Mayor steeled for big game

Surprisingly, a man with "Ravens" in his name was elected mayor of Pittsburgh, where the Steelers, rivals of the Baltimore Ravens, reign supreme.

Even more surprising is the fact Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl plans to change his name, at least for this week, to Luke Steelerstahl in advance of Sunday's AFC Championship Game between the Steelers and Ravens.

"On behalf of the Steelers Nation, I've decided to remove the word 'Ravens' from my name just like the Steelers will remove them from the AFC Championship," said Ravenstahl, who on Wednesday began a Verified Petition for a Name Change, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

Ravenstahl said the idea for the name change was not his own. Callers to the Star 100.7 morning show "called in and thought it would be a good idea to change from Ravenstahl, given we are playing the hated Baltimore Ravens this weekend, to Steelerstahl," he said. "As soon as I heard it, I thought it was a great idea."

Left unanswered: Whether official actions, like vetoes of council legislation, could be challenged legally if the mayor's name is in limbo.

• COWBOYS SAVE IRVIN -- A passing motorist pointed a handgun at former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin as he drove in Far North Dallas on Monday night, according to a police report.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer was not injured, reported the Dallas Morning News. Irvin told police he stopped at a red light at about 9:30 p.m., when the driver of the vehicle next to him rolled down his window.

Irvin put down his window because he thought someone wanted to talk to him and saw the passenger in the other vehicle raise a gun. Irvin said in an interview Tuesday that he feared the men had planned to rob him and changed their minds when they saw who he was.

"The passenger pulled out a semiautomatic, and I knew what time it was," Irvin said. "But he said, 'Oh, that's Michael Irvin, with the Dallas Cowboys.' "

Despite being scared, Irvin said he tried to keep the conversation going.

"So we started talking about the Cowboys and everything," he said. "Then they got back on the highway."

"I tell you what, I'm glad he was a Cowboy fan," Irvin said.

• WHAT'S NEXT, THE BARACK-LYN BRIDGE? -- The New York Mets' Class-A farm team will be renamed the Baracklyn Cyclones for its June 23 game in Brooklyn.

"Economic stimulus package" tickets will be available starting Tuesday, which is Inauguration Day, and fans attending the game will receive a Barack Obama bobblehead.

Other deals offered for the game include "Universal Health Care," in which the first 1,000 fans get free Band-Aids; "Naming Rights," with anyone named Barack getting admitted free; a "Joe the Plumber" special, in which any plumber named Joe gets two free tickets, one for himself and one to "spread the wealth"; and a "Bi-Partisan Consolation Prize," in which anyone named McCain or Palin gets a free bleacher seat.

COMPILED BY TODD DEWEY LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL