Fredette might find his match in Utah

Former NFL kick-return star turned columnist Vai Sikahema is pleading with the Utah Jazz to select Brigham Young star Jimmer Fredette in this month's NBA Draft.

But Sikahema is more concerned with Fredette keeping the faith than with satisfying the Jazz faithful.

"I have a different reason for wanting to see Jimmer stay in Utah, and it has nothing to do with Jimmermania helping ticket sales," Sikahema wrote in Salt Lake City's Deseret News on Friday. "The reason I'd like Jimmer to remain in Utah is simple: He's still single."

Sikahema, who like Fredette is Mormon and a member of the Church of Latter-day Saints, wants the hot-shooting guard to be in the best possible market for him to find a "marriage-eligible, temple-worthy college co-ed."

"All of us who are LDS and played professional sports understand the challenges he'll face," wrote Sikahema, who lives in Philadelphia. "If you're married, the transition is much easier to the jet-set life of a seven-figure salary ... and unscrupulous women who await in lobbies, restaurants and stadiums."

Perhaps that was Wilt Chamberlain's downfall.

■ ROMO GETS A RING -- Tony Romo took a knee, but this time it led to a good result.

The 31-year-old Dallas Cowboys quarterback married 24-year-old Candice Crawford, a Dallas television reporter, on Saturday night in Dallas.

Among the guests were Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, Dez Bryant and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Romo didn't take the opportunity to lock out Jones.

As Fark.com noted, "Congrats to Tony Romo for getting married. That's the only way you were ever going to get a ring."

■ THANK YOU, INDIANS -- Take a trip back in your time machine to 2009. Which of these scenarios would have seemed most likely this month?

1. LeBron James leading the Cleveland Cavaliers into the NBA Finals;

2. Ohio State Buckeyes fans counting down to opening day of the football season, when quarterback Terrelle Pryor is among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy with Jim Tressel on the cusp of beating Michigan for the 10th time in 11 years;

3. The Cleveland Indians owning the American League's best record.

The Tribe continue to be the savior of Ohio sports fans.

■ GUARDED ANTICIPATION -- Sunday's auto races -- the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 -- were fraught with last-turn drama.

IndyCar rookie JR Hildebrand had the 500 won, leading by almost four seconds, when he erred by passing a lapped car, crashed and slid across the yard of bricks runner-up to winner Dan Wheldon.

Several hours later, Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of gas about 500 feet from the finish line while leading and coasted to seventh at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

What would have made victories by Hildebrand and Earnhardt more special: The National Guard sponsors both drivers.

COMPILED BY JEFF WOLF
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL