Second thoughts

Posted on Friday, May 16, 2008

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Penny-ante prank hits clubhouse Ken Griffey Jr. owed Cincinnati Reds teammate Josh Fogg $ 1, 500, and paying by check just wouldn’t do. So when Fogg arrived in the Reds clubhouse Wednesday, he found his locker filled with 150, 000 pennies — 60 boxes, each weighing 16 pounds and containing $ 25 worth of pennies. “Basically, it’s like having 60 bowling balls in your locker, only with no holes to pick them up with,” Griffey said. Neither player would say why Griffey owed Fogg the money. Griffey had threatened to pay it off in pennies, but Fogg didn’t believe him. “I’m going to take them out to the bullpen and count them,” Fogg said. “I’ve got a lot of time on my hands out there.” Green on green For all those golfers who complain about the rising cost of playing a round, how does $ 200, 000 sound ? And that’s the fee just to tee off.

The World Series of Golf plans to host a tournament next year in Las Vegas that will cost $ 200, 000 to enter and offer a $ 1. 5 million payout for the winner.

“Clearly they [players ] want to play big, high-stakes events,” said Terry Leiweke, president of the World Series of Golf.

Rules are loosely based on poker, with players betting on their strokes with poker chips. Players can go all-in after their tee shot, or fold and move on to the next hole if they hit a poor shot. The player with the fewest strokes each hole wins the pot for that hole. Automatic bets, or antes, increase every three holes, driving up betting and the pots.

Organizers think they can find 25 players willing to ante up the $ 200, 000 entry fee. Five more players would get in, without paying the $ 200, 000, by being drawn randomly from a list of 125 players in the $ 10, 000 buyin World Series of Golf a week earlier.

Ho, ho, ho First came allegations that former Heisman Trophy tailback Reggie Bush collected maybe $ 300, 000 in improper benefits, and now come rumblings that basketball star O. J. Mayo had a ticket on the gravy train, too. “Who would’ve guessed that USC could be an acronym for University of Santa Claus ?” writes Dwight Perry of The Seattle Times.

They said it Dan Daly of the Washington Times: “So I’m watching Rick Ankiel throw out two runners at third base in one game — from distant center field, no less — and I’m thinking: If only the Cardinals had moved the pitching rubber back to 200 feet for him.” Last Comic Standing host Bill Bellamy, to FSN, on his basketballplaying cousin, Shaquille O’Neal: “He’s rich, and he’s my third cousin. If he was to give me some money, he’d be my first cousin.” And, they’re off Pimlico track announcer David Rodman, who will call the Preakness on Saturday, gave The Atlanta Journal-Constitution the five toughest horse names he had to call.

1. Fast Buck Duck. Called this one at Louisiana Downs very carefully.

2. Flat Fleet Feet. Saying it once is tough, but several times is the challenge.

3. Ouagadougou. Horse named after the capital of the West African nation of Burkina Faso, but you knew that, right ?

4. Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk. Sounded like a Stooge calling this one.

5. Sunny Beach. I’ve heard racing fans say this when their horse fails to win. Quote of the day “I hate odd numbers. We’ve got to get that evened out again.” John McDonnell on pursuing his 84 th conference title as Arkansas’ track and field coach

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