He’ll Never Stop Feeling Good Vibes, Bank on It

Unlike his first 21 NHL seasons, Ray Bourque finally capped one with a championship. Maybe Ernie Banks, who shared similar futility in his career, should have said, “Let’s play 22!”

The 40-year-old Colorado Avalanche defenseman finally will get his name etched on the Stanley Cup after the Avalanche’s 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.

Banks knows all about challenging for a championship and coming away empty-handed. The Hall of Famer spent 19 years with the Chicago Cubs and never came close to even playing in a World Series, much less winning one.

Banks was eternally optimistic and remains so today. The man famous for his “Let’s-play-two” outlook calls it “PMA”--Positive Mental Attitude.

“I always remembered something my father told me,” he said. “For everything that appears bad or negative, there is some good. You have to find it.”

Trivia time: Which player holds the record for rebounds in an NBA Finals game?

Society news: Former USC and current New York Giant cornerback Jason Sehorn wed actress Angie Harmon on Saturday. Sehorn surprised Harmon a year ago with a proposal while she was a guest on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”

Giant Coach Jim Fassel and some Giant players attended the wedding, which took place in Dallas. Even though Dallas might be considered enemy territory, that’s where the couple plans to live.

Harmon, who starred on “Law and Order” before leaving the show, is from Dallas.

More society news: Former Louisville coach Denny Crum wed local TV anchorwoman Susan Sweeney on Saturday in Louisville, Ky. This is the third marriage for Crum, 64, who accepted a $7-million contract buyout in March. Sweeney is 38.

Look-alike: Canh Oxelson, a Harvard graduate student, is a dead ringer for Tiger Woods. He told the Boston Globe that at first he took advantage by doing such things as securing tables at restaurants. But now he’s cashing in, getting as much as $3,000 for appearing at weddings, birthday parties, corporate functions and golf outings.

Oxelson met his “twin” when he was hired as a stand-in for an American Express commercial.

“I asked him for some help with my golf swing,” said Oxelson, who has about a 25 handicap. “He said, with a smile, ‘You’re beyond help.’ ”

Looking back: On this day in 1990, 43-year-old Nolan Ryan threw the sixth of his seven no-hitters and the Texas Rangers defeated the Oakland Athletics, 5-0. Ryan became the first pitcher to throw no-hitters for three teams and the oldest to throw one.

Trivia answer: Bill Russell had 40 twice--against the St. Louis Hawks in 1960 and against the Lakers in 1962.

And finally: Said Dick Schaap, on ESPN Radio: “There is a major league player baseball player of considerable skill who is hitting a home run almost every day.”

Now, who could that be?

Anyway, Schaap, while defending an athlete’s right to silence, says: “In return, I believe the media has the right--almost the obligation--to ignore him.”

He advocates referring to this player with a symbol. “What would be appropriate?” Schaap asks. “Well, he does act like an asterisk.”