Things I learned about Dick Vitale from a New York Times article. (Sorry for the lack of link, the tool is being a real PITA).
He's 68 years old. (I would have said 63)
He gets three Mercedes just through endorsement deals. (What no Broughams?)
He wasn't allowed to speak for a month, using only a Legends of the Fall-ian type chalk board (OK, Dry-Erase) to communicate with people.
He had the cajones to call someone a "young Lou Holtz" (ouch).
And Vitale never thought he was doing any damage to his voice by carrying on about Dookies and diaper dandies like he rountinely did.
“I just always thought I had this loud way about me, you know, the throat became my sound, whether it was clear or not,” he said. “It’s helped me make my living.”
Welcome back Vitale, after all, watching a Duke-UNC game without you ruining it would be like watching Cadyshack 2 without Jackie Mason.
Hi I'm your new boss, Nolan Ryan
There's probably not a connection here. But on the same day former player Steve Kerr acquired aging and crumbling Shaq, the Texas 
Rangers hired ex-player Nolan Ryan as president. Now, of course, former players can make good executives, but it's a whole heckuva lot easier to rattle of the name of bad ex-player GMs or presidents (Kevin McHale, Isiah Thomas, Ozzie Newsome, Matt Millen...) than it is the good ones (Jerry West, Ernie Grunfeld, Billy Beane).
It's just if I'm an owner, I'm probably not going to turn my management structure over to a former player, someone who spent 20-some years of his life playing the game. I'd rather have someone who spent 20-some years thinking analytically about the game, and who won't put me in a headlock for saying something like, "strikeouts don't define a pitcher."
From the coach's mouth
"I'm proud of Tyler Dierkers," Coles said. "He might be our leader, and I never thought he could lead anything. I thought he was just a jovial guy -- a happy-go-lucky guy -- but he's had some big ballgames this year. He's growing. I hope he keeps growing. He's smart, anyway -- good grades and everything -- but he's really come out this year and is showing us he cares."
-- Miami RedHawks coach Charlie Coles on setting the bar real low for one of his players.
On to the best ... blogs around!
The Suns are notoriously cheap. Shaq is notoriously expensive. The Blog to End All Blogs is confused. And upset. And throwing around mean words like, "Isiah Thomas."
I admit I skim, scan, peruse and even glance at stories. And I get in trouble for it sometimes. But this whole Gisele Bundchen running naked thing is 
taking idiocy to a new level. I'm lookin at you, FOOTBALL 365.
Never shy to ask the tough questions in life, The Blog about Nothing inquires: What is your favorite Seinfeld episode? I'm fond of "Shrinkage" and this one, where Kramer gets his hands on an old Merv Griffin set.
Mock drafts, fake breasts and real breasts (how eclectic) are just a few of the Wonderful World of Gonos' favorite things. Oh, and Ben Sheets makes a funny.
Think adjusting to Phoenix's high-octane offense will be Shaq's toughest test? Think again says The Sports Comedian. It's Dr. Sameer Pendalooza.
If you're into crazy draft-day scenarios -- who isn't? -- involving the Bears, read Big Bad Bears Blog.
