Quirky dome served city well

This season marks the end of the Minnesota Twins' Metrodome era (1982 to 2009), and not many players are sad to see it go, visitors included.

"It's hard for me to say anything positive about the Metrodome," Los Angeles Angels center fielder Torii Hunter told ESPN.com. "I never was a big fan of the Metrodome."

Hunter said that while with the Twins in 2002, he dived to make a catch against the Oakland Athletics, and when he was sliding, he smelled something burning. "It was my buttons," he said. "They were all melted by the turf."

Still, the Metrodome served the city of Minneapolis well, providing a home for the Twins, Vikings, Gophers and, briefly, the Timberwolves. It remains the only stadium to host the World Series, Super Bowl and Final Four.

• HOCKEY HUMOR -- Several New York Rangers attended David Letterman's TV talk show Wednesday, when they were asked to recite the Top 10 Things Never Before Spoken by a Hockey Player.

Among them:

"Instead of fighting, why don't we work things out over brunch?"

"Between you and me, I have no idea what the hell icing is."

"High scorer gets to pick which Barbra Streisand CD we listen to on the bus."

"For good luck, I lick the puck."

• DOLLARS AND SENSE -- When Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown talks, it pays to listen. And when Brown recently spoke to Sirius XM radio, he called out Michael Crabtree, telling him to end his holdout with the San Francisco 49ers.

"Mr. Crabtree, get your butt in camp," Brown said.

Brown, who made $85,000 in his final NFL season, called the rookie wide receiver's holdout "totally ridiculous" and said a player is not judged by his paycheck.

"You don't realize that your legacy will be based upon how you perform, not how much money you made," Brown said.

• KING OF TONGUE TWISTERS -- Sports Illustrated's Peter King, in his new book "Monday Morning Quarterback," points out that the Dallas Cowboys' Barry Switzer, Jerry Jones and Larry Lacewell once shared the same lawyer.

"The lawyer's name was Larry Derryberry," King wrote. "They once dined together -- Barry, Jerry, Larry and Larry Derryberry."

Try saying that one four times fast.

• WILD, WILD WEST -- Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West, arrested for packing three loaded firearms while driving his motorcycle last month, finally showed up on the third day of preseason practices this past week.

Guess he didn't want to miss the Cavs' first shootaround.

• BIG-DIAPER DANDY -- It didn't set a world record, but a woman in Indonesia gave birth to a 19-pound boy last month.

"I'm not saying he's big," penned comedy writer Marc Ragovin, "but to change him his parents have to call out a grounds crew."

• FINAL WORD -- From Mike Bianchi of the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel, on reports that Ric Flair, 60, and Hulk Hogan, 56, are coming out of retirement to wrestle each other: "Can you say Sansabelt wrestling trunks?"

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