Rock on

Who's who

Next season, you'll be able to identify players at Ute basketball games without buying a game program.

Coach Jim Boylen says his players have earned the right to wear names on their uniforms. Previously, the shirts only said "Utah" on the back, along with their number. The idea was that nobody was more important than the team. But after his gang unexpectedly earned an NCAA Tournament berth, Boylen figured his players deserved it.

So now they have names.

Which should be a big help — especially since all their "name" players graduated last year.

Like minded

Goran Suton or Kosta Koufos? You be the judge.

Just wondering: Did the Jazz draft a real person in the second round, last week, or just ship out pictures of Koufos and call it good?

The greatest

Assad Ali, adopted son of Muhammad Ali, was drafted in baseball's 40th round by the Los Angeles Angels.

The young Ali is a 5-foot-10, 220-pound catcher — which is too bad. If he'd been a knuckleball pitcher, they could have said his pitches float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.

Bared before

ESPN the Magazine is planning an October edition on the beauty of the human body, complete with photos of athletes posing "nude but artfully covered."

We already have that, don't we?

I think it's called Wrestlemania.

Positive I.D.

Three-time Olympic marathon runner Irina Bogacheva was arrested two weeks ago after biting a cop on the hand.

Bogacheva, who ran for Kyrgyzstan in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics, was apparently intoxicated in Gainesville, Fla., when a cop offered to drive her home. Instead, she tried to grab his radio microphone and bit his finger. The move landed her in the slammer.

Here's a suggestion: If you're a marathon runner from anywhere — especially Kyrgyzstan — never try to play the "Don't you know who I am?" card.

It's fan-tastic

Tickets are now on sale at the Huntsman Center for extreme fans.

"Section F" is being touted as "an exclusive area for the loudest and most active Ute fans."

"Section F will be for the fanatic who wants to stand up, get loud and help us win," said Boylen.

As opposed to the rest of the Ute fans, who come late, sit quietly and go home early.

e-mail: rock@desnews.com