dodger Stadium; 4. Angel Stadium. . . . Peter Loubardias, a former radio voice of the Regina Pats, now will call Calgary Flames games for Rogers Sportsnet, replacing Roger Millions, who once called Saskatoon Blades games on radio. Strangely enough, Loubardias and Millions, who be the host on the Flames' telecasts, once worked together at a Regina radio station and later at a Saskatoon TV station. . . . That was John Herrera, a former Saskatchewan Roughriders GM (1983-84), trying to defend the Oakland Raiders' honour by getting into it with San Jose Mercury-News columnist Tim Kawakami at a Monday news conference. Herrera worshipped at the Al Davis shrine when he was in Regina, and he obviously still does.

Cam Hutchinson, in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix: "I'm telling you, those weren't Saskatchewan people throwing cans of beer at B.C. Lions players last weekend in Regina. Trust me on this; nobody from Saskatchewan would ever throw a can that still contained beer. Lions fans are expected to seek revenge the next time Saskatchewan is in Vancouver by throwing their latte mugs at the Roughriders." . . . Defenceman Erik Johnson of the St. Louis Blues suffered a knee injury during the team’s golf tournament. He got a foot stuck between the accelerator and the brake, tore an ACL and could miss the entire season. Of course, hockey fans are wondering what really happened. You may recall that it was in St. Louis in 1985 when Doug Wickenheiser suffered a horrible knee injury while on a snipe hunt. . . . You can find that story on the Internet. . . . My sympathies if you are planning a garage sale over the next couple of weeks. Sheesh, who is going to see your sign in the sea of orange, blue and red that is covering the landscape? . . . Lehman Brothers has filed for bankruptcy. Merrill Lynch is in the process of being sold. AIG is in a horrible mess. As comedian Amy Poehler says: "Basically, if your commercials air during golf tournaments, you're done."

I doubt that I’m the first, but please allow me to offer up congratulations to Jolene Bacon, who won the Nez Perce County Fair hog-calling contest in Idaho. . . . Tampa Bay quarterback Brian Griese threw 67 passes as the Bucs beat the host Chicago Bears 27-24 in OT on Sunday. Griese’s father, Bob, led the Miami Dolphins to victory in Super Bowl VII. That day, he threw 11 passes in the entire game. . . . By the way, 67 passes is the fourth-most ever thrown in an NFL game. . . . The record (70) was set by Drew Bledsoe of New England in 1994. . . . A new book — Boys Will Be Boys, written by Jeff Pearlman — is making noises in Dallas Cowboys circles, meaning it’s one not to be missed. This book apparently details the Cowboys’ glory years in all the ugliness. . . . Independent American presidential candidate Ralph Nader, as quoted at politico.com, after editors at the Washington Post told him the paper wouldn't cover his campaign because he has no chance of winning: "Then why are you covering the Nationals?''

Gregg Drinnan is sports editor of The Daily News. He is at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca. Keeping Score appears Saturdays.