Gilbert Arenas’ nickname is a good fit

Gilbert Arenas’ goofy antics seemed more amusing when he was known as a gunner of a less sinister type. . . .

His nickname -- Agent Zero -- seems to fit the bill. . . .

Archie Manning, inundated with interview requests as the most popular player in New Orleans Saints history and father of the Indianapolis Colts quarterback, told reporters Sunday in Indianapolis that anybody wondering who he’d be rooting for Feb. 7 “must not have children.” . . .

Peyton Manning may be the NFL’s most valuable player, but Drew Brees passed for more touchdowns than his Super Bowl opponent and compiled a higher passer rating. . . .

High-flying Lakers reserve Shannon Brown has made highly excitable Sasha Vujacic all but superfluous. . . .

Ron Artest didn’t feel right about joining the Lakers at the White House this week, but Khloe Kardashian did? . . .

A best-case scenario for Chris Kaman and the Clippers, whose loss to the New Jersey Nets was a new low even for them: miss the playoffs again, win the lottery again, draft Kentucky’s John Wall, sign LeBron James. . . .

And if they still don’t make the playoffs, fold. . . .

The Nets, arguably the worst team in NBA history, were 0-19 against the Western Conference before Wednesday. . . .

Noting that James is not shy about admitting he’s a New York Yankees fan, reader Sol Sorgenstein e-mails to suggest that the Cleveland Cavaliers star be called “LeBronx.” . . .

James Dobson, founder of the Focus on the Family ministry that’s behind the controversial Tim Tebow ad scheduled to air during the Super Bowl, organized the 1988 pickup basketball game in Pasadena in which Pete Maravich collapsed and died. . . .

Witnessing the tragedy, Dobson said in a 2007 interview, “was one of the most shocking experiences of my life.” . . .

Ben Sheets would have looked good in a Dodgers uniform. . . .

Ronnie Belliard apparently passed the audition. . . .

It’s ironic that USC, which regards a 1992 Freedom Bowl loss to Fresno State as perhaps the low point in its storied football history, put a former Fresno State quarterback in charge. . . .

Lane Kiffin, a Bulldogs backup, never got into a game. . . .

No U.S.-born NHL player has scored more goals than Bobby Ryan of the Ducks, whose playoff push has stalled. . . .

Drew Doughty and the Kings continue to impress. . . .

Former UCLA basketball coach Gene Bartow once described fans at Oregon’s MacArthur Court, where the Bruins will play for the last time tonight, as “deranged idiots.” . . .

“After seeing the San Diego Chargers once again self-destruct in the playoffs,” reader Mike Coyazo of Highland e-mails to note, “I was wondering if any old L.A. Rams fans had the feeling they’ve seen all this before.” . . .

Yes, too many times. . . .

Hue Jackson, newly hired Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator, was USC’s offensive coordinator before Norm Chow -- during the lamentable Paul Hackett era. . . .

Noting that the 1985 Chicago Bears of Mike Ditka, William “The Refrigerator” Perry, et al., plan to remake their “Super Bowl Shuffle” song and video, Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times writes, “Music aficionados are calling it the birth of artificial-hip hop.” . . .

The list of father-son PGA Tour winners -- which grew to eight this week when Bill Haas, son of Jay Haas, won the Bob Hope Classic -- almost included Jack and GaryNicklaus. . . .

At the rain-shortened BellSouth Classic in 2000, Gary lost a sudden-death playoff against Phil Mickelson. . . .

Speaking of Mickelson, he ranks third on Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s ranking of the top 100 most powerful athletes. . . .

Only Tiger Woods and James rank higher. . . .

Kobe Bryant is 12th. . . .

San Bernardino-born Gene Hackman, who played Coach Norman Dale in “Hoosiers,” turns 80 on Saturday. . . .

Former Ram Jack Youngblood turned 60 on Tuesday. . . .

Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego bills its Carroll B. Land Stadium as “America’s most scenic ballpark,” and few who have seen the hilltop jewel overlooking the Pacific Ocean would argue. . . .

No offense to Greg Oden, but the guess here is that searching the Internet for nude photos of the oft-injured Portland Trail Blazers center was not high on anybody’s to-do list.

jerome.crowe@latimes.com