Second thoughts

— Coin thieves get big jump, steal on Fisk

In the annals of oddball crime, former Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk can now see his name inscribed.

The Hall of Famer’s home was burglarized Friday, and the loot targeted by theives was odd.

They passed on baseball memorabilia and electronics to purloin a more precious commodity: collectible coins, according to a report in the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune.

“There were other things that they didn’t take that were of value,” Manatee Count sheriff’s spokesman David Barstow said.

The silver coins were valued at thousands of dollars, and the lack of other items being stolen hints to detectives the house was not a random choice.

Fisk and his wife were out of town at the time, and employees from a pest control agency found the backdoor off its hinges at the 8,000-square-foot home, which has a value of $861,798.

Oh, and the criminals seemed to take full advantage of the home’s amenities.

“It looked like they had been helping themselves,” said Michael McClain, who runs the pest control company.

Now, if Fisk were home, all he would have to do is jump around, wave his hands furiously and tellthe thieves to shoo.

‘Grip it and Sip it’

The fabled drink known as an Arnold Palmer is well-known to those who have never picked up a driver.

Now, John Daly (Dardenelle, Arkansas Razorbacks) wants to join the ranks of duffers concocting his own beverage.

Daly is now marketing his own spin off: It’s like an Arnold Palmer - which is sweet tea and lemonade - but with the kick of vodka.

The drink comes in three flavors - sweet tea lemonade, peach tea lemonade, and raspberry lemonade - but with a little bit of a kick in the form 15 percent alcohol by volume.

It’s motto shouldn’t surprise you, either: “Grip it and Sip It.” Gutter bowls

Tis the season of inconsequential bowls on ESPN, and the satirical website Sports Pickle came up with suggested slogans for some of the yet-to-be played humdingers.

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl Proudly pretending education has something to do with big-time college football.

Little Caesars Pizza BowlThere’s no place like Detroit in December.

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl It’s that game on the 15-inch TV in the corner of the bar no one is watching.

‘This guy’ is good

Finally, we’re fans of football and Transformers. As a result, we’ll run as much copy on Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who surpassed the NFL’s record for single season receiving yards (1,892) in a 31-18 loss to Atlanta.

From Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press:

“How good is the man they call Megatron? He’s a mold breaker. Even Jerry Rice, on the phone with ESPN during Saturday’s game, spoke about how Johnson had all the tools, the speed (4.35 in the 40), the leaping ability, the route-running. Rice kept referring to Johnson as “this guy,” which may have been a subtle way of delaying the name “Johnson” from the record book. Or it may have been Rice’s way of saying Johnson is almost inhuman.

“Either way, you can’t hold him back. He is the Lions’ present. He is football’s future. In a Detroit season that is draped in disappointment, Johnson’s moment, just a few days before Christmas, is a remarkable gift to Motown sports lore.”Quote of the day “I’m not a total Scrooge.” Arkansas men’s basketball Coach Mike Anderson, on giving his players time off for the holidays.

Sports, Pages 14 on 12/24/2012

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