Welcome back to the grind. I bet no one’s wondering now why they thought a week away from Ames was such a big deal.

A lot of weird things have happened in the world of sports this last week.

For those of you who actually have lives and/or money (and I hate you all) I’ll do a quick update.

First off, there’s that little tournament that’s been going on in college basketball.

For those of you who spent break passed out on a beach somewhere and only recently regained consciousness, let me be the first one to tell you: the Cyclone men are in the Sweet 16. Wow.

After an eleven season drought, the Clones return to round three of the Big Dance.

Great season guys and good luck in San Antonio.

But things have been a lot weirder. Let me give you some examples.

Last year’s awesome stallion Cigar, now retired to enjoy the post career perks only possible on a stud farm, has not quite been batting 1.00 (baseball term) in the baby making business. Quite a bit less in fact, having failed to sire a single offspring.

This has not made Cigar’s owner or the owners of any of the mares very happy. I guess they expected a little bit more for their $75,000 a pop.

So what’s a frustrated owner to do? Why call those nutty scientists in Scotland who cloned a sheep and see if they could Xerox a thoroughbred.

Well even if they can, the idea has already been shot down by racing officials. Apparently little horsies made in anyway other than the old fashioned way aren’t allowed to play in the racing commission’s reindeer games.

If you think that’s bizarre, another, more unbelievable story broke last week. A former Nebraska football player is actually going to serve time in jail for committing a crime. No kidding!

Lawrence Phillips, after his upteenth violation, finally had his probation revoked and will be making license plates for the next thirty days in a Lincoln jail.

I never thought I’d see the day when this guy finally wound up behind bars.

Proving the idea that weird things come in herds, everyone’s favorite NBA sideshow, Dennis Rodman, recently joined an organization called the “New World Order.”

That wouldn’t be too weird except the “N.W.O.” is a part of World Championship Wrestling. The Worm has become a pro wrestler. Well, realistically it was only a matter of time.

These kind of things are exactly why I love sports. You never know what’s going to happen, and every time you think you’ve seen the most off beat or bizarre stunt or circumstance, something comes along to raise the bar (track term). Cloning, pro wrestling, or unbelievably unexpected justice.

No you never know what to expect. Maybe a combination of the three?

Who wouldn’t pay to see Dennis Rodman fight a steel cage match against the genetically engineered love child of Cigar and Lawrence Phillips. I know I would. Yep, that’s why I love sports, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

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KEVIN PETTY is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Carlisle.