Time for Him to Put the Flash in the Can

As a rookie with the Philadelphia Eagles, wide receiver Freddie Mitchell gained a reputation for being a selfish player because of his flashy style. The former UCLA standout said he’ll tone down the Hollywood persona he thinks might have given teammates the wrong impression about him last season.

“A lot of guys really didn’t like that routine,” Mitchell told the Philadelphia Daily News. “I had to really slow it down, adapt to my situation here. What I had to do was show it by actions and not talk.”

A change like that takes a while, which explains why Mitchell’s Eagle teammates remain skeptical. “Freddie’s Freddie,” wide receiver Todd Pinkston said. “He’s a guy that likes to get a lot of attention.”

Trivia time: Who holds the NHL record for penalty minutes in a game?

Little demands: From Phil Taylor of CNNSI.com: “It’s time for the players to go on strike. We all know how damaging it could be to the game, especially coming so close to the World Series, but a strike is the only way for the players to get what they want, what they need, what they deserve. When it comes to baseball, I’m on their side all the way, because, let’s face it, the players are the game. Not major league players. Who cares about them? I’m talking about Little Leaguers [who] have leverage right now.

“Listen carefully, kids: Walk out. Take a hike. Tell your parents and coaches that until they give in to your demands, you’ll be spending your free time skateboarding without a helmet, zoning out on your PlayStation 2 and sitting really close to the TV so you strain your eyes. [Parents hate that.]”

Imagine if Bill Gates pitched: Before the start of the season, Arizona pitcher Curt Schilling invested $25,000 in customized software for his computer. The database contains thousands of pitches he has thrown since 1996, with a file on 490 players listing their tendencies. And it lists tendencies of umpires.

“It is as important as everything else I do to get better,” Schilling told the Cincinnati Post. “It allows me to go out every fifth day with a plan. It was one of the huge reasons for the success I had last year. You can see patterns in hitters and you try to find a way to exploit a weakness. I would not be the pitcher I am without it.”

Do you remember? On this day in 1988, the Kings acquired Wayne Gretzky in a trade with Edmonton. Gretzky, Mike Krushelniski and Marty McSorley were exchanged for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, first-round picks in the 1989, ’91 and ’93 drafts and about $15 million cash.

Trivia answer: Former King Randy Holt picked up a record 67 penalty minutes against Philadelphia on March 11, 1979. Holt had one minor, three majors, two 10-minute misconducts and three game misconducts.

And finally: Boston was picked as the top sports city in North America by the Sporting News, which cited the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl victory and strong seasons by the city’s other major teams.

Second in the annual survey was the Oakland-San Francisco-San Jose area, followed by New York-New Jersey-Long Island, Detroit, Philadelphia and Los Angeles-Anaheim. Completing the top 10 are Baltimore-Washington, Dallas-Fort Worth, Phoenix and Miami-Fort Lauderdale.

Lonnie White