Tressel not shaking over flu concerns
The top-ranked Florida Gators received flu shots this week after some players and staff came down with flulike symptoms, and fear about the possible spread of the H1N1 virus hit campus.
Conservative Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is worried about the swine flu's possible effects on his football team, too.
The sweater vest-wearing coach tried to show his hip side in proposing a way to help prevent the spread of the virus.
"Instead of shaking hands ... you go like this," he said, bumping elbows and forearms with a media member. "You're supposed to elbow bump, that's the newest thing. So you go back to the office, give a little 'Wuz happenin?' you know. So wash your hands a lot and elbow bump, stay rested, stay hydrated."
Elbow bumps, sweater vests ... the man clearly has his finger on the pulse of young America.
• RUNNING DRY -- It took about five decades for NASCAR to allow hard liquor distillers to sponsor cars in its premier Sprint Cup series, and now it looks as if next year there will be two fewer.
Jack Daniels and Jim Beam this week jumped off the stock-car bandwagon by announcing they will leave Richard Childress Racing and Robby Gordon Motorsports, respectively, at the end of the season. Each sponsorship began in 2005.
Sobering news for a sport that traces its roots back to moonshine runners.
The good news: Miller and Budweiser plan to remain in the sport, and Roush Fenway Racing still has Crown Royal signed through 2011.
• BROWNS BAGGED -- Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini fined an unidentified player $1,701 for failing to pay for a $3 bottle of water the player drank in his hotel room during a preseason trip.
Mangini did not confirm or deny the water fine reported by Yahoo! Sports this week but said he imposes strict guidelines for his team to follow.
"When we go to hotels, we have to pay incidentals. We don't park in handicap spots, we don't park in fire lanes, we don't park in somebody else's spot," he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
With the league's lowest-rated offense, the Browns have struggled to an 0-2 start in Mangini's first year in Cleveland.
No word on whether the team will donate the money from the fine to some poor, unfortunate souls ... like, say, Browns fans.
• TRUE CONFESSIONS -- Credit San Diego Chargers coach Norv Turner for bringing honesty to news conferences.
"I don't think right now we're as good as you (reporters) that cover us think or expect us to be; I don't think we're as good as what our fans want us to be," Turner said Monday.
Opening with a near loss to rival Oakland, then losing at home to Baltimore turned on the spin cycle.
Of course, Turner stopped short of suggesting perhaps the Chargers could use a new coach.
COMPILED BY JEFF WOLF LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
