Goodell should brace for angst

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell doesn't get the negative treatment other sports commissioners usually receive in public. But that might change next week when Goodell goes to New Orleans for the Super Bowl.

Goodell lowered the boom on the Saints in the "Bountygate" affair, keeping head coach Sean Payton on ice for the year before reinstating him Tuesday. Subsequently, the Saints missed the playoffs, and many of their fans might give Goodell the kind of welcome NBA fans give David Stern at the draft and NHL fans give Gary Bettman anytime he's seen in public these days.

The New York Times asked political pundit James Carville, who is co-chair of the Host Super Bowl Committee in New Orleans, what he would do if Goodell asked him for a recommendation on where to go for dinner while in town next week.

"Something with a back room?" said Carville, a lifelong Saints fan. "Or room service."

But Carville also said Goodell is not all evil. He noted Goodell was instrumental in helping the Saints return to New Orleans, and remain there, after Hurricane Katrina, when owner Tom Benson considered moving the franchise.

"He's been a friend to this city," Carville said. "And whatever we think, people need to remember that around here we are always gracious when we welcome someone into our home."

■ FASHION FAUX PAS - Did you see those alternate jerseys Gonzaga wore Saturday against Butler? You know, the ones with the Bulldog logo on the front with the numbers underneath?

Apparently, more of this look is on the way. The uniforms, which were made by Nike and are branded the "Hyper Elite Road Jersey," will appear in the coming weeks as several men's and women's teams will wear them.

Nike said Duke, Kentucky, Villanova, Ohio State, Georgetown, Texas and North Carolina will wear "Hyper Elite," as will the Stanford, Baylor and Connecticut women's teams.

UNLV fans are sure to ask, "What about us?" To which we say, "You have enough to worry about on the road."

■ DROP FROM OUTER SPACE - Normally, a ceremonial puck drop before the start of a hockey game involves a few inches from the hand to the ice. But the Toronto Maple Leafs decided that wasn't good enough. They had to drop the puck from outer space.

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield "dropped" a puck from the International Space Station before Monday's home opener at the Air Canada Centre against the Buffalo Sabres. Well, he tried to drop the puck. In zero gravity, a 6-ounce piece of vulcanized rubber isn't likely to fall far.

But fall it did, thanks to a bit of creative imaging. Former Leafs goalie Felix Potvin "caught" the puck from space and handed it off to ex-right wing Darcy Tucker, who passed the puck to ex-center Darryl Sittler, who finally gave it to 88-year-old Johnny Bower, a goalie from the last Toronto team to win the Stanley Cup, in 1967.

Bower released the puck from his hand like all good ceremonial puck-droppers do, the Leafs lost 2-1 to Buffalo, and all was normal in the world - and beyond.

COMPILED BY STEVE CARP
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL