Ask Ryan - Welcome To The Block

Welcome back for another edition of Ask Ryan, the column where sports and entertainment go together like Barry Bonds and unemployment. This week’s mailbag is bursting at the seams with queries about Bill Buckner’s return to Boston, the NBA’s best “little big men” and the worst major league all-stars of all time. Read all about it here.

You've Got To Be Joking

Sit back and relax as you enjoy this week’s Sports Shorts.

Yankees employees have unearthed a tattered and torn Red Sox jersey that was buried beneath the new stadium’s concrete. The shirt had so many holes in it that observers first mistook it for the Yankees pitching staff.

Browns wide receiver Joe Jurevicius has become the sixth Browns player in four years to suffer a major staph infection. At least the Browns are finally leading the NFL in something.

Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain has left the team to be with his ailing father in Nebraska. Perhaps his father would feel better if he didn’t insist on watching the Yankees.

Greg Maddux posted his 349th career victory in a 1-0 win over the Dodgers. It’s an impressive feat for a man whose fastball is so slow it takes three innings just to get to home plate.

It appears as though Larry Krystkowiak’s days in Milwaukee could be numbered. Luckily the Bucks coach can always sell a few vowels if times get tough.

Federal authorities are investigating a former Cowboys offensive lineman for allegedly distributing steroids. Officials hope to wrap up the case shortly so they can return to their regular job of keeping an eye on the Cincinnati Bengals.

Former first baseman Bill Buckner received a warm reception from Boston fans this week during a visit to Fenway Park. It’s easy to cheer a guy when the only things going between his legs are a bucket of popcorn and a beer.

China has uncovered a plot by members of a Muslim minority group to sabotage the Beijing Summer Olympics. It remains to be seen how they could do a better job undermining the Olympics than China has already done.

Brett Favre has suggested he may return to the Green Bay Packers if quarterback Aaron Rodgers goes down with an injury. In related news, John Madden was spotted in Rodgers’ house placing hundreds of tiny marbles at the top of his staircase.

Minnesota Vikings great Carl Eller has been charged with assault on a police officer, impaired driving and making terroristic threats. Or as the Bengals call it, a trifecta!

Milwaukee Bucks forward Desmond Mason has gone on record claiming his team needs to work on their chemistry. Based on the way Milwaukee have been shooting they may also want to work on their physics.

A new batch of emails suggests the Seattle SuperSonics may have been talking to Oklahoma City as early as 2007 about possible relocation plans. The news comes as a shock to many observers who didn’t realize Oklahoma City even had electricity.

Question of the Week

Jack, Houston, TX
Subj: Stolen base king
Hey Ryan, I was looking at a list of baseball records and I noticed some guy named Hugh Nicol once had 138 stolen bases in a single season. How is that possible?

Great question, Jack! As you may have noticed, Nicol set the single season record for stolen bases in 1887 when professional baseball was still working out the kinks on what constituted a swipe. According to the rules of the day, a stolen base was credited to any runner who reached an extra base on a hit from another player. That rule was eventually changed in 1898, but it helps explain why five of the top six base stealers of all time including Nicol, Arlie Latham, Charlie Comiskey, Billy Hamilton and John Ward set their marks prior to 1891.

Ask Ryan - Sly As A Fox

Welcome back for another edition of Ask Ryan, the column where sports and entertainment go together like Chris Henry and ankle monitors. This week's mailbag is bursting at the seams with queries about the NBA's top-selling jersey, the NCAA's fastest rising star and Matthew's Fox's football career. Read all about it at Fox Sports.

You've Got To Be Joking

Sit back and relax as you enjoy this week’s Sports Shorts.

A grassroots effort is close to getting Wilt Chamberlain on a commemorative U.S postage stamp. It’s the perfect way of honoring a man who has already been licked by thousands of his fellow Americans.

Barack Obama bowled a 37 this week. A politician hasn’t spent that much time in the gutters since Bill Clinton.

The New York Knicks officially announced the hiring of Donnie Walsh on Wednesday. The veteran CEO is expected to be flooded with condolence cards shortly.

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt has spoken to Matt Leinart about his partying. At least he tried to; Leinhart couldn’t hear him over the music.

A pair of Yankees fans were arrested after trying to remove the decorative bunting along third base line. Police have since classified the incident as foul play.

Injured Olympic equestrian Darren Chiacchia will be moved to a Buffalo hospital Thursday to begin the next stage of his rehab. If that doesn’t work doctors will simply take him behind the barn and shoot him.

The Olympic torch arrived in Kazakhstan Wednesday amid tight security. The extra police effort was deemed necessary since it was the first time many people there had seen a technology as sophisticated as fire.

Cleveland Browns defensive back Kenny Wright was arrested after leading police on a quarter-mile foot chase. On the positive side, Wright displayed such impressive speed that the Browns are now considering giving him a shot at running back.

A 13-year-old Red Sox fan named Alexa Rodriguez was attacked by a red-tailed hawk during a visit to Fenway Park. Right idea, wrong A-Rod.

A Penn State basketball player is facing charges after he was caught playing with himself in the school library. On the positive side, it’s the first time in years that a Penn State athlete was actually IN a library.

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is seriously considering using traditional Chinese medicine to help cure his foot. Now all doctors have to do is find a tiger penis large enough to rub all over it.

North Carolina junior Tyler Hansbrough has been named the AP's college player of the year. Hansbrough was so excited about the news that he nearly blinked.

Madison Square Garden has unveiled plans for a $500 million renovation. The project includes plans for a new annex made exclusively out of Quentin Richardson’s bricks.

Knicks chief James Dolan is planning to offer free food and soft drinks to everyone who attends New York’s final home game of the season on April 14. Fans should be leery, however, as the Knicks have been known to cause indigestion.

Question of the Week

Kim, Washington, D.C.
Subj: Orange you glad I asked
Hey Ry Guy, why are basketballs orange?

Great question! Since basketballs are made from leather they tended to be dark brown until the late 1950’s. Unfortunately that hue made them difficult to track by fans and players alike. Cue Tony Hinkle. The Butler University basketball coach was convinced a lighter shade of orange would help make the game more enjoyable and he worked diligently with Spalding to create a prototype. The new ball was rolled out for the first time at the 1958 NCAA Finals in Louisville and proved to be such a hit that it was adopted by the league on a full time basis the following year.

Ask Ryan - The Devils Made Them Do It

Welcome back for another edition of Ask Ryan, the column where sports and entertainment go together like adult movies and synthesizers. This week’s mailbag is bursting at the seams with queries about NCAA graduation rates, the history of the Sun Devils and Jose Canseco’s latest literary masterpiece. Read all about it here.