This, That, and the Other Thing.

• Author: BARRETT, WAYNE M.

WHATEVER HAPPENED to free speech in this country, at least where white athletes are concerned? San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds, recently retired NBA forward Charles Barkley, former Georgetown University men's basketball coach John Thompson, New York Jets linebacker Bryan Cox, ex-NFL lineman Reggie White, renowned tennis father Richard Williams (dad of Serena and Venus)--that's off the top of my head; there are plenty more--are all black and all have been given a virtual free pass to spew bigoted remarks and racist vitriol against the much-despised and universally hated "whitie." Yet, Atlanta Braves reliever John Rocker is ordered to see a psychiatrist by the baseball hierarchy (and then is given a lengthy suspension and hefty fine) for a harshly worded, but not altogether inaccurate, description of the clientele found on New York City's subways.

* Go figure. NHL salaries have skyrocketed to the point where they're almost right up there with the outrageous numbers being flaunted by other sports, yet hockey's team owners refuse to spend enough for good ice and flexible boards. The resulting rash of groin pulls, abdominal strains, bad backs, and concussions means that they must pay out hundreds of millions of dollars to players stuck on the disabled list or forced to retire early.

Football and baseball have begun to come around in this regard, a number of clubs replacing Astro-turf fields with natural grass. They finally decided that maybe it didn't make sense to have their millionaire players trying to perform on carpeted concrete slabs.

* The millennium- and century-closing accolades in baseball properly have been bestowed upon the New York Yankees, winners of 36 American League pennants. Don't forget about the Atlanta Braves, though. They finished first nine times in the 1990s. Their five National League flags in a single decade give them as many or more pennants in a 10-year period as 18 of baseball's 30 teams have registered in their entire history.

* Traditionalists are always accused of refusing to accept the economic realities of the modern-day sports world. But the modern-day sports world refuses to bow to tradition, even when it makes economic sense. When major league baseball expands to 32 teams, instead of having small divisions, wild card contenders, and interleague play, why not simply break up the National and American leagues into two divisions apiece, with eight teams in each--and only the four first-place teams...