Second thoughts

Baylor senior center Brittney Griner said she shrugs off the things said and written about her.
Baylor senior center Brittney Griner said she shrugs off the things said and written about her.

Well, at least Griner knows her ring size

Baylor senior Brittney Griner is known for a lot of things.

She stands 6-foot-8, wears a men’s size 17 or 18 shoe and has an wingspan of 86 inches.

The two-time All-American was named the 2012 AP Division I Player of the Year and the 2012 Final Four Most Outstanding Player.

She’s helped the Bears to one national championship and three consecutive Final Four appearances and is the first NCAA basketball player - male or female - to score 2,000 points and block 500 shots.

Even so, she still hears plenty of jeers and taunts from opposing fans during games. And there is no shortage of insults and insinuations about her on social media.

Griner said she used to be bothered and angered by some of the things said and written about her. She shrugs it off now.

“I went on Twitter and typed in my name just to see what people were saying, and it was pretty funny,” Griner said. “They don’t know what they’re talking about. They’re mad, [I] probably beat their team. They’re jealous. … In one ear, out the other, and I use it kind of as entertainment really, just to see some of the ignorant stuff that they will say.”

Or what will be made up, like the fake Twitter account somebody created representing the New Orleans Pelicans (the future name of the NBA’s Hornets) to congratulate Anthony Davis, the first overall pick in last year’s NBA draft, for “becoming engaged to Brittney Griner.”

That obviously wasn’t true, but it even surprised Griner, certain to be the WNBA’s first overall pick in the April 15 draft.

“It sounded legit how they said it and worded it,” she said. “I was like, ‘Wow!’ Kind of made me believe. … I looked at my hand.”

Sucker punch

Mixed martial arts promoters Christo Piliafas and Scott DiPonio were shocked to learn that one of their fighters, Charles Rowan, was arrested in the holdup of a Michigan gun shop last week.

After all, it was only a few weeks ago that they raised $1,350 in proceeds and donations through their benefit event, “Fight for Charlie” to help the amateur heavyweight’s family pay for his funeral after what he was told was a fatal car wreck last month.

Except Rowan, 25, didn’t die. He and his girlfriend, Rosalinda Martinez, were charged with armed robbery and assault with intent to murder.

DiPonio, who owns the Diamond D fight team, said he realized they had been duped when he saw Rowan’s mug shot on television identifying him a person of interest in the robbery of Guns and Stuff, about 100 miles southeast of Traverse City.

“I almost passed out. It was literally that bad. My girlfriend looked at me and immediately just started crying,” he said. “I was in disbelief. … It took me literally an hour until I could actually focus and think again. It was just unbelievable.”

Piliafas, who fights professionally as “The Mad Greek,” said he had just returned from a bout in Poland when an associate texted him a link to the mug shot.

“It made me sick to my stomach. I was furious. I was livid,” said Piliafas, who plans to press charges. “It’s not so much about the money. It’s just how many people were involved in this scam. … The little bit that I knew [about] this kid, I never would have thought that he’d try to pull some Machiavelli crap like that.”

They said it …

CBS’ Craig Ferguson, on the NCAA tournament: “I love the name March Madness. I’m glad the PC police haven’t made us change March Madness to ‘early spring psychosis.’”

From ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel: “If you didn’t fill out a bracket, it’s too late, although you could still throw your $10 in the garbage disposal and run it.”

Quote of the day

“He’s nothing but a little rich kid that’s never had to work in his life.” NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Tony Stewart on Joey Logano

Sports, Pages 16 on 03/25/2013

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