Terror Stalks The NCAA Tournament ... Steamy, Delicious Terror ...

We realize that a bomb scare in a crowded sports venue isn't exactly a recipe for hilarity. But add snack bar condiments, a dog and the fact that it was all a false alarm, and it starts to get funny fast. As we told you yesterday, Cox Arena at San Diego State was evacuated on Thursday when a bomb sniffing dog alerted on a suspicious package in a hot dog stand, just prior to the NCAA Tournament first-round game between Marquette and Alabama. Fire Department bomb technicians using a robot examined the package, which was found to be harmless — just plastic untensils and napkins. The game was started about one hour late.

Let's see. Steamy, succulent, delicious hot dogs ... hungry German Shephard ... nope, we don't have a clue as to what could have happened here.

As one might have guessed, the story is not going away quickly. On MSNBC's Countdown With Keith Olbermann on Thursday, the host chose the dog as the show's daily "Worst Person in the World" (the runners-up were two squirrels, by the way). Olbermann showed a clip of the dog's trainer attempting to explain away the incident, saying that the nitrates contained in hot dogs are probably what caused the dog to alert on the stand. We're not buying this any more than we are the Barry Bonds' steroid excuse. What's next? The dog was the victim of faulty intelligence?

Anyway, this just could be the incident that finally ushers out bomb sniffing dogs for good. Their replacement? Bomb sniffing wasps. We only wish we were making any of this up.

NCAA Tournament Delayed at Cox By Bomb Scare [San Diego Union-Tribune] Wasps Could Replace Bomb, Drug Dogs [USA Today] Bomb Scare In San Diego [Deadspin]