Garnett's Worth: 10 Million Pizzas

The Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Garnett, who recently signed the richest multiyear contract in the history of team sports, has a reputation as a cheapskate.

"Da Kid also is Da Tightwad," writes Bob Sansevere of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "Especially to the people who deliver his pizza. They say he never tips."

"We hate delivering to him," said Brandon Haapoja, who took pizza to Garnett's Minnetonka home several times in the past year and says he always got stiffed on a tip. "Most people at least give you a couple of bucks."

"Garnett also stiffed the valet at the airport parking garage the other day," writes Sansevere. "It must be tough to make ends meet on $1.5 million, which is what Garnett made last season."

Garnett's new contract extension, a six-year deal for $125 million, works out to about $254,000 a game.

"At a rate of $20.8 million a year starting in 1998," writes Sansevere, "Garnett will be paid an average of $400,000 a week, $56,986.30 a day, $2,374.43 an hour, $39.57 a minute and 66 cents a second.

"With this new contract, Garnett can buy 9,772,905 large pizzas. . . . That includes tax, but no tip."

It's a fact

Before European golfers beat the U.S. team in the Ryder Cup, one unidentified punter wagered $48,000 on the Americans to win. Had the United States won, the bet - made with a British bookmaker in Manchester - would have been worth $110,000.

Looking back

On this date in 1973, Washington quarterback Chris Rowland tied an NCAA record with four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. The Huskies still lost to California, 54-49.

They wrote it

-- Mike Littwin, Rocky Mountain News, on Colorado football coach Rick Neuheisel also being a lawyer: "Most coaches think habeas corpus is a field-goal kicker for the 49ers."

-- Sam Smith, Chicago Tribune, remembering when Dennis Rodman vowed to appear naked in his final NBA game and suggesting that the Chicago Bulls not re-sign him: "It's time to dump Rodman's behind, not risk seeing it."

Trivia question

Which NFL team holds the record for consecutive games lost?

Tampa Bay, 26 in 1976 and '77.

Compiled by Chuck Ashmun, Seattle Times