Will the World Wrestle to See ‘Worm’ in Tights?

The inevitable has happened.

Rainbow-haired cross-dresser Dennis Rodman has signed with World Championship Wrestling and will be in the ring as Hulk Hogan’s tag-team partner on a pay-per-view card this summer.

The Chicago Bulls’ star will be cast as a bad guy.

“The Worm� will join a group of antihero wrestlers called the New World Order, which is led by good-guy-turned-bad-guy Hogan, professional wrestling’s biggest star.

Rodman will begin training after the Bulls’ season ends and team with Hogan at a match July 13 in Daytona Beach, Fla.

We can hardly wait.

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Trivia time: Who is the NBA’s all-time leader in field-goal percentage?

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Easy transition: Joe Kleine, on getting acclimated to New Jersey after being traded by the Lakers: “I know how to dial room service and where to get the morning paper. What else is there?�

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The Barkley poll: Charles Barkley in USA Today on some of the “bests� in the NBA:

Best trash talker: “Reggie Miller [of Indiana]. No question. There isn’t even a second place.�

Best at getting away with stuff: “Michael [Jordan], no question. He gets away with murder and he knows it.�

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Tight squeeze: The Chicago Bears recently opened their new $23-million training facility. According to Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune, it “features a hot tub that seats 12, but that’s just for the tight ends.�

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Down in class: Forward Jamal Mashburn, now with the Miami Heat, on the differences in his post-high school basketball experiences:

“When I went to college [Kentucky], it was like a professional-type program. When I went into the pros [Dallas Mavericks], it was like a lower Division I program.�

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Broken record: New York Met catcher Albert Castillo on pitcher Koichi Taniguchi, who speaks only Japanese: “What are we going to do in a game? The only thing he knows is ‘Good morning.’ He says ‘Good morning’ 24 times a day.�

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Anyone interested? From SportsLetter of the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles:

“Kagan’s ‘Media Sports Business’ speculates that the upcoming sale of the Dodgers could fetch nearly $500 million. Though the club’s 1996 value was estimated at $297 million, the Dodgers’ projected value in the year 2000 is nearly $450 million.

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FYI: The DiMaggio brothers, Joe, Vince and Dominic, hit 573 major league home runs. That’s not the record for brothers, though. Hank Aaron hit 755 and his brother Tommie added 13.

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Trivia answer: Artis Gilmore, at 59.9%. He played for Chicago, San Antonio and Boston.

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And finally: At a pregame meal of Chinese food, Phoenix Sun General Manager Bryan Colangelo found this in his fortune cookie:

“Your troubles will cease and fortune will smile upon you.� Said Colangelo: “We should have Chinese more often.�

Then his club squandered a 16-point lead and lost to the Mavericks.