The big Royals flush
The Kansas City Royals’ winning percentage is hovering around the Mendoza Line, and a change in fortunes is nowhere in sight. So who could fault a fan for taking a nose dive from the bandwagon – much less selling his allegiance? Chad Carroll auctioned off 25 years of loyalty to the Royals on eBay on Tuesday, along with jerseys, hats, baseballs and other memorabilia. And in a spate of irony, faithfulness to a club with one of the smallest payrolls in Major League Baseball sold for a paltry $278.47. “It really does feel like a big weight has been lifted,” said Carroll, 34, who lives in Maryland but grew up listening to Royals games from his home in Iowa. “I really can’t tell you how good it feels. I really can’t.” A group of nine friends bid for Carroll’s freedom, splitting the cost and earning the right to select his new favorite team. “Year after year he’d say, ‘Next year’s going to be our year,”‘ said Dan Young, Carroll’s best friend. “After a while, you could see it. He wouldn’t talk about the new guys, and he’d talk more and more about the George Brett era.”
Welcome back, Maulers
The Montgomery (Ala.) Maulers have been rehired. The minor-league football team was sold Wednesday, a week after the entire roster was fired when some players threatened to boycott over money they were owed. In fact, the buyers were the ones who provided their Tampa, Fla., team as a fill-in on three hours’ notice Saturday night for a game in Osceola, Fla. The substitute Maulers lost 72-12 in the National Indoor Football League game. “We tried to do our best, but we weren’t the Maulers,” said John Morris, who purchased the team along with partner and coach Mike Mink. “I’m very, very proud to say that we are the Maulers today.” The Maulers’ next game is at home Saturday against Greensboro (N.C.).
Owning up to it
“The only difference between me and the fans is I couldn’t leave early.”
Ed Snider, Philadelphia Flyers chairman, on Tuesday night’s season-ending 7-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres
Here’s looking at C.J.
Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson insists the Cincinnati Bengals not only will win their division this season, they’ll dominate it. “Anyone else that feels we’re not going to dominate the AFC North this year, something’s wrong,” Johnson said. “Look at the numbers. Look at the players. Look at me. What else could I say?”
