Believe it or not, Bill Self isn’t at home …

Hi. This is Bill Self. Sorry, but Ronnie can't come to the phone right now. But leave a message and he'll get right back to you. And Go Jayhawks!"

Imagine being a Kansas basketball fan and having that kind of greeting on your phone. Thanks to a creative fundraiser, one lucky person will win the opportunity to have the Jayhawks basketball coach record a personalized message on his voice mail.

It's the grand prize in a raffle that will be held this week on behalf of Assists Foundation, the coach's charity. Every Kansas fan who donates $5 to help Lawrence-area families in need will be entered into a raffle for the unique prize.

Assists Foundation director Erin Zimney told Yahoo! Sports the idea to hold a raffle was because a voice mail message from Self was one of the most popular items on auction at the organization's annual fundraiser last summer.

"We ended up doing two of them each year because we had so many bidders," Zimney said. "Coach ad-libbed, but I think most people who are familiar with him probably expect and want that to happen."

Proceeds from the fundraiser will help pay for the shopping trip the Kansas basketball team takes each December to purchase food, clothing and holiday gifts for low-income families. Last year, the Jayhawks bought gifts for more than 50 people, from towels and kitchen equipment to toys and makeup.

It's a pretty cool idea. Maybe UNLV's Dave Rice can do something similar.

■ RETURN OF THE RATS -- After nearly 15 years in hibernation, the rats have returned, and Florida Panthers fans couldn't be happier.

When the Panthers made their run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1996, fans threw fake rats on the ice at the old Miami Arena after the Panthers scored as a way to celebrate. The NHL banned the rat throwing the following season, and that ban remains in effect now with the Panthers playing at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.

However, once the game ends, the fans can do whatever they want and the team is selling plastic rats for $5 so fans can chuck them onto the ice after the game.

Why someone would want to throw a projectile onto the ice after a game is something of a mystery. But maybe the Miami Marlins will have scouts in the stands, and if they see someone with a strong arm, they could have a potential outfielder on their hands.

■ BOWL SWAG -- The college football bowl season kicks off Saturday, and for the participating players that can mean only one thing: It's swag time.

The NCAA allows bowl games to lavish gifts upon the players provided the value doesn't exceed $500. According to Sports Business Journal, the majority of the games will give the participating players shirts, sunglasses, watches and backpacks. But players in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Houston will get a 32-inch flat-screen TV.

So, if you see some big guys from Northwestern and Texas A&M lugging large boxes around, don't be alarmed. That was their "gift" for playing in a bowl game.

COMPILED BY STEVE CARP
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL