Quick Hits

MIXED MEDIA

APRIL REALLY HAS ARRIVED

Chicagosportswebio.com begins broadcasting Monday on the Internet.

At a cocktail party last week at Hub 51 to celebrate the launch, the on-air talent for the sports-talk startup was present. Dan Jiggetts and Mike North, Matt Weber and Fred Huebner, Jonathan Hood and Tim Doyle, Chet Coppock and Ray ''Boom Boom'' Mancini. Jen Patterson. George Ofman.

So naturally, Quick Hits was drawn to the most compelling figure.

Hello, April Rose.

What's a nice girl like the former Loop Rock Girl/eternal Quick Hits favorite doing in an assemblage like this?

''They were looking for a top sports analyst, and they found one,'' April told Quick Hits.

One with a sense of humor, too.

It's purely coincidental that the expert is Maxim's Hometown Hottie.

''They're doing a lot of billboards, taxicab ads, so I got lucky,'' said April, who should be a visible presence around town. ''I got everyone into thinking I was cool.''

As if that takes any convincing.

At some point will the webio folks tap into April's expertise -- no, not expert tease -- on the air?

''It's possible,'' she said. ''I'm going to do my studying.''

Hey, if you need any help ...

- Comcast SportsNet will televise 24 hours of baseball programming on Monday.

- For those still in a basketball and reading mode, there's When March Went Mad by Seth Davis about the 1979 Larry Bird-Magic Johnson NCAA title game with Michigan State beating Indiana State.

- A book launch party for former Vine Line editor Jim McArdle's Living the Dream will be next Thursday at 6 p.m. at Harry Caray's Tavern, 3551 N. Sheffield.

- In case you haven't read, Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander and The Heckler are hosting the ''101st Annual Next Year Day Party'' at 8 p.m. Friday at Harry Caray's Tavern. Admission is $10. Entertainment will feature Telander's music group, the Del-