Sports Illustrated had a great story from entertainer Justin Timberlake, who met Colts quarterback Peyton Manning shortly after Archie’s son came to Indianapolis.

The event was a charity bowling event hosted by Pacers icon Reggie Miller.

“I walked up to shake his hand and said, ‘Hey, man, really honored to meet you,’” Timberlake told SI. “I told him the whole story of how my cousin went to Tennessee and I watched him play and congratulated him on the Colts and blah, blah, blah.

“And he looks up at me and says, ‘That’s great, man. Tell you what. Can you give me an 11 ½?’

“I was like, ‘Uh, what?’

“He says, ‘The shoes. I don’t have any shoes. Can you give me 11 ½?’

“And I was like, ‘Uh, OK.’ “

“So he thinks I work at this … bowling alley. I didn’t even say anything to him. I thought it was so funny that I just went and got him his shoes and brought them back.

“I said, ‘Here you go,’ and I walked off.’”

And here’s the funny thing: If the two met at the lanes today, Manning would probably ask him for shoes again.

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while Jim Haslett tries to wring two more victories out of his interim team:

• When Ball State finishes its unbeaten season, did the BCS computers shrug? Or did they yawn?
• So where did the Blues find all these new players – the Check League? Is their makeshift lineup now the hardest in the NHL to score against?
• Will the SLU guards bounce back from that fiasco at Lincoln? Or will their offensive and defensive funk continue?
• Would Charlie Weis get fired at Notre Dame if he didn’t have about 100 years left on his contract.

QUIPS ‘R US

Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:

Rick Reilly, ESPN.com, on stand-up Titans quarterback Kerry Collins: “Whether he plays like Fran Tarkenton or Fran Drescher, he never makes excuses. After he performed like a Xanaxed ferret in the 2001 Super Bowl, lobbing four picks to the Ravens in the Giants’ blowout loss, he stood at the podium postgame and said, ‘I sucked today. I was prepared. I was ready. I just played terrible.’ No matter how he screws up his life—and the young Collins found more ways than MapQuest—he always faces the music. Hell, he sticks his face in the tuba.”

Jeff Schultz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “I’m assuming that when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones that he’ll be banned from the NFL for life for one more slip-up, he took ‘10 days’ in the office pool. Pacman’s resume: alcoholism, suspended 22 out of 28 days, criminal charges ranging from assault to obstruction of justice — this is going to be like watching Curly accidentally dump the blasting powder in the pancake mix and waiting for the first explosion.”

Greg Cote, Miami Herald: “Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been charged with insider trading by the SEC. Unfortunately for him, that’s not the Southeastern Conference.”

Dan Daly, Washington Times: “Maybe sports should have a second DL, a Disgruntled List to go with its Disabled List. The thought occurred to me after reading about ‘disgruntled [Golden State] Warriors forward Al Harrington’ getting traded to the Knicks on Friday. Is anybody else sick and tired of reading about ‘disgruntled’ athletes?”

Elliott Harris, Chicago Sun-Times: “The tough economic times have touched Tiger Woods, though not in the pocketbook. He and Buick are ending their nine-year relationship, as General Motors faces serious financial problems. Woods will feel the impact on his golf bag where Nike is expected to replace Buick.”

MEGAPHONE

“Every girl on the track has a duty to be nice-looking and womanly. I remember a very famous athlete said that we had to be athletes or women. I don’t agree. Why do we have to be an athlete and have a man’s body and be ugly? Why can we only be beautiful outside sport?”

Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, explaining her interesting competitive attire.

She seems pretty proud of that backside, no?