Text messages from press row...

Manny Ramirez and his agent need to get their stories straight. . . .

Scott Boras, who represents the slugger, said this week that he was negotiating with teams other than the Dodgers on Ramirez’s behalf, but Albert Pujols said at a news conference Thursday in the Dominican Republic, “I speak with Manny every three days and he tells me, ‘Man, no one wants to sign me.’ ” . . .

The Worcester (Mass.) Tornadoes do, this week offering the free agent a two-year, $24,000 contract - or roughly $3,000 a month during the season -- to play in the Can-Am League. . . .

Last season, Ramirez made about $110,000 a day. . . .

For some, perhaps, the most famous Arizona Cardinal before the team’s current run of success was Rod Tidwell, the fictional character played by Cuba Gooding Jr. in “Jerry Maguire.” . . .

You know, “Show me the money!” . . .

Santonio Holmes’ drug-slinging past could have been turned into an interesting episode of “The Wire,” if only the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver had made it public before this week. . . .

Kurt Warner would seem a lock for the Hall of Fame if the Cardinals win Sunday, but Jim Plunkett won two Super Bowls with the Raiders and he’s not in the Hall of Fame. . . .

Before Warner, the only quarterback to start for different teams in the Super Bowl was Craig Morton, who lost with the Dallas Cowboys in 1971 and the Denver Broncos in 1978. . . .

Nearly 70% of NBA players responding to a Sports Illustrated survey listed LeBron James as the league’s best all-around athlete, with only 6% listing Kobe Bryant. . . .

But who would they rather have taking the last shot? . . .

Center Andrew Bynum of the Lakers and winger Bobby Ryan of the Ducks have more in common than you might suspect: both are 21, both are from New Jersey, both were high draft picks and both are enjoying great success this month. . . .

Look-alikes, courtesy of reader Woody Woodburn: Bynum and Tracy Morgan, who plays Tracy Jordan on “30 Rock.” . . .

At this week’s Southern California Sports Broadcasters luncheon, Bob Miller noted that a Kings scout once spotted a speeding winger and said by way of evaluation, “No one gets to the wrong place faster than this guy.” . . .

When Baron Davis says long-suffering Clippers fans have experienced “worse times than this,” he speaks the truth: The Clippers are on pace to win 18 games, which would be only the seventh-lowest full-season total in franchise history. . . .

The Lakers have never won fewer than 30. . . .

Davis, by the way, has failed to make more than half his shots in 50 consecutive games, far and away the longest active streak of its kind in the NBA, according to STATS LLC. . . .

Paul Christman, who was the quarterback when the Chicago Cardinals won the NFL championship in 1947, later became a television commentator and in 1967 (with Curt Gowdy on NBC) called the first Super Bowl at the Coliseum. . . .

Putting a fresh twist on a stale format, Cal State Fullerton marks the start of its season with a “Midnight Madness” practice starting shortly after the clock strikes 12 on Saturday night -- a “Midnight Madness” baseball practice, that is. . . .

Former Dodgers pitcher Derek Lowe and former Fox Sports Net reporter Carolyn Hughes were married last month. . . .

When Joe Torre appears Wednesday on the “Late Show with David Letterman,” perhaps he’ll list the top 10 reasons why he violated the so-called sanctity of the clubhouse by airing the New York Yankees’ dirty laundry in a controversial new book. . . .

Baseball Hall of Famer Duke Snider and longtime NFL commissioner and Pro Football Hall of Famer Pete Rozelle were teammates at Compton High -- in basketball. . . .

Washington football coach and former USC assistant Steve Sarkisian is no relation to Cher, the Academy Award-winning actress and pop star who was born Cherilyn Sarkisian. . . .

Long Beach St. Anthony High tonight will rename its basketball court in honor of alumnus Darrick Martin, an undrafted, 5-foot-11 former UCLA point guard who exceeded all expectations by knocking around the NBA for 13 seasons. . . .

Martin, 37, still has not officially retired. . . .

Terrell Owens reportedly is set to star in a reality show this summer, which brings to mind the words of former Dodgers great Don Newcombe: “If God wanted you to talk more than listen, he would have given you two mouths and one ear.”

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jerome.crowe@latimes.com