-- Boxing promoter Don King landed a front-row seat to see Pope Benedict XVI and got close enough to hand him a boxing belt. Wonder if he will show his visit on "papal-view".
-- An Iditarod musher's wrong turn left him 18 miles off course a while back. Guess the lead dog was male, so he probably refused to stop and ask for directions.
-- Omaha veterinarian Jay Stewart is now on trial for injecting racehorses with vodka to calm their nerves. Reportedly, a few hard-to-please horses demanded a splash of vermouth.
-- Now you can order a MLB urn in team colors and personalized. Sounds like a hot item! ... 4'7 Mickey Carroll, 87, who played Munchkin in the classic 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, hasn't missed a Cardinal spring training game in over 40 years ... Ironically, the Braves have signed a player named "Redman". Included in his 6,500 square-foot basement is a 70-foot tunnel with a pitcher's mound ... Twins CF Torii Hunter was so upset last year after missing a fly ball, he walked into the kitchen in the clubhouse and stuck his glove in the microwave for 60 seconds to punish it ... Cubs have a pitcher named Rocky Cherry. Bet the kid loves Ben & Jerry's ice cream ... Police in Chicago recently arrested the bank robber dubbed "the Harry Caray bandit" because of his huge glasses, wig and baseball cap. Headline: "Cops win! Cops win!" ... The last seven World Series championships have been won by seven different teams. We'll take the Mets over the Indians in 2007. Angels could be the sleeper. Love to see the Rays move past the Orioles.
-- According to Patrick Gettings, South Dakota also bills itself as the "Sunshine State".
-- We heard Ohio State's 7' star Greg Oden (or is it Olden) is considering taking a year off to pursue studies abroad. Yeah, right! ... Want to know why Celtics GM Danny Ainge was sitting next to hot Texas prospect Kevin Durant's mom at the Big 12 tourney? He heard she has a killer meatloaf recipe ... Durant will be swayed to the NBA by a huge shoe deal ... Never thought Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski would be sent home before Sanjaya.
-- 49ers' new stadium near Hunter's Point Shipyard is loaded with radioactive radium. If they pick up Jets QB Marques Tuiasosopo, he would be the "Glowin' Samoan".
-- New USF offensive lineman recruit Tom Edenfield is dubbed "IHOP" by teammates for the way he serves up "pancake" blocks on defensive linemen.
-- In closing, a couple of months ago, Carmen La Bianca told his mother-in-law, "My house is your house." Last week she sold it.
(Some of the information in this column was obtained from other news organizations)
