Rock On: Ainge gets fouled!

BACK IN BUSINESS

Danny Ainge, he of the shocked-and-dismayed facial contortions, lives on.

Grantland.com put out its own March Madness bracket last week, entitled the “All-Time Most Hated College Basketball Players.” It then invited readers to vote.

Ainge was slotted in the “80s” bracket, along with Patrick Ewing, Pervis Ellison, Sherman Douglas, Derrick Coleman, Michael Graham, Reggie Miller and Rick Fox.

Duke (surprise!) had a bracket all to itself, replete with Christian Laettners, J.J. Redicks and Bobby Hurleys.

Ainge defeated Ewing and Ellison to advance to the Elite Eight against Fox, but his run ended there.

Upon learning of his ouster, Ainge claimed Fox won by biting his finger and holding him in the paint.

WALTON’S WORLD

Bill Walton: Don’t fight it; just embrace it.

During the broadcast of Utah’s Pac-12 tourney games last week, the loquacious Hall of Famer referenced such names as Gail Goodrich, Pete Maravich, Jack Gardner and Jerry Chambers.

Sources say if the Utes had made it to the conference finals, Walton was planning to tie Jason Washburn to George Mikan, and Larry Krystkowiak to James Naismith.

A-LISTERS

The BCS has announced its new college football championship tournament will not have a sponsor.

In that case, Rock On suggests calling it the “Nick Saban Invitational.”

HOOKED

Good news, Ricky Williams! Stories say San Diego may soon allow medical marijuana to be sold through vending machines.

Rock On sources say that on the list of habit-forming, brain-damaging items in a vending machine, it would still only rank 26th.

EXPANSION FEVER

The University of Utah is opening a branch campus in South Korea.

It’s true — the block U. is putting down stakes in the Land of the Morning Calm.

In related news, the Big East Conference has just issued an invitation to the University of Utah-Songdo, beginning in 2014.

ME TIME

Italian soccer star Mario Balotelli reportedly commissioned a life-size statue of himself for his home, though later stories denied it. Some articles hinted he might have changed his mind after word got out.

Which somehow makes all those years of putting up with Randy Moss so worth it.

PENNYWISE

Now that Canada has eliminated its penny, there’s a movement in the U.S. to do the same.

Why not? The last time the U.S. took Canada’s advice on anything, it offered basketball star Kelly Olynyk a scholarship to Gonzaga. Ca-ching!

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