Kings' GM makes use with old furniture

Making do with outdated things has been the Los Angeles Kings' way of doing business in the past (see Jeremy Roenick). But General Manager Dean Lombardi has a method to his madness this time.

Lombardi retains the same furniture in his office as was there the day he was hired in 2006, vowing to hold off on the interior decorating until the Kings win the Stanley Cup.

"I have the ghosts of past general managers in there with me," Lombardi said.

That merely could be the lingering aroma of a Rogie Vachon cigar, or the stench of the number of first-round draft picks Larry Regan and Jake Milford dealt away during the the first decade (nine in all). Lombardi, though, cites this as an small example of how he's trying to change the Kings' culture.

As for the furniture, Las Vegas is expected to post an over-and-under on the number of times the couch has to be reupholstered before Lombardi can replace it.

Trivia time: Who was the Kings' first No. 1 pick to play for the Kings?

Patriot Act violation?: Things have gotten so bad for the New England Patriots that they are being attacked ... by their own fans ... during games.

Such was the case Sunday, when linebacker Junior Seau was tackled by a fan during the fourth quarter of a 47-7 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

"As old as I am, I couldn't anticipate it," Seau said after the game. "He blindsided me. It was an unassisted tackle, whoever he is. We rolled around and said 'Merry Christmas.' "

Patriots' cornerback Ellis Hobbs told the Boston Herald that tackling Seau, "that's a death wish, man."

Todd Kobus, the fan who tackled Seau, is a member of the National Guard who served in Iraq as an intelligence specialist.

Holiday bowling: Tier three celebrities will always have a home as long as there are tier two bowl games.

First David Hasselhoff sang the National Anthem at the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl -- his last big Las Vegas appearance included a lot of alcohol, his daughter with a video recorder and a messy hamburger. Now comes word that the Village People will perform during the Sun Bowl hafltime show.

A group featuring a Redskin, a Cowboy and a police officer? Sounds more like Plaxico Burress' season.

Trivia answer: Jay Wells, who was taken in the first round in 1979 (12 years after the Kings joined the NHL) and was in the lineup the following seasons.

And finally: Police swooped in earlier this month after former NBA player Corie Blount accepted a package containing 11 pounds of marijuana. "Or as he's now known in the evidence room, Corie Blunt," noted The Seattle Times' Dwight Perry.