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Tom Jones'

By TOM JONES
Published August 28, 2007

Dancer of the day

Jerry Rice has done it. So have Emmitt Smith, Clyde Drexler, Laila Ali, Apolo Anton Ohno, Kenny Mayne and Evander Holyfield. Now another sports star is supposedly signed on to ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Got the feeling, however, this guy might be a little overmatched. Dallas Mavs owner Mark Cuban, according to Sports Illustrated, will appear next season on the reality-dance show.e_SClBEvent of the day

According to SportsBusiness Journal, the two-week U.S. Open tennis tournament, which started Monday in New York, is projected to take in $110-million in profit and $220-million in revenue, "making it one of the world's most lucrative sporting events." Only the NCAA basketball tournament and the FIFA World Cup earn more. The U.S. Open is expected to draw a record attendance of about 700,000.e_SClBBad day of the day

Geez, if things weren't already bad enough for the Japan Little League World Series team that lost on an extra-inning, walkoff home run to Georgia on Sunday, the team's bus caught on fire Monday morning. The bus was taking the Japan team and the team from Taipei from Williamsport, Pa., to the Baltimore-Washington Airport. No one was injured in the fire.e_SClBThe SportsConnectiontimes two

The Sports Connection, seen nightly at 11 p.m. on Bay News 9,can now be seen on Catch 47 as well. The show will continue to be on both stations for probably the next couple of months.

Eventually, however, it will be seen exclusively on Catch 47.

The show, a nightly half-hour sports news and interview program, is hosted by Rock Riley.

The list

John Turnbull, editor for the soccer Web site theglobalgame.com, gives us his top five soccer films - all available on DVD.

1. Offside (Iran, 2006). Women disguise themselves as men to infiltrate a World Cup qualifying match in Tehran.

2. The Cup (Bhutan, 1999). Young Tibetan monks scheme to watch the 1998 World Cup final via satellite.

3. Soccer Stories (Chile, 1997). Three vignettes about Chileans' soccer passions.

4. Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (France, 2006). Seventeen cameras track former France and Real Madrid midfielder Zinedine Zidane during a 90-minute match.

5. Fever Pitch (UK, 1997). Colin Firth as a world-weary schoolteacher obsessed with London club Arsenal, based on the book by Nick Hornby.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Your two cents

Re: Marc Topkin's column on the Rays possibly bringing back Carlos Pena.

There's no way the Rays should NOT bring back Carlos Pena. What a find. Hang on to him as long as we can. Pay whatever it takes to keep him. Sign Scott Kazmir NOW! Get rid of Rocco Baldelli. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Elijah Dukes cooked his own goose. No more with the Rays.

Curt Schilling? Forget it. He's looking to live in Florida, not help the Rays in any way. We couldn't stand his chatter about every little thing. Our guys don't need him as a "role model."

Ellie Sayre

Hudson

Messed upstory of the day

And you wonder why some college athletes get big heads.

Several incoming freshmen at USC complained so much about their dorm rooms that the school has moved them to better digs.

See, in the past, USC players were allowed to live at the rather nice Cardinal Gardens apartment complex, but so many players were getting into trouble there that the school decided the best thing was to integrate the players with the rest of the student population. But unlike the rest of the students who actually pay their own way for an education, the players, apparently, can demand better living quarters.

"A lot of guys were mad because there was no air (conditioning) and the room was small," tailback Marc Tyler told the Los Angeles Daily News.

After complaints, three players, including Tyler, were moved, and two other players were allowed to move into the Cardinal Gardens.

"It's a lot more comfortable," Tyler said. "Everybody is happy now."

Well, thank goodness everyone is happy now.

[Last modified August 27, 2007, 23:18:38]