Quick Hits

NINE WINS BEARY SCARY?

10 won't be as tense

Notes, quotes and antidotes while wondering why Stan Van Gundy isjust now realizing he has a family: Shannon Sharpe, who played forthe 2000 Super Bowl champion Ravens, says his team was dominated byits defense, too, but any comparison with the Bears ends there. "Theoffense didn't do anything to hurt us," Sharpe wrote on NFL.com. "Wehad enough [offense]; they have none."

Speaking of the Ravens, Brian Billick is getting an earful abouthis decision to forgo an easy field goal and go for a touchdown onfourth-and-one in the fourth quarter Sunday against the Broncos.Running back Chester Taylor lost four yards, and Denver won 12-10."It was almost like a smack in the face," Broncos linebacker AlWilson told the Denver Post. "It didn't surprise me. Brian Billick isone of those coaches that has a little swagger to him, and you expecthim to do those type of things."

Dumb programming note of the week: HBO is planning a documentaryon "the curse of the goat to analyze the travails of the Cubs." Canthere possibly be something new to say about this? Ross Greenberg,president of the network's sports department, says he got interestedin the project when the White Sox won the World Series.

John Rooney is going to be a busy guy when baseball season startsin St. Louis. Not only will the longtime Sox announcer do theCardinals' games, but he also will be on morning and postgame shows."You'll hear a lot of John Rooney on KTRS," the station's boss, TimDorsey, told the St.Louis Post-Dispatch. "You're going to get yourfill of Rooney."

And here's an intriguing aspect to Rooney's move: The Cardinalsmoved to KTRS because they felt they were being lowballed by KMOX,their longtime radio home. Rooney left the Sox because he didn't likethe offer he received from their new radio outlet, WSCR. Both KMOXand WSCR are owned by Infinity Broadcasting.

Lies, damn lies and statistics: The Packers lead the NFL in fewestpassing yards allowed and are fifth in overall defense.

CRISIS AVERTED

That's a relief: Reebok is rushing an emergency shipment ofuniforms to at least five NBA teams in the wake of 13 players beingfined $10,000 each because their shorts were too long. NBA spokesmanMatt Bourne told the Patriot Ledger in Massachusetts that thesporting-goods firm is legally required to supply the uniforms andwill bear the cost. ... Notre Dame's New Year's Eve women'sbasketball game against Tennessee is already sold out. The game,which will start at 2 p.m. at the Joyce Center, is just the thirdsellout in the history of the Irish women's program. The other twocame against top-ranked Connecticut and Georgetown during NotreDame's NCAA championship season five years ago.

Rudd Award (Week 14)

In losing 26-23 to the Giants, the Eagles, who went to the SuperBowl last season, not only were eliminated from the playoffs, butalso saw their string of five straight winning seasons end. Lastyear, Philadelphia was 6-0 against teams in its division. Thisseason, it is 0-5. ... A 13-10 loss to the Titans was the third last-minute defeat in a row for the 1-12 Texans. Kris Brown, who hadconnected on 17 of 18 field-goal tries from within 39 yards goinginto the game, had a 37-yard attempt blocked in the fourth quarterand missed a 31-yarder as the gun went off. Brown's five field goalslast week were Houston's only points in a 16-15 loss to the Ravens.... A few brave Lions fans journeyed to Green Bay for Sunday night's16-13 overtime loss to the Packers bearing signs that said, "FIREMILLEN!" They were greeted by Packers fans with signs reading, "KEEPMILLEN!" ... And the winner of the Dwayne Rudd Award for DubiousDistinction in the NFL is: The 49ers, who are 2-11, hit rock bottomin Seattle, where they gained a total of 113 yards and rookiequarterback Alex Smith twice dropped the ball without being touchedby a defender. The San Jose Mercury News asked its readers if theteam should give up on the rest of the season in order to get thehighest possible draft choice, and one responded, "Could anyonereally tell the difference?"

AND FINALLY ...

Herb McGee, who won his 800th game coaching at PhiladelphiaUniversity last week, on his move up the career victories list: "Ikeep whizzing by dead guys."

...AND ANOTHER THING

Always one to put up a good fight, White Sox catcher A.J.Pierzynski was part of the action Sunday in TNA Wrestling's "TurningPoint" pay-per-view event in Orlando, Fla., in an animatedconversation with referee Andrew Thomas. Pierzynski, who smashed ahome plate over the head of Simon Diamond, was manager for thetriumphant team of Dale Torborg, Chris Sabin and Sonjay Dutt againstDiamond, Elix Skipper and David Young. The home plate Pierzynski usedwas handed to him by free-agent center fielder Johnny Damon, seatedin the front row. Also providing ringside support were catcher ChrisWidger, outfielder Brian Anderson and former Sox manager JeffTorborg.

UP IN ARMS OVER DI CANIO SALUTE

In some circles, Italian soccer player Paolo Di Canio is greetedwith outstretched arms.

Those would be mostly fascist circles.

The Lazio forward appeared to give a fascist salute to the crowdas he was being substituted during Sunday's 2-1 loss to Livorno.

"Politics must remain out of soccer stadiums," Giancarlo Abete,the Italian soccer federation's deputy president, told the ANSA newsagency Monday.

