Texas-sized Pee Wee doesn’t take snub lightly

Too big? Too bad.

That's the attitude the Mesquite (Texas) Pee Wee Football Association took regarding Elijah Earnheart's desire to play in its league. Earnheart, a 12-year-old seventh grader, is 6 feet 1½ inches tall and weighs 297 pounds. The league's weight limit for his age group is 135.

"He might be the size of a grown man, but he's 12 years old and he has feelings, too," the boy's mother, Cindy, told CBSSports.com. "No one's telling boys who are too thin or too small that they can't play football. Why tell my kid he's too big?"

League president Ronnie Henderson said Earnheart was barred because of safety concerns for the other players.

"We've got little boys that play against him that are 85, 95 and 100 pounds," said Henderson, adding that three other boys were turned away for similar reasons. "We have to look out for all the kids, not just him."

Said Earnheart: "I'm not sad. I'm mad that I don't get to play. I've been practicing for three weeks."

He might not get to play against his peers this year, but there's a good chance he'll have the last laugh. Earnheart probably is receiving recruiting letters from colleges as we speak.

■ BEN'S BAD LUCK - If Boston Red Sox fan Ben Affleck had a birthday wish, it probably would be to see his team finally win on his birthday - Aug. 15.

But since Affleck's hit movie "Good Will Hunting" came out in 1997, the Red Sox are 0-13 on his special day.

Thank ESPN for that little nugget of information. Either the research boys in Bristol, Conn., are hard-core Red Sox fans whose angst knows no bounds, or they are bored to death and have nothing better to do until the NFL and college football seasons begin. Given the proximity of ESPN to Fenway Park, the guess is it's the former.

■ "DETER" RUNS THIRD - Derek Jeter is popular with thoroughbred horse owners, so much so that one owner had to juggle things around to honor the New York Yankees' shortstop.

On Thursday at Saratoga, a horse named "Jerek Deter" ran in the sixth race, from - where else? - post position No. 2. But the 2-year-old gelding came up short, finishing third at 4-1 odds after missing the break and starting last in a field of seven.

Why Jerek Deter? Because the name "Jeter" had been taken. According to equineline.com, five horses are named "Jeter," the latest a 3-year-old gelding that races in New York.

Jeter the New York-bred has earned $46,860 in five starts, which includes a win and a second-place finish. Not exactly Jeterian numbers. But he's only 3 and is a gelding, so "Jeter" the horse should get some opportunities to accumulate some victories and pad his earnings.

As for "Deter," maybe the Yankee captain can come out and give him a pep talk before his next start so he at least breaks alertly from the gate.

COMPILED BY STEVE CARP
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL