"I am your number one fan. You ran as fast as a dog."

"I can't believe how rich you are for a horse."

"Were you scared when they started the race? I bet you were."

"I hope you win the race so you can have a summer vacation."

"Smarty Jones, you have to eat."

"I hope you give me some of your money."

Eye of the Tiger

Former world champion Sugar Ray Leonard started doing publicity this week for the upcoming reality television series The Contender. The series will follow boxing hopefuls that will be mentored by Leonard and, uh, Sylvester Stallone. Yes, Rocky, the guy who consistently led with his chin and never threw a jab during five movies that spanned three decades.

Only in America

The Associated Press reported this week that the Republican Party has raised the ante on bipartisan politics. Apparently Don King is touring the country with Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie to tout President Bush's re-election.

Yikes.

True story

As Triple Crown fever took over this week, and publications recited paragraph after paragraph of useless racing knowledge of past Triple Crown winners, the New York Daily News went above and beyond with this nugget:

"When jockey John Longden (Count Fleet, 1943) was 5 years old, he and his mother left their home in Wakefield, England, to join his father, who had previously relocated to Canada. When their train to Southampton was late, they arrived long after the gangplanks to their ship had been pulled up. They missed the maiden and final voyage of the Titanic."

Crush vs. Rush

In Arena Football League news, John Dutton threw for 266 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Colorado Crush past the Chicago Rush 56-47 to create a tie for the Central Division title.

The tie also signified the end of original singular mascot names in minor-league sports.