Oh, give me a home, where the notes columnists roam. …
Since, given the TV ratings, you probably haven’t been watching, thought I’d let you know Our Town’s own Chauncey Billups figures to win his second straight NBA Finals MVP award tonight. Nothing noteworthy there except that only three other players – Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon – have won back-to-back MVPs. …
Two down, two to go. Or not. According to the wise guys, not even Annika Sorenstam figures to win the Grand Slam.
PinnacleSports.com lists Sorenstam as a 6-5 favorite to win the U.S. Women’s Open, but only 11-4 to win the Slam. …
I wouldn’t be so sure that Sorenstam won’t pull it off. One of my spies tells me she was spotted walking across a water hazard at Cherry Hills this week. …
Who says we’re starving for winners in this dusty old cow town? Dave Plati, CU’s crack sports information director, tells me state schools have accounted for four Division I national championships, second only to California with seven. The four: CU men’s and women’s cross country, and DU hockey and skiing. …
Call it an educated guess, but don’t be surprised if the Nuggets use one of their two first-rounders in next week’s NBA draft on Arizona State’s Ike Diogu. …
Who wins tonight’s Game 7? You’ve got to like the Spurs because of their sixth man, the one wearing the whistle. Then again, in case you hadn’t noticed, Manu Ginobili hasn’t been the same player since absorbing that knee-on-knee hit at Detroit. The last athlete to take such a nasty blow to the kneecap in the Motor City? Nancy Kerrigan, courtesy of Tonya Harding‘s bone-crushers. …
The Yankees lost 5-3 to the Devil Dogs on Wednesday. Why would that merit a mention half a continent away? Because the loss dropped the Bombers’ record to 0-25 when they score three runs or fewer. …
Add Yankees: They’re 23-15 against teams with sub-.500 records, 14-19 against those with .500-plus records. …
Some guys never learn. Ron Artest, for instance. Said Artest, when asked by Slam magazine about the Melee in Motown: “Who I didn’t understand was the dude who threw the beer. I forgive him, but he can never do it again because next time I’m not forgiving him.” …
Go figure. Peyton Manning is the 10th-ranked quarterback on the list of hottest-selling NFL jerseys for the past two months. Now for the interesting part: Among those ahead of him is the 49ers’ Alex Smith, who has yet to play a down on Sunday. …
Jake the Snake, by the way, is the only Bronco on the radar, ranking 17th among all players. He also received honorable mention for worst mustache in the league. …
So the NHL blew off its season, TV ratings for the NBA Finals are down 30 percent, and Rockies attendance is in a downward spiral. Excuse me, but does anybody around here watch anything but poker anymore? …
The Blackhawks fired Brian Sutter on Tuesday even though he hadn’t lost a game since signing a one-year contract last summer. And you thought the lawyers negotiating a new labor agreement were screwed up. …
Former heavyweight boxer George Chuvalo, to the Toronto Sun, after receiving a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame: “I’ll be the first athlete there that can’t skate.” …
According to industry estimates, the Yankees figure to generate an extra $50 million in annual revenues from their new ballpark, scheduled to open in 2009. Great. The Rockies can forget the next decade, too. …
And finally, Terry Bradshaw, to the L.A. Times, after fellow Fox broadcaster James Brown was named the best power forward in Harvard hoops history: “That’s like saying Prince Charles is the best-looking of Queen Elizabeth‘s children.”
Catch Jim Armstrong from 6-9 a.m. during “The Press Box” on ESPN 560 AM, and tonight on Fox Sports Net’s “Insider Edition.” He can be reached at 303-820-5452 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
