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1. This just in: Mike Piazza may or may not have played the villain in 1985's Teen Wolf.

The 10 Spot received a tip this morning passing along a link to something called New York Sports Express, which claims the Mets slugger did his turn as jock bully Mick McAllister opposite Michael J. Fox as Scott "Wolf Boy" Howard and Susan Ursitti, who played the immortal Boof. The story says Piazza played the role under the name of Mark Arnold, because he was hoping to land a college scholarship or get drafted and didn't want baseball folks to think he was serious about acting.

When it all checked out on IMDB, the generally solid internet movie site, the 10 Spot was only too eager to run with it. It seems now we may have been duped. Or have we? You decide.

2. The Cubs will begin an inspection of the concrete underside of the upper deck and mezzanine levels at Wrigley Field on Friday. The move is in response to three instances in which chunks of concrete have fallen, the third just this past week. Fortunately no one has been hurt, because the chunks have all been caught by Steve Bartman.

3. SEC officials are working with the University of Tennessee to ensure the safety of coach Phillip Fulmer at next week's SEC Media Days in Birmingham, Ala. Fulmer has been vilified in Alabama for giving information to the NCAA on recruiting violations by the Crimson Tide. Since Fulmer says he definitely still will be attending, SEC officials also will increase security to protect the buffet.

4. Maple Leafs tough guy Tie Domi has filed a $1.65 million (Canadian)lawsuit against an Ottawa sports radio station and one of its broadcasters for suggesting last spring that Domi beat his wife. If Domi's suit proves successful, it should open the door for a massive class-action suit by referees who have long silently endured the same charge.

5. Rescue Me was the best premiere of a TV show I have ever seen. The new F/X show about New York City firefighters is funny, strange, powerful and, at times, heartbreakingly sad. It might have a little more resonance for New Yorkers, but this show should play anywhere. I don't always love star Dennis Leary, who is a bit one-note, but that note is pitch-perfect for his role as a smart-ass FDNY vet who's still grappling with 9/11 demons. (The show airs Wednesday nights.) If you happen to catch the premiere in re-broadcasts, just know that you shouldn't watch the coming attractions at the end. For some reason, they show not just scenes from next week but for the entire season. Even so, the first show, at least, was truly great. I hope I'm not just setting up myself, and 10 Spot readers, for a letdown.

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6. Golf prodigy Michelle Wie may have to choose between her coach of two years, Gary Gilchrist, and David Leadbetter. Gilchrist left IMG's Leadbetter Golf Academy, which has Titleist as a primary sponsor, for a job with the Nike-sponsored International Junior Golf Academy. Meanwhile, Butch Harmon chimed in to say that anyone can see that Wie isn't swinging like she did when she was 12.

7. Here's an item sure to burn up baseball old-timers who think that the Moneyball crowd is a bunch of pocket-protector wearing geeks. Dr. Stephen Hawking has paid up on a 1997 bet with Cal Tech physicist Dr. John Preskill with a baseball encyclopedia. Hawking admitted that his longtime assertion that anything "swallowed by a black hole is forever hidden and can never be revealed" is incorrect. (It turns out that some of the information about the black hole can be determined from what it emits, for reasons which the 10 Spot could never fully comprehend or explain.) Hawking, the Cambridge University physicist, offered to settle the bet with a cricket encyclopedia, but Preskill successfully held out for the latest Total Baseball. Personally, I would have thought that two world-leading physicists would have bet $1, like Randolph and Mortimer Duke in Trading Places.

8. Jeopardy! note of the day: Ken Jennings smoked the competition again, sprinting to $42,000 before Final Jeopardy, whereupon he decided to mess with Alex Trebek. Before the contestants placed their final wager, Alex reminded the audience that the single-game record was $52,000, which Jennings had twice tied but not broken. Jennings nailed Final Jeopardy (A: What two 20th-century presidents had middle names that were the last names of other presidents? Q: Ronald (Wilson) Reagan and William (Jefferson) Clinton) but bet exactly $10,000, thus tying the record a third time. Actually, Alex seemed a bit ruffled all game. At one point he mispronounced the town of Opelousas, La., calling it OH-puh-loose-iss rather than AH-puh-loose-iss. Isn't it always fun to catch smarty-pants Alex mispronouncing something? OK, I only noticed that one because I've covered many a high school game in Opelousas, hometown of Saints rookie wide receiver Devery Henderson, who caught that Hail Mary for LSU against Kentucky a few years back. But everyone noticed when Alex said "Rio" Speedwagon rather than "R-E-O" Speedwagon. (Alex corrected himself a little later and said, in explanation, that he was tired.) Jennings' 37-day total is now $1,246,660.

9. SBI Enterprises is releasing a high-tech pogo stick for adults called the Flybar 1200. The patented elastometric spring system can deliver 1,200 pounds of thrust to enable a rider to jump more than 5 feet in the air. And for you personal-injury lawyers out there, that's S-B-I Enterprises of Ellenville, N.Y.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s decision whether or not to drive in this weekend's NASCAR race highlights one of the quirks in the circuit's rules. Earnhardt can choose to start the race and then hop out of the car at the first opportunity for a replacement, rookie Martin Truex. Even if Truex drives virtually the entire race, Earnhardt would get credit for whatever points Truex earns for his finish just because Earnhardt started. By that rationale, Babe Ruth threw a no-hitter. In 1917 while pitching for the Red Sox, Ruth walked the first batter and was thrown out for arguing the call. After reliever Ernie Shore came in, the runner was caught stealing. Shore then retired the next 26 batters. What a job by the Babe!