Here’s some real reality
New York Giants backup quarterback Jesse Palmer, the star of the reality show “The Bachelor,” is back in training camp and impressing coaches, according to the New York Post.
Faced with a different kind of reality, Palmer is among four quarterbacks competing for three spots.
The others are rookie Eli Manning, former St. Louis Ram Kurt Warner and Ryan Van Dyke, a former Michigan State quarterback who most recently played for Cologne, Germany, of NFL Europe.
“Here’s the reality,” Palmer said. “The reality is there’s a two-time MVP, the first pick of the draft, myself and another quarterback.”
The Post called Palmer “Bachelor No. 3.”
Another sign of SI’s apocalypse
NBC plans to air a six-episode prime-time series this winter in which two women will be selected to appear in Sports Illustrated’s next swimsuit issue, the New York Times reports.
One to the gut
When Richie Lemos won the world featherweight championship July 1, 1941, by stopping Petey Scalzo in five rounds at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium, he was one of only eight world boxing champions.
Now there are 67 sanctioned boxing world champions.
Lemos, 84, quoted in the Los Angeles Times, said “When I won my title, it meant something.”
Not so dreamy
Comedian Alex Kaseberg, as quoted by Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times, had this the say about the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team after its loss to Italy and narrow victory over Germany: “If this is the Dream Team, it’s the dream where you’re late for a final exam and you’re not wearing any clothes.”
More than a shack
Shaquille O’Neal is buying a $20 million, 19,000-square foot home in Miami. Does anyone need a home that big?
Consider what Greg Cote of The Miami Herald wrote about the Heat’s plans to increase its arena seating capacity by 3,100: “And that’s just to accommodate the relatives on Shaq’s payroll.”
The End
Smarty Jones’ owners announced last week that their horse was being forced into retirement because of chronic bruising. “I feel bad for Smarty Jones,” wrote Mike Downey of the Chicago Tribune. “Seabiscuit’s book ran longer than he did.”
All worn out
Dodgers manager Jim Tracy indicated over the weekend that infielder Robin Ventura, who pitched a scoreless inning for Los Angeles in a 13-0 loss to Anaheim on June 25, wouldn’t be making any more appearances on the mound.
“Robin says he has only got one inning in him this season,” Tracy said. “He’s worried about his ERA getting up there with Todd Zeile’s, so I told him I’d protect him.”
The New York Mets’ Zeile, who had pitched one scoreless inning before this season, on July 26 pitched one inning against the Montreal Expos, giving up five earned runs for a 45.00 ERA this season and a 22.50 ERA for his career.