LEFTOVERS: New Knick Kidd goes on fender bender

Soon after the New York Knicks celebrated the free-agent signing of point guard Jason Kidd, he turned into a party crasher.

Kidd wrecked his 2010 Cadillac Escalade into a wooden telephone pole near Long Island, N.Y., early Sunday after reportedly drinking all night and arguing with his wife. It was more bad news for the Knicks, who have a knack for making the wrong moves.

As expected, the New York Post played up the story, touting an "Exclusive Mug Shot" of Kidd on its front page Monday with the headline, "Slam Drunk."

The Post report detailed the downfall of "the alleged boozed-up baller" who had left a nightclub, where he "allegedly wildly swilled from bottles and danced on banquettes before getting into a blow-up with his wife when a sexy female fan asked him to pose for a photo."

Police arrived at the crash scene around 2 a.m. and charged Kidd, 39, with DWI. The 10-time NBA All-Star refused to take a breath test at the scene and was hauled to jail.

Earlier in the day, according to the Post, Kidd partied at a charity function and "mingled with guests such as Paula Abdul, Russell Simmons, Arsenio Hall."

So the story gets even worse for Kidd, who was hanging out with tired C-list celebrities.

Note: For younger readers who never have heard of him, Arsenio Hall hosted a terrible late-night talk show that was briefly popular in the early 1990s for unknown reasons.

■ SMILE FOR THE CAMERAS - How popular is Southeastern Conference football? WSB-TV Atlanta reported that almost 1,200 credentials were issued for this week's SEC Media Days.

As usual, Alabama coach Nick Saban will be all smiles and happy to entertain all questions from his friends in the media.

■ VIN STILL WINS - After six decades of calling baseball games, Dodgers play-by-play voice Vin Scully has seen almost everything. At times this season, he has seemed more cynical, repeatedly criticizing pitchers for grooving strikes on 0-and-2 counts and ripping infielders for a lack of execution.

Scully sounded disgusted Monday night after watching the Los Angeles infield "absolutely butcher" a rundown play in the Dodgers' 3-2 loss to Philadelphia.

"It's amazing," Scully said. "Kids in the streets do better rundown plays than major leaguers."

At 84, Scully is still better than the kids who call games for most other major league teams.

■ CHILD'S PLAY - Gray hair is one sign of old age. Bizarre injuries that can't be explained are another sign.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was at a mall in Tampa, Fla., last week when he bent over to greet a child in a stroller. That's when his lower back locked up.

"I have no idea how it happened," said Gonzalez, 30, who was scratched from games Friday and Saturday, amid rumors that Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine wanted to trade Gonzalez to the White Sox for a mediocre utility infielder.

COMPILED BY MATT YOUMANS
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL