Morning briefing

He hopes to be in the hunt at Augusta

Golfer Boo Weekley said he will probably spend the week leading to the Masters trying to shoot some birdies -- the kind you put on the Thanksgiving table.

Weekley had a year to plan for the event, after qualifying last spring.

Yet, when asked about next month’s Masters, he told Golfweek magazine, “I didn’t even know when it was.”

Weekley already had planned a two-week vacation before the tournament and still intends “to do some turkey hunting. That’s how I prepare.”

Whether that’s a recipe for success or just a lot of stuffing remains to be seen, but Weekley hardly seems to be stressing about golf’s most prestigious tournament, telling the Palm Beach Post, “I don’t know much about the history. It’s just another golf tournament.”

The gasp you heard came from a group of stodgy, humorless guys in Augusta.

Trivia time

Where did Thomas Brent “Boo” Weekley get his nickname?

Wile E. Coyotes

Cal State San Bernardino is sending its women’s basketball team to the NCAA Division II tournament this week, and the Coyotes appear to be an entertaining group to watch, at least judging by how some team members answered the “most embarrassing moment” question in the media guide.

Mindy Baker: “Fell down during warm-ups as a freshman.”

Leslie Pickron: “Double-dribble with no defender around.”

Diane Redfox: “Running into a wall and breaking my foot.”

Koi Brown: “My shorts were too big and fell down while I was taking a shot at the free-throw line.”

The Coyotes have apparently honed their game a bit since.

It’s good to be the king

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has banned a Dallas Morning News blogger from the team’s dressing room because of space considerations, saying, “There isn’t enough room to allow any and all bloggers in the locker room.”

Cuban explained his decision in a long dissertation, saying, “I am of the opinion that a blogger for one of the local newspapers is no better or worse than the blogger from the local high school, from the local huge Mavs fan, from an out-of-town blogger.

“I want to treat them all the same.”

The punch line? Cuban gave his explanation on his blog.

Hmmm, if Cuban is treating all bloggers the same, then . . . ah, never mind.

Money ball

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig made $15.06 million for the fiscal year that ended on Oct. 31, 2006, the SportsBusiness Journal reported this week, making him one of the highest-paid sports executives.

Of course, it would have put Selig only 15th on the list of highest-paid baseball players for the 2006 season, right behind then-San Diego Padres pitcher Chan Ho Park, who made $15.5 million that season.

Park had a 7-7 record in 2006. So who had a better year?

Means of production seized

The real March madness is about to begin. A report by a Chicago placement firm claims that the NCAA tournament will cost employers up to $1.7 billion in productivity.

To put it in perspective: That’s more than a long weekend in Las Vegas for Charles Barkley.

Trivia answer

He was tagged “Boo” after “Boo Boo Bear,” Yogi’s favorite caddie.

For those who answered “Boo Radley,” deduct five points. For those who have actually read “To Kill a Mockingbird,” add five points. For those who have seen Tripp Isenhour actually kill a mockingbird, deduct 10 points.

And finally

Filmmaker John Scheinfeld is making a documentary on the Chicago Cubs and will follow the team through the 2008 season.

“This is the kind of film for anybody who has ever loved their team,” Scheinfeld told MLB.com, adding, “We are setting it against the landscape of this season for the Cubs. We’ll follow that, and the icing on the cake would be if they win the World Series this year.”

John, expect your cake sans icing.

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chris.foster@latimes.com