Around the horn

Knee tendinitis and persistent criticism didn't keep rap star Sean Combs, called "P. Diddy" in the hip-hop community, from completing the New York City Marathon. The rapper shrugged off criticism that his run was mere showboating. "Twenty-six miles isn't a publicity stunt," he said. With sponsorships from Michael Bloomberg to Ben Affleck, Mr. Combs raised $2 million for children's charities.

The early parts of baseball's offseason may have been even more entertaining than the World Series. The Boston Red Sox dumped All-Star Manny Ramirez on the waiver wire, hoping in vain that some team would pick up his $101.5 million contract. Imagine the clubhouse dynamic in Boston next season with a new manager and a star player nobody wanted-not even his own team.

Former Mets manager Bobby Valentine always said he enjoyed coaching in Japan. Now, he'll do a bit more. Mr. Valentine signed a 3-year deal to manage the Lotte Marines, the same team he worked with in the mid-1990s. The flamboyant manager will give up his gig as an analyst for ESPN.

With a seven-overtime win over Kentucky on Nov. 1, Arkansas has played in the three longest Division I-A football games ever-and won them all.