Current Events Not Part of the Flight Plan

As the Major League Baseball trading deadline approaches, gossip and news of deals stir excited talk among players.

On the New York Mets’ flight from Philadelphia to Montreal Tuesday night, the Newark Star-Ledger reports, there was a ruckus in the rear of the plane.

A flight attendant asked about the excitement.

“We got Qusai and Uday,” pitcher Al Leiter said.

“I’m sorry,” the flight attendant responded. “I don’t know baseball. Are they any good?”

The players howled, according to the Ledger report.

“It was hysterical,” catcher Mike Piazza said. “It spread through the plane in a nano-second.”

Trivia time: In 1998, the year of the great home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, who were the other two players to hit 50 home runs?

Map, please: Moroccan tennis player Hicham Arazi’s trip to the Croatia Open in the port city of Umag wasn’t exactly smooth sailing, according to the ATP Web site.

Although he secured a Croatian visa, Arazi arrived via the airport at Trieste, Italy, on the Adriatic, and was not allowed to make the seven-mile drive through Slovenia to Croatia because he had not secured a Slovenian visa.

Tournament director Slavko Rasberger solved the crisis by chartering a boat from Trieste to deliver Arazi to Umag.

It was a lot of trouble for a short stay: Arazi lost to David Ferrer in the first round, falling behind, 6-0, 3-1, before retiring because he felt sick.

Gone Hollywood: Guard Brett Nelson’s basketball career fizzled in his last two seasons at Florida, and he has few pro prospects after he wasn’t picked in the NBA draft last month, though he has signed a contract to play in Sweden.

Meantime, he’s trying out in a new league -- as a contender for a part in the Universal Studios film, “The Rucker,” about the famous Rucker League in Harlem.

Nelson auditioned for one of the lead roles, as a college star who goes undrafted because of an influx of foreign players.

Sounds as it it’s a role he can handle.

“They needed a white kid who could really play,” Nelson said. “They didn’t want an actor who was decent in basketball. They wanted a kid who could play.”

The play’s the thing -- or better be. Nelson’s acting experience consists of one college drama class.

Mood ring, please: The biggest concern of San Francisco 49er training camp isn’t Coach Dennis Erickson’s leadership or quarterback Jeff Garcia’s back, Ann Killion of the San Jose Mercury News writes.

“You already know what the biggest concern is: The same as it has been the past few years. Terrell Owens’ mood.

“Will he be happy? Angry? Disrespected? Buoyant? You never know.”

Trivia answer: Ken Griffey Jr. (56) and Greg Vaughn (50).

And finally: As the media saturation surrounding the movie “Seabiscuit” continues, Orlando Sentinel columnist Jerry Greene notes one particularly unrealistic part of the film: “It acts as if people go to horse tracks for the sole purpose of cheering for the animals.”

Just make sure you don’t tear up your ticket until you’re inside the theater.

-- Robyn Norwood