This Revolution Became a Rather Revolting Situation

Allan Slaight said he has no regrets about selling the NBA’s Toronto Raptors to the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs.

“It was the wise thing to do,” Slaight told the Toronto Star in his first interview since the deal was announced last week. “A lot of problems can now be solved.”

What caused those problems? New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica thinks he knows.

Writes Lupica: “Somebody has to explain to me what sort of organizational genius Isiah Thomas exhibited when he was running the Toronto Raptors. You know, before he began setting the television business on its ear sitting there next to [Bob] Costas.

“The guy was going to revolutionize basketball when he got the Raptors and now you can have anybody on the team for some box tops and a few coupons.”

Trivia time: Fourteen men have managed the New York Yankees since owner George Steinbrenner took over the club in 1973, led by Billy Martin, who held the job five times. How far back would you have to go to put together a list of the last 14 men to manage the Dodgers?

Putt for show, drive for dough: Casey Martin, the golfer who successfully sued for the right to drive a golf cart in PGA Tour events because of a circulatory disorder in one leg, may have won more than the opportunity to compete, according to Ryan Schinman, executive vice president of marketing for Worldwide Sports and Entertainment.

Schinman figures that, whatever success Martin has, he can get rich simply by continuing his relationship with Nike.

“The kid has got a five-course meal in front of him on his plate,” Schinman said, “and guess who is sitting across the table in front of him? Phil Knight, the Mr. ‘I Can’ Man. The next question is: What are the limits? Will we see a swoosh on his cart?”

Clip and save: Chan Gailey, named Dallas Cowboy coach by owner Jerry Jones, on how much control he’ll have under a man notorious for meddling: “I’m going to handle the offense. There won’t be any doubt about that.”

Add Nike and Gailey: Both are featured in a joke being told and retold at the NFL scouting combine, according to the Sporting News.

It goes as follows:

Did you hear what Jones (who has an endorsement deal with Nike) believes the most important quality is for his new coach?

That he looks good wearing a swoosh on the sideline.

A prince of a guy: “OK, so the guy won’t be a competitive factor in these Olympic Games,” writes Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune, “but how could anybody pass up the chance to interview the bobsledder currently known as Prince?

“Yes, Prince Albert Grimaldi of Monaco will make his fourth appearance in an Olympics. By the end of the press conference, he had won so many points as a regular guy that many of us contemplated asking our buddy Al if he wanted to go chug some sake.”

Trivia answer: 1908, the last of three seasons in which Patsy Donovan was the Dodger manager.

And finally: After the Baltimore Ravens traded for Indianapolis Colt quarterback Jim Harbaugh over the weekend, Baltimore Coach Ted Marchibroda was asked about the status of Raven quarterback Vinny Testaverde.

“Vinny is still a Raven at this time,” Marchibroda said.

Emphasis, one can assume, on at this time.