But who’s counting? Shanahan, for one

Denver Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan followed the Lane Kiffin saga closely because he too was fired by Raiders owner Al Davis.

But who knew he’d been following this closely?

Said Shanahan to reporters:

“I was there 582 days. Lane Kiffin was there 616 days. So what it really means is that Al Davis liked Lane more than he liked me. I really don’t think that’s fair.

“I won three more games, yet he got 34 more days of work. It just doesn’t seem right.”

Stay away

Warren Sapp, who starred as a Raiders defensive tackle for four seasons, said on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” that “nobody tells you how bad it is” to play for a Davis-owned team.

Sapp added, “Any person that calls me on the telephone, [I tell them] do not go anywhere near Oakland.”

Trivia time

The Red Sox’s Jason Bay and Dodgers’ Russell Martin on Wednesday became the sixth and seventh Canadians to homer in a playoff game. Who are the other five?

Nation of one

Fark.com, reacting to news that the Clippers have launched an interactive fan website: “Fan said to be very excited.”

Love lost

New Dallas Mavericks Coach Rick Carlisle wants his team to shed its nice-guys image and be more like, well, his former Detroit Pistons teams.

Carlisle explains in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

“How do you get guys to be nasty? Well, hating the opponent is a start. We’ve got to develop that as we go along.”

For starters, Carlisle has banned his players from hugging their opponents.

No mas

A high school football team in Nevada canceled its season because, simply, it was getting walloped by the competition.

Yerington High’s coaches made the decision after the Lions’ last game, a 62-7 loss, during which five players suffered injuries, three of them concussions. Yerington had a 1-3 record.

Trivia answer

Larry Walker, Justin Morneau, George Selkirk, Corey Koskie and Dave McKay.

And finally

Bernie Lincicome of the Rocky Mountain News has penned a slogan for the Colorado Rockies, who followed up a World Series appearance with a 74-88 record: “Wait Till Last Year.”

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