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We "herd" it through the grapevine: bounding bisons and medical miracles in Buffalo got us thinking.

Two most unusual spring events had an odd link — Buffalo.

First, 11 free-spirited buffalos broke free from their farm in suburban Baltimore and shocked the upscale residents of the otherwise sleepy Pikesville, Md. Police promptly shut down a nearby freeway and used 11 patrol cars and a helicopter to round up the bold beasts on a tennis court, where they were eventually herded into a livestock truck. A few days later, a heroic fireman near Buffalo (catch our theme?) suddenly came out of 10 year coma to gain awareness and speak to his delighted family. All this got us thinking:

Most Famous Tennis Player To Play For The University of Colorado BUFFALOES: Unfortunately there really isn’t one. Since ‘47 only four players have even made it to the NCAA singles championships. None got beyond the second round. But not to worry, at least the team has been squeaky clean in comparison to the scandal-ridden CU football team.

Best Tennis Player In The Folk-Rock Group BUFFALO Springfield: Sublime guitarist/songwriter Stephen Stills is an avid player who freely mentions the game in his commentaries. For instance, he once compared his approach to studio recording with that of the equally inspired Neil Young, noting that in contrast to the workaholic tendencies of his fellow Canadian, he liked “to practice for a day or two, but then put it away and come [into the studio] fresh after tennis ... And then nail the son of a bitch in two or three takes.”

Best Player to Emerge Out of BUFFALO: It’s a no-brainer—Jimmy Arias. The graduate of Kaegebein Elementary School won the City Championship at age 11. One of his much older opponents, a strapping 6-foot-6 victim who got pummeled by the little whiz, ruefully recalled that “little Jimmy looked straight into my navel.” Another foe admitted “whenever I played little Jimmy, I always thought I’d throw up.” Arias went on to become No. 5 in the world.

The Best “One And Out” World Team Tennis Squad In BUFFALO History: Come let us remember the fabled Toronto-Buffalo Royals who in ‘74 were led by the less-than-charismatic trio of Tom Okker, Mike Estep and Wendy Overton. (Maybe that’s why they lasted just one season.)

Best BUFFALO Homeland Security Tale, Before Homeland Security Got Hip: It wasn’t always easy to get in or out of Buffalo. Barry MacKay recalls that the two legendary station wagons that tennis’original merry band of touring pros used to travel in had to battle 25 inches of snow as they drove from Ithaca and almost didn’t make it to Buffalo. On the other hand, Jack Kramer told IT that once the one-ton Chevy truck that carried all the tour’s gear (net, balls, programs, etc.) got waylaid en route to Canada by a suspicious (“Hmmm, I wonder what’s inside these ominous looking white tennis balls?”) border agent, who emptied out the entire vehicle. Needless to say, Kramer’s Toronto gig was delayed by an hour and a half.

The Fastest Court in the World: Barry MacKay won his first big tournament at the Buffalo Tennis and Squash Club on a brushed linoleum court, the fastest surface he’s ever played on or seen.

Most Inspiring Player To Emerge Out of BUFFALO: Virginia Tech’s upbeat J.J. Larson, who was reared in Buffalo without her left forearm and hand, but nonetheless bravely went on to become one of the best freshmen in college tennis these days.

Least Inspiring Player To Emerge Out Of BUFFALO: Former NFL star O.J. Simpson.

Of iPods and Idols: Finally, with all due respect, you’d want to inform that brave fireman who was out of it for 10 years, that there is now another President Bush and another war in Iraq; that 9/11 and a girl in a blue dress named Monica shook things up. Plus, you might want to mention iPods and American Idols. As for tennis, not much has not changed: No major rule changes (of course) and McEnroe ain’t commissioner yet (praises be!). USTA chiefs still get ridiculously brief two-year stints at the helm, players pocket even heftier appearance fees, some of the tournaments they play still don’t count in the rankings and yes, Agassi and Navratilova are still playing. Sadly, there also have been plenty of losses. Venus and Serena both lost their beads. Sampras lost his lunch at the U.S. Open. Aussie hunk Pat Rafter and Martina II (i.e. Hingis) both pulled “Borgs” and retired way too soon. Plus, tennis lost many a brave warrior, including Althea Gibson, Tim Gullikson, Pancho Gonzalez, Fred Perry and Bobby Riggs. Of course, there were many an incomparable memory: Sampras winning a record 14 majors; Jana Novotna weeping on a duchess’ shoulder; the USTA unveiling its sparkling Ashe Stadium; and the Williams becoming No. 1 and No. 2 before feisty Belgians and hungry Russians emerged. On the men’s side, Spanish and Latin American dirtballers won seven French Opens, while Agassi won one for America. A hunkie Rocket named Roddick took off and a curious Swiss poet named Federer began to dominate. And yes, Andre married and divorced Brooke Shields before capturing Steffi’s heart.

Match of the Year: In the longest final on record, fiery-hot Spaniard Rafael Nadal downed Argentine Guillermo Coria 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(6) in a five-hour 14-minute marathon at the Italian Open. (See On the Tour.)

Financial Commentary Of The Month: After Mary Carillo reflected on the wealth of Sharapova, who reportedly has earned $23 million since Wimbledon, and Venus, who a while ago signed a $40 million Reebok contract, CBS’ Bill MacAtee quipped, “what you’re saying is that neither of them has to worry about free checking.”

Will young Golovin rise to the top?

