Peter King, Sports Illustrated’s top NFL writer says he likes “Cameron Wake, the Miami outside linebacker, who rushes the passer the way Pete Rose ran the bases. Irrepressible.” . . . Wake, of course, is the former B.C. Lions pass-rusher who twice was the CFL’s defensive player of the year. . . . One more from King: “If I hear one more time what a wonderful influence Randy Moss is in the locker room, I'm going to puke. What kind of great influence can he be if he keeps getting kicked off team (Oakland) after team (New England) after team (Minnesota)?” . . .
Mike Bianchi, in the Orlando Sentinel: “Are we supposed to be excited that Tiger Woods is now on Twitter? Come on, the man hasn't said anything interesting in 14 years; why would you think he's going to say anything interesting in 140 characters?” . . . Someone at ESPN.com asked L.A. Lakers head coach Phil Jackson for his opinion on first-year NBAers. His response: "We like them as people, it's just that they're inexperienced . . . and have no purpose on earth." . . . The Kamloops Youth Soccer Association held its annual meeting on Wednesday night. A little birdie tells me that seven people showed up. Wonder if any of the grumpy anonymous letter writers put in an appearance? . . .
Junior football’s Surrey Rams are on the move. The BCFC team, which has been in Surrey for more than 60 years, will play out of McLeod Stadium in Langley next season. The Rams will introduce Tyson St. James as their head coach early in December. A defensive lineman at UBC, he was taken by the Saskatchewan Roughriders with the first overall pick in the 2000 CFL Canadian college draft, but injuries cut short his career. . . . Speaking of the Roughriders, as of Thursday afternoon, Reebok had received 26,000 orders for championship caps should the green guys win Sunday’s game. . . . Cam Hutchinson, in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix: “LeBron James says the Miami Heat needs to have more fun. Sorry, LeBron, the rest of us are having fun.” . . .
Howie Rose, the radio voice of the New York Islanders and the Mets, finally broke the other night. As the NHL team was losing a 13th straight game the other night, Rose, when he thought his mike was dead during a commercial break on the MSG network, came out with: "Iiiii, yii yiiii, is it spring training yet? Let me know how this game turns out. Not that I particularly care." . . . He still has his hockey job. Perhaps because he later apologized. . . . Guard Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns has missed some playing time because of a sore groin. He’s 36 and, as TNT analyst Charles Barkley pointed out: "Just like Brett Favre is finding out, Father Time is undefeated." . . . Headline from TheOnion.com: Tournament Bass Refuses To Talk To Reporters After Tough Day Getting Caught. . . . Henry Burris as the CFL’s most outstanding player? Over Anthony Calvillo. . . . Burris, the Calgary Stampeders’ quarterback, threw 20 interceptions and isn’t in the Grey Cup game. Calvillo, the Montreal Alouettes’ quarterback, tossed seven picks and is in the big game. . . . Case closed! . . .
Mario Balotelli, a star with soccer’s Manchester United, chose to dump his gal pal Melissa Castagnoli by text message the other day. She just happens to be an Italian model and TV personality. She went on the air and read his texts on TV. . . . Now that is sweet revenge. . . . CFL commish Mark Cohon says attendance was down 4.5 per cent this season. . . . On that same subject, WHL attendance may be headed for a decrease for a third straight season. . . . Were you aware that the Kamloops Blazers’ attendance has decreased every single season since 2001-02? . . . Janice Hough, the Left Coast Sports Babe, came up with this one: "I'm not sure Brett Favre gets it. The last time he went through airport security he told the TSA guy, 'Nice picture — can you send it to this girl I know?' " . . .
The police in Fargo, N.D., thought it might be a good idea to use North Dakota State football coach Craig Bohl to get a traffic safety message across to the masses. They had planned on having him do a 30-second spot aimed at repeat offenders. But then they discovered he had picked up at least 18 traffic tickets since 2003. As Police Chief Keith Ternes told The Associated Press, the ads aren’t as effective when “"the messenger might be somebody we're trying to reach." . . . Here’s Roughriders linebacker Barrin Simpson, pretty much summing up things: "You have to be in it to win it and we in it." . . . Yes, but have they learned to count? . . . Montreal, by 10.
Gregg Drinnan is sports editor of The Daily News. Email him at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca, follow him at twitter.com/gdrinnan, or visit his blog at gdrinnan.blogspot.com. Keeping Score appears Saturdays.
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