The gesture Di Canio made is associated with the salute usedduring the reign of dictator Benito Mussolini.

"I will always salute as I did yesterday because it gives me asense of belonging to my people," Di Canio said.

"His people" being the Lazio fans who waved swastika flags whilethe Livorno faithful waved red Communist flags.

Fans fought outside the stadium before the game.

"It is a stupid gesture, and it's not the first time he's madeit," Livorno goalie Marco Amelia told ANSA.

Di Canio was fined $13,400 in January for making the salute aftera victory against AS Roma.

"Let everybody salute as they like," Ignazio La Russa of the right-wing National Alliance party said. "It doesn't seem to me a violentgesture. There's nothing dramatic about it."

Gee, maybe the guy skipped the chapters in the history books aboutMussolini.

"There are measures that can be taken against such behavior,"Amelia told Monday's La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I hope they arecarried out."

'THE BOSS' STOLE A BEAT FROM VOTAW'S PROPOSAL

Former LPGA Tour commissioner Ty Votaw (above) is getting into theswing of wearing a ring.

An engagement ring.

He and his LPGA Swedish sweetie Sophie Gustafson (left) becameengaged Nov. 19 in Hollywood, Fla., and he has a ring on his finger.

"In Sweden, the guy wears an engagement ring, too," he told theAssociated Press.

Votaw, who might find employment with the PGA Tour, had only oneregret about proposing: He did it too soon.

Translation: He and Gustafson went to a Bruce Springsteen concertthat night after he popped the question, only to hear The Boss sing"I Want to Marry You," a tune he rarely performs on tour.

"Sophie turned to me and said, `It would have been really romanticif you had asked me during this song,"' Votaw said. "But I hadalready asked, and she accepted."

And in such pursuits, as in golf, a mulligan would be out of thequestion.

RONALDO FANCIES HIMSELF A NOBEL

Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo has his eyes on the prize.

As in Nobel Peace Prize.

Ronaldo, who plays professionally for Real Madrid, told Brazilianmagazine Epocha his goal goes beyond soccer.

"I want to leave a good image not just in football but as a UnitedNations ambassador," he said. "I'm going to work for all my life andbattle hard to win a Nobel Peace Prize.

"It would leave me very satisfied. It's a sacrifice which is worththe effort."

As for a future in politics?

"Aecio Neves [governor of Minas Gerais state], who is my friend,said that if he becomes president of Brazil, he will name me asMinister of Sports. If that really happens, I will need to beprepared. I've never thought about it, but I'm not ruling it out,either."

Nor is he ruling out the possibility of playing in a fifth WorldCup in 2010 in South Africa and surpassing countryman/soccer iconPele's total of four.

"Time will tell," he said. "I want to keep playing as long as itgives me pleasure. I'm 29 years old, just a boy in life, but not insoccer."

'SURVIVOR' HAS SPORTING INTERESTS

The winner of the "Survivor: Guatemala -- the Maya Empire" seasonfinale is a sports-radio host in Kansas City, Mo.

Along with the $1 million prize for winning the CBS reality show,Danni Boatwright may find some sideline work.

"Look for Boatwright to perhaps wind up working for the [ArenaFootball League] Brigade in some manner. Sideline reporter, perhaps?"a Kansas City Star columnist wrote.

Boatwright, 30 -- who generally wore a Kansas City Chiefs cowboyhat on the TV show -- does have the credentials, and she apparentlyis not shy about appearing in public.

"She loves sports, especially the Chiefs," her brother Casey toldthe paper. "I can see her in front of the camera but on thesidelines. She's got the look, the drive and a great knowledge ofsports."

'SNL' TAPS INTO SCOTTISMS

If you are among those who wish ESPN would provide Englishsubtitles when Stuart Scott is part of the "SportsCenter" mix, you'renot alone.

Even the folks at "Saturday Night Live" have noticed.

In "SNL's" "Weekend Update," there was a bit featuring "auditiontapes" for a new ABC "World News Tonight" anchor. Included was one ofScott, with the role played by cast member Finesse Mitchell.

With little finesse.

"Sobering news straight out of the Middle East, where the

insurgents have jacked-up all types of nasty," Scott/Mitchellsaid. "Hey, holla at a soldier

if you see him in a tank!

Meanwhile, a suicide bomber dropped 30 bystanders with a backpackfull of TNT. Booyah!"

The spoof would make it seem that someone thinks Scott is hardlyas cool as the other side of the pillow.

NOTEWORTHY

With 102 receiving yards Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts,Jimmy Smith of the Jacksonville Jaguars became the 13th player in NFLhistory to reach 12,000 -- and the third player this season to do so(Isaac Bruce of the St. Louis Rams and Marvin Harrison of the Coltsbeing the others to reach that plateau in 2005). The leaders incareer receiving yards:

Player Yards

1. Jerry Rice 22,895

2. Tim Brown 14,934

3. James Lofton 14,004

4. Cris Carter 13,899

5. Henry Ellard 13,777

6. Andre Reed 13,198

7. Steve Largent 13,089

8. Irving Fryar 12,785

9. Art Monk 12,721

10. Isaac Bruce* 12,181

11. Marvin Harrison* 12,177

12. Charlie Joiner 12,146

13. Jimmy Smith* 12,100

*Active