SOMEBODY HAS FINALLY BROKEN THROUGH TO REGISTER A HIT ON TOM BRADY.

St. Louis Post Dispatch – Oct 17, 2007 – Dan O’Neil – Well, sort of. According to the Standard-Times, the NFL recently fined the New England quarterback for not having his chinstrap buckled. Patriots defensive end Ty Warren also was penalized for the offense at a different time. Keep an eye out for future fines for chewing gum in class, swearing or jay-walking.

While a player can’t be flagged for the rule, he can be fined for repeatedly disregarding it. The fine was reported to be $5,000. Presumably, Brady is a repeat offender, just as he repeatedly keeps guiding the Patriots to victories.

New England is off to a 6-0 start, while Brady has 21 touchdown passes, including five against Dallas on Sunday. Brady is the first quarterback to throw for at least three touchdowns in each of the first six games of a season.

“I think this is the most comfortable I’ve felt,” Brady said after the Pats’ 48-27 win over Dallas. “For eight years I’ve put a lot of time and effort into trying to get things the way I want them.”

Was he talking about TD passes or chinstraps?

EYE DROPS Joel Pineiro for $13 million over two years is almost enough to make you glad you don’t own a ballclub.

â€? Field reporters have confirmed Jane Sehnert aced a 114-yard par-3 at the Apache Golf Course in Scottsdale, Ariz., using a 7-iron. Word is Sehnert’s application is currently under consideration by the heretofore all male Chesterfield Sportsman’s Society.

â€? Tiger Woods and Gatorade are coming out with a drink called Gatorade Tiger. I don’t know, I like “Archie” better.

LOVE SHACK Kevin Love, UCLA’s top basketball freshman this season, is the nephew of Beach Boys crooner Mike Love. Kev says his band favorites are “Good Vibrations” and “California Girls.”
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As Wayne Campbell might say: excellent, good call.

At the same time, Jerry Crow of the Los Angeles Times pointed out: “If he is as good as everybody says, the 6-foot-10 center from Lake Oswego, Ore., probably will generate plenty of the former and attract his share of the latter this season.”

HEART TO HEART English forward Nick Easter told BBC Sport that he is disappointed with the lack of attention paid to his team’s quarterfinal win over Australia in the Rugby World Cup: “I’d like to thank the press from the heart of my bottom.”

See what he did there?

BACK PAGES On this day in 1950, the estimable Connie Mack stepped down as manager of the Philadelphia Athletics. At the time, Mack was still a spring chicken � just 87 years old � and had been at the helm of the club for 50 years.

Jimmie Dykes succeeded Mack. His tenure lasted three years, or some 47 years shorter. By 1954, Dykes was managing the artists formerly known as the St. Louis Browns, who had moved to Baltimore.

Mack was a catcher for 11 years in the 1800’s before being chosen to lead the Philadelphia club. He always wore a business suit in the dugout, and he always had an interesting opinion, such as this take: “An outfield composed of (Ty) Cobb, (Tris) Speaker and (Babe) Ruth, even with Ruth, lacks the combined power of (Joe) DiMaggio, (Stan) Musial and (Ted) Williams.”

POP QUIZ The Rockies have advanced to the World Series by going 7-0 in the postseason. Which is the only other major-league team to have a 7-0 postseason record?

A. The 1944 Browns

B. The 1967 Cardinals

C. The 1998 Yankees

D. The 1976 Reds.

The correct answer is “D.” The ’76 Cincinnati team swept the Phillies 3-0 in the National League Championship Series, then pasted the Yankees 4-0 in the World Series for a 7-0 record.

ZONE COVERAGE Trying to explain Colorado’s remarkable run of 21 wins in 22 games, sports psychologist John F. Murray told the Denver Post: “I call it effortless effort. Some people call it ‘getting in the zone.’ That’s when athletes are less self-conscious of their effort. They don’t analyze things or dissect things, they just accept them and appreciate what’s going on. It’s about attention to the present.”
Brilliant!

Dr. John F. Murray is a sports psychologist and clinical psychologist providing sports psychology and counseling services based in Palm Beach, Florida.