Around the horn

Food for thought for Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs fans: The Florida Marlins, just beginning their second decade as a sports franchise, were playing for their second World Series this October. The Red Sox and Cubs have played in a combined 180 seasons without winning the World Series.

Something will have to give. Forward Scottie Pippen has never failed to reach the NBA playoffs. The Chicago Bulls haven't reached the postseason since 1998, the year after the forward left. Now Mr. Pippen is back with the Bulls trying to revive both his career and his longtime team sans Michael Jordan.

With skills like this, Waunakee, Wisc., resident Paul Hughes might want to consider going pro. The 74-year-old Mr. Hughes nailed a hole-in-one on the afternoon of Oct. 13 on a 149-yard par three. The next morning, he rolled a perfect 300 game at Bowling Green Lanes.

Florida State's win over Virginia on Oct. 18 put Bobby Bowden in a tie with Penn State's Joe Paterno for all-time wins by a Division I-A football coach. Don't expect retirement plans anytime soon for this pair of 70-something coaches, even though the Nittany Lions' recent struggles indicate Mr. Paterno may be the first to blink.