Brett Favre's pump is prime stuff

Ever wonder why Brett Favre's pump fakes are so effective?

"Reason why it works is because every defensive back knows that Brett is the all-time leader in interceptions," former Packers safety Leroy Butler told ESPN. "So, 'here's my chance ...

"maybe not' ...

"touchdown!"

Record collecting

The difference between football and baseball record-keepers, in a nutshell:

• NFL: Patriots' Tom Brady throws record five TD passes in one quarter vs. Titans.

• MLB: Besides that, it was also a record for a right-hander on artificial turf in a day game in snow in October.

Sitting ducats

Fans attending Saturday's Tennessee-Alabama game were urged to get their tickets from legitimate sources.

One telltale hint your tickets might be fake: Those $20 bills you got in change all have Bear Bryant's face on them.

Knotted up again

Hear about the Major League Soccer special down at Men's Wearhouse?

Each new suit comes with 11 ties.

Ump and circumstance

Major League Baseball announced that only veteran umpires will work the World Series in light of all the playoff gaffes, but is it the right call?

"The only difference between experienced and inexperienced umps," opined Kevin Gleason of the Middletown (N.Y.) Times Herald-Record, "is that the experienced ones are more adamant about being right when they are wrong."

Not the sharpest guy

An assistant football coach at Kathleen High School near Lakeland, Fla., faces assault and weapons charges for allegedly brandishing a pocket knife in front of a player and warning him "Don't try me today" during a recent practice.

So much for the notion that football is a no-cut sport.

Talking the talk

• Brad Dickson in the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald, on Nebraska committing eight turnovers in Saturday's 9-7 loss to Iowa State: "The Huskers shot themselves in the foot so much they just named Plaxico Burress honorary captain."

• Drew Curtis of Fark.com, on Shaquille O'Neal's difficulties mastering the Cavaliers' playbook: "Apparently 'stand, walk, dunk, pass to LeBron' is too mind-boggling to comprehend."

• Hartley Miller of Prince George, B.C.'s CIRX Radio, on the player who went into the stands after a heckling fan during a recent Philippine Basketball Association game: "And I thought Ron Artest had signed with the L.A. Lakers."

• Montana Tech football coach Bob Green, to Butte's Montana Standard, after his team was penalized 11 times for 111 yards in Saturday's 28-24 win over Eastern Oregon: "They called us for everything but adultery."

It's cutting edge

Wenger NA has unveiled a new 2-pound, $1,400 Swiss Army Knife — complete with 87 implements and 147 functions.

On on the downside, though, you have to master the Indianapolis Colts' playbook just to operate it.

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