What would Harry say about the secret ingredient to his restaurant's tomato sauce? Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

1. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced Wednesday that the league was canceling the 2004-05 season after failing to reach an agreement with the players' union. Well, that's one way to achieve cost certainty. Bravo.

2. Harry Caray's Chicago restaurant will take remnants of the ball that Steve Bartman deflected in 2003, soak them in Budweiser and serve them as part of a tomato sauce next week in an effort to exorcise the team's demons. That decision came after Cubs fans' plea to cook Bartman himself was denied by a federal judge.

3. Lance Armstrong will return to this year's Tour de France in search of his seventh straight title. To level the playing field, Armstrong will ride a tandem bike with Sheryl Crow.

4. Prospective Vikings owner Reggie Fowler has issued a revised bio after reporters raised doubts about his claims to have played in the NFL, the CFL and the Little League World Series. Media members first became suspicious when Fowler said that he had played linebacker at Notre Dame under head coach George O'Leary.

5. NBC chairman Bob Wright told investment analysts that while NBC would like to broadcast the NFL again, it was unlikely to offer the kind of money that would interest the league. Besides, NBC is too busy these days as the American network home of the NHL.

6. Some hockey fans refuse to take the cancellation of the NHL season lying down. A letter-writing campaign called Free Stanley instructs pro hockey teams at all levels on how to challenge for Lord Stanley's Cup. The hope is that the Cup's trustees, Ian "Scotty" Morrison and Brian O'Neill, will award the trophy as they see fit. If NHL teams aren't going to fight it out, then scores of other professional teams would surely love a shot at the title. (Thanks to 10 Spot reader Helen of Loveland, Colo., for the head's up.)

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7. A Portland, Ore., man who put an Egyptian-themed tattoo on the right arm of Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace is suing to stop Wallace from displaying the art in ads for Nike basketball shoes. The man wants the ad taken off the air and seeks undisclosed damages, though he would settle for reclaiming the offensive pound of flesh.

8. Not all those who sent in e-mails Wednesday had entries for the reader submission item. One asked, "When will the government issue permits to hunt sleevy [sic] lawyers and player-hating sports writers? Hope it's soon! I've locked and load [sic]." Good thing that was a short message since I was running out of "sics." Is a "sleevy" lawyer one with an ill-fitting dress shirt that extends past his wrists? Still, I'm counting this as my first death threat. Hope the clever hat disguise I'm wearing in my photo pays off.

9. The 10 Spot has been a big Phil Mickelson fan ever since the 1996 Presidents Cup when Mickelson emerged from a Sunday media session and promptly asked writers for the score of the Chargers game. I cheered as hard as anyone did when Phil finally won his first major last year at the Masters. He seems like a genuinely nice guy and a true sports fan. That's why I was so chagrined to read Lefty's comments in Tuesday's USA Today about last year's Ryder Cup. Mickelson was criticized for switching from Titleist to Callaway equipment just before the competition, then losing all three matches he played. Now he says it wasn't the equipment change that hurt him. "I attribute my performance to motivation," he said. "I wasn't willing to put in enough work to play good golf." Playing for your country doesn't provide enough motivation? Frankly, that's disgraceful. Say it ain't so, Phil.

10. Reader submission, from Dave in Mansfield, Mass.: "Red Sox manager Terry Francona was conducting a telephone interview from his car Tuesday when the vehicle was struck from behind. In fairness to the other driver, though, he thought he was clear when third-base coach Dale Sveum waved him on." That's a great punch line given Sveum's tendency last season to get runners thrown out by 15 feet. Honorable mention goes to Sarah of Underhill, Vt.; Jason of New York; and Mark of Nova Scotia.