Webber’s Deal Has Some Side Benefits

Now that NBA star Chris Webber has struck a deal to avoid a trial and guarantee he won’t go to prison for perjury, Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom is off the hook too.

Webber attorney Steve Fishman had been seeking Albom’s testimony because Albom wrote in the 1993 book “Fab Five,” that as a Michigan student Webber once didn’t have enough money to order a full meal at a restaurant. Albom also said Webber once borrowed $5 for gas.

“Aw shucks,” wrote Albom, who objected to testifying because of journalistic ethics. “Now that Chris Webber has called another last-minute timeout ... there goes my chance to be a star witness.”

(Webber, you’ll remember, handed North Carolina the 1993 NCAA championship when he signaled for a timeout the Wolverines didn’t have with 11 seconds left in the title game, drawing a technical foul that helped clinch North Carolina’s victory.)

Trivia time: Who is the only horse other than Secretariat to finish the Kentucky Derby in less than two minutes?

It’s still Phil: Little-known Ben Curtis took care of a major bit of business by winning the British Open as a PGA Tour rookie Sunday.

“While we don’t know exactly what lies ahead for this young man, we know one thing he doesn’t have to worry about,” wrote Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe.

“He’ll never be TBPNTHWAM (The Best Player Never To Have Won a Major.)”

The reluctant reigning champ: Phil Mickelson.

Ben there, done that: Curtis might not even be the most famous person to carry his name.

The Dell Dude -- as in the “Dude, you should have bought a Dell” commercials -- is an actor named Ben Curtis.

Not nice: Tony Kornheiser on Mickelson’s TBPNTHWAM status: “Oh, I forgot -- Phil’s got that Ford deal, so that’s OK. What does he get to pick from now -- a Taurus or an Escort?”

La Russa’s lineup: John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle recently picked an all-star team made up of players managed by Tony La Russa during his career with the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals.

That’s some team.

The infield: Carlton Fisk at catcher, Mark McGwire at first, Fernando Vina at second, Edgar Renteria at short -- what, no Ozzie Smith? -- and Carney Lansford at third over Scott Rolen.

In the outfield: Rickey Henderson, Jose Canseco and Albert Pujols. (Potent offense, but who plays center field?)

At designated hitter, Harold Baines over Dave Parker.

Add a pitching staff that includes Dave Stewart, Bob Welch, LaMarr Hoyt and Tom Seaver, with Dennis Eckersley as the closer.

Consider that the next time you hear La Russa call Pujols the best player he has managed.

Trivia answer: Monarchos, who won the 2001 Derby in 1:59.97. (Secretariat’s record is 1:59 2/5, set in 1973.)

And finally: Syndicated columnist Norman Chad on the new tryouts and “American Idol” style contests for jobs on ESPN and College Sports Television:

“Kids used to dream of becoming astronauts or ballplayers; now they dream of sitting next to Bobby Valentine on ‘Baseball Tonight.’ ”