Foul Territory: Lin and Tonic, BCS “Bowls”

* Wait! Jeremy Lin is Not Black?! Or Boxer Rebellion — Floyd Mayweather said New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin is getting attention not because of his play, but because of his race. The boxing icon said if Lin, an Asian American, were black, he wouldn't get the same praise. Lin, in response, said if he were indeed black, he'd be afraid to fight Manny Pacquiao, too.

* TC(H)U, or "Higher" Learning, or Scorned Frogs — Four football players were among 17 Texas Christian University students arrested in a drug bust Wednesday. Undercover officers in Fort Worth bought marijuana from at least two Horned Frog players, both of whom boasted of smoking pot from a BCS bowl.

* Freak "Show," or the Moon Also Rises Again — Randy Moss says he wants to return to the NFL in 2012, ending his retirement announced on August 1 of last year. Reportedly, it's the first time the term "there's just no quit in him" has ever been used to describe Moss. Moss made the announcement on Ustream on Monday, his 35th birthday, and hopes his return will generate interest from many teams, which is the only kind of "contact" he enjoys.

* 2012: A Space (Eater) Odyssey — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers released Albert Haynesworth on Wednesday, saving them $7.2 million in cap space for 2012. It was a dark day for Haynesworth, as well as for Bill Cosby, who was reminded of the day in 1985 when Fat Albert was cancelled.

* Tiger Spoof, or Rivalry Weak — Phil Mickelson shot a blistering 64 in the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, winning by three shots, as playing partner Tiger Woods shot a 75 to finish tied for 15th. Woods was optimistic in defeat, saying his game was "close," and was quick to point out that with one more major win, there will again be "11" between he and Mickelson.

* Cuba Libre, or There Used to Be Missiles in Cuba Aimed at the United States, Now it's Baseball Players — The Oakland A's signed Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes to a 4-year, $36 million deal, becoming the A's highest-paid player. Cespedes defected to the Dominican Republic in the summer of 2011, where he established residency in January 2012. Cespedes bats right and throws right, but as far as Cuba is concerned, does everything else "left."

* IN-vertebrate, or He's Been Under More Knives Than Centers — Peyton Manning had a previously unreported fourth medical procedure on his neck last year, according to a Sports Illustrated report. That means Manning had four procedures performed in a 19-month span that ended in September. Manning is expected to meet with Colts owner Jim Irsay in the coming week to determine his future in Indianapolis, a meeting in which Irsay is sure to ask if Manning has his head on straight.

* Rowdy Roddy Tweeter — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly will make $20 million per year by the end of his current contract. That number didn't sit well with Roddy White, who voiced his displeasure on Twitter, saying "How in the hell can you pay a man this much money that can't run tackle or catch." Goodell's salary seems reasonable when you consider that White, who led the league in drops in 2011, makes $9 million per year to do everything but catch.