Gift passes test of time
Reuben Droughns figured it was time to reward his Cleveland Browns teammates for making him a 1,000-yard rusher. He bought 13 diamond-encrusted wristwatches for his blockers, who helped him become the first Cleveland player since 1985 to surpass 1,000 yards. Droughns gave watches to the offensive linemen – starters and backups – and fullbacks and tight ends. “I got some very good champagne for the guys back in Denver when I went over 1,000 yards last year,” said Droughns, who rushed for 1,240 with the Broncos. “But this was a lot different situation here because a 1,000-yard season hadn’t been done in a while.” In 1985, Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack each gained 1,000 yards for Cleveland. Droughns said he picked out the watches himself. “I hope the guys like them. I paid a pretty penny for them,” he said without divulging their cost. Droughns is fifth in the AFC in rushing with 1,103 yards.
The little car that could
Tony Stewart will drive a midget car again, and won’t try to fool anybody. The two-time NASCAR champion will drive in two U.S. Auto Club indoor midget car races in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he won a 60-lap feature a year ago under an assumed name (Mikey Fedorcak) in an old junker called the “Munchkin” he bought during a poker game the previous night. It wasn’t until Stewart pulled into Victory Lane and took off his helmet that the race announcer and fans recognized him – and became extremely excited. “It was just a kind of a joke,” USAC spokesman Dick Jordan said Tuesday, adding: “When he pulls in Victory Lane and climbs out, the fans just went berserk. The announcer said, ‘That guy looks a lot like Tony Stewart,’ and it was.” The Dec. 29-30 “Rumble in Fort Wayne” will be USAC’s final races of the year. Stewart will drive “Munchkin” both nights this year. “I love that little race car,” Stewart said.
Pack a Shaq
“Shaq will be able to carry a gun … as long as he doesn’t shoot it from the free-throw line.”
Dan Daly, Washington Times columnist, on Miami Heat center Shaquille O’Neal becoming a reserve police officer
