'Cause concealed weapons are funny

Stephen Jackson certainly has that starting-lineup thing down pat.

The Golden State swingman — whose rap sheet includes the infamous brawl in Detroit and an arrest for firing a handgun in the air outside a nightclub during his days as a Pacer — has added an unusual ritual when his name is called during the Warriors' pregame introductions: He trots onto the court, clasps his hands behind his head and gets frisked by teammate Matt Barnes. "It's a little joke for all the people who think I'm a bad guy, who don't know me," Jackson told the San Francisco Chronicle's Scott Ostler. "It's like, 'I got nothing on me, I just want to play basketball and have fun.' "

Deadpanned Barnes, when asked if his pat-downs of Jackson have ever uncovered any contraband: "No, he keeps all that stuff in the locker room."

Thar he blows

In sailing news, the Louis Vuitton Cup race in Valencia, Spain, was postponed for the fifth time in six days Saturday because there wasn't enough wind to fill the yachts' sails.

And in a related story, America's BMW Oracle Racing has scheduled a news conference for today to introduce its newest crew member, Dick Vitale.

News flash

The Cincinnati Bengals, saying they're not afraid to tempt fate after having nine players arrested in nine months last year, announced they will use this year's No. 1 draft pick on a lockdown corner.

Bring your sacks

Fans of Giants Pro Bowler Michael Strahan collected a few souvenirs Saturday when his ex-wife held a garage sale in Montclair, N.J., at the $3.6 million mansion she inherited in a contentious $15.3 million divorce settlement.

But diehard Giants fan Jamal Callaway, when asked if those 32- and 20-inch TV sets he scored for $100 were flat screens, told the Newark Star Ledger: "She's not that mad at him."

Axles of Evel

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger kicked off the start of Steelers minicamp last Friday by claiming he and former coach Bill Cowher weren't always on the same page.

"I have no idea what page Cowher was on," wrote Dan Daly of the Washington Times, "but I'm pretty sure Big Ben was on page 167 of 'Evel Knievel: An American Hero.' "

Talko time

• NASCAR Truck racer Joe Ruttman, to The Associated Press, on why he returned to driving after a 4 ½-year layoff at age 62: "To face the reality of working at my age, what would I be, a greeter at Sam's or Wal-Mart?"

• Mavs center Kevin Willis, to AP, on returning to the NBA at age 44 after nearly a two-year absence: "The door was closed. I didn't close it. Somebody closed it. But I knew it wasn't locked."

• Woody Paige of the Denver Post, after the Rockies' Willy Taveras struck out in 12 of his first 38 at-bats: "The Say-K Kid."

• Stan Diel of the Birmingham (Ala.) News, on a surefire Southern sport combining two of the region's most popular pastimes: "BASSCAR."

Going, going, gone

A Little League coach's 1992 Honda Accord — stolen three days earlier — was found by police in Milwaukie, Ore., with all the team's gear still inside, Portland's KPTV reported.

Seamheads suspect the thief, in keeping with baseball tradition, was merely looking for something he could drive.

Dwight Perry: 206-464-8250 or dperry@seattletimes.com