Say Hey! That old guy is funny

Willie Mays helped present a $50,000 check to repair a Florida high school baseball field damaged by Hurricane Wilma.

The 74-year-old Hall of Famer spoke to about 600 teenagers at Western High School last month. He was accompanied by Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings. They were on hand to donate money from The Home Depot and the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund to help restore the ball diamond.

Mays was in Tallahassee for a recent Black History Month event.

One teenager asked Mays if he played with the legendary Satchel Paige, who was born 26 years before Mays.

“How old does he think I am?” Mays said to laughter.

Mays stressed the importance of education and joked about Barry Bonds breaking his home run record.

“I was mad,” Mays said. “Because he didn’t break it hard enough. I’m cussing and all – (telling Bonds), ‘Go ahead and hit it so I can go home.’ “

“He’s a pretty funny guy,” said 15-year-old Tabari Smotherman, who plays baseball for Fort Lauderdale High. “You just don’t expect … him to be entertaining … because he’s old.”

Loves to be hated

Kurt Busch was delighted to learn that in GQ magazine’s list of America’s 10 most hated athletes, he ranked third:

Being 27, single and a dapper dresser away from the NASCAR tracks, Busch was gratified by any mention in the high-fashion men’s magazine.

Plus, “Any press is positive press,” he said, “and you take it from there.”

Then mock dismay clouded his face.

“I’m ranked No. 3, man! I’ve got a bunch of work to do.”