Big Babe Watch: Sources close to Jennifer Capriati told IT that she probably won’t return until mid-August, if not later. The 29-year-old is still recovering from shoulder surgery and is working out, but is not hitting yet…Rumors of Serena’s split with boyfriend/director Brett Ratner (who was rumored to have started dating Mariah Carey),appear to be nothing but idle chatter. After all, they looked pretty cozy at the Fed Cup...After she was named to People’s 50 Most Beautiful list, Sharapova said. “It’s nice to be one of the most beautiful people.”…But according to her camp, the 18-year old was not offered, as reported by the N.Y. Post, a role on Desperate Housewives…Elena Dementieva told IT that she doesn’t expect Maria to ever play Fed Cup for Russia…Dementieva also confided that she’s tired of being asked about her oh-so-shaky serve: ”Just look at Roddick. He has the biggest serve on the men’s tour and he’s not No.1 because other parts of his game are not so good. It’s more important to have desire and other parts of your game.”…Tatiana Golovin and Getty Images unleashed an inventive series of photos of the French woman playing tennis under water on WTAtour.com. The coach-less 17-year old has cracked the top 20 and is having the time of her life traveling with her older sister. During tournaments she speaks every day to Brad Gilbert.

Roddick’s Roman Holidays: What is it about Rome that brings out the best in Andy? Last year, he played a heroic role during a fatal fire in his hotel. This year, he intervened, after seemingly having won his Italian Open quarterfinal over Fernando Verdasco, to assert that the Spaniard’s second serve on match point (which was called out to give Roddick the match), was actually in. Wouldn’t you know it, after Andy had apparently won the match, Verdaco went on a roll. After saving two more match points to win the game, he broke Andy’s serve and then won both the second set tie-break and the third set to score an improbable 6-7(1), 7-6(3),6-4 win. Of course, life savings actions and against-the-grain sportsmanship are completely different kettles of fish. (Or are they?) Anyway, in both cases Andy had an “aw shucks” ‘tude. Last year, after helping save six players from ominous black smoke, he said he was just acting on instinct. “There was a lot of adrenaline going.” This year, he said his generous call reversal wasn’t no big deal. “The umpire would have done the same thing if he came down and looked. I just saved him a trip.” But Verdasco was more to the point, noting, “Maybe another player wouldn’t have done like Andy.” And yes, we just can’t imagine Connors, McEnroe or too many others this side of Edberg, Rafter, Guga or Todd Martin giving back a match point.

Life Begins At 35: How ‘bout that Agassi. Just days after turning 35 he reaches the Italian semis [see On the Tour.]

Life Begins At 50: Former Supreme Court justice Hugo Black noted that “When I was 40, my doctor advised me that a man in his 40s shouldn’t play tennis. I heeded his advice carefully and could hardly wait until I reached 50 to start again.”

Times Change I: It used to be that souvenir vendors in Saigon did a brisk business selling caps with the sarcastic logos of an imaginary Saigon Country Club. Now Saigon is Ho Chi Minh City and the ATP just announced they’ll host a major tournament in September at a 5,000 seat stadium at the Lan Anh Country Club just outside of town. POP QUIZ: Who’ll be the first American to sign up for the tournament and just how many players on tour even know who Ho Chi Minh was? And one colorful follow-up question: For 25 bonus points, true or false, did Red Mao Tse-Tung play a whole lot of yellowball by the Yellow River during his pivotal “Long March” during the Chinese Revolution? Answer: True.

Times Change II: Do remember when journeywoman Larissa Savchenko-Neiland was the best Russian native on the tour?

There Ain’t No Silver Spoons in the Greenwich Ghetto: As former 49er Steve Young was about to join fellow southpaw John McEnroe in the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, IT asked the Connecticut native to reflect on our sport: “I actually played tennis and felt like I could have been pretty good,” he said. “I grew up on the other side of the tracks that go through Greenwich.”[ Editor’s note: The ones near the yacht club.] “They really have a wrong side of the tracks in Greenwich,” we asked. [Laughs]. Young then added that, “John played the way I would have played. If I could imagine myself playing tennis, I would picture myself as John McEnroe.”

Pacific Life Open Update: The Desert Sun reported that the City of Indian Wells dropped the idea of issuing a bond issue to help the Pacific Life Open with its $40 million debt and has come up with the tough-sell concept of a $1 per bed hotel tax across the Coachella Valley’s eight, often competitive, cities. The hotels already seem to be saying no, as room taxes now average 10 percent. IMG wants to sell its 50 percent share to Shanghai, but a source close to the negotiation told IT that co-owners Charlie Pasarell and Ray Moore may soon put together an investment group to buy out IMG’s share. Because of its contract with Moore and Pasarell, IMG cannot force the sale. In related news, Bank of the West Tournament Director Gus Sampras said despite the fact that he has headed three IMG tournaments that have been sold (both Scottsdale’s and Manhattan Beach) he does not anticipate the sale of the popular tournament at Stanford.

Forever Young: Just days before he lost his fifth consecutive match on the ATP Tour (in Houston), Aussie Open junior champ Donald Young lost in the quarters of the Easter Bowl. The 15-year-old is 0 for 10 in sets on the ATP Tour.

Before The Wimbledon Sunrise: Lleyton Hewitt — whose fiancé, Bec Cartwright, is pregnant — said, “I have an outside chance at Roland Garros but my focus is really on Wimbledon where it’s realistically between me and Federer.” That was before he cracked his ribs…Pete Sampras told Brit Neil Harman what Tim (“the hope of a nation”) Henman has to do to win Wimbledon. “He needs the right players to lose, he needs to be scheduled at the right time, he needs to shut out the voices he doesn’t need to hear. I had the single-minded focus that he is still trying to find.”

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