Working the aisles pays off in Green Bay

It sounds like a punch line too good to be true, but a beer vendor has been voted into the Green Bay Packers Fan Hall of Fame.

Allan Hale became the 11th member of the hall, and he had to work to get there. Hale, 70, has been hawking beer at Lambeau Field since the Lombardi years, making his debut in 1963. He landed the job when a vendor approached him while he was looking for a ticket to a game. Hale told The Associated Press he made $8.05 the first game and never stopped.

Hale was nominated by a friend who often sits in Section 119, where Hale has worked for 46 years. As a hall member, Hale receives the following perks: four club tickets to the Packers' home finale Dec. 28, a $500 gift certificate and a trip for two to a 2009 Packers away game.

• HOPELESS CAUSE -- Charles Barkley, whose golf swing has all the artistry of a blown dunk, is the feature of a new show soon to debut on the Golf Channel, "Project Barkley with Hank Haney." The premise: Can lessons with Tiger Woods' coach possibly help Barkley's golf game?

Kenny Smith, Barkley's TNT studio partner, is dubious. Says Smith: "Kwame Brown played for Phil Jackson. ... It didn't work."

• EX-PITCHER NOT A HIT -- Forty-five years after he last pitched for the Detroit Tigers, Jim Bunning finds himself knocked out of the box again.

Bunning, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and a Republican senator from Kentucky, was supposed to appear at a sports card show today in Taylor, Mich. But after voting against an auto-industry loan package in the Senate on Thursday, Bunning's invitation was revoked. Owner Jim Koester said he couldn't support someone who voted against Michigan's financial well-being.

And now Bunning's financial well-being takes a hit. Fans were to have paid Bunning $55 to sign a bat and $35 to autograph a baseball.

• HEISMAN HILARITY -- Among the top moments in Heisman Trophy history, from humor Web site SportsPickle.com:

"1935: Inaugural winner Jay Berwanger says it is an honor to have his name mentioned with Heisman winners such as Jay Berwanger.

"1968: O.J. Simpson takes the Heisman Trophy at gunpoint.

"1982: Herschel Walker wins a narrow vote over John Elway, Eric Dickerson and Walker's eight personalities.

"1986: Vinny Testaverde is forced to ad lib after his prepared speech is intercepted on his way up to the podium."

• SNOW KIDDING -- In one of the year's weirder injuries, Avalanche captain Joe Sakic broke three fingers working on his snowblower.

"Be honest," wrote Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun. "When you heard about a pro athlete getting injured while blowing snow, you thought it had something to do with nose candy, didn't you?"

• NO LION -- Peter King of SI.com predicts that the Colts will beat the Lions 47-10 today.

"But I'm going to be honest," he added. "I have no idea how Detroit's going to score 10."

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