Showing no pity by the Bay

We remember when Scott Ostler was one of us. But the former Times sports columnist ended up at the San Francisco Chronicle, and now he has gone all Herb Caen on us.

A therapist would call him a “recovering Angelino,” he writes. But Scott, it’s Angeleno. How could you forget?

Here’s Ostler, on a day when he didn’t have a column idea:

“USC is still reeling from the loss of Lane Kiffin to the Raiders, and from the Trojans’ loss to Stanford. Stanford!

“Los Angeles fans could seek solace in their NFL team, but Oakland has temporary custody of the Raiders.

“Every great city points with pride to its famed superstars, and here is L.A.’s ‘A’ list of current most-newsworthy athletes:

* “O.J. Simpson. Born in San Francisco and lives in Florida (he might soon move to Las Vegas), but because of his USC glory, his Hollywood career, and that little brush with the L.A. law thing, and the new book, Juice is identified with Los Angeles.

* “David Beckham. What’s he getting paid? Fifty million bucks per injury?

* “John David Booty. The USC quarterback’s hyper-hyped Heisman hopes faded as fast as the Trojans’ championship dreams. Broke his finger and bruised his pride against Stanford.

* “Reggie Bush. Big in the news because legal problems loom, charges that Bush (and family) were paid big money while he played at USC, which could result in forfeiture of games and shiny trophies. One of the biz guys behind the alleged sleazy dealing is Mike Ornstein, a former Raiders exec.

* “Barry Bonds. The Stale Prince of Bel-Air. Another Bay Area gift to Los Angeles. If you’re in L.A. on a clear night you can see, shining high over the Westside, a twinkling asterisk.”

And finally, on Kobe Bryant and the Lakers:

“Bryant has become L.A.’s version of Barry Bonds ’07 -- a beloved, sore-kneed and controversial superstar/media magnet whose main job is to dazzle the fans so they don’t notice how bad the team is.

“I feel terrible for my former hometown, but what can I do? Wonder if Hallmark makes a card.”

Trivia time

What is the last major San Francisco professional team to win a championship?

Rock on

With the term “Rocktober” turning up everywhere and the World Series still to come, the Colorado Rockies filed applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office seeking exclusive rights to use the phrase on such items as T-shirts, stuffed animals and bobblehead dolls.

But who really started the fad?

Both major Denver papers had banner headlines reading “ROCKTOBER” on Oct. 1, the day after the Rockies forced a one-game playoff with the San Diego Padres, the Denver Post noted.

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. used the term in an official proclamation after the Rockies advanced. And two days later, on Oct. 4, the Rockies filed paperwork.

There’s even more history, the Post noted.

There was a 1984 horror movie called “Rocktober Blood” and producers of the ABBA-based Broadway musical “Mamma Mia!” have promoted the show with a “Rocktober” theme.

Memo to the Rockies: Get ober it.

For sale

Who needs a big house if you’re going to the big house?

Not Michael Vick, who has put his Georgia lakefront mansion on the market for $4.5 million.

Vick, awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to federal charges related to dogfighting, won’t have much use for his seven-bedroom, 8 1/2 -bath place in Duluth for a while.

Say, maybe, 12 to 18 months.

The estimated monthly payment on the home as advertised on a link to Realtor.com, noted by the celebrity news website TMZ.com: $23,206.

No mention of whether there’s a doggy door.

Trivia answer

The 49ers, who last won the Super Bowl after the 1994 NFL season.

And finally

Ostler, on that bizarre Kobe “I’m ready to strap it up” comment:

“I’m not familiar with that expression, but it sounds like a guy agreeing to wear a straitjacket.”

--

robyn.norwood@latimes.com