Weight Watching Can Be Such Hungry Work

Baseball umpire Eric Gregg was flirting with 400 pounds the day his buddy, 370-pound John McSherry, collapsed and died while working an opening-day game last season.

Overweight umpires like Gregg immediately went under scrutiny. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Bill Lyon recently spent a day with Gregg, who is trying to get under 300 pounds--he was at 305 last week--to start this season.

He reports Gregg spends his mornings walking eight miles, swimming 90 minutes--like some giant sea turtle, Lyon writes--and is following a 2,300-calorie low-fat diet.

Lyon, describing his lunch with Gregg:

“He orders a cup of chicken noodle soup, a romaine salad with vinaigrette dressing and a bowl of pasta with chicken and shrimp.

“He eats every last sliver of pasta, every tiny shred of lettuce, every last droplet of soup. When he is done, there is no evidence the dishes were ever used.”

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Trivia time: What was the sports world’s biggest story seven years ago today?

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Triple perfect: Finally, it’s been shown Nebraska can grow something besides corn and football teams.

The American Bowling Congress has presented Jeremy Sonnenfeld, the University of Nebraska sophomore who recently bowled three consecutive 300 games, a 14-karat “900” ring, set with a diamond and a blue stone.

According to the ABC, the 900 series is unprecedented.

Sonnenfeld got it by rolling his three 300s across six lanes in the Junior Husker Tournament at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Neb., on Feb. 2. He had previously rolled seven 300 games, but none in succession.

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Better not, Russ: The 50 old-time NBA stars gathered at the All-Star game Sunday were asked by the Cleveland Plain Dealer to name their toughest opponents.

Said Bill Russell, “Wilt [Chamberlain]. Not even close. Sometimes I wish I was a little bigger. I’d hit him right now.”

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Threes king: Have the NBA scouts checked this guy out?

Jeff Clement of Division III Grinnell College in Iowa made an all-NCAA record 16 three-point baskets in 26 shots Saturday, finishing with 50 points.

Grinnell Coach David Arseneault said the 5-foot-10 Clement’s point total wasn’t even the most impressive part of his game.

“He did it in 19 minutes and didn’t get fouled with people hanging all over him,” Arseneault said. “He saw a variety of different looks and just kept hitting.”

Clement was nine for 13 from three-point range in the first half.

The NCAA Division I record for three-point baskets is 15.

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Trivia answer: Buster Douglas, a 43-1 underdog, knocked out Mike Tyson in Tokyo to win the world heavyweight boxing championship.

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And finally: The Baltimore Sun’s Buster Olney, writing about the 1997 Oakland A’s outfield:

“The addition of Jose Canseco means Oakland’s outfield will include converted infielder Jason Giambi in left and unconverted stone glove Geronimo Berroa in right. Double yikes.”