Now they are seeing red in Eastern Washington

Boise State’s famous blue turf, set for a turn in the spotlight Saturday night when the third-ranked Broncos play host to Oregon State, is no longer the most absurd in college football. …

Eastern Washington last weekend played the first game on its new red playing surface. …

In more surprising news, the NCAA has no rule against it. …

What’s next, camouflage at Army? …

Joe Torre, hedging his bets and leaving his options open, sounds a little like Brett Favre — or Michael Corleone. …

“Just when I thought I was out … they pull me back in.” …

Manny Ramirez’s 2010 teams, the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox, were mathematically eliminated on the same day. …

Ramirez, marking the occasion aptly, was 0 for 3. …

If you unloaded your business, would you feel entitled to tell future owners when they should sell it? …

Peter O’Malley did. …

The Lakers tried to hire Mike Krzyzewski a few years ago, but they’ve never had a player from Duke. …

Every other NBA team has. …

Mark Cuban, nominating his Dallas Mavericks as a threat to unseat the defending NBA champions: “We’ve got a lot more depth than the Lakers. It’s not even close there.” …

Lamar Odom & Co. surely would dispute that. …

Now Reggie Bush and his alma mater are hobbled. …

When an unsmiling Lane Kiffin appeared on screen near the end of USC’s victory over Minnesota, ESPN’s Dave Lamont said, “He could look a little happier, couldn’t he?” …

Like Kiffin, AP voters also have looked askance at the unbeaten but so far uninspiring Trojans. …

Headline in the Philadelphia Daily News over a story about Michael Vick’s surprising ascension to the top of the Philadelphia Eagles’ depth chart: “Top Dog.” …

The most popular A-Rod in Wisconsin is not a slugging third baseman who dresses in pinstripes and dates actresses. …

He is Aaron Rodgers. …

Alex Rodriguez and the defending champion New York Yankees, meanwhile, are favored to meet Cole Hamels and the Philadelphia Phillies in a rematch of last year’s World Series, according to odds posted at Bodog.com. …

This time, of course, the Phillies wouldn’t have Cliff Lee, but they would have Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt. …

With the Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays and Cincinnati Reds locks for the playoffs and the San Diego Padres hanging on, late October still might offer a rarity: a World Series matching teams with payrolls in the lower half of the majors. …

The last was in 1991, when Jack Morris and the Minnesota Twins topped the Atlanta Braves. …

Noting that Tennessee football Coach Derek Dooley instructed his players on how to “shower properly,” Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-Herald writes, “Next time I visit Europe, I’m going to send Dooley in ahead of me to do advance work.” …

The Pittsburgh Steelers might be a better team without Ben Roethlisberger than they would be without Troy Polamalu, far and away their most valuable defensive player. …

Adding Carmelo Anthony would create a pleasant problem for the Clippers: a rush on season tickets. …

Patrick Kane and the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks opened training camp Saturday in front of a near-capacity crowd at the United Center. …

Charlotte Motor Speedway plans to install a video board that is 200 feet wide and 80 feet tall, larger than the iconic north facade of the White House. …

By comparison, the biggest screen on the new video board at Staples Center, unveiled Wednesday, is 22 by 14. …

The largest at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas: 160 by 72. …

Even after Duke added 4,000 temporary seats to Wallace Wade Stadium for Saturday’s game against Mark Ingram and top-ranked Alabama, the capacity was less than 40,000. …

Alabama drew more than 91,000 to its spring game. …

Emcee Jay Bilas of ESPN, opening a roast for Bob Knight: “Coach Knight has requested that none of the roasters bring up his past behavioral issues or his considerable use of profanity, so thank you everybody for coming and good night.”

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