Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Leaping 6.90 meters on her third attempt, Belarusian long jumper Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova missed out on winning by a hair at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea. The effort was good for first place, but when her pony tail touched the sand, it left her with a mark of only 6.74 meters. The winner, American Brittney Reese, jumped 6.82 meters... with her hair up in a bun. The wayward locks not only cost Mironchyk-Ivanova the gold medal, but also $60,000 in prize money. A new style is likely before the next race, but only her hairdresser will know for sure.

NCAA Uniforms Anything But Uniform

Maryland’s 32-24 victory over Miami (FL) in its season opener was expected to be a great early-season match-up between two ACC rivals, but the real story of the game focused on their Under Armor-provided uniforms. The Terps raised eyebrows last month when they previewed a plethora of new designs including a turtle-shell helmet. Monday night’s attire featured an asymmetrical look with each side of the helmet and the sleeves displaying parts of the Maryland state flag: a gold and black checkerboard-like design (the coat of arms of state “founder” George Calvert) and a red and white cross bottony (the coat of arms of the Crosslands, the family of Calvert’s mother). Georgia, Boise State and Oregon, among others, also trotted out new eye-popping gear sure to be a hit with video-game aficinados. NCAA, there's a Mr. Blackwell on line two...

Golf, Unexpected

After a tale of terror that left golfers and the Scottish rugby union team hopping mad, a rogue kangaroo was shot with a tranquillzer dart by a contracted veterinarian at Sanctuary Cove, a top-end private resort course on the Gold Coast of Australia. Golfers pay up to $6,400 (U.S.) a year for the privilege of playing on immaculately groomed fairways, but the Club's course guide fails to list maniac marsupials under its list of hazards. Word to the wise.

Snakes on a Brain

Between two-a-days, learning the playbook and the sweltering Arkansas heat, it can be difficult to keep track of what is happening around you. Gravette High School senior Darrick Strzelecki felt a strange lump in his helmet during practice last week and simply chalked it up to a tangled lock of hair. When the team took a rest break, Strzelecki removed his helmet and found what he initially thought was a rubber snake planted as a prank. Turns out the 10-12 inch snake was not rubber after all. Whatever happened to heat balm?

Coach Facing First and Long

South Carolina third-year quarterbacks coach, G.A. Mangus, 42, attending a meeting of state high school coaches, was charged with nuisance conduct after officers saw him urinating on a downtown Greenville street. Mangus appeared "unsteady on his feet, had slurred speech and a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his person," according to Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jason Rampey. He has been released from jail and will face a $470 fine if convicted. Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier, in keeping with team policy, wasted no time in suspending Mangus following his arrest. According to the report, officers also noted that the aspiring head coach "was uncooperative in providing straight answers to questions." Perhaps merely a prelude to SEC Media Days.

Center of Attention

Baltimore Raven's quarterback Joe Flacco exchanged vows -- and signals -- with Dana Grady recently and wedding photographer Jason Prezant was on hand to capture all the action and excitement. Prezant spent the special day with the couple as they made visits to a local movie theater as well as the high school the two attended, where they lined up on the site of Flacco's former football field. With the NFL lockout still in place, this impromptu workout should be an encouragement to Ravens fans hoping their QB is staying in shape.

Only One Carry-on Allowed

Leaping hurdles and negotiating a challenging water pool, Taisto Miettinen, a 46-year-old lawyer, and Kristiina Haapanen successfully defended their title in Sonkajarvi, Finland's annual wife-carrying competition in front of 6,500 enthusiastic spectators. With his partner's legs wrapped around his head, Miettinen sprinted 830 feet, less than a second ahead of Estonian rivals Alar Voogla and Kristi Viltrop, to defeat 46 other couples from ten different countries, including Israel, Russia and the United States, and win for the third straight time in the event's storied 16-year history. The competition has its roots in the legend of Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen, a local 19th-century bandit who lived in the forest and stole food -- and sometimes girls -- from nearby villages. Those were the days.

Give World Peace a Chance

Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest, 31, filed paperwork yesterday in Los Angeles County Superior Court to legally change his name to Metta World Peace. "Metta" is a Buddhist term defined as "a strong wish for the welfare and happiness of others." In 2004, Artest, then a member of the Indiana Pacers, was an instigator in the infamous "Palace Brawl," but has worked to polish his image in recent years, receiving the NBA's citizenship award for the 2010-11 season, as determined by pro basketball media members. The more things change...

Fifty by Sixty

Gloria Linares, a 60-year-old retired Long Island manicurist and grandmother of six, achieved something that not many people can boast — finishing a marathon in every state. Since arriving from Colombia as a single mother thirty years ago, the 5'1" distance runner has completed 1,310 miles in the US, getting her first finish in the New York Marathon in 1978. She completed Number 50 in Anchorage, Alaska in four hours and twenty minutes, and was surprised to find herself surrounded by her four adult children who flew in unannounced to run part of the race with their mother. Linares' new goal is to run on all seven continents and she has already conquered both North and South America and Europe. Next up: Antarctica in 2015. Hats off to a woman who knows both how -- and when -- to cross a line.

Sheen Just a Bit Outside

Former "Two and A Half Men" star Charlie Sheen has delivered plenty of hits via Twitter and YouTube during the past few months. This week, the actor joined Georgia Tech's baseball practice in Atlanta, taking some ground balls, shagging a few flies and driving about a half-dozen balls to the Russ Chandler Stadium warning track. Afterward, he received treatment from Yellow Jackets trainer Walt Smith for his "dead ulnar tendon" in what Sheen later tweeted as an "epic day at the yard." Sheen's film credits include two turns as pitcher Rick 'Wild Thing' Vaughn in the "Major League" movies, so maybe he does know something about "duh... winning."

Do You Know the Way, Jose?

The North American League's Yuma Scorpions today announced that Jose Canseco, 46, will join the team as player/manager in the coming season, suiting up alongside his twin brother, Ozzie, who serves as a player/coach. Canseco is anxious to manage a club in professional baseball and begin the career transition of helping younger players and giving back to the game. The twins are penciled in to bat third and fourth in the Scorpions' lineup, with Jose expected to play first base and designated hitter. The independent league launches its inaugural season May 24, but has no affiliation with major league baseball. Team drills are expected to include sessions on testifying to Congress, creative writing, celebrity boxing and using your head in pressure situations.

Tube B or Not Tube B

The Pennsylvania-based Consumer Product Safety Commission apparently never rests. In a statement released this week by the CPSC, almost 230,000 fitness Resistance Tubes sold by Dick's Sporting Goods in late 2009/early 2010 are being recalled voluntarily for contusion, abrasion and laceration hazards. In four such incidents, the plastic clip that attaches the resistance tube to the handle broke during use, causing the device to strike the user. It has long been said... no pain, no gain... and now you know why.

Yes, They Call it The Streak

Records were made to be broken and, after 26 years, the frustration of losing repeatedly is finally over for Caltech. The Beavers, members of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, ended a run of 310 consecutive losses Tuesday night with a 46-45 victory over Occidental in their season finale at the Braun Athletic Center. The streak started on January 23, 1985, with a 48-47 loss to La Verne and came to an end when Occidental missed a desperation shot at the buzzer. Coach Oliver Eslinger's team finished with a 5-20 mark, their best campaign in the past 15, after winning no more than one game per year during the past eight seasons. Division III Caltech does, however, lead the country in another more impressive statistic -- 31 alumni and faculty have won the Nobel Prize.

She Throws Like a Girl

A Cleveland native, Justine Siegal, 36, became the first woman to pitch batting practice in a major league spring training camp when she threw to the Cleveland Indians, wearing a patch to honor nine-year-old Christina Taylor, the granddaughter of former major league manager Dallas Green, who was killed in last month's shootings in Tucson. Siegal was the first woman to coach in men's professional baseball for the Brockton (Mass.) Rox, an independent league team, in 2009, and spent three years as the only female college baseball coach in the country at Springfield College (Mass.) from 2007-10. Perhaps the Tribe has finally found a reliable starter for its rotation.

How About Something for the Effort?

