The Warmup

It was Mike Tyson Week on Oprah. After a dramatic interview with the former boxer aired Monday, Evander Holyfield, whose ear Tyson had for dinner during that bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 1997, called and wanted to come on. The two greeted each other warmly on stage during yesterday's live broadcast. Tyson used the word "quintessential" in proper context. Both tried to position themselves as humble, reformed do-gooders - Holyfield for children, Tyson for the rights of Mexican immigrants.
Cuban makes sense
Many protested talk-show loon Rush Limbaugh's interest in buying the NFL's St. Louis Rams. But it is loony NBA Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban who probably got it right. "The problem with Rush is that it's his job to take on all of life's partisan issues and problems ... (and the) key to his success is that he's very opinionated. ..." Cuban wrote on his blog. "Given that we will never know what the 'next big issue' Rush will be discussing on his show is, it's impossible for the NFL to try to predict or gauge the impact on business if something controversial, or even worse yet, something nationally polarizing happens. This isn't about free speech. It's about the NFL protecting their business."
Dodger divorce
Sometimes you have to stifle the urge to giggle when one of those attention-hungry "power couples" break up. Or maybe you were cheering for Donald and Ivana Trump to make it. Anyway, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and CEO wife Jamie are in the middle of divorce proceedings after 30 years of marriage. They're worth more than a billion, nearly two-thirds of which is the estimated value of the ball club. "They've already lawyered up," a source told Rosenthal. "They're trashing each other. It's going to be World War III."
Who gets team?
Rosenthal also reports a divorce this year between San Diego Padres owner John Moores and wife, Becky, who owned 90 per cent of the team, "helped prompt the sale" of that team. So the drama to come won't just be on the field for the Dodgers.
The other Johnson
You'd have to be of a certain age to remember former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Randy Johnson. But Johnson came to a sad end last month, dying in a car accident. At the time, the 65-year-old was living in an old shed, and had wasted away to 120 pounds because of illness and alcohol abuse. Johnson had no money in his wallet when he died, only five old NFL trading cards from his glory days.
Sir Charles speaks
Basketball analyst and big- mouth Charles Barkley, never at a loss for an opinion, has just discovered rugby. He thinks they're idiots. "These guys are playing football without pads," Barkley said. "It is on TV every single day, all day ... and the guy was telling me that they don't make a lot of money. They do it out of pride. I said that no one has got that much damn pride. Nobody plays football without pads every week for three or four, five months and don't make any money. At least in the NFL, you are going to kill yourself and at least you get to be a millionaire after it's over."
Source montrealgazette.com