Kids Will Do the Darnedest Things

A 15-year-old girl has become the youngest female fan to be banned from soccer matches for her part in a riot after a match in the English Premier League.

The BBC reported that Felicity Thorpe admitted being among 300 who went on the rampage near the Fratton Park stadium after Portsmouth’s 1-0 victory over visiting Southampton.

Thorpe, 14 at the time of the match in March, was spotted on closed-circuit television dressed in a Portsmouth shirt and throwing stones and rubble at police, the court was told.

She pleaded guilty this week to violent disorder and was sentenced to eight months at an institution for young offenders.

The court, which ordered that the girl could be named by the media, also imposed a six-year ban from attending matches in England and Wales.

Trivia time: In the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, why was U.S. runner Fred Lorz disqualified after initially being declared the winner of the marathon?

Name that tune: “Bar-ry stinks, Bar-ry stinks.”

That should have been the title of director Stacy Peralta’s latest documentary, “Riding Giants,” which opens in theaters today.

Oh, it’s not about the left-field corner and pavilion at Dodger Stadium whenever Barry Bonds and the Giants come to town?

It’s about big-wave surfing?

Never mind.

Busy elsewhere: ESPN the Magazine lists these as among the top excuses by NBA players for not joining the U.S. Olympic team:

* “I already signed up for synchronized swimming.”

* “I’m marrying J-Lo on the same day as the gold-medal game.”

A convert: Dave Winfield, a recent guest on a TBS Atlanta Braves’ telecast, was asked about his opinion of the designated hitter rule.

“Early in my career I said, ‘What is this, a guy that can hit but can’t play the field?’ ” Winfield said.

“As I matured, I said, ‘Would you rather see me hit or some pitcher?’ ”

Looking back: On this day in 1989, Boris Becker and Steffi Graf claimed a West German sweep of the Wimbledon singles championships in the first double-finals day in 16 years.

Becker defeated defending champion Stefan Edberg, 6-0, 7-6 (1), 6-4.

Graf defeated Martina Navratilova, 6-2, 6-7 (1), 6-1.

Red alert: From Channel 9’s Alan Massengale: “Did you see where Mike Tyson’s representatives have proposed a seven-fight plan to get him out of bankruptcy?

“The problem with this is, I don’t believe even the Del Monte Corp. can come up with that many tomato cans.”

Trivia answer: Lorz hitched a ride in a car for 11 miles of the race.

And finally: “I’m not saying that sports fans in Canada don’t know much about baseball,” reader Jim Greene of San Francisco writes.

“However, upon hearing the news that favorite son Eric Gagne just set the record with 84 straight saves, the Montreal Canadiens immediately offered him a contract as a goalie.”