Candy rain had Reggie concerned

Reggie Jackson remembers hitting the home run, rounding the bases, looking up and seeing a shower of candy bars.

It was April 1978, and the New York Yankees had welcomed fans to their home opener by handing out Reggie! bars, a chocolate, caramel and peanut confection named after the Yankees' slugger. How good was the Reggie! bar? Jackson's teammate, Catfish Hunter, famously remarked that when you take a bite out of one, it tells you how good it is.

But when Jackson looked up and saw that torrent of chocolate rain, he wasn't sure that commendation was enough. Fans were throwing back the candy to celebrate the home run, but Jackson, reminiscing on his weekly show on Sirius XM's Mad Dog Radio, said he was worried about consumer dissatisfaction.

"I was concerned that people didn't like (the candy bar)," Jackson said. "Standard Brands and Curtiss Candy out of Chicago, they thought it was the greatest PR thing they ever could've dreamed of because they got like 21/2 minutes of airtime on national television. They really thought that it was wonderful. I was nervous that people didn't like it."

• TROPHY TRINKETS -- A few quick facts about the Commissioner's Trophy, which the Yankees won Wednesday by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 of the World Series:

-- It weighs 30 pounds.

-- It is the only trophy in the four major U.S. sports not named after a specific person.

-- It has a melt value of $7,750, according to gold purchaser Cash4Gold. On a team with an average annual salary of $7.75 million, $7,750 is almost pocket change. But as they say, even in New York, it's the thought that counts.

• OOPS! -- The Philadelphia Inquirer had to apologize to readers for running an ad on Monday congratulating the Phillies for winning consecutive World Series titles. That ad is now a collector's item.

"Well," writes Elliott Harris of the Chicago Sun-Times, "you sure don't see Chicago newspapers making mistakes like that."

• SOCCER OR SOCK HER? -- A New Mexico soccer player has become an Internet celebrity for the wrong reasons.

Junior defender Elizabeth Lambert was suspended Friday for her infractions the day before during a 1-0 loss to Brigham Young in a Mountain West Conference semifinal. Lambert is seen in video from the game throwing elbows, colliding with several players, then yanking the ponytail of a BYU player who went crashing to the ground.

"My actions were uncalled for," Lambert said in a statement. "I let my emotions get the best of me in a heated situation."

Lambert's actions brought unprecedented -- and unwanted -- attention to the MWC women's soccer tournament.

Video highlights have been airing nationally since Thursday night and not because it was a thrilling game decided on Carlee Payne's header in the 31st minute. The focus of the highlights is more on Lambert's physical play, especially her takedown of BYU's Kassidy Shumway by grabbing her ponytail and pulling her backward.

Maybe Lambert could play for Lobos football coach Mike Locksley, who has had his own share of emotional issues.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL WIRE SERVICES