Totally Random

What's worse than being dumped by your fiancee via text message?

Being dumped by your fiancee via six text messages.

This happened to former tennis star Boris Becker, 40, when Sandy Meyer-Woelden, 25, informed him by text messages that they were breaking up.

"On Friday evening, Oct. 31, I suddenly got an SMS from Sandy . . . saying that this was it, that this is over," Becker told German newspaper Bild.

"To make sure how serious she was, she sent me five others saying the same thing.

"I was completely surprised."

For the record, such a breakup is considered poor form, even in the chillier climes of this digital age. Those texts, Becker said, "trampled on my soul."

Trivia time

Who is the only man to have played in both the Super Bowl and the World Series?

Off the mound for a day

Softball pitcher Jennie Finch served as grand marshal of Thursday's Thanksgiving Day parade in Chicago. How did that happen?

"I don't know," Finch told the Chicago Sun-Times. "They asked and I said I'd be delighted." Finch's Chicago connection is her spot on the Chicago Bandits women's National Professional Fastball team, which won the league title this year.

"It's a dream come true," Finch said of pitching professionally. "I wanted to be a Dodger growing up. This is the next best thing."

Seeing himself in another

Lakers guard Jordan Farmar is writing a weekly blog for Playboy.com. Here is his scouting report on UCLA: "Of course, I still follow my college team UCLA. Playboy had the Bruins at No. 6 in their preseason Top 25. They had an early bump, losing in an upset to Michigan in the 2K Sports Classic. That prevented them from playing Duke in the final. But it was an early-season wake-up call, to let them know they're not as good as they think, that they have to continue to work hard. IMO, they're going to be extremely competitive. I think they're going to control the Pac-10 again and go deep into the tournament. It's a matter of how fast the young fellows come along and start playing at a high level.

"One UCLA freshman to watch is guard Jrue Holiday. He's going to be special. Watching him play reminds me of my game at that stage: He has a good feel for the game, is unselfish, he does things to get his teammates involved, while playing the game the right way."

Trivia answer

Deion Sanders.

And finally

From NBC "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno: "I'll tell you how bad the economy is. [Sunday] night, I saw Jack Nicholson at a Clippers game."

-- Mike Penner

Photo: Boris Becker and former fiancee Sandy Meyer-Woelden at a September fundraiser for one of Becker's charities. Credit: Ursula Dueren / EPA