Cheap Seats
The Nets unraveled
Why they want to do this is anyone’s guess - to spur merchandise sales is a good bet - but the New Jersey Nets might become the Fire Dragons next season. Peter Land, the NBA’s marketing director, said the club has requested to change their logo and name, but the league has not yet given its approval.
Given the Nets’ history, they should just change their name to the Draggin’s.
Return to sender
If you ever need to mail a letter from Guyana, then you’ll need the proper postage. And what could be more proper - other than a Kool-Aid-gummed Jim Jones stamp - than an O.J. Simpson commemorative?
The stamps, with a face value of $50 Guyana, were actually issued in 1993 on a sheet that included other sports stars such as Pele, Wilt Chamberlain and Nadia Comaneci. Now the International Collectors Society of Maryland has snapped up the remaining inventory and - surprise! - is selling them for only $9.95, plus $3 postage. The price also gets you a pocket guide of O.J.’s football records and a chronological history of his ongoing double-homicide case.
“I’m not sure they actually knew what they had,” said ICS’ Scott Tilson of his dealings with Guyana officials. “In fact, they called it the ‘Pele issue.’ So I just played along, not mentioning that I was really after the O.J. stamps.”
Either that, Scott, or they take pride in not being irredeemable sleazebags.
The Garth Bowl
Country music superstar Garth Brooks has offered to help arrange a concert to raise money if the NCAA agrees to stage a national championship game. It’s not what you think - Brooks is not an alumnus of either Nebraska or Penn State, though he did throw the javelin for Oklahoma State.
“I think he was going to do whatever it took to get it done,” said Dave Cawood of the NCAA.
For that he’ll need some friends in real low places.
The last word …
“It probably wouldn’t be that different from some games we did in the ‘70s.”
- Braves announcer Skip Caray, on the possibility of broadcasting games with replacement players