Who wouldn’t want to be on this list?
Who says everyone loves a winner?
A Wall Street Journal survey asked participants to name the “most hated” college football team — and the list was topped by Alabama (16 per cent), Ohio State (12), Notre Dame (10), Penn State (7), Michigan (6), USC (4), Texas (3), Oklahoma (2) and Nebraska (2).
Coincidence? Those also just happen to be the nine winningest FBS programs of all time.
Headlines
At Fark.com: “NFL clarifies their new roughing-the-passer rule, says it will only be called on the Packers and anyone approaching Tom Brady.”
At TheOnion.com: “Busy referee regrets not finding time to throw flag around with son.”
How many bars?
Steelers star pass-catcher Antonio Brown says he and QB Ben Roethlisberger operate like Wi-Fi: “Sometimes the connection is poor. Sometimes the connection is great. But it’s always connected.”
Can’t wait to hear what Cooper Kupp has to say about Jared Goff and gigabytes of Ram.
Paging Woody Woodpecker
S. Navin Kumar shattered a Guinness world record by cracking 217 walnuts in one minute — with his head — in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Which certainly conjures up a whole new meaning for the term “splitting headache.”
Icy road ahead
There’s a push in Sidney Crosby’s native Nova Scotia to name a street in his honour after he retires. It promises to be the only road in the province featuring a red line in the middle.
That’s so last year
The Twins fired Paul Molitor just like the Raptors axed Dwane Casey — one season after winning their league’s manager/coach of the year award. “Is it too late to return my trophy?” asked L.A. Rams coach, Sean McVay.
Thumbs down
The Vancouver Canucks have banned their players from playing “Fortnite” on road trips.
Maybe they ought to consider taking up “NHL 19.”
Cue up the fight song
It’s been a week since the U.S. got pantsed 17 1/2-10 1/2 in the Ryder Cup, but reports of players’ in-house sniping keep on coming.
Just who do these guys think they are, the Seahawks?
High on the dog
Feather, a 2-year-old rescue greyhound from Maryland, broke the Guinness world highjump record for dogs with a leap of 6 feet, 3 1/2 inches.
Even better, the first congratulatory text came from Air Bud.
Inside and out
Seahawks linebacker Mychal Kendricks has been suspended indefinitely after pleading guilty to illegal stock-market moves.
Coincidence? ESPN’s NFL Insiders got the scoop.
Talking the talk
• Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg, after a runaway horse galloped into a bar in France: “Nobody was hurt, but a priest, a rabbi and a minister all spilled their drinks.”
• Joe For Short, via Twitter, on Seahawks safety Earl Thomas getting carted away after breaking his leg: “Can confirm his middle finger is healthy.”
• RJ Currie of SportsDeke.com, on longtime Manitoba third B.J. Neufeld joining curling forces with Alberta skip Kevin Koe: “Sweeping with the enemy.”
TV-jeebies
England’s Channel 5 network drew howls of indignation from MMA fans when the Bellator 206 card from Las Vegas ran past its allotted air slot — so it aired a “Peppa Pig” episode at 6 a.m. Sunday London time instead of the Rory MacDonald-Gegard Mousasi match.
“Heidi” lives!
None for the ages
A mother in Ladue, Mo., filed a federal age-discrimination lawsuit after her son, a junior, was cut from the Horton Watkins High School junior-varsity soccer team.
The judge immediately ruled it offside, then sent her off.
Turning off the fans
Attendance at Major League Baseball games dropped four per cent this season.
Must have been all those players kneeling for the national anthem.
Tide’s out
“I can honestly say I was a little disappointed there weren’t more students at the last game,” said Alabama football coach Nick Saban, chiding the lack of a full house.
And the students, for their part, were no doubt disappointed the Tide was playing Louisiana-Lafayette.
Hold your applause
The student union at England’s University of Manchester has banned clapping, saying it can trigger anxiety.
No need for such a ban at UTEP, where the Miners football team entered October riding a 17-game losing streak.
Quote marks
• Mark Whicker of the Orange County Register, after spotting a woman in a Juan Marichal jersey sitting next to a man in a Johnny Roseboro jersey at a recent game: “He’d better make sure she doesn’t have a bat.”
• Janice Hough of LeftCoastSportsBabe.com, after Cubs pitcher Jon Lester said the Cubs “can only learn from losing”: “Does this mean the Orioles are the smartest team in baseball?”
• Jim Barach of JokesByJim.blogspot.com, on the Houston Texans’ celebrating the end of their nine-game losing streak: “To which the Cleveland Browns were saying, ‘Amateurs!’”
• Gary Bachman, via Facebook, on 72-year-old Sylvester Stallone starting production on his final “Rambo” film: “It will be called Rambo V: Tired Blood.”