Vocal, vital, Vitale: Dick Vitale resting but ready to talk

Nobody had to tell Dick Vitale to get a T.O., baby.

Decibel Dick, who underwent throat surgery last year, says he is trying to rest his vocal cords between gigs this season to prolong his ESPN basketball-broadcasting career.

"I know I'm in the last chapter," Vitale, 69, told reporters in a conference call. "I know time is running out. But I want to enjoy it as much as I can."

Not that muting himself is easy.

"I was always going 24-7," he said. "Man, I love to talk."

A bad way to go

A second-round 75 and an unlucky random drug-test draw put an ignominious end to Annika Sorenstam's storied LPGA career on Friday.

In other words, miss the cut, hit the cup.

Break time

In labor news, SportsPickle.com reported, the NFL Players Association is demanding an additional 15-minute break for its workers between the third and fourth quarters.

As the satirical site "quoted" Saints QB Drew Brees: "We just want our dignity. Not only do we currently get just one 15-minute break, but we don't even get to enjoy it in peace. Usually our coaches yell at us the entire time."

Their Irish is up

Notre Dame fans pelted their own sideline with snowballs during the Irish's stunning 24-23 upset loss to Syracuse on Saturday.

Talk about being fed up: Even Touchdown Jesus had a snowball in his hand.

Double or something

With 21 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists and 11 steals against New Rochelle last Sunday, Bard College's Latiqua Williams became just the eighth player in women's college basketball history to bag a quadruple-double.

Or as it's known in the Police Athletic League, a Big 10-4.

Ouch

Florida State safety Darius McClure suffered a season-ending knee injury against Boston College when he jumped and landed awkwardly — while celebrating his first career interception.

Typo? No, just a Gramatica error.

Bad Apples Dept.

Washington State — facing Washington in a matchup of The Bottom Ten's 1-2 teams — eked out a 16-13 two-OT victory in Saturday's 101st Apple Cup.

It's also the first time in college-football history the winning student body chanted, "They're No. 1!"

Talko time

• Gregg Drinnan of the Kamloops (B.C.) Daily News, on country singer Mindy McCready's claims of an ill-fated, 10-year dalliance with pitcher Roger Clemens: "Gotta think Mindy is going to come out with a real hurtin' song one of these days."

• Vancouver, B.C., comic Torben Rolfsen, after the Steelers and Chargers produced the first 11-10 game in NFL history: "Donovan McNabb said he didn't know games could end 11-10."

• Todd Dewey of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, after Kelly Frank was fired after five seasons as the Tampa Bay Rays' "Raymond" mascot: "Everybody doesn't like Raymond."

• Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman, to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, on his team's 2-9 start: "I sleep in a padded bedroom now."

He'll plead sanity

FBI agents in Cincinnati arrested a 42-year-old man who they say threatened to blow up several local landmarks, including the Bengals' stadium.

Prosecutors, pointing to the team's rap sheet and 1-9-1 record, fear they might have to move the trial out of Ohio to get a conviction.

Sideline Chatter appears Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Dwight Perry: 206-464-8250 or dperry@seattletimes.com