Sports Beat

Thanks to a bug in a roster update for the online version of "Madden 2006," King -- who is 6-feet-3, 305 pounds -- appears in the game to be 7 inches tall.

"You can barely see him on the field, unless you go into replay (mode)," game producer Phil Frazier told CNET News. "He's a tiny little guy."

Tiny King still plays like his full-size namesake.

"It wouldn't affect play," Frazier said. "He would literally look like a little speck. If he was the running back, the ball would be so big he would literally be inside the ball, and the ball would (look like) it was moving around on the ground."

The bug has been fixed, but most gamers found it amusing. In one popular gaming forum, a poster called it the "best bug EVER."

PAGING MR. CREOSOTE

Not sure whether it would whet your appetite or spoil it, but if you've ever been curious about the world of competitive eating, you can get an up-close view Saturday at 12:30 at Sporty's Beef & Brew in Everett.

A 10-minute all-you-can-eat buffalo wing-eating contest will feature the world champion in the event, Eric "Badlands" Booker, as well as "Humble" Bob Shoudt, who set a record by eating 23 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes. The star attraction is Joey Chestnut, a 21-year-old phenom in the world of competitive eating. He has the world record for pork ribs -- 5 1/2 pounds of pork meat in 12 minutes.

How come he doesn't have a catchy nickname? If Chestnut ever decides to take up pork chops, Floyd Womack might have to relinquish his.

A TASTE OF THE BIGS

In case you've got $12,995 you're dying to get rid of, Major League Baseball will treat you like a big-leaguer for nine days.

For that low, low price, you can be on one of six 20-person teams and travel to six major league ballparks, playing games and receiving instruction from a slate of former major leaguers including Tony Phillips, Brett Saberhagen and former Mariners manager Maury Wills.

The program is run by a company called "Ultimate Experiences," whose partners include Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton.

The first tour begins Nov. 4 and tours the West Coast, starting in Phoenix and ending in Seattle.

No word on whether participants will be tested for steroids.

-- David Andriesen