HOWLAND SCRATCHES UCLA ITCH WITH NEW 7-YEAR DEAL: Ben Howland will be sticking around Westwood for a while, as the UCLA basketball coach just signed a new 7-year deal with the Pac-10 power:

The ASSOCIATED PRESS reports that Howland’s contract starts out at $1.5 million for the 2007-08 season, and can increase to $2 million by […]

YANKEES YANKING PUBLIC COFFERS FOR PERSONAL GIFTS: The Yankees have the good people of New York to thank for their yearly financial success - and not just by snagging seats at the Stadium:

The ASSOCIATED PRESS reports that a watchdog group says George Steinbrenner & crew took public money earmarked for stadium planning, and spent it […]

HOLYFIELD HEATS UP FOREMAN RIVALRY WITH NEW GRILL: Evander Holyfield is taking his heat with George Foreman out of the ring and into the kitchen:

THE WASHINGTON POST roasts up the news that Holyfield is coming out with new cookingware of his own to challenge Foreman’s stranglehold on healthy indoor grilling.
The Real Deal Grill claims to […]

WILLIAMS DELIVERS PLEDGE TO START TIPPING PIZZA PALS: After being berated for not tipping the pizza delivery boy, Roy Williams is trying to reform his miserly ways:

The DETROIT FREE PRESS catches up with the Lions’ WR and how we plans to be a more giving person.
Williams was back in the WDFN radio studios on Monday, […]

• As the MLB playoffs get into full-swing, HOME RUN DERBY asks that you tip your cap to the late Rod Beck:

• After writing what’s wrong with ESPN, SPORTS MEDIA JOURNAL now offers ways to fix the Worldwide Leader.
• Attention shoppers: POP JOCKS laces up for a visit to the new NHL store in NYC.
• […]

BOOK SELLS SORDID SEX SCANDALS OF ‘62 KY FB SQUAD: With things going so well for Kentucky football right now, it might be a strange time to release a book detailing the program’s perilous past:

The LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL gives their book report on “The Thin Thirty: The Untold Story of Brutality, Scandal and Redemption for Charlie […]

SABAN QUESTIONS QUALITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA STARTERS: The South Florida Bulls are currently the talk of the college football world. But not all of it is glowing - especially from Nick Saban:

The ST. PETERSBURG TIMES reports how the Alabama coach is trying to burst the 6th-ranked Bulls’ bubble, based on comments he made questioning the […]

PHOENIX PINNING HOPES ON PUPPET FOR ON-ICE SUCCESS: What better way to celebrate the start of a new NHL season than with a puppet show.

SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY reports on the new PR blitz from the Phoenix Coyotes in an effort to get more fannies in the seats at the Jobing.com Arena.
With the Diamondbacks in the […]

• Now that he’s a free man, THE BIG LEAD finds some snaps of Vols b-ball coach Bruce Pearl getting acquainted with some new female friends:

• STEROID NATION discovers Barry Bonds’ ex-mistress is ready to bare all for Playboy…and a grand jury, if need be.
• DEUCE OF DAVENPORT learns that after all these years, Trent […]

PRICE-PER-OUNCE OF RALLY MONKEY BRAINS SKYROCKETS: The LOS ANGELES TIMES has some less-than-breaking news for those of us living in Los Angeles County: Anaheim Angels fans are two-faced when it comes to following their team in person during the postseason *gasp*.

LAT: “If the regular season is any indication, Angels fans might end up being more […]