Cheap Seats
He wasn’t trying to be funny
The NBA wants to add marijuana and alcohol to its list of banned substances. Golden State’s Donald Royal, for one, thinks that’s a bad idea.
“They better be careful,” he said, “or they might not have enough players for a league.”
Will you settle for being an OK guy?
So when is a good guy not a Good Guy? When it’s Mike Greenwell and the Red Sox are involved.
The Boston Baseball Writers Association planned to honor the former Sox outfielder with its Tommy McCarthy Memorial “Good Guy” award - given annually to the most cooperative player with members of the media. But Red Sox CEO John Harrington huffed to BBWA chairman Charlie Scoggins that if the chapter insisted on presenting that particular award to Greenwell, the Red Sox would boycott the awards dinner.
The team usually buys several tables and handles transportation costs for those members of the organization who attend the dinner but are not given awards.
Harrington said that Greenwell’s decision to clean out his locker before the end of the season was not the action of a “good guy.”
Scoggins eventually agreed to change Greenwell’s award to a Special Achievement Award.
Greenwell said he wouldn’t attend the dinner because he wants to spend time with his family before departing for Japan next month. But he also said he didn’t need the forum to bash General Manager Dan Duquette.
“I’d have ripped him apart,” Greenwell said. “I’d have no problem ripping him to his face at the dinner in front of everybody.”
See? What kind of good guy is that?
Mr. Diversity
NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller doesn’t think much of the Nike TV commercials in which Tiger Woods says “there are still courses in the United States I am not allowed to play because of my skin.”
“I don’t mind the gist of the statement, it’s the way they said it which really wasn’t fair because he can get on any course he wants, and I don’t know if he’s ever been turned down,” Miller said.
You ever been turned down, Johnny? Oh, we forgot. You’re white.
It wasn’t going to break the bank
The University of New Hampshire student who experienced the thrill of winning $10,000 and the agony being disqualified will get his money after all.
Citizens Bank will award Brian Callery the Halftime Shootout prize, despite his disqualification by the contest’s insurer, American Hole’N One.
Callery’s moment of glory came between halves of the UNH-Boston University game when he made a layup, a free throw, a 3-pointer and a halfcourt shot within the required 24 seconds. But it turned out he wasn’t eligible to win. Officials hadn’t noticed a rule banning contestants from entering more than once, and it was Callery’s second try.
Callery, 22, a physical education major, will put the prize money toward graduate school.
If he starts a checking account with the bank’s own money, will he still get the free set of steak knives?
The last word …
“The reason we didn’t do a sobriety test on the side of the road was because he had no pants.”
- Florida highway patrolman Harley Franks, on pulling over former baseball player Jose Lind
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo