They Blaze a New Trail in Bad Examples

Actor Josh Hartnett, an avid NBA fan, recently turned script advisor during the filming of “Resurrecting the Champ� when a scene called for Alan Alda’s character to refer to the Clippers as “pathetic,� this week’s Sports Illustrated reports.

Saying the line “no longer rings true� since the team advanced to the Western Conference semifinals this year after making the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, Hartnett suggested substituting the Trail Blazers.

Yep, the same Portland team that Ducks owner Henry Samueli is reportedly interested in buying and moving to Anaheim.

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Trivia time: Who was the last Dodger to be sold to another team rather than traded?

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Willie, Mickey or the Duke? In the (say) heyday of baseball in the 1950s, New York fans constantly compared and measured their three great center fielders: Willie Mays of the Giants, Mickey Mantle of the Yankees and Duke Snider of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

But Snider, a recent guest on radio station 570’s “Loose Cannons,� said none of the hoopla carried onto the playing field.

“It was the afternoon papers that picked up on it. They would have our averages in the paper every day,� Snider said. “There was no competition between the three of us. We were just happy to be in the big leagues. Having good years and being compared was more of a media hype than anything else.�

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Little brother: Should Jered Weaver defeat the Red Sox today in Boston, the Angel pitcher would become the first rookie to win his first eight starts since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981.

“So,� wondered Pete McEntegart of SI.com, “does this officially make Jeff Weaver the Mike Maddux of this generation?�

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Where’s the beef? Although the Milwaukee Brewers traded slugger Carlos Lee on Friday, they’re planning on adding meat to their lineup tonight with the debut of a fifth member of the team of sausages who race around Miller Park.

According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, local Latino community leaders persuaded the Brewers and the market that sponsors the races to add a Chorizo -- wearing the green, red and white of the Mexican flag and sporting a sombrero -- to the Hot Dog, Bratwurst, Polish Sausage and Italian Sausage.

“Among those missing the cut,� Dwight Perry wrote in the Seattle Times, “was the BALCO ballpark frank, which plumps even when you don’t cook it.�

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Looking back: On this date in 1754, the first international championship boxing match since ancient times took place at Harlston, England, where English champion Jack Slack -- inventor of the “rabbit punch� and accused of fixing fights -- knocked out French challenger Jean Petit in 25 minutes.

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Trivia answer: Pitcher Ted Power, who was sold to the Cincinnati Reds on Oct. 15, 1982. Among other notable players sold by the Dodgers: Duke Snider, Don Zimmer, Johnny Podres and Charlie Hough.

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And finally: Calling Tour de France winner Floyd Landis’ testing positive for high levels of testosterone “pretty unbelievable,� Jay Leno added, “I think this is the first time they’ve ever found any testosterone in France.