Curses! Exactly What the Red Sox Didn’t Need

Dan Shaughnessy in the Boston Globe: “This week’s issue of Sports Illustrated features a nifty cover shot of Pedro Martinez and a headline you thought you’d never see: ‘Why the Red Sox will win the World Series.’

”. . . It’s nice to see the Sox finally getting some respect, but the cover prediction undoubtedly will contribute to the paranoia and collective angst that pains the soul of the Red Sox nation.

“ ‘We got the SI Jinx, we got the Bambino, . . .’ said Boston first baseman Mike Stanley.”

The Red Sox last won the World Series in 1918 and the superstition persists that the drought is attributed to Boston selling Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees.

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Trivia time: Name the only school to win the NCAA Division I basketball championship one season and not play basketball the next season.

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Big deal: It’s a new sport, blimp water skiing, and Monster.com Chief Executive Jeff Taylor, 39, claimed a world record recently by skiing for more than 11 minutes behind two airships on St. Andrews Bay in Panama City Beach, Fla.

“My arms felt like they were going to fall off,” said Taylor, who said it was only the third or fourth time he was ever on water skis.

Question: Don’t you have anything better to do?

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Picking on Phil? Steve Rosenbloom in the Chicago Tribune: “Here’s something from Knick Coach Jeff Van Gundy, talking about motivational tactics of his fellow NBA coaches:

“ ‘When you get to this level, most of the guys are intelligent. Some choose to let you know about it.’

“Probably just a coincidence Van Gundy said it when Phil Jackson was in town.”

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Asking for it: The Grizzlies placed ads in Vancouver papers that read: “Come watch [Mike] Bibby turn The Glove inside out.”

The Glove is Gary Payton, who saw the ad and scored 40 points in the Seattle Supersonics’ victory.

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Tournament snobbery: An idea for a new T-shirt slogan from Gary Shelton of the St. Petersburg Times: “I don’t care about your bracket.”

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FYI: The bicycle and jump rope were among the new inductees into the National Toy Hall of Fame this week in Salem, Ore. Nominees rejected this year included the soccer ball and the baseball glove.

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Go ahead and ask him: From comedy writer Jerry Perisho: “I was just wondering: Does Padre outfielder Al Martin get twice as many courtesy seats in the ‘wives section’ at all Padre home games?”

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Trivia answer: Wyoming. The Cowboys won the title in 1943 and didn’t play the next season because of World War II.

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And finally: Keith Olbermann of Fox Sports Net on Michael Jordan’s statement that he’s getting out of the endorsement business:

“In response, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan announced the world economy would collapse within the year.”