Jackie Robinson's plaque in the Hall of Fame makes no mention of his breaking the color barrier in major league baseball, an oversight that will be corrected when a new plaque is unveiled Saturday at Cooperstown, N.Y. . . .
Noting that Robinson's induction in 1962 was "based on performance alone," President Jeff Idelson of the National Hall of Fame and Museum says, "Now, 46 years later . . . the time is right to recognize his contribution to history, not only as a Hall of Fame player, but also as a civil rights pioneer." . . .
Wording on the plaque should resonate more powerfully than lines there now such as, "Joint record holder for most double plays by a second baseman." . . .
Roger Clemens, who allegedly started a 10-year affair with Mindy McCready when the country singer was only 15 and the All-Star pitcher 28, is winner of the "Cy Really Young award," Jay Leno reports. . . .
Demetrius Bell of Northwestern State, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive tackle taken by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the NFL draft, is a son of former Lakers and Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone. . . .
His mother, Gloria Bell, reportedly was only 13 and the Mailman a sophomore at Louisiana Tech when Gloria delivered Demetrius. . . .
Father and son, one of four Division I athletes to play football and basketball last season, did not meet until Demetrius was 18, the Buffalo News reports. . . .
Magic Johnson never played in Staples Center, Wayne Gretzky never played there and Oscar De La Hoya, who will be honored with a statue outside the arena near similar tributes to Johnson and Gretzky, fought there once. . . .
The "Golden Boy" lost a split decision to Shane Mosley in 2000. . . .
Ohio State and Pete Carroll's USC Trojans hold down the Nos. 2 and 3 spots in Sports Illustrated's spring power rankings behind No. 1 Georgia. . . .
Congratulations to Troy Aikman, voted into the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, but here's guessing the former UCLA quarterback would trade the honor for a victory over USC and a trip to the Rose Bowl during his two seasons in Westwood. . . .
Tony Parker and sixth man extraordinaire Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs rank among the world's most dynamic players, so why aren't fans more excited about the defending NBA champions? . . .
Efficiency's not always boring. . . .
Luke Walton seems to have torn a page from Robert Horry's book, sleepwalking through the regular season before looming large in the playoffs. . . .
