Text messages from press row . . .

Chris Kaman wears red, white and blue only in Clipper Nation. . . .

Olympic nationality rules seem so arbitrary that it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that Kaman was free to join forces with Dirk Nowitzki & Co. because he’s a fan of Claudia Schiffer and once ate a piece of German chocolate cake. . . .

It’s hard to believe that Elton Brand and Baron Davis did not consult with each another before opting out of their contracts this week, so it still seems a good bet they’ll line up side by side for the Clippers next season. . . .

Corey Maggette could repudiate his me-first reputation with one stroke of his pen, signing with a contender such as the Boston Celtics or the San Antonio Spurs and accepting less money than he probably could get elsewhere. . . .

Next season, of course, he could reclaim it on the court. . . .

Light a sparkler and lift a mustard-slathered jumbo-dog toast to Vladimir Guerrero, Francisco Rodriguez and the Angels, the only team in baseball that leads its division on the Fourth of July for the second year in a row. . . .

Roseanne Roseannadanna, a character created by the late Gilda Radner on “Saturday Night Live,” would have made a good Dodgers commentator. . . .

It’s always something. . . .

Andruw Jones and Nomar Garciaparra, a combined nine for 16 in triple-A rehab assignments this week, hope that what happened in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas when they rejoin the Dodgers today in San Francisco. . . .

Tennis is more interesting when Venus Williams and Serena Williams are at the top of their games. . . .

Roger Federer might not win a record sixth consecutive Wimbledon title this weekend, but numerologists like his chances of winning a gold medal at Beijing next month -- despite his early-round exits at the last two Olympics. . . .

Reports Outside magazine in its August issue, “The Swiss ace’s birthday is Aug. 8, as in 8/8/08; the hard-court tournament lasts eight days; and eight is considered a lucky number in China.” . . .

Not to mention Federer, who turns 27 next month, has won four U.S. Open titles on hard courts in the four years since the Athens Games. . . .

Rocco Mediate, whose everyman popularity shot through the roof last month after his stirring U.S. Open playoff against Tiger Woods, is going through the process of gaining membership at Bel-Air Country Club, where he would rub elbows with the likes of Jack Nicholson, Pete Sampras, Tom Cruise, Al Michaels, Dennis Quaid and Jerry West, among other members. . . .

Mediate has been working with 75-year-old Bel-Air pro emeritus Eddie Merrins, inducted this year into the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame. . . .

If you find yourself looking up at the woman bagging your groceries Monday at the Trader Joe’s on Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach, it’s probably because it’s Sparks rookie Candace Parker or one of her teammates. . . .

The players are being put to work as part of a promotion. . . .

An Englishman hopes to quell the Revolution when David Beckham and the Galaxy play the New England Revolution tonight at Home Depot Center. . . .

You know it’s an Olympic year when water polo players start showing up on magazine covers, the latest example being Adam Wright, Jesse Smith and captain Tony Azevedo of the U.S. team landing on the cover of 805 Living. . . .

In their Speedos, of course. . . .

Brett Favre has taken waffling to a new level. . . .

Noting that not all football fans would like to see Favre return, reader J.M. of Playa del Rey writes, “I could be wrong but I’d be willing to guess, excluding Wisconsin, most fans would like Favre to, once and for all, just go away.” . . .

With Ben Howland signed through the 2014-15 season, kids who were still in the sixth grade last month will be able to play for him -- and the UCLA basketball coach probably has already scheduled recruiting visits with them. . . .

This viewer got so confused watching the ninth inning of Saturday’s game at Dodger Stadium -- the one in which the Dodgers got no hits but still defeated the Angels -- that he forgot what channel he was watching. . . .

Or, as reader Herb Schoenberg e-mailed in response to a note about Vin Scully’s description of the scene, “If he was addressing a Fox audience, you’ll have to explain to the KCAL audience what they were watching at about the same time.” . . .

Sorry about the error. . . .

Headline on the Memphis Grizzlies’ website after the draft-day trade that brought O.J. Mayo to Tennessee: “Everything goes better with Mayo.” . . .

USC might disagree.

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jerome.crowe@latimes.com