A-Rod set to profit from sale of mansion

The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! Supposedly, so are the Brazilians.

So says a South Beach, Fla., realtor who is trying to unload Alex Rodriguez's 20,000-square-foot, nine-bedroom mansion on the Miami waterfront. Asking price? According to the New York Daily News, a mere $38 million. A-Rod bought the fancy digs in 2010 when he was dating actress Cameron Diaz.

"The high-end Miami market is out of control right now," broker Jorge Alonso told the Daily News. "The Russians and Brazilians are buying like crazy. It's like everyone is racing to buy a trophy house."

This "trophy house" doesn't come with Silver Slugger awards. But it does have an indoor batting cage, a weightroom and 11 bathrooms in the event one needs to freshen up after a vigorous workout.

Rodriguez bought the waterfront property for $24 million. If he can get $38 million, it would be the highlight of what has been a disappointing season, as he remains inactive with a broken bone in his left hand suffered July 24 when Seattle's Felix Rodriguez plunked him.

A $14 million profit would ease the pain considerably.

■ NEW NEBRASKA TRADITION? - When you think of college football, you think tradition, right?

At Nebraska, one of the traditions is when the Cornhuskers score their first touchdown, some 5,000 red balloons are released in celebration. But when Nebraska entertains Southern Mississippi on Sept. 1, the skies won't be as cluttered as in the past. Apparently, America is experiencing a helium shortage, and the 70-year tradition of releasing the red balloons is going to be cut back drastically.

"We want to be good stewards," Nebraska athletic marketing director Ethan Rowley told the Lincoln Journal-Star. "We don't want to take helium away from hospitals and industries that need it more than we do right now."

Perhaps Nebraska can start a new tradition and have a bunch of red-painted tractors circle the field after every touchdown. Of course, the tractors would have to run on ethanol, which is produced from corn.

■ GIANT MATCHMAKER - Guys always are trying to find unique ways to propose to their girlfriends. Bryan Wheeler might have found a creative avenue to matrimony. The New York Giants fan enlisted punter Steve Weatherford to assist in his quest to pop the question.

Wheeler and his girlfriend, Jacklene, were at Giants training camp in Albany, N.Y., and were waiting for the players to finish practice. As Weatherford walked up the ramp toward the locker room, he had a football in his hands, and he tossed it to Jacklene.

Imagine her luck. But imagine her surprise when she saw the football had a message written on it - "Jacklene, will you marry me? Love, Bryan."

She said yes, and Weatherford, who is a fan favorite, just secured two more followers to his ever-growing Twitter account that has 43,952 followers.

COMPILED BY STEVE CARP
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL