The Globetrotters have a draft?

By Ron Kantowski

Tuesday, July 8, 2008 | 8:49 p.m.

NOW:

Last week, I wrote a column in the part of the Sun you can hold in your hand about Sun Ming Ming, a basketball player from China, whose primary statistics are 24 (his age) and 7-foot-9 (his height). My belief is that he would have made a fine Harlem Globetrotter.

Well, unbeknownst to me, the Harlem Globetrotters have a player draft, and last year, sure enough, they "selected" Sun Ming Ming -- along with Anthony Atkinson of Barton College, Mario West of Georgia Tech, Brent Petway of Michigan and Marcus Kennedy of the University of Montevallo.

In a related note, the Washington Generals also held their inaugural player draft. Their first five picks were Woody Harrleson, the second-tallest son of Manute Bol, Mini-Me, PBA bowler Parker Bohn III and former NBA backup center Will Perdue (who has four NBA championship rings).

----- One more reason Triple-A baseball is more fan friendly than Big League baseball: You don't get beat with a bat because some guy thought you were a Salt Lake Bees fan.

----- Las Vegas 51s pitcher Jason Johnson, who won 55 games in the major leagues (while losing 98), respectfully turned down a spot on the Pacific Coast League All-Star team so a younger guy could have it. In other words, he wants to go fishing.

----- C.C. -- I mean CC -- Sabathia wants to have the periods removed from his name now that he has joined the Milwaukee Brewers. He plans to trade them for a couple of more commas in his salary when he becomes a free agent next year.

----- A lot of skeptics think 41-year-old super mom Dara Torres is taking something illegal to help her set national swimming records. Maybe she's just on the Swim Fast diet. But if Torres shows up in Beijing with Mark Spitz's mustache, Floyd Landis is going to demand a recount.

----- Pigskins do fly: The Cleveland Gladiators, who used to be the Las Vegas Gladiators after they were the New Jersey Gladiators and the New Jersey Red Dogs, won another Arena Football League playoff game Monday night. They are one victory away from the ArenaBowl. Figures.

THEN:

Hey, Michael Phelps: Buster Crabbe called and he wants his swimsuit back.