For Jayhawk Fans, It Was Super Bohl of Garage Sales

Al Bohl, fired as Kansas athletic director in April, used a garage sale Wednesday to unload piles of Jayhawk paraphernalia he accumulated in the last 20 months.

People clamoring for bargains on Kansas merchandise bought everything from golf shirts for a dollar to a Jayhawk golf bag for $100, walking out with stacks of items.

“It seemed like everything was gone in 20 minutes,” said Bohl, who is moving to Florida.

Bohl kept a few things for himself: his two Final Four rings, a Jayhawk letter jacket and a painting of Kansas’ Memorial Stadium.

“Even with what happened here,” he said, “I’ve still got a lot of good memories.”

And a few extra bucks in his pocket.

Trivia time: Who is the only active major leaguer who also played in the NBA?

Welcome wagon: Contributors to Tom FitzGerald’s column in the San Francisco Chronicle have weighed in on the Lakers’ latest free-agent acquisitions:

“Gary Payton wanted a situation where a group of guys play as a unit with no concern for their own personal glory,” Alan Ray said. “But then the Lakers’ offer came through.”

And this from Zach Chouteau: “With the addition of Karl Malone, do you think the Lakers can just mail it in this year?”

Eastern bias: The Lakers’ signing of Malone and Payton is seen as a coup by most NBA experts, but Newsday columnist Shaun Powell contends the New Jersey Nets hit the jackpot by getting commitments from Jason Kidd and Alonzo Mourning:

“The great revelation today is that the Nets, a franchise that historically frightened players, suddenly found itself too irresistible to refuse. Imagine that. Jersey and the Nets will emerge as the winner of this summer’s free-agent sweeps, beating out Hollywood and the Lakers.”

California dreamers: Rickey Henderson, newly acquired by the Dodgers, is the eighth player to play on four of California’s five major league teams, with previous stints on the A’s, Padres and Angels. No one has played on all five teams.

The others, with the teams they did not play on: Mike Aldrete, John D’Acquisto and Dave Kingman (all Dodgers), Elias Sosa (Angels), Stan Javier (Padres), Jay Johnstone (Giants) and Derrel Thomas (A’s).

Road warrior: Traveling through France while covering the Tour de France prompted Gil LeBreton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram to make a few observations regarding that country’s freeways:

“In America, we have rebuilt the country around our interstate highway system. In France, the Germans already did that. I believe it was called World War II. So les autoroutes tend to wind their way through unobtrusive valleys. Scenic routes receive a tastefully designed billboard, and you’ll need to leave the freeway, monsieur, to find it.

“No ‘300 miles to Carlsbad Caverns’ signs in France.”

Trivia answer: Toronto pitcher Mark Hendrickson.

And finally: From the Sporting News’ Caught On the Fly column: “Carmelo Anthony likened playing in Denver’s altitude to getting punched in the chest. It’s got nothing to do with air, kid. That’s just what it feels like playing for the Nuggets.”