Portfolio Should Include Bonds

Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle, on the future of the Giants without Dusty Baker as manager: “The biggest worry in the Giants’ immediate future is [Barry] Bonds.

“He’s signed for another four seasons, but that won’t mean squat if Bonds either doesn’t want to play here or outgrows his usefulness. If the Giants are forced to rebuild/retool, will Bonds have the patience for this pardon-our-dust phase?

“He tasted the World Series, he’s zooming in on 40, what’s to stop him from ‘requesting’ a trade to a contender?

“Official position of this corner: Do not let Bonds leave. He’s the show. You don’t replace the Golden Gate Bridge, rust and all, with five really spiffy pontoon bridges.”

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Trivia time: Which team has the worst record, 54-130, in the NFL since 1991?

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Spiking Spike: From comedy writer Jerry Perisho: “For the first time in 434 games, the Knicks did not sell out Monday night for a game against Milwaukee.

“There were actually a lot of empty seats. It was kind of like going to a Spike Lee film.”

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Easier than coaching: Tom FitzGerald in the San Francisco Chronicle: “Former Nebraska football Coach Tom Osborne, a Republican, won reelection to Congress, receiving more than 90% of the vote without even campaigning on TV or radio.

“Does this man know how to schedule or what?”

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No fighting chance: Victor Chi reported in the San Jose Mercury News that the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League were planning to stage “Guaranteed Fight Night” next Thursday against Milwaukee.

“If there isn’t one fighting major assessed, every fan in attendance will get a free ticket to Houston’s next home game,” read a promotion.

Then word reached the office of AHL Commissioner Dave Andrews. He KO’d the idea.

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Longevity: Tim Tucker in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Numbers game: 154 -- Quarterbacks who have started games for other NFL teams during the 10-season plus stretch in which only Brett Favre has started for Green Bay.”

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Green with envy: Kobe Bryant, after the Lakers’ overtime loss to the Celtics on Thursday: “That leprechaun is still walking around the rafters.”

He must have moved from the Boston Garden to the FleetCenter.

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Looking back: On this day in 1985, UCLA defeated Arizona, 24-19. The Bruins finished the season with a 9-2-1 record, defeating Iowa, 45-28, in the Rose Bowl game.

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Looking back again: On this day in 1953, the U.S. Supreme Court voted, 7-2, to uphold the 1922 ruling that baseball is not subject to antitrust laws.

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Trivia answer: The Cincinnati Bengals.

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And finally: Rick Morrissey in the Chicago Tribune: “One of the Bears’ major corporate partners is Cadillac, and it’s hard to figure how this relationship could be any more incongruous.

“On one side, you have a company that makes luxury automobiles, and on the other a team that hears the words ‘road trip’ and immediately looks for the keys to the Dumpster.”

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-- Mal Florence