That Girl? It Worked for Marlo Thomas

Angelle Savoie is a petite 5-foot, 105-pound former model from Louisiana who is not pleased with the way the macho world of pro motorcycle drag racing looks upon her as its champion.

“I wish [some of] these guys would just accept me,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s because I’m a girl. That’s how they refer to me, as ‘that girl,’ they don’t even use my name.

“Except for a couple of guys, I feel like everybody hates me. They don’t say it, but I can see it in their eyes.”

Trivia time: Courtesy of the Washington Times, what do Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Franco Harris, Manny Ramirez, Fred Dryer, Paul Christman and Mitch Kupchak have in common?

Look-alike: Shortstop John McCurdy, the Oakland Athletics’ first-round draft choice, is often told how much he looks like a young Cal Ripken Jr. Oakland Assistant General Manager Paul DePodesta’s reaction: “I hope he plays 2,000 games in the big leagues.”

Bad makes good: Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander applauds the Bulls’ selection of Jay Williams in the NBA draft, but questions how the team was able to do it.

“It never ceases to amaze me that in a controlled franchise system such as the NBA, blowing up your team and foisting garbage on your fans for several seasons can be the ticket to success. Utter lousiness is how the Bulls got here.”

Hard losers: Brits don’t take their losses easily, as evidenced by a headline in the Daily Telegraph: “It’s Always Game, Set and Match to the Other Chap.”

Peter Foster wrote, “Another valiant effort, another Tim Henman semifinal loss and yet another wretched chapter in the multi-volume history of near-misses that is English sport.”

As Art Spander pointed out in the Oakland Tribune, it has been a bad year for English sport. Besides Henman’s loss at Wimbledon, England lost to Brazil in the World Cup quarterfinals, to Scotland in rugby and to Zimbabwe in cricket.

Want to try it? The recent Fourth of July holiday showcased a rodeo in St. Paul, Ore., 30 miles south-southwest of Portland.

In an interview with Ken Wheeler of the Oregonian, bull rider Vic Dubray explained what motivates him: “Just a challenge, something that not everybody can do, gettin’ on an animal that outweighs you by a ton.”

Back at you: Rowdy fans aren’t the only hecklers on golf courses. Sometimes it’s the players too.

During last year’s Western Open, Raymond Floyd had finished his round and was watching Peter Jacobsen coming up 18.

“You’re hitting the wrong ball,” Floyd yelled at Jacobsen. “You’re hitting the wrong ball.”

It was Jacobsen’s ball.

“What time did you start on the margaritas?” Jacobsen shot back.

Trivia answer: All were No. 13th draft choices.

And finally: During the men’s final at Wimbledon in which Australian Lleyton Hewitt trounced Argentine David Nalbandian, a streaker ran across Centre Court.

“It was important only to know than Nalbandian wasn’t the only one undressed at Centre Court,” commented Gary Shelton of the St. Petersburg Times. “The streaker, who leaped the net in his effort, seemed to be a much finer athlete.”