From today’s b the paper…

It figures. Kyle Boller had to go out and ruin everything again.

Lost in the shadows of the huge announcement that Boller will miss the entire season with a severe shoulder injury — it’s your call if that’s good or bad news — was a banner day for bizarre sports news. I’ll get to the hilarity in a moment, but let’s tackle Boller first.

Oops, maybe that was a bad choice of words.

The former quarterback of the future’s future in the purple and black is up in the air — much like a poorly thrown pass heading toward double coverage — after five-plus disappointing seasons with the Ravens. He signed a one-year contract extension (at a pretty reasonable rate) to remain in Baltimore for this season, so he might be receptive to sticking with the Ravens down the road.

The question is, do the Ravens want him back? The answer is likely “no,” as management sees Joe Flacco and Troy Smith as the two signal-callers to lead the Ravens’ rebuilding efforts. Besides, a change of scenery to a city where he isn’t reviled and wouldn’t be under such heavy scrutiny could revive Boller’s career.

But as much as Baltimore fans love to hate their former first-round draft pick and use him as their proverbial piñata whenever all things Ravens-related take a downturn, the presence of a legitimate veteran quarterback would come in handy should Flacco falter on Sunday afternoon.

Smith will be the backup once he gains some of the weight lost during his bout with a tonsil infection, and he should become the starter if the Flacco struggles. Smith probably would have been “the guy” if he hadn’t became ill, and coach John Harbaugh isn’t thrilled about rushing a rookie passer into the lineup. The team brought in journeyman Todd Bouman as an insurance policy, but he shouldn’t see the field this season unless the injury bug strikes again.

Still, the story here is Boller and what is likely the unfortunate end to his career in Baltimore. He started 42 games for the Ravens and threw 45 touchdowns and 44 interceptions, falling well short of the lofty expectations placed on his shoulders. It’s a sad day in Baltimore. You might not be bummed out, but you can bet Boller, Harbaugh, general manager Ozzie Newsome, and some of his Ravens teammates are. You know what? I am, too. And I’m not even a Ravens fan.

Thankfully, there were a few random and ridiculous sports stories Wednesday to lighten the mood.

A British man wasted $17.80 to bet that presidential hopeful Barack Obama would manage the Premier League football club West Ham if he lost the election. Floyd Mayweather Sr. agreed to train Ricky Hatton, the boxer his estranged son, Floyd Jr., defeated for the WBC welterweight title last December.

Two NBA newcomers, former Kansas Jayhawks Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur, were thrown out of the league’s rookie transition symposium — you know, the one teaching them how to not screw up — for smoking pot in their hotel room.

And then there was my personal favorite, the unbelievable story that newly signed Detroit Lions running back Rudi Johnson had his bags stolen from the team’s practice facility … by Tatum Bell, the player cut from the Lions’ roster to make room for Johnson. If that story doesn’t brighten your day, I don’t know what will.

I’m sure even Boller is chuckling about that one somewhere.

Matt Vensel is a content creator for b. E-mail him at matt@bthesite.com

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