Friday fragments

Usually I don't spend much time on web offshoots of classic game shows. But who can resist one of the cheesiest game shows ever, Dating Game, returning to an Internet near you? Yes, careful or careless date-selecting will arrive soon at social network sites like Facebook and Twitter. Jim Lange (or any of the other hosts) won't be along for the cybernetic ride, but that's not a huge loss. The emcees mostly just watched as the would-be lovers quizzed each other.

This baseball fan is looking forward to pitchers and catchers reporting. Until the longed-for day arrives, there's always the Milwaukee Brewers fanfest on January 30. You can pay ridiculous prices for players' autographs - don't these guys make enough already? - but you can also watch a Family Feud face-off between teams of veterans and youngsters. Can left fielder Ryan Braun match the top answer? Or will he drop the ball, so to speak? There's also a trivia game show with my namesake, third baseman Casey McGehee. Guys named Casey tend to have trivial minds.

I still remember bombing out of a grade school spelling bee when "icicle" stumped me. At least I didn't have to deal with a tough audience, just my somewhat sympathetic classmates. But times have changed. Now a spelling bee in Illinois will proceed in a more raucous setting. Explains one of the organizers: "We get a game show atmosphere going. The audience is strongly encouraged to participate. We tell them not to be too rude, but they can be a little rude."

Not as rude as Anne Robinson, I hope.