The Beat

FORMER OKLAHOMA and Cowboys coach Barry Switzer, 70, is staying busy in retirement. Switzer, who has had small roles in the movies Any Given Sunday and Varsity Blues, as well as in a couple of TV shows, will guest star as himself in the TNT series Saving Grace on Aug. 11. (Switzer gets questioned after a load of cash is found in a Porsche he used to own.) Switzer says acting is "hard," but he feels he's learning. "Now I'm the student and [the director is] my mentor," says the ex-coach. "I listen to them because they know what the hell they're talking about and I don't." ... It's never too early for parents to brainwash kids about their sports allegiances. Team Baby Entertainment is releasing a series of DVDs about the joys of rooting for a particular team that targets the fan-in-training. The discs, aimed at kids, are narrated by famous fans, including Alyssa Milano (right), who can be heard on Raising Tomorrow's Los Angeles Dodgers Fan Today! "Baseball is such a generational experience, and what really makes a fan is their parents," says Milano. "I had an incredible experience growing up and having that Dodger connection with my dad."

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ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES (MILANO)