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The Flip Side - Jul. 12

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By MICK ELLIOTT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 12, 2008

Thinking 'out loud until it started to hurt...

Chinese 'officials announced that dog meat, a local favorite, will be removed from menus of officially designated Olympic restaurants during the Summer Games, and Beijing tourism officials are telling other outlets to discourage consumers from ordering dishes made from Fido. I wonder if that also includes no Great Danish for breakfast.

Hey, know how to say "fast food" in Chinese? Greyhound.

Florida Gators quarterback and humanitarian Tim Tebow's latest act of kindness is aimed at saving Tampa Bay-area journalism. To benefit Media General's online news source, the Heisman Trophy winner this season will sign all autographs "Tim TBO."

Tiger Woods, who will miss this year's Ryder Cup because of a knee injury, says he was asked to consider being assistant captain to the U.S. team, but he declined. Actually, captain Paul Azinger never expected Woods to accept, but hoped he'd send a couple of Swedish nannies instead.

While recuperating from knee surgery performed shortly after his U.S. Open win last month, Woods reports he is spending time at his home in Orlando watching sports, playing video games and reading. In actual PGA Tour news... oh, who cares?

Dan Patrick has been named a co-host of NBC's "Football Night in America" studio show, reuniting him with Keith Olbermann. The two former ESPN "SportsCenter" talking heads will be joined by host Bob Costas, co-host Cris Collinsworth, analysts Jerome Bettis and Tiki Barber and reporter Peter King. The show is a guaranteed ratings success if it can just get immediate family to watch.

After Dara Torres, 41, and the mother of a 2-year-old, won the 100-meter freestyle and 50 free sprints at the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, she immediately volunteered for drug testing to deflect the current presumed-doper-until-proven-clean public reaction. Unfortunately, somebody leaked pool water in her specimen cup.

Quarterback Michael Vick filed for bankruptcy protection while serving time in federal prison, saying he owes between $10 million and $50 million. Let me be sure I have this right. Vick is being dogged by creditors?

Miami athletic director Kirby Hocutt wants the Hurricanes to renew their once-fierce football rivalry with Notre Dame. Why is it the first thing I think of is George Foreman and Larry Holmes announcing they would like one more fight?

Before Greg Norman spent $2 million on his wedding last month to Chris Evert, he paid a $103 million settlement to ex-wife Laura Andrassy, including $17.5 million from the sale of a beachfront home on Jupiter Island and a $4 million home in Palm Beach. Got to say, the agreement makes Norman seems generous. Of course, he has been giving away majors for years.

Unhappy Buccaneers quarterback Chris Simms is attracting interest from the Dallas Cowboys, who are interested in the former Texas Longhorn as a potential backup to Tony Romo. The Bucs would need to agree on a spleen to be named later.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's campaign was involved in talks aimed at becoming the primary sponsor of BAM Racing's No. 49 car during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stop at Pocono on Aug. 3. Or, as the Supreme Court calls it, desegregation.

The Tour de France is under way. Which reminds me: Lance Armstrong hasn't changed girlfriends in a while.

With Scott Kazmir, Dioner Navarro and Evan Longoria, the Tampa Bay Rays put three players on the American League All-Star team, the highlight in team history. Bigger even than that time Vince Naimoli picked up a dinner check.

Lightning general manager Jay Feaster accepted a buyout. I didn't even know he worked at a newspaper.

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