This Might Not Be the Best Way to Get the Ball

New York Jet quarterback Neil O’Donnell, criticized by teammate Keyshawn Johnson in his book, “Just Give Me the Damn Ball!”, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that it was “a kick in the groin.”

“I’ve got to play with this guy. What am I going to do? Drag this all out. . . . But am I going to hold things against him and not look for Keyshawn? No, you can’t play this game that way.”

Nonetheless, Johnson may not be O’Donnell’s primary receiver.

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Trivia time: Who holds the major league record for home runs in a career by a catcher?

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Fishing note: A sign in the stands at a Bull game in Chicago urging better treatment from the officials for Dennis Rodman: “Let the Worm Off the Hook.”

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Add Rodman: Minolta reportedly has signed him to do ads for its laser printers. The theme of the ad is: “There’s no image we can’t improve.”

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Spartan shower: Michael Jordan is coming out with his own line of toiletries for men, including a Michael Jordan shampoo, prompting Jay Leno to say:

“Does Michael Jordan even need a shampoo? He can get by with a washcloth and a bar of soap.”

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No alternative: Colorado pitching coach Frank Funk on talking to Rocky pitcher John Thomson after the 23-year-old player made his debut against Philadelphia:

“[Thomson] told me he was a little nervous in the first inning. I told him, ‘If you’re not, you should be embalmed.’ ”

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Stuck with it: Philadelphia Eagle third-round draft choice Duce Staley, explaining his first name: “I was the second born. I guess my mom ran out of first names.”

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How do we know? Matt Bullard of the Houston Rockets on Kobe Bryant’s four airballs in the Lakers’ elimination loss to the Utah Jazz:

“By the time I was 18, I had not shot four airballs in my life.”

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Short season: Deion Sanders’ contract allows him to leave the Reds and join the Dallas Cowboys as soon as Cincinnati is eliminated from playoff contention.

Cowboy defensive back coach Mike Zimmer left a message on Sanders’ answering machine: “We might have you for the mini-camp.”

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Yo, touchdown! Name of the week: Yo Murphy scored on a 50-yard pass play to give the defending champion Scottish Claymores a 10-6 victory over the Amsterdam Admirals in a World League of American Football game in Edinburgh, Scotland.

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Looking back: On this day in 1952, the Brooklyn Dodgers scored a major league record 15 first-inning runs and coasted to a 19-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Ebbets Field.

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Trivia answer: Carlton Fisk with 351, while playing for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox.

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And finally: Seen in Wayne Gretzky’s locker at the New York Rangers’ practice facility: an autographed baseball bat with these words:

“To Wayne--give me a call if you need help with the Bad Boy image!” The signature beneath? Albert Belle.