Now they are seeing red in Eastern Washington

Boise State’s famous blue turf, set for a turn in the spotlight Saturday night when the third-ranked Broncos play host to Oregon State, is no longer the most absurd in college football. …

Eastern Washington last weekend played the first game on its new red playing surface. …

In more surprising news, the NCAA has no rule against it. …

What’s next, camouflage at Army? …

Joe Torre, hedging his bets and leaving his options open, sounds a little like Brett Favre — or Michael Corleone. …

“Just when I thought I was out … they pull me back in.” …

Manny Ramirez’s 2010 teams, the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox, were mathematically eliminated on the same day. …

Ramirez, marking the occasion aptly, was 0 for 3. …

If you unloaded your business, would you feel entitled to tell future owners when they should sell it? …

Peter O’Malley did. …

The Lakers tried to hire Mike Krzyzewski a few years ago, but they’ve never had a player from Duke. …

Every other NBA team has. …

Mark Cuban, nominating his Dallas Mavericks as a threat to unseat the defending NBA champions: “We’ve got a lot more depth than the Lakers. It’s not even close there.” …

Lamar Odom & Co. surely would dispute that. …

Now Reggie Bush and his alma mater are hobbled. …

When an unsmiling Lane Kiffin appeared on screen near the end of USC’s victory over Minnesota, ESPN’s Dave Lamont said, “He could look a little happier, couldn’t he?” …

Like Kiffin, AP voters also have looked askance at the unbeaten but so far uninspiring Trojans. …

Headline in the Philadelphia Daily News over a story about Michael Vick’s surprising ascension to the top of the Philadelphia Eagles’ depth chart: “Top Dog.” …

The most popular A-Rod in Wisconsin is not a slugging third baseman who dresses in pinstripes and dates actresses. …

He is Aaron Rodgers. …

Alex Rodriguez and the defending champion New York Yankees, meanwhile, are favored to meet Cole Hamels and the Philadelphia Phillies in a rematch of last year’s World Series, according to odds posted at Bodog.com. …

This time, of course, the Phillies wouldn’t have Cliff Lee, but they would have Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt. …

With the Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays and Cincinnati Reds locks for the playoffs and the San Diego Padres hanging on, late October still might offer a rarity: a World Series matching teams with payrolls in the lower half of the majors. …

The last was in 1991, when Jack Morris and the Minnesota Twins topped the Atlanta Braves. …

Noting that Tennessee football Coach Derek Dooley instructed his players on how to “shower properly,” Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-Herald writes, “Next time I visit Europe, I’m going to send Dooley in ahead of me to do advance work.” …

The Pittsburgh Steelers might be a better team without Ben Roethlisberger than they would be without Troy Polamalu, far and away their most valuable defensive player. …

Adding Carmelo Anthony would create a pleasant problem for the Clippers: a rush on season tickets. …

Patrick Kane and the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks opened training camp Saturday in front of a near-capacity crowd at the United Center. …

Charlotte Motor Speedway plans to install a video board that is 200 feet wide and 80 feet tall, larger than the iconic north facade of the White House. …

By comparison, the biggest screen on the new video board at Staples Center, unveiled Wednesday, is 22 by 14. …

The largest at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas: 160 by 72. …

Even after Duke added 4,000 temporary seats to Wallace Wade Stadium for Saturday’s game against Mark Ingram and top-ranked Alabama, the capacity was less than 40,000. …

Alabama drew more than 91,000 to its spring game. …

Emcee Jay Bilas of ESPN, opening a roast for Bob Knight: “Coach Knight has requested that none of the roasters bring up his past behavioral issues or his considerable use of profanity, so thank you everybody for coming and good night.”

jerome.crowe@latimes.com