The New Jersey Nets continue to make a push for Stromile Swift, and have apparently offered center Jason Collins this time. It is not known if this is a straight-up proposal. But it could be (unlike the one Memphis turned down earlier this season involving Jamaal Magloire and other players) because Collins and Swift’s salaries essentially are equal this season and next.

As of this morning, however, the Grizzlies balked at acquiring Collins. The Griz coaching staff is said to be less enamored with Collins, who is not even as athletic as Darko Milicic.

Swift, meanwhile, returned to practice Thursday ready to put his one-game suspension behind him. The 6-9 forward/center did say, however, that it’s time to move on if the Grizzlies don’t intend to play him.

Stay tuned.

I found some interesting bits of news from around the country while surfing the outdoors Net this morning:

Here’s a sampling:

In Maryland, an angler has landed an 11.18-pound largemouth bass that will rank as the new state record for tidal water bass.

In Alabama, a grand jury is set to investigate last year’s Monster Pig fiasco. You remember that one, don’t you? That was the incident when the 11-year-old kid killed a 1,000-pound wild hog that turned out had been someone’s pet. This is a very interesting story that sheds a lot of light on just how dirty that operation really was.

In Massachusetts, A 27-year-old man fell through the ice while walking home in the dark and survived only because his neighbor executed a rescue mission in a canoe. Everyone should have a friend like that.

In Mississippi, a visiting out-of-state hunter killed a banded pintail duck. Conservation officials who examined the duck say it was actually banded and released in Japan. That’s unbelievable.