Villanova: The lesser of 2 evils

As a Temple graduate and basketball fan, I don't like Villanova basketball -- I should refer to them as Villian-ova -- and 99% of the time will root against the Wildcats.

Except tonight in the East Regional semifinals in Boston when they face a basketball program I hate even more: Duke.

I've despised the Blue Devils since the NCAA men's basketball tournament of 1988, when they beat my Owls in the East Regional final and kept Temple and Hall of Fame coach John Chaney out of the Final Four.

Heck, Duke coach Mike Krsyzewski is so full of himself that last week he took offense that President Obama didn't pick Duke to win the tournament and suggested that he could do a better job with the economy than the president.

Tonight is a game I can't really root for anyone. So, while I dislike Villanova, I hate Duke. That makes Villanova the lesser of 2 evils.

Winnie Cooper gets married

Kevin Arnold must be disappointed. The actress who played Winnie Cooper on "The Wonder Years" has gotten married.

Danica McKellar married composer Mike Verta in a ceremony Sunday in the California seaside town La Jolla. McKellar's publicist confirmed marriage on Wednesday. It was first reported by People magazine.

The 34-year-old actress, shown above, and the 36-year-old Verta began dating in 2001 and were engaged last summer.

McKellar famously played the elusive young love interest of Arnold on "The Wonder Years," which aired on ABC from 1988 to 1993. Arnold was played by Fred Savage.

McKellar last starred in the 2008 Sci-Fi Channel movie "Heatstroke," for which Verta composed the score. After studying mathematics at UCLA, McKellar wrote two books, "Math Doesn't Suck" and "Kiss My Math."

Now that's a burger!!!

You better be hungry and not watching your calories if you go to a West Michigan Whitecaps game this summer.

Why? The Class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers in Grand Rapids, Mich., is adding a 4,800-calorie burger to its menu.

The 4-pound, $20 burger -- shown in an Associated Press photo, above -- features five beef patties, five slices of cheese, nearly a cup of chili and liberal doses of salsa and corn chips, all on an 8-inch sesame-seed bun.

The Grand Rapids Press reports that anyone who eats the entire 4,800-calorie behemoth in one sitting will receive a special T-shirt. Saner fans can divide it up with a pizza cutter and share.

Good news on Hamels

The Phillies received good news Tuesday on ace lefthander Cole Hamels' ailing elbow. This from an Associated Press story:

Phillies ace Cole Hamels will return to camp after a team physician found no damage in his sore left elbow.
General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. says team doctor Michael Ciccotti reported no structural damage to the joint after looking at the left-hander's pitching elbow Tuesday morning in Philadelphia.
Last season's World Series MVP received an injection to relieve inflammation but should be cleared to throw by Thursday.
But Hamels' status for Opening Day is unclear. The team will continue to monitor his recovery when he returns to camp.
The Phillies host the Atlanta Braves in the first major league game of the season on Sunday, April 5.
Hamels went 14-10 last season with a 3.09 ERA. He was 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five postseason starts.

Reason to worry?

Phillies ace lefthander Cole Hamels, at right, the NLCS and World Series Most Valuable Player, is back in Philadelphia today to get the sore elbow on his pitching arm examined. That's not good news in mid-March.

The Phillies don't believe it's serious, but any time your ace pitcher has to get his throwing arm looked at, it's a cause for concern.