It Isn’t Easy to Block Presence of Yao

Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press commenting on Yao Ming, the Houston Rockets’ 7-foot-5 center, in a recent game: “Personally, my favorite moment came when Yao walked to the scorer’s table while the game was still in play.

“He stood there watching, until he realized he was blocking the broadcasters’ view. So Yao sat on the table. And he was still blocking their view.

“So Yao sat on the floor. And his head was still sticking over the table. Hmmm. Maybe we could invent a trap door.”

More Yao: From the Caught on the Fly column in the Sporting News: “Before the Rockets-Celtics game last week in Boston, chef Ming Tsai, host of the Food Network’s ‘East Meets West,’ met Yao Ming at the FleetCenter and gave Yao a bag full of delectable items, including a specially prepared Peking duck.”

Trivia time: What is the NBA record for the highest winning percentage in road games in a season?

Pot calling the ... : Tom FitzGerald in the San Francisco Chronicle: “Talk about the slug calling the snail slow, Bill Reynolds of the Providence Journal-Bulletin dug up this quote from Jerry Tarkanian about Jim Harrick: “He’s as straight as the letter ‘S.’ ”

Getting his dig in: John McEnroe, subbing for David Letterman on “The Late Show”: “You may know I’m guest hosting tonight because Dave’s got a little eye problem. He’s having trouble seeing. Now that’s the bad news. The good news is he now qualifies to be an umpire on the tennis tour.”

Cocky kid: Josh Hilton, an outfield prospect with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, has yet to get his first big-league at-bat, but he may lead the majors in tattoos with 26.

He doesn’t lack for confidence. Recently, reports the St. Petersburg Times, he was sitting on the bench as third base coach Tom Foley was going through the signs. He gave the bunt sign, and Hamilton stared blankly.

Then Hamilton asked, “So what’s the sign for a home run?”

Raider fever: Ron Rapoport in the Chicago Sun-Times: “The Golden State Warriors, a West Coast version of the Bulls but without the strong attendance, are on fire and the fans are noticing.

“The Warriors won their sixth straight game Tuesday night -- that’s their longest winning streak in nine years -- and drew a raucous crowd that had Gilbert Arenas telling the San Francisco Chronicle: ‘I felt it was like the Raiders out there. Even the half-naked women showed up.’ ”

The big 5-0: Cleveland rookie Carlos Boozer, after the Cavaliers lost to Atlanta, 111-105, to drop to an NBA-worst 11-50: “Fifty games. It’s hard to fathom we’ve lost that many.”

Looking back: On this day in 1970, Austin Carr scored an NCAA tournament-record 61 points as Notre Dame routed Ohio State, 112-82.

Trivia answer: .816, by the 1971-72 Lakers, who went 31-7 on the road.

And finally: Mike McAllister of the Dallas Morning News on the Phoenix Suns’ Tom Gugliotta: “The injury-plagued Googs is so far past his prime that he needs binoculars just to see mediocre.”