Keeping Score

It seems that Milton Bradley, the oft-troubled outfielder who now belongs to the Seattle Mariners, isn’t leaving Chicago quietly. He has been sued for $44,000 in rent, late fees and interest by his Chicago landlord. “If it’s any consolation for the condominium owners,” Reggie Hayes of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel writes, “the Cubs didn’t really get their money’s worth, either.” . . . Tom Powers, in the St. Paul Pioneer Press: “Twelve men in the huddle. Twelve men in the huddle. Twelve men in the huddle . . . That’s all people are talking about. They still are shocked at the high school type of error that doomed the Vikings’ Super Bowl chances.” . . . Hmm, wonder if there might be money to be made by playing host to a commiseration session for fans of the Minnesota Vikings and Saskatchewan Roughriders? . . .
If you weren’t aware, receiver Austin Collie of the Super Bowl-bound Indianapolis Colts was born in Hamilton. His father, Scott, was a receiver for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at the time. . . . Congrats to Gary Reed, who has been honoured as All-Athletics.com’s middle-distance runner of the year (2009) in North and Central America. Reed, who grew up in Kamloops and now lives and trains in Victoria, is one of the world’s top 800-metre runners. . . . After Tag Heuer said it would be sticking with Tiger Woods, blogger RJ Currie noted: “There’s a good match: a watchmaker and a two-timer.” . . . At the Australian Open, Serena Williams is listed as weighing 150 pounds. To which a disbelieving Patrick Smith of The Australian wrote: “They should weigh her other thigh next time.” . . . Late Wednesday night, the guesstimation of the crowd count at Hillside Stadium for the torch festivities was 12,000. By early the next afternoon, a talking head was saying it was 15,000. By the end of next week, everyone in the city will have been in attendance. . . .
Mike Freeman, at CBSSports.com, after Sunday’s NFC championship game: “Vikings fans: you wanted him, you got him. There he was and there he goes. For all the good (Brett) Favre did for the Vikings both this season and in this game, he nonetheless had a relapse. Favre is as addicted to risk and chance as a poker player is to chasing the big score.” . . . Not sure who got more face time on Fox-TV in that game, Favre or his wife. . . . Just don’t try telling me that the NFC championship game was a “classic,” because it wasn’t; in fact, as a football game it stunk. What it was: Proof that a game isn’t a classic just because it goes to overtime. . . . I was thrilled to represent all of you here Monday as the cheques from the Christmas Cheer Fund were handed over to representatives of the New Life Mission, the YMCA/YWCA Y Women’s Emergency Shelter and the Marjorie Willoughby Snowden Memorial Hospice Home. Each cheque was worth a few pennies more than $21,316. . . .
That was an interesting signing this week when the Minnesota Twins cut a deal with DH Jim Thome. He needs nine home runs to get to 573 and tie former Twins great Harmon Killebrew for 10th on the all-time list. The Twins are moving into a new park, Target Field, this season and it includes a restaurant called 573 Club. . . . David Whitley, over at FanHouse: “Poor Chris Barnes. One day he’s a relatively unknown pro bowler minding his own business. The next day he’s Bobby Riggs in goofy shoes. That day was Sunday, when Barnes was beaten (by a female bowler named Kelly Kulick) in the PBA’s Tournament of Champions. . . . Rule No. 1 in determining whether an activity is a sport: If the best female in the world can beat the best male in the world, it doesn’t qualify. That doesn’t mean Kelly Kulick’s victory isn’t worth celebrating. In one match she rivaled the achievements of such bowling legends as Earl Anthony, Dick Weber and Fred Flintstone.”
Greg Cote, in the Miami Herald, after Sun Life Financial cut a deal for naming rights on the Miami football stadium in which the Super Bowl will be played: “On the scale of corporate sellouts, being named for a Canadian financial company is seen as slightly less embarrassing than being named for a failed Fruit of the Loom subsidiary (Pro Player) or second-tier beer (Land Shark).” . . . That deal, by the way, is worth US$40 million over 10 years. . . . Jeff Blair, at globeandmail.com: “Rumours are rampant that conspiracy specialist Oliver Stone has been hired to do the Vancouver Canucks’ 2009-2010 video retrospective.” . . . Outfielder Tyson Gillies of Kamloops, who now is with the Philadelphia Phillies organization, played against Grant Desme last season in the California League. “He was playing at Stockton while I was in (High Desert),” Gillies told me this week. “This kid can flat out play ball.” Desme, a top prospect with the Oakland A’s, shocked the baseball world a week ago when he announced his retirement in order to enter a Catholic seminary and study to become a priest. . . . The A’s apparently are working to deal him to the Padres.
Cam Hutchinson, in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix: “Body scanners were used for the first time at Pearson International Airport in Toronto (last) week. Among the discoveries was Vesa Toskala’s five-hole is bigger than first feared.” . . . Veteran forward Ian Laperriere of the Philly Flyers had his custom-designed bridge stolen while he was on a trip. As Ian Hamilton of the Regina Leader-Post put it: “That means a guy missing teeth now has missing teeth.” . . . Hamilton added: “The police are looking for suspects, but they’ve already ruled out L.A. Kings centre Oscar Moller.” . . .
Ozzie Guillen’s mug showed up on the big screen during a recent Chicago Blackhawks’ home game and it drew boos from Cubs fans in the audience. None of which bothered the Chicago White Sox’ manager. As he told the Chicago Daily Herald: “Know what I did? I showed them my World Series ring.” . . . You may have heard contaminated ex-major leaguer Mark McGwire mention that he had help hitting home runs from “the man upstairs.” Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote: “Apparently, McGwire’s steroid dealer was living in an attic above the gym.”

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