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Sports Watch

By Bill Kwon

Thursday, June 22, 2000

It’s a crime: stat sheet
now a rap sheet

ITEM: A week after being acquitted of trying to bribe a police officer, former Florida State kicker Sebastian Janikowski, the Oakland Raiders' first-round draft choice, was arrested on charges of possessing the "date-rape drug."

Here we go again.

The sports pages have become a police blotter.

There are so many athletes getting in trouble that it's difficult to keep track of them all.

If, before, it was hard to tell a player without a program, today it's even more difficult to identify them without their police case numbers.

Not to worry. In this day and age of the Internet, wouldn't you know that there's now a Web site to keep tabs on all of the misdeeds and miscreants in the world of sports. Just go to http://www.cracksmoker.com.

And to make the search even easier, the Web site has five data bases - NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and Fresno State.

The Web site was recently featured by Sports Illustrated, so I had to check it out.

As Madeline Kahn once said, "It's true, it's true."

Of course, there's a disclaimer by the Web site creators. They say that it is merely an informational guide to expose the related travesties of sports, violence and other forms of anti-social behavior.

That "Cracksmoker" is a satirical term used to describe an individual who exhibits behavior outside of societal and social standards. And that in no way are they implying that the athletes featured on the site use or condone the use of crack cocaine.

Their criteria for listings:

Must be a professional or collegiate athlete.

Must have been in the news for something noteworthy other than an athletic accomplishment.

Have a tendency to put themselves ahead of their team.

Often demand more money or playing time than they deserve.

Regularly participate in excessive celebrations and taunting of other players.

Probably have referred to themselves in the third person at one time or another.

May have one or more illegitimate children.

Actions are generally not premeditated.

The National Football League's data base is the biggest of the five.

With Rae Carruth, Cecil Collins, Mark Chmura, Ryan Leaf, Ray Lewis, Randy Moss and Lawrence Phillips among the heaviest contributors, it's not surprising. And Sebastian is just warming up for his rookie season.

Surprisingly, O.J. Simpson isn't listed, although Hall of Famer Jim Brown is.

HEADING the NBA list with the longest record of bad behavior is Isiah Rider.

Rounding out the NBA's bad-boy starting five are Latrell Sprewell, Allen Iverson, Derrick Coleman and Anthony Mason.

Dallas Mavericks' draftee Leon Smith is right up there with them in bad press and he hasn't even played yet.

Darryl Strawberry has created the biggest stir in the majors, with Albert Belle second and John Rocker now third.

Marty McSorley of the Boston Bruins is the NHL data base's No. 1 lowlight for mistaking Vancouver's Don Brashear's head for a puck.

Listing Fresno State separately was inspired and funny, although the school, I'm sure, is not amused.

Avondre Jones, the Samurai cager, topped the list, which includes Chris Herren.

Really, though, the other FSU -- Florida State University -- deserves a separate listing more than Fresno State.

Did I mention Sebastian Janikowski?