PGA pro D.A. Points won for the first time on the PGA Tour, but wasn't the biggest star in his own Pebble Beach National Pro-Am twosome. Points grew up idolizing Bill Murray, whose iconic role in the golf comedy cult classic "Caddyshack" as Carl Spackler, Bushwood's beloved assistant greenskeeper, made having the actor as an amateur partner a true "Cinderella" story. When Points holed out from 100 yards for eagle on the 14th to grab the lead, it carried him to a 5-under 67 and a two-shot victory. Making it even sweeter, the unlikely pair won the pro-am title, a first for Murray, who now gets his own name on the wall below the first tee. It's not always easy playing with Murray, who routinely engages the gallery, bought ice cream bars for them on the back nine, and a few years ago enraged PGA Tour officials after flinging an elderly woman into a nearby bunker. Points first win in 128 starts earned him $1.134 million -- more than he had made in four previous tour seasons -- a two-year exemption and his first trip to Augusta. You can almost hear Carl's voice on the call: "Here's D.A., out of nowhere, about to become Masters' champion."

Breed All About It

An Icelandic sheepdog, the Leonberger, the Boykin spaniel, the cane corso, the bluetick coonhound and the redbone coonhound were officially introduced Thursday in a New York hotel penthouse, right across the street from where they'll compete this week at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show at Madison Square Garden. There are 179 breeds and varieties entered in America's most prestigious canine competition and several million pet lovers are expected to catch the coverage on USA Network and CNBC. One of the new breeds, the bluetick coonhound, is very familiar to college football and basketball fans as the longtime mascot for the University of Tennessee. Ironically, ring steward Peggy Beisel-McIlwaine (whose grandfather Arthur Turnbull was the first Packers team president) was one of 400 ticketholders turned away from Super Bowl XLV when temporary seating at Cowboys Stadium was declared unsafe. She watched from a stadium bar as Green Bay beat Pittsburgh 31-25. No doubt she'll be in the front row for the upcoming "super bowl" of dog shows.

Not Ready for Prime Time

Citing an unnamed source, the Chicago Sun-Times reported yesterday that New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez went "ballistic" after cameras caught the slugger being hand-fed popcorn by actress Cameron Diaz between plays during Super Bowl XLV. The source claims A-Rod was reportedly given a guarantee that he would not be televised to the 111 million Super Bowl viewers again, but the practice has been around broadcasting for years. Does Jack Nicholson object to being shown attending Lakers games? Does Spike Lee fret sitting courtside at Knicks' contests? How many times did Fox Sports show us President Bush and wife, Laura, John Madden, Sylvester Stallone or Condolezza Rice in Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones' box? Before popping off over popcorn protocol, perhaps Rodriguez should ponder the plausable possibility of the producer's preference for blondes.

Trip of a Lifetime

Initially suspended without pay for the remainder of the season and fined $25,000 by the New York Jets for sticking out his knee to disrupt Miami's Nolan Carroll during a Dec. 12 game at Meadowlands Stadium, strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi resigned yesterday, less than two months after he was caught tripping an opposing player during a punt return. Alosi acknowledged he ordered players to form a wall along the sideline in post-incident discussions with team officals and Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum determined that "it is best for him to tender his resignation." With several staff positions open around the NFL, Alosi should fare well securing another job. Besides, he already has a leg up on his competition.

I Paid for My Opinion

Robert Burton, CEO of Greenwich, CT-based Burton Capital Management and a major benefactor to the University of Connecticut, wants his money back. In a letter to UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway, Burton (shown, at right) claimed his opinions were ignored and that he did not approve of the way Paul Pasqualoni was recently selected to replace departing coach, Randy Edsall, asking the school to return $3 million in donations and remove his family name from its football complex. He called the flawed search process "a slap in the face and embarrassment to my family," and said he planned "to let the correct people know that you did not listen to your number one football donor." A college player at Murray State and a 19th round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 1962, Burton said although he was not seeking veto power in the hiring, he "earned my voice on this subject" as the program's top donor. UConn granted Burton an honorary doctorate degree in 2000 and his family has given more than $7 million in donations for scholarships and other programs to UConn, including $2.5 million in 2002 to kick off construction of the football complex. Apparently, love may be the only thing money can buy.

