Will Woods Adhere to a New Career Model?

Tired of seeing Tiger Woods dominate the links? Looking for that certain someone to bring him back to the pack and make golf a competitive sport again?

Greg Norman has his eyes on just such a person. No, it’s not Norman himself, or Phil Mickelson, or Ernie Els, or any of the other current also-rans on the tour.

“Phil and Ernie and Sergio [Garcia] and Vijay [Singh] and Retief [Goosen] and David [Duval],” Norman writes on his Web site, “have only one hope left: the Swedish model.”

That would be Elin Nordegren, Woods’ 22-year-old girlfriend, whose photo layouts have become a huge hit on the Internet.

The nanny: Nordegren was nanny to golfer Jesper Parnevik’s kids when she met Woods at last year’s British Open. Parnevik told a Swedish newspaper it was love at first sight.

“Maybe Tiger Woods will become so head-over-heels in love with his new girlfriend,” Norman writes, “that he’ll want to get married, have children and quit playing golf for a living.”

Dream on, Greg.

Trivia time: The record for individual assists in a Laker playoff game is 24, held jointly by a Laker and a Laker opponent. Name the two players.

Short story: Norman Chad on AOL Exclusive, describing the lower half of Utah Jazz guard John Stockton’s uniform: “There’s no easy explanation for Stockton’s short shorts. I figure he just latched onto a pair in eighth-grade phys ed, loved the feel of them and decided to keep them until they fell off.”

Tough crowd: The New York Mets put pitcher Satoru Komiyama on the disabled list after he broke the middle finger on his pitching hand opening a garage door.

Says Bret Lewis of KFWB (980): “Anyone in New York can tell you how hard it is to get through the day in that city without the use of your middle finger.”

Bird watching: Larry Bird may be far removed from the Boston Celtics, but he’s still a fan. And a critic.

“Every time I watch [Paul Pierce] play,” Bird told Jackie MacMullan of the Boston Globe, “he’s hitting every one of his shots. But then, when it’s over, you look and he’s shooting 40%. I am always so surprised when that happens. Forty percent is so bad.

“Now Antoine [Walker], with him you notice all the misses because he takes so many bad shots.”

Looking back: On this day in 1912, Fenway Park opened in Boston with the Red Sox defeating the New York Yankees, 7-6, in 11 innings. Tiger Stadium in Detroit also opened its doors as the Tigers defeated the Cleveland Indians, 6-5. Continuing the theme, on this day in 1916, the Chicago Cubs played their first game at Weeghman Park--renamed Wrigley Field in 1926--beating the Cincinnati Reds, 7-6, in 11 innings.

Trivia answer: Magic Johnson had 24 assists in a 1994 playoff game against the Phoenix Suns. Stockton had 24 for Utah against the Lakers in a 1988 playoff game.

Finally: Phil Mushnick of the New York Post reports that New York Ranger radio announcer Sal Messina was obviously unfamiliar with the subject when he read a promo for a women’s soccer match.

Looking at the name “Mia Hamm,” Messina told his audience to tune in when “the New York Power take on the Miami Ham.”