Coliseum Suffers an Olympic Flameout

During Games of the past, the Olympic flame at the Coliseum burned brightly. Not this time.

For more than a week, the flame has been out, prompting numerous phone calls from concerned citizens to members of the Coliseum Commission.

Turns out, the flame should have been extinguished during previous Olympics.

Margaret Farnum, chief administrative officer of the commission, said officials at the Amateur Athletic Foundation told her that the flame should remain out while the Athens Games were underway.

“The only flame that should be lighted during the Olympic Games is the one where the games are being held,” she said.

Trivia time: What do Casey Daigle, a pitcher in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization, and Matt Treanor, a catcher for a Florida Marlins’ minor league club, have in common?

His job stinks: Tim Long, a research scientist for Old Spice deodorant, is known as the “sweat expert” at the company.

He led a study that determined the sweatiest sports at the Olympics. Tennis topped the list with 3.37 liters in a match, though the marathon was not included in the study. Shooting came in last among the 23 sports tested.

The results were based on duration, intensity and body temperature achieved.

“Nobody was running after them collecting sweat,” Long said. “I wouldn’t want that job.”

Bulking up: When boxer Bernard Hopkins met with reporters to discuss his Sept. 18 fight against Oscar de la Hoya, a question about his finances came up.

“I’m doing great with my money,” Hopkins said. “I have a Costco card. I also shop at Sam’s Club. You have to bag it, but it’s worth the savings.”

Gold digger: U.S. gymnast Carly Patterson revealed to “Access Hollywood” that she has a crush on swimmer Michael Phelps, who won six gold medals in Athens.

Phelps met the women’s all-around champion in the Olympic village, signed some autographs and took some pictures with her.

“She was blushing a little bit, so I could tell,” he said.

But, alas, Phelps turned out to be a heartbreaker: He told the show he has a crush on actress/singer Lindsay Lohan.

Big tipper: Dutch rower Simon Diederik left his silver medal in the back seat of an Athens taxi Monday night. The driver, Ioannis Zavos, discovered the medal and returned it.

Looking back: On this date in 1939, major league baseball was televised for the first time. WXBS brought their cameras to Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field for a doubleheader between the Cincinnati Reds and the Dodgers.

Trivia answer: Both are engaged to gold medal winners from Athens. Treanor and beach volleyball player Misty May are to be married in November; Daigle and softball pitcher Jennie Finch have an October date.

And finally: From The Sporting News’ “Caught on the Fly” column, on the man who was sentenced to eight weeks in jail for running onto the field during a New York Mets game: “It could have been worse. He could have gotten eight weeks at Shea.”