PICASNER'S IN A QUANDRY

In today's Rochester D & C, Bob Matthews made his picks for the NL West: Exact same order as Picasner. Has Matthews gotten smarter or has Picasner gotten dumber? You decide.

***IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT MONEY***

From Greg Cote of the Miami Herald: "I don't wanna say the Detroit auto industry is hurting, but beginning this year, the NFL's annual Super Bowl MVP will receive a PHOTO of a new Cadillac Escalade."

***YOU CAN'T HIDE BEHIND THE NAME***

Jerry Perisho: "AIG is changing it's name to AIU Holdings, Ltd. for PR purposes. In other news, Alex Rodriguez will now be known as Brooks Robinson."

***DON'T WE GET A REBATE OR SOMETHING?*** New York State is obligated to pay the Buffalo Bills $3 million a year in order to keep the Bills from moving. Last year, they played one "home" game in Toronto, and will do so again this year. Doesn't Toronto owe NYS about $400,000? Seems only fair.

***SHEFFIELD RELEASED***

Baseball's answer to Terrell Owens is without a team. Detroit released him because they wanted to "have more flexibility." Sheffield says he's probably the best athlete on the team. He'll be 41 years old in November and hit .188 in spring training. "Best athlete," huh? Doesn't say much for the rest of the Tigers. Maybe by flexibility, they mean guys who can play AND sell hot dogs and take tickets.

The Yanks & the Cubs play two exhibition games at the new stadium Friday & Saturday. Rumor has it that Cashman will throw out the first corporate sponsor. Sadly, Bob Sheppard is still not well enough to do the games. Maybe Sheffield is available.

***MORE DETROIT TIGERS IN THE NEWS***

The Tigers put Dontrelle Willis on the DL for Anxiety problems. One rival GM doesn't think too much of it: "One of my pitchers is anxious about facing Albert Pujols. If I can get a doctor to say it, can I put him on the DL?" By the way, resident genius, Jim Leland, has NOT been given a contract extension. That's the problem with the 'genius' label, Jim, you have to keep proving it.

***QUOTES FROM SOME SCOUTS***

"The White Sox are going to have a problem with the bottom of their rotation." Uh, the Sox have a top?

"The Cubs and the Angels are the best teams in Arizona." Aren't the Cubs & the Angels the ONLY teams in Arizona?

"The Padres are not a good team offensively or defensively." What's left? How are they at the National Anthem?

"The Rangers can flat-out hit. It comes down to pitching for them." I believe Nolan Ryan is available.

***NOW READ THIS NEXT ARTICLE SLOWLY***

Leon Trost has spent the last three years overseeing the construction of the new Yankee Stadium. "Unless you spend your waking hours monitoring everything, you won't get what you want." "We don't even refer to it as the New Yankee Stadium. This is the Yankee Stadium. This more like Yankee Stadium than the building we just left." In a related story, a lot of those "cheap" seats in the Stadium are obstructed views. So Leon, what did you do, take an hour off? Trost is on top of it: he had extra flat screen TVs installed, so the fans won't miss anything. Just like at home, right? Except at home, you don't have to pay $5 to sit in your recliner. And your wife is right there to get you your next beer (well, not my house).