Morning briefing

Hoosiers have it in Hopper

Indianapolis landed the 2012 Super Bowl this week, and may have raised the bar for how a city goes after that cash-cow game by using Dennis Hopper, of “Hoosiers” fame, in the 15-minute video pitch.

Jack Swarbrick, vice president of the city’s bid, explained the choice to the Indianapolis Star: “He’s a little in your face. He talks about the idea of celebration that we are promoting, and he’s a guy who knows fun.”

Sure, nothing says good times like Frank Booth (Hopper) in “Blue Velvet.”

Still, this could start a trend -- edgy actors to coerce NFL owners to pony up the Super Bowl.

Jack Nicholson can promote Los Angeles, though Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa might want to remind Jack that it’s the Super Bowl, not the World Series, that he wants to watch.

Al Pacino can make an offer they can’t refuse on behalf of New York.

And if Anthony Hopkins shows up and invites Commissioner Roger Goodell to dinner -- fava beans and a nice Chianti? -- does the Super Bowl end up in England?

Trivia time

The Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins meet in the Stanley Cup finals. When was the last time that teams from those cities played each other for a title?

How Swede

it isn’t

Swedish track star Carolina Kluft was a bit put off this week, to say the least, after seeing her face superimposed over a ridiculous-looking cartoon figure of her during a media teleconference promoting a Scottish meet. The image included childlike pigtails and exaggerated figure, prompting Kluft to say, “I don’t think that looks so nice. I have to be honest. That’s not me,” the Herald, a Scottish newspaper, reported.

Called for traveling

When the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported last month that Champion Air, a Bloomington-based charter carrier used by NBA teams, would go out of business May 31, few paid much attention. Now it could cause the Lakers problems.

Game 6 of the Western Conference finals is scheduled for May 31, meaning one thing: The Lakers wrap it up in five or it’s going to be a long walk home June 1.

Vladdy’s a baddy

The overview of “Scorpion Tales,” the MLB.com blog by Texas Rangers reliever C.J. Wilson, above, opens with, “Where’s the best postgame food in the American League? Chicago. How do you pitch to [the Angels’] Vladimir Guerrero? Hard and with conviction, oh and duck just in case. . . . “

Theory being: If you don’t do the ducking, it won’t matter what city you gum food in.

Beer nuts

JV Games Inc. announced this week a new Wii game that includes a version of Beer Pong, which, simply put, is a game where ping pong balls are bounced at glasses of beers.

While this inspires a question -- Has society become so lazy it can’t fill up a mug and drop a few quarters? -- it also screams tie-in with the NBA draft lottery.

Just put logos on the cups and numbers on the balls and, voila, a real NBA “draft.”

Get David Stern on the phone.

Trivia answer

The 1909 World Series, when the Tigers and Pirates played. And, no, that was not the first season Chris Chelios played for the Red Wings.

And finally

Miami Dolphins’ Jason Taylor, after finishing second to Kristi Yamaguchi in “Dancing With the Stars,” told the Associated Press, “If you’ve got to finish anywhere besides first, second place is the best you can get.”

Now that’s putting a quality University of Akron education to use.

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chris.foster@latimes.com