The Post Mortem

What is it about spring training in Scottsdale that makes Giants named "Barry" want to dress up in drag? Barry Bonds played Paula Abdul in spring training last year, so this time it was Barry Zito's turn to play the former Lakers girl. (No confirmation if Zito was drugged/boozed up to make his portrayal a little bit more authentic.) Although, Zito always has been seen as a little off-kilter, so maybe it isn�t a surprise that he wants to make like Rudy Giuliani?

Tim Hardaway would never approve of this. At least not in public anyway.Odds are that Hardaway probably dresses up as Abdul to watch American Idol each week. Hardaway probably knows a few show-tunes as well.

Not that there is anything wrong with that or anything. But who made the better Abdul, Bonds or Zito? The scales might have to tip over to Bonds who had that build similar to the East German Olympic team.

• Are Wisconsin and Ohio State supposed to be the two best teams in college basketball? Both teams looked like competitive Mountain West teams on Sunday. And neither team looks good enough to beat Nevada. Greg Oden might be a better pro some day, but there is no better college hoops player than Nick Fazekas right now. And yes, that includes Kevin Durant who, like Oden, might be a better pro prospect. But for best college player right now, it is Fazekas.
  

• Admitting this is tough, but NASCAR is becoming kind of compelling. Although, some of that might have to do with it being the only thing that is on television in the bar on Sunday afternoon.

• Wide receiver Calvin Johnson turned heads at the combine this week, when he ran the 40-yard dash at the speed of light. That just might be too much temptation for Matt Millen to pass up. But you know the Raiders are going to blow this pick, so they could end up with Johnson. Not that he wouldn�t be a perfect fit for the Raiders. The knock on Johnson is that he is a gifted athlete, but he underachieves. If that doesn�t say future Raiders receiver, nothing does. Besides, who better to mentor under than Jerry Porter and Randy Moss to become a brooding malcontent?

• Lovie Smith looks to be coaching out the final year of his contract to become a free agent. And you know who is going to need a head coach next year? The Chargers.

• Maybe Gomer and Martin Scorsese can hang out sometime comparing Super Bowl MVPs and Oscars that could very well double as life-time achievement awards. And like this year�s version of the Colts, this was not Scorsese�s best movie. That, of course, is Casino.

• Haven't watched a broadcast of the Oscars since it went head-to-head with the NCAA men's championship game between Georgetown and North Carolina many years ago. But, why is it that movies such as Borat aren't nominated? The American movie public might be dopes, but outside of the people lampooned in the movie, was there anybody who didn�t like it? Or maybe, as suggested on Kevin & Bean this morning, they should have a separate category for comedy.

AND FINALLY

RIP to Lamar Lundy, the most unheralded members of the LA Rams Fearsome Foursome. Obviously too young to see Lundy in action, there always has been a certain fondness for Lundy, if for nothing else, he was not recognized by the common fan who knew the names of Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen and Rosey Grier. My first Rams jersey was No. 85 and sure, it was a Jack Youngblood jersey, but the old timers would always talk about Lundy, that forced you to look him up in the football Encyclopedia. And Georgia, please stay away from his legacy. Lundy was a member of the Los Angeles Rams, so the St. Louis Football Team should not feel compelled to honor or even mention him.