A Food Group? But of Course, Angel Hair Pasta

Lynn Zinser of the Philadelphia Daily News is disturbed that the Angels appear frequently on ESPN, suggesting it’s no coincidence, considering that the Angels and ESPN share a boss--Disney.

“We are getting such a steady diet of them, they are close to qualifying as a food group,” Zinser writes.

“This would be less annoying if anyone actually cared about the Angels, who have been fighting a 10-year war with mediocrity and losing.”

Look at the standings, Lynn. The Angels are in the thick of the race in the American League West.

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Trivia time: Who holds the Laker playoff record for most steals in a game?

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Shark bashing: Indianapolis 500 officials still want Greg Norman to drive the pace car this year, despite a shoulder injury that has sidelined him from the PGA Tour.

Said Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Sun-Times: “Given Norman’s tendency to fall apart down the stretch, his might be the first pace car to finish in second place.”

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Trade-off: The New York Mets didn’t know that Dennis Cook is deaf in his left ear, which is why he ran out to the mound and pitched to a batter after pitching coach Bob Apodaca told him he was out of the game.

“On the other hand,” said Peter Gammons of the Boston Globe, “considering that his wife give birth to triplets last month, that deafness isn’t such a bad thing.”

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Flawed site: Steve Rosenbloom in the Chicago Tribune: “A couple of aldermen want to give Michael Jordan his own street on the West Side on a stretch of Madison Street that runs from Paulina to Western, right in front of the United Center, and it would be perfect for Michael. Jordan Place.

“Except for the Jerry Krause Pothole.”

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Say what? George Steinbrenner told the New York Post’s Tom Keegan: “I’ll always return your calls, but don’t phone me again.”

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Sounds grim: Blackie Sherrod in the Dallas Morning News: “Oh brother, now Oliver Stone turns his unfettered imagination to pro football. On the boards is a Stone movie about a lame quarterback forced to play or lose his job. Al Pacino will do the coach.”

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Looking back: On this day in 1904, Cy Young of the Boston Red Sox pitched the century’s first perfect game, retiring all Philadelphia Athletic batters he faced in a 3-0 victory.

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Trivia answer: Magic Johnson against Portland, on April 24, 1983, and Byron Scott on May 10, 1991 against Golden State, each with seven.

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And finally: Men would rather watch World Cup soccer on television than have sex with the woman of their dreams, according to a poll published Monday in London.

A survey by the Media Business Group found that more than 95% of men aged 20-34 said they would prefer to sit in front of the TV screen during the World Cup than spend a night of passion with their fantasy woman.

Over-35s were more likely to be distracted, with up to 40% of them admitting they could be lured away by a dream woman.