Unkempt look works for coach

Sporting his signature drab, gray hoodie on the sidelines, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick typically looks like someone who has just finished an oil change.

But Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd "Hobo" Haley puts Belichick's auto mechanic chic look to shame.

Wearing an old, extremely sweat-stained Chiefs hat and scraggly beard during Kansas City's four-game win streak, Haley looks like he should have a "Will Work For Beer" sign strapped on him instead of a headset.

His unkempt appearance makes him look less like an NFL coach than:

A. The Geico Caveman

B. Forrest Gump at the end of his cross-country run

C. An "Occupy Kansas City" protester

D. All of the above

(Answer: D.)

But as long as Kansas City (4-3) keeps winning, the superstitious Haley said he doesn't plan to shave or replace the still unwashed hat he often wore at practices last season during the Chiefs' march to the AFC West title.

"If you get attached to something and you are making progress, it is hard for me to change," Haley said.

For his wife's sake, let's hope Haley doesn't have a pair of lucky underwear.

■ JUMBO BROADWAY JOE -- Jets legend Joe Namath has constantly criticized his former team this season, and now he's taking cheap shots at New York coach Rex Ryan.

After Ryan was photographed wearing a Namath jersey, Namath went on the radio and questioned how Ryan could pull the jersey over his big gut.

"I'm just stunned that the jersey with No. 12 comes in that size," Namath said.

The normally brash Ryan refrained from firing a comeback such as "I bet Joe still wants to kiss me."

Instead, he said, "I'm still a huge Joe Namath fan."

Huge, indeed.

■ METS WIN WORLD SERIES -- After being freed following a nearly five-month stint in an Egyptian jail during that country's uprising, Queens, N.Y., native Ilan Grapel received some incredible news: His hometown Mets had won the World Series. The New York Post reported the misinformation was a joke played by Rep. Gary Ackerman.

Hilarious. Thanks for coming out, congressman. What's more fun than giving false hope to a man who just spent almost five months in a hell hole halfway around the world on bogus spying charges?

Just for laughs, Ackerman also reportedly told Grapel that he had won the lottery and a long-lost love was waiting for him at home.

■ FORESHADOWING SOX -- In a case of art imitating life, the entire Boston Red Sox starting rotation appeared in country music singer Kevin Fowler's video for his single "Hell Yeah, I Like Beer," which was released July 22.

The cameos foreshadowed the reports, following Boston's epic September collapse, that several pitchers drank beer, ate fried chicken and played video games in the clubhouse during games.

No word if Sox starters Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and John Lackey will appear in Fowler's next two videos, "Hell Yeah, I Like Popeye's" and "Hell Yeah, I Like Madden."

COMPILED BY TODD DEWEY
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL