They don’t remember hitting the wall

Describing the New York Mets’ new stadium as “the anti-Shea,” the New York Times website offers a “first peek” photo montage inside and outside Citi Field.

The ballpark, which will open March 29 with a game between Georgetown and St. John’s, features a Jackie Robinson Rotunda outside its doors, the plaza built with engraved bricks purchased by fans for $195 to $340 for the privilege.

One brick reads, “Jeri Hester was at Game 6. Nuff Said.” Another reads, “We Loved The Amazins At Shea, Heres To New Miracles At Citi Field! The Gebhards.” Oddly, no engraved stone reads, “Our Mets Bricked Down the Stretch In 2007 and 2008,” but that was probably scratched for being too obvious.

Trivia time

When did Shea Stadium open?

Five gold rings going on six

The authors of Pittsburgh Steelers fan website, 5goldenrings.net, conducted a search of NFL-related items being sold on EBay and found that their team dominated the rankings.

There were 16,567 Steeler-related items for sale. Second place went to the Dallas Cowboys with 10,987, followed by the New York Giants with 7,633, the Green Bay Packers with 7,445 and the Chicago Bears with 7,057.

Among the material for sale was a 1976 Steelers coloring book, a Giants sweater from the Bill Parcells era and a “No Jessica” T-shirt, referring to Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo’s girlfriend and leading distraction.

Item that might be sitting around for a while: a collection of Kordell Stewart Bears cards.

Meat clever

Former USC and NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson recently served as a guest judge on the Food Channel’s “Iron Chef America” program.

Writes Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: “Coming to a bookseller near you: ‘Just Give Me the Damn Meatball.’ ”

Over the moonshine

Paying a little too much attention to his sport’s roots, former NASCAR driver Dean Combs has been charged with making moonshine.

North Carolina State Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement said they found a still behind a go-kart track near the North Wilkesboro Speedway. The agents said they seized 1,150 gallons of corn mash, 200 gallons of corn liquor and 300 pounds of sugar.

In an article posted on Examiner.com, Combs boasted about the quality of his moonshine, saying the agents “even bragged on it, said they’d never seen spring water that clear. I said, ‘You need to put a label on it and stick it in the store.’

“It’s something I was always interested in,” Combs added. “I wanted to see if I could make something drinkable. I guess I gave someone a quart I shouldn’t have.”

Trivia answer

On April 17, 1964, the Mets christened Shea Stadium with a 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

And finally

Golf analyst David Feherty, as quoted in GolfWorld magazine, on Ryan Moore’s recent tournament attire: “It looks like he may have covered himself in glue and run through a thrift shop.”

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