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Sour note for easy rider

Australian Commonwealth Games road cycling gold medalist Jay Sweet was caught cheating and ejected from the Commonwealth Bank Classic in Sydney after he was seen holding onto a car for several minutes.

Going rate for mediocrity

Cleveland’s Jaret Wright did not follow his rookie season the way the Indians had imagined, but that didn’t stop the club from stuffing his pockets with money.

Wright, still a full season away from being eligible for arbitration, was rewarded with a fat four-year contract that will pay him $9 million. There’s also a $6 million option for a fifth year.

Wright was 12-10 with a 4.72 ERA this season but was taken out of the rotation after two poor starts (0-2, 9.82 ERA) in the playoffs.

“If you just look at my numbers, it’s kind of embarrassing,” Wright said. “I’m not proud of them. But what I learned in 1998, you can’t put a price on that.”

Oh yes you can. The current price in Major League Baseball for a 12-10 pitcher who crumbles in the playoffs is $2.25 million a year for four years.

Can’t even give it away

How badly has the Canadian dollar fallen? Apparently it isn’t even worth stealing these days.

Consider this: On a flight from Detroit to Dallas last Monday, backup Calgary Flames goaltender Tyler Moss had his suit jacket taken by another passenger. His wallet was in the coat pocket.

The jacket eventually was returned to the airline, and then to Moss at the team hotel in Dallas. But a fair chunk of American cash was missing from the wallet. Left, however, was $200 in Canadian currency.

Crying game doesn’t work in Cleveland

Joey Cora was so steamed at being replaced by Enrique Wilson during the playoff series against New York that he threatened to leave the Indians.

Manager Mike Hargrove called his bluff, telling Cora he was free to go. Cora, who hit .059 (1 for 17) in the playoffs, reconsidered and hung around till the end.

Staying cool on deadline

Roy McHugh, retired Pittsburgh journalist, recalled the following in his memoirs:

“It’s only in the last couple of decades that newspapers have developed security systems. In the old days, a newspaper office was as open to the public as a sidewalk cafe.

“Once, late at night, when Jimmy Cannon was working on a story in the barnlike New York Journal-American building, a bearded, disheveled, wild-eyed stranger walked in.

“He stopped at Cannon’s typewriter and, bending over, fastened an X-ray stare on the sports columnist. ‘I’m Jesus Christ,’ he announced. Cannon stood up and held out his hand.

“My pleasure,” he said. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

The last word …

“They came in our backyard and basically took food off our barbecue.”

- Denver Broncos linebacker John Mobley, still upset about having lost a divisional playoff game to Jacksonville in 1996.