LITTLE ROCK — A weird sports list for 2010
What were some of the weirdest sports stories of 2010? Let’s review:
Tennis player Robby Ginepri suffered a broken elbow while riding his mountain bike.
He was out of competition for six weeks because he wrecked after swerving to avoid a squirrel that ran into his path.
Want another reason to avoid Chad Ochocinco?
The Cincinnati Bengals receiver gave us one in September when he launched a breakfast cereal called OchocinO’s and thought it would be a nice idea to add the phone number for a charity called Feed the Children to the box. Unfortunately, the number actually went to a phone sex line.
Pittsburgh Steelers defender Troy Polamalu had his hair insured for $1 million by a shampoo company, which has an endorsement deal with the NFL safety.
In July, San Diego pitcher Mat Latos was placed on the disabled list with a strained side muscle.
Apparently, Latos was walking down the dugout steps when he had to sneeze. Latos held back the sneeze. However, the force from the stifled sneeze was enough to place Latos on the DL for 15 days.
Manu Ginobili, the highflying shooting guard for the San Antonio Spurs, said that he saw a high-flyer of another kind - an unidentified flying object (UFO) - while his team was in Los Angeles on Dec. 1. “The good thing is, I’m not the only one who saw it,” Ginobili said. “That’s what really got me [saying], ‘OK, I’m not totally crazy.’ It was a pretty strange flight pattern. I thought it was falling, not landing. That’s it, it’s not a big deal. It’s not [like I said], ‘It’s an extra-terrestrial life in Santa Monica.’ I don’t care. I saw something weird.”
All fans get frustrated at some point, but one supporter of the Toronto Maple Leafs took it to a new level when he began to toss waffles onto the ice after a loss.
“They need to wake up and eat some breakfast,” the apparent waffle thrower told the Toronto Sun. “I’m just trying to help them out with a balanced diet.”Lame game?
Can’t fathom the thought of the 6-9 Seahawks and 7-8 Rams playing for the NFC West title - and a spot in the playoffs?
Wrote Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: “Just think of it as the NFL’s version of the March Madness play-in game between Winthrop and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.” For sale
Brad Dickson, in the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald, on five Ohio State players busted by the NCAA for selling memorabilia still getting to play in the Sugar Bowl: “If they win, watch for the Sugar Bowl trophy on Craigslist later that night.” Headlines
From sportspickle.com:
“Mike Singletary to takeyear off and volunteer to yell at youth football players”
“Terrelle Pryor to sell Sugar Bowl jersey to make ends meet during suspension”Quote of the day “Nobody wants to miss this game.” Safety Tramain Thomas on Arkansas players avoiding trouble in New Orleans as they prepare for the Sugar Bowl
Sports, Pages 18 on 12/30/2010