Scalabrine Is Dressed Down in Jersey

Former USC forward Brian Scalabrine, a rookie with the New Jersey Nets, tried to bring something new to the NBA on Sunday--a game of shirts and skins.

After being told by Net Coach Byron Scott to enter the game at the start of the second quarter, Scalabrine whipped off his warm-up top to discover he had forgotten to put on his jersey.

Scalabrine ran off the court at the Meadowlands to the Nets’ locker room. Less than a minute later, Scalabrine returned wearing his No. 21 jersey, a sight that left Scott and his teammates laughing. He entered the game at the next timeout.

“I never did that in my life,” said Net forward Keith Van Horn. “That’s not even a rookie mistake. It’s just inexcusable. We’re going to give it to him for that.”

Scalabrine made a quick exit, without comment, from the arena after the Nets’ 98-77 victory against Denver.

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Divine intervention: They take their soccer seriously in England, almost like a religion in fact. If you doubt that, just ask U.S. national team forward Joe-Max Moore of Irvine.

On Sunday, Moore’s team, Everton, played Crewe in an F.A. Cup match whose kickoff time was changed at the request of the Rev. Harry Ross.

Ross, the local vicar, wanted his congregation to have time to go to church.

“I worship God first and Everton second,” Ross said.

“A little bit of divine intervention has taken place here, and everyone is now happy,” added an Everton spokesman.

Not entirely. Everton was tied, 0-0.

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Trivia time: What is the minimum NFL salary for a 10-year veteran?

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A curt answer: When the Houston Texans look over the possibilities in today’s NFL expansion draft, they can only hope not to repeat the mistake the Cleveland Browns made in 1999.

That was the year the Browns overlooked a quarterback made available by the St. Louis Rams. His name? Kurt Warner.

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Culinary note: California’s upset loss to Washington ended the Bears’ four-game winning streak, much to the displeasure of Coach Ben Braun. Not that Braun ever appears happy on court.

According to Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle, Braun often looks “like a plate of bad seafood was negotiating itself through his digestive tract.”

Charming.

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Do’s and don’ts: Forced out of Salt Lake City by the Olympics, Utah basketball Coach Rick Majerus and his players spent 10 days on the road, five in Las Vegas and five in San Diego.

“I spent all my time telling the players, ‘Don’t,’” Majerus told the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Patrick Reusse.

“‘Don’t go in the casino, don’t go in the sun, don’t go to the beach.’”

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Trivia answer: $750,000.

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And finally: Greg Cote of the Miami Herald is not overwhelmed by the Florida Marlins’ new owner, New York art dealer Jeffrey Loria.

“Loria’s track record in two years as Montreal Expos owner is something best left off a resume,” Cote wrote. “The Expos averaged a league-worst 7,500 fans last season. It is why they are doomed, set to play one more season before crowds of 45,000 empty seats and then be turned into the Ex-pos.”

Grahame L. Jones