Put Temple in a Cheesesteak Bowl

WHEN I'M King of the World . . .

If you win an NFL division title with a record less than 8-8, you're out . . . And the team with the best record not in the playoffs becomes an extra wild card. Seattle Seahawks, 7-9? Gag me with a Rich Kotite two-point conversion chart. What's next, college teams with .500 records eligible to accept a bowl bid? Oh, you say that's already happening, that Temple got screwed out of a bowl invite because their fans don't make road trips? How would anybody know that anyway? With the exception of the inaugural Sugar Bowl, which Temple lost to Tulane, 20-14, on Jan. 1, 1935, Temple fans have never had to stray very far from I-95. One bowl in Giants Stadium, one in FedEx Field. Now that cold-weather cities are getting into the Bowl biz - Pinstripe Bowl? Armed Forces Bowl? - maybe Ed Rendell can lobby for a Cheesesteak Bowl where the Owls can finally go south once again. All the way to South Philly . . .

Former Phillies pitching prospect Alfredo Simon, 29, a 6-4 righthander, surrendered to police yesterday in the Dominican Republic city of Puerto Plata. The journeyman reliever faces a possible murder charge related to the shooting death of a man and gunshot wounds suffered by his younger brother during a New Year's Eve celebration in the North Coast beach town of Luperon. According to agent Phil Isaac, a number of Dominican ballplayers have come forward to support the pitcher. Simon denies involvement in the incident, but also surrendered a handgun believed to have been the murder weapon. Simon - wasn't the guy originally named Carlos Cabrera? - and Ricky Ledee were traded to the Giants in 2004 for reliever Felix Rodriguez. FX-Rod was dealt to the Yankees for Kenny Lofton. Simon was 4-2 with 17 saves for the Orioles last season coming off Tommy John surgery.

When I'm King of the World . . .

Penn State fans who heaped thick layers of hate on me a few years ago for suggesting it was time for Joe Paterno to retire might want to reconsider . . . That was when the Mount Nits were getting bounced around the Big Ten like a bespectacled crash dummy. JoePa was getting torched. The alumni was on him, the students were on him, the media was on him and that is when he turtled into the whiny, suspicious troll who ducks even softball questions.