CC Sabathia earned his ludicrous $161 million contract by pitching lights-out during the “walk year” of his contract.

Good for him. But signing with Yankees for that kind of dough . . . well, it puts a LOT of heat on the big fella. Those are savior dollars, a titanic figure that will be difficult to live up to.

Here are what some experts are writing:

Buster Olney, ESPN.com: “Sabathia will get the largest contract ever for a pitcher . . . and he is embracing the pressure of going into New York as a savior. That challenge eventually destroyed Chuck Knoblauch and confounded Roger Clemens for most of two seasons. It’s a challenge that still seems to gnaw at Alex Rodriguez.”

Ed Price, FoxSports.com: “Sabathia clearly was reluctant to commit to the Big Apple and its big spotlight, and it took a sales job as much as dollars to persuade him. One wonders how soon regret might seep in. History shows that it’s impossible to predict who will thrive in the Yankees circus. Small-town guy Mike Mussina flourished. Andy Hawkins, Kenny Rogers and Randy Johnson couldn’t deal with it. Will Sabathia (1-4 with an 8.61 ERA in five career starts at Yankee Stadium) belong with Jimmy Key, David Wells and Roger Clemens — or with Javier Vazquez, Carl Pavano and Kevin Brown?”

Mike Lupica, New York Daily News: “It is also worth mentioning Sabathia has about the same postseason record as Chien-Ming Wang. Wang is 1-3 in his postseason career, has pitched 19 innings in four starts and given up 28 hits and had a 7.58 ERA. Sabathia, with the Indians and the Brewers, has five starts, a 2-3 record, 25 innings, 33 hits, a 7.92 ERA.”

Jeff Passan, Yahoo! Sports: “Sabathia got an escape door should he crumble under the pressure. Which, understand, will come with weight as immense as that which he carries on his frame. In the recent past, certainly, it has worn on him. During his 2007 Cy Young season, he helped Cleveland gag away the American League Championship Series to eventual champion Boston with a pair of stinkers. Last year, throwing on three days’ rest for the fourth consecutive start with Milwaukee, he got lit up by Philadelphia, also World Series winners, memorably unable to put away Phillies pitcher and anemic hitter Brett Myers until Sabathia had frustrated and exhausted himself.”

HOW DID WE MISS THIS STORY?

This makes the Clinton Portis-Jim Zorn tiff look, well, meaningless.

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while wondering if the Yankees will build a $300 million payroll this year:

• How will sports fans get through 2009 without the Arena Football League?
• Given the millions the Avalanche pays him, Joe Sakic couldn’t hire somebody to blow snow at his house?
• So how is Oklahoma City enjoying the NBA now?

THE DALY STRUGGLE

From the Associated Press:

SYDNEY, Australia — John Daly smashed a spectator’s camera into a tree while shooting a 6-over 78 in the first round of the Australian Open on Thursday, making it likely he will miss the cut for the third consecutive week Down Under.

After pushing his tee shot wide on the ninth hole — his last — Daly walked into a clump of trees, where spectator Brad Clegg tried to take a picture at close range.

Daly snatched the camera and smashed it against the nearest tree, telling the man, “You want it back, I’ll buy you a new one.”

John Daly, train wreck in any hemisphere . . .

SPEAKING OF TRAIN WRECKS

The New York Post added some color to the Plaxico Burress story:

Hours before shooting himself, Giants receiver Plaxico Burress and two Big Blue buddies hit a high-class West Side strip club - where they hooked up with three ladies, guzzled two bottles of top-shelf tequila, and gobbled the staff’s post-Thanksgiving dinner, The Post has learned.

A surly, slobbish Burress ate ‘like an animal,’ using his bare hands to snatch pieces of workers’ turkey and stuff his face at the Head Quarters club on Nov. 28, a source said. His jiggle-joint jaunt with fellow Giants Antonio Pierce and Ahmad Bradshaw is of interest to police, who are investigating his self-inflicted gunshot wound at an East Side nightclub early Nov. 29.

So that’s how Plaxico shot himself — greasy Turkey hands.

THE FUTURE OF OKLAHOMA STATE FOOTBALL

Yes, that is Barry’s kid. He is just a freshman at Heritage Hall High School.

QUIPS ‘R US

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

Bill Simmons, ESPN.com: “Every time Gus Frerotte takes off his helmet and talks to a receiver, he has the same expression Dermot Mulroney had when Julia Roberts was professing her love for him in ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ . . . and lemme tell you something, this is NOT a good thing for your NFC North hopes, Minnesota.”

Greg Cote, Miami Herald: “The NHL suspended Dallas’ Sean Avery for six games without pay for public remarks disparaging an ex-girlfriend. Haven’t heard a comment from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, but would imagine what he said was, ‘First Amendment? No, never heard of it.’”

Dan Daly, Washington Times: “In addition to serving a six-game suspension for being a lout, Avery agreed to see an anger management counselor. Good thing Gary Bettman doesn’t make every miscreant do that. The NHL would turn into ‘Holiday on Ice.’”

Will Leitch. Deadspin: “Bad signs: Herman Edwards was asked if he had any interest in the head coaching job at San Diego State. He said: ‘I have a college team right now.’ The bad sign is not that Herman Edwards is aware of how bad his team is. The bad sign is when you are a pro coach and you’re being asked about openings at San Diego State.”

Mark Kriegel, FoxSports.com: “Sad to see Sunny Von Bulow pass away after 28 years in a vegetative state. Scientists believe that Al Davis is now the world’s longest-living coma victim.”

MEGAPHONE

“All I kept on hearing in the streets of New York when you go get bagels in the morning was, ‘Omar, please address the bullpen. Well, to all you Mets fans, we’ve addressed the bullpen.”

Mets general manager Omar Minaya, after signing Francisco Rodriguez and dealing for J.J. Putz.