Giambi’s Key to Greatness Is Real Stretch

Jon Heyman of Newsday was disappointed with the “head-in-the-sand” reactions of some New York baseball stars to Ken Caminiti’s claim that steroids are prevalent in major league clubhouses:

“[Yankee slugger] Jason Giambi takes the cake. He acted as if he had barely heard of steroids. He must think we live on Mars.

“Giambi actually said that the key to being a great player is ‘flexibility and agility.’ This from a guy who’s about as big as a house and about as flexible as one.

“I always wondered what his overstuffed body is stuffed with. Now I know: baloney.”

Trivia time: Who is the last rookie coach to win an NBA title?

Buffaloed Wings: Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press says the Red Wings got more than they bargained for in a 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals Tuesday in Detroit:

“On a night when the buildup exceeded the punch, when the crowd seemed eerily quiet and drained of enthusiasm, when the ice seemed sloppy and players fell for no reason, Carolina, the team nobody picked, pulled alongside the Red Wings, the team everybody picked, and finally, as if mocking them through the driver’s side window, said, ‘Aw, you ain’t so tough.’

“And pushed the pedal to the floor, [leaving] the Wings coughing on their dust.”

Out of this world: The two Americans and one Russian aboard the international space station were promptly informed of their countries’ World Cup victories Wednesday.

“During the radio communications sessions, flight controllers told the crew of all the latest developments,” said Viktor Blagov, deputy director of Russian Mission Control. “And since the crew is made up of real soccer fans, the news was received more than happily.”

Where’s the beef? Wythe Willey, president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Assn., recently accused the NCAA of bowing to pressure from an animal rights group for its decision to switch from using leather basketballs to those made from synthetic materials.

“Leather has been used by humans since time began,” Willey said.

Maybe so, but players and coaches said they preferred the synthetic basketballs, which are already being used by most NCAA schools.

Magic moment: Magic Johnson, elected to basketball Hall of Fame on Wednesday for his remarkable playing career, is also remembered for one of the funniest quotes in sports history.

Describing how well he and Laker teammate James Worthy worked together, Johnson said, “It’s almost like we have ESPN.”

Start flipping: From Caught on the Fly in the Sporting News: “Finally, the workin’ title for sports on NBC, post-NBA: Must-flee TV.”

Trivia answer: Pat Riley with the Lakers in 1982.

And finally: The judge in a high-profile murder case in San Diego warned jurors to avoid news stories about the trial, which is being covered extensively. If jurors need to watch television, watch the Padres’ games, said Superior Court Judge William Mudd:

“You may not be seeing good baseball, but at least you won’t see anything about this case.”