ELMONT, N.Y. – There was the three-state police escort. There were the television helicopters following overhead, filming every roll of the tire.

There were the hundreds of motorists who waved, pumped their fists and honked their horns at the white Someday Farms horse trailer as it barreled down the Jersey Turnpike.

There even was a bus full of old women who went wild at the site of Smarty Jones.

"I think they were going to the casinos or something," Smarty's driver Ron Bradford said.

So there you go. When a bus full of blue-hairs headed for the Atlantic City slots go Beatlemania over a horse, is there any doubt this is something historic?

"Nationwide, people have fallen in love with my horse," trainer John Servis said.

A couple of months ago this was an unknown, undersized, underbred underdog with a charming name. Now Smarty Jones is overwhelming our biggest city.

Wednesday, Smarty-mania hit New York.

If he wins Saturday's Belmont Stakes here and becomes the first Triple Crown winner

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – It would be mean to call this Eastern Conference finals ugly.

Let's just say it has a good personality.

This series is the NBA's version of "Extreme Makeover." The games have started ugly (Wednesday's Game 3 began with consecutive shot clock violations), can get gruesome in the middle (the teams shot a combined 6-for-29 from beyond the three-point arc) but in the end, something entertaining is produced (the outcome was in doubt until the final minute).

Whether or not this is good basketball is another story. Whether either the Indiana Pacers or Detroit Pistons, who lead the series 2-1 following Wednesday's 85-78 victory, are capable of beating Los Angeles in the NBA finals (presuming the Lakers come out of the West) is highly doubtful.

The argument is that all of this dreadful offense – Indiana didn't score 20 points in five consecutive quarters – is a result of some intensely stifling defense. But that is just part of it. Both of these teams' offenses spend a

The People's Voice Ridiculous Town Name Contest was an immediate success, with entries pouring in from all over the world. If I could only figure out how to make money off something like this I'd be Simon Cowell, minus the too-tight black shirt.

There were so many great entries I don't even know what to do with them all. Below are some of the best. We'll have more next week and, of course, crown the champion.

For those new to the game, the contest is simple. It stems from a column written about tiny Canadian hockey towns such as Moose Factory, Ontario ("Fired up in Moose Factory" May 14, 2004). Send in no more than two ridiculous town names to be considered. The winner will get international renown in this space.

The early favorite was Bob Bishop of Toronto, who submitted Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Alberta.

But the contest is far from decided, as you'll see. So continue sending entries; the final buzzer isn't until next week.

By the way, we have some more information concerning

So we all know (or will be reminded over and over) that a Stanley Cup finals matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Calgary Flames – two small-market teams, one with no tradition, the other in Alberta – is bad for television ratings, television revenues and television executives.

And this affects me how?

Look, I like TV as much as the next guy. I watch it every day. Have since I was a kid. But what the heck do I care if ABC is going to get fewer viewers than it would for some big-city matchup? It's not like I am an owner. And as long as the NHL stays on TV – which it is – who cares if the sport draws in new fans?

The Calgary Flames against the Tampa Bay Lightning?

For my money this should be fantastic, possibly the most exciting offensive series since the Rangers-Canucks in 1994.

If most Americans choose to ignore the series, so what? I doubt Disney is going out of business. Why the media makes such a big deal over television ratings – especially because Nielsen ridiculously uses

The last time Gene Fisher entered the World Series of Poker he finished third. That was 1973.

"Then I had a little IRS problem, as a result of the visibility," Fisher says in his long, deliberate Texas drawl. "I decided not to play in it again."

It wasn't that Fisher stopped playing poker (or golf). That's how the now 71-year-old El Paso, Texas, native has made his living since 1962, when at 29 he left a job with ADT Security to become a professional gambler.

But the World Series of Poker seemed like too much hassle for too little reward. He did fine relegating himself to smaller professional tournaments from Los Angeles to Tunica, Miss., to Atlantic City. Not to mention golf and poker games at all points in between.

Then he was watching ESPN two years ago and saw the World Series. A new broadcast style allowed the viewers to see the hands as they were played. Fisher's sport was blowing up.

"It is unbelievable what happened to this tournament," Fisher said over the weekend from Las

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – With each clanked New Jersey shot, with each clogged fast-break lane, with each Chauncey Billups rainbow from three, the Eastern Conference finals matchup almost everyone expected and most dreamed of became more of a reality.

Detroit vs. Indiana. Larry Brown vs. Rick Carlisle. Joe Dumars vs. Larry Bird.

Go ahead and count the delicious storylines of this budding Midwestern rivalry. Game 1 is Saturday night in Indy.

The Eastern Conference has been a dog for years now, the mid-major of the NBA – too few stars, too few good teams, too many boring games.

But once the Detroit Pistons got done drilling the New Jersey Nets 90-69 in a Game 7 whitewash here on Thursday, just two days after the Indiana Pacers finally closed out the gritty Miami Heat in six, the good stuff was set.

There is something in the Eastern Conference to get excited about.

Finally.

"This is what everybody wanted to see," Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince said.

Part of this is because Indiana and

It was a big week for The People's Voice, with plenty of discussion on Marion Jones and anti-doping issues. But first a little more lighthearted feedback concerning small Canadian towns that churn out NHL players.

With it comes our first reader contest, "The People's Voice Ridiculous Town Name Contest," which you don't even have to be a hockey fan to enter. Details below (second letter down).

As always thanks for the email, and my responses are in italics.

Now on to The People's Voice. …

CANADIAN HOCKEY TOWNS ("Fired up in Moose Factory" May 14, 2004)

Just read your article on Moose Factory. I am working the night shift in the hospital here and thought I'd write you to say good job. People here are proud of their boy (Jonathan Cheechoo) and take their hockey seriously, although most are Leaf fans!

Mike Davison
Moose Factory, Ontario

While making fun of Canadian place names, you missed a pair in Newfoundland, being the not-so-distant towns of Dildo and ComeByChance. Of course, rumour has

NEW YORK – The best way for our Olympic athletes to represent the United States in Athens is to do something simple.

Nothing.

Do no drugs. Do no steroids. Do nothing that might result in suspicion, scandal or medal stripping. Do nothing between now and August that could bring shame on our country.

"If that happens," judoist Jimmy Pedro said here at the U.S. Olympic Media Summit last weekend, "then the world will think America is all about winning at any cost, whether in war or in athletics.

"It is important our athletes compete clean," Pedro continued. "That is what America is about, the land of opportunity. Work hard and climb your way to the top. It is not about cutting corners and cheating your way to the top."

Outside of a terrorist attack the worst thing that can happen to the United States in these games isn't losing. It isn't falling short of the USOC's goal of 100 medals. It wouldn't even be failing to hear "The Star-Spangled Banner" a single time.

It would be a drug scandal,