Ready for His Close-Up

Joining notable actors Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, John Wayne, Will Smith and now California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant is set to become the first athlete to have his hand and foot imprinted in a ceremony next month at the world-renowned Grauman's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. Also taking a turn at acting in a soon-to-be released Robert Rodriguez mini-movie in conjunction with Nike and the NBA All-Star Game, Bryant stated that the recognition is quite and honor and induction ceremony "cool," though he has yet to even visit the theater as a tourist since moving to Los Angeles in 1996. For those who would debate whether Bryant's game-day performances on the Staples Center stage are truly "acting" or just "Kobe being Kobe," the (foul) line has been crossed.

Dude, Where's My Car?

The often-misguided notion that pro athletes are intellectually challenged took another step toward legitimacy this week, thanks to English Premier League star Jermaine Pennant. Pennant, 28, who joined Arsenal by signing a $3.19 million contract as a 15-year-old, has a collection of sports cars, and apparently forgot he owned a Porsche, leaving the luxury car at a train station in Spain for six months. Questioned by authorities, it was unclear when or even whether he would be reclaiming the vehicle. Makes you wonder where he kept his keys.

It's Getting Hot in Here

The National Lacrosse League’s Boston Blazers president and general manager Doug Reffue promised there would be changes to its halftime entertainment after fans became enraged at seeing the team's mascot, Scorch, receiving lap dances near midfield from three women, reportedly not affiliated with the team, at the indoor lacrosse team’s home opener Saturday night. The women did not actually remove their clothes, but the antics emulated the sort of moves commonly associated with strip clubs. "The halftime act... was clearly not executed according to plan,” Reffue wrote on Facebook, saying there would be no repeat performances. Let's hope not.

Bells Will Be Ringing

Perhaps success isn't the only thing that may be going to Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby's head. Coach Dan Bylsma said that although he was progressing, Crosby will miss his fifth consecutive game this weekend in Boston because of a concussion and not be allowed to return to the rink until he is symptom-free. Crosby was sidelined after taking hits to the head in games against the Washington Capitals in the Winter Classic on January 1 and against the Tampa Bay Lightning four days later. Although a female fan in full bridal attire just last night professed her undying love publicly in Calgary, the only bells Sid the Kid may still be hearing right now are the loud ones ringing between his ears.

Hoops, Interrupted

At least two people were taken to the hospital and dozens of fans screened by emergency responders after a foul odor from a ventilation unit sickened several players and spectators at three-year-old Ridgeland (SC) High School. No serious injuries were reported and foul play was not suspected, according to Mayor Gary Hodges. Between 200 and 300 people were at the game when the unit kicked on, sickening a basketball player and then others, with illnesses ranging from nausea and vomiting to skin irritation. Maybe people will start paying more attention during those halftime interviews the next time a coach says, "we're really stinking it up out there tonight."

Gee Whiz: A Sign for the Times

Just days after the feel-good story of the year involving Ted Williams broke in Ohio(see post below), multiple billboards appeared in Columbus congratulating TCU on its Rose Bowl defeat of Wisconsin, 21-19. The not-so-veiled message poked Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee for his less-than-flattering comments in late November about the quality of non-automatic qualifying schools such as TCU and Boise State and their schedules. "I do know, having been both a Southeastern Conference president and a Big Ten president, that it's like murderer's row every week for these schools," Gee said. "We do not play the Little Sisters of the Poor. We play very fine schools on any given day. So I think until a university runs through that gauntlet that there's some reason to believe that they may not be the best teams to [be] in the big ballgame." The power of outdoor advertising at its finest.

Back to you, Ted

Homeless after a life and career marred by drug and alcohol abuse, Ted Williams, 53, has been offered a job by the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers after his tale, revealed by local media, became an overnight Internet sensation. Gifted with a deep and emotive voice, the ex-radio announcer and father of nine is getting a second chance, a two-year contract, housing and living expenses from the Cavs who were touched by Williams' ordeal, said Tracy Marek, the team's senior vice president of marketing. NFL Films, which has chronicled pro football for nearly 50 years, also wants to contact Williams, the golden-throat recently living in a tent on the streets of Columbus. Stay tuned, we'll be right back with more after these messages from your local sponsor.