'Pacman' isn't the only Jones in Big D making poor decisions

Trouble again  It goes without saying that it's in the best interest of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to make as little as possible over the incident involving Adam "Pacman" Jones that took place Tuesday night at a Dallas hotel. (Pacman wasn't suspended for Sunday's game in Arizona after an internal investigation by the Cowboys predictably dismissed the altercation between Jones and his bodyguard as harmless horseplay gone sideways.) Pacman is more indispensable since the injury to cornerback Terence Newman, but the Cowboys' attempt at damage control is also aimed at reducing the public embarrassment for Jerry Jones, the genius who signed football's biggest train wreck.

D for dumb If you don't think bringing Pacman aboard was a stupid idea for the Cowboys, ask yourself how many other athletes need to be protected from themselves by a rotating team of four bodyguards. O.J. Simpson's prison detail isn't that big.

Kid's stuff In order to gain a full appreciation for Plaxico Burress' unprofessional and unapologetic attitude ("Maybe I have a problem with time or something," he shrugged after returning from a one-game suspension.) it helps to realize that the Giants' flaky receiver is 31. He only acts 13.

Party of one Manny Ramirez is something to behold with a bat in his hand, but considering how he reached the Dodgers - by quitting on the Red Sox - he's the closest thing baseball has to one of those prima donna pass receivers.

Over quickly As we learned again this year, teams that get off to a slow start in baseball's best-of-five division series are doomed. Since the wildcard was introduced in 1995, there have been 56 first-round, best-of-five series. Only in four of them has a team lost the first two games, then won the next three.

Party boys What is it with baseball and champagne? NFL and NBA teams don't hold wine-spraying parties when they simply reach the playoffs or move past the first round, but whenever a baseball team advances, the players act like grape-nuts. Consider this: the World Series winner participates in four clubhouse champagne celebrations. That's too many wine spritzers.

Missouri's man It's early, but the Heisman Trophy is Chase Daniel's to lose.

TV timeout Sarah Palin identifies herself as a hockey mom, but by the look of NHL ratings each year, she must be the only one.

Exposed Overhyped YouTube sensation Kimbo Slice was beaten by a fellow tomato can in 14 seconds on last week's nationally televised mixed martial arts freak show. It's time Kimbo changed his last name to Slice and Diced.

Dish water Thursday night football's results were encouraging for plucky Wake Forest and could send underachieving Clemson into a death spiral, but talk about a dull game. The ACC won zero style points as ESPN's telecast exposed the conference's problems to the rest of the nation.

Bottom line In view of a national financial crunch, college athletic programs need to cut spending. They can start by reducing travel. The New York Times reports that Ohio State's football team chartered two planes for its game against Southern California - at a cost of $370,000. But at least the Buckeyes football team makes money. Non-revenue sports teams should be required to stick close to home whenever possible.

Bob Molinaro, (757) 446-2373, bob.molinaro@pilotonline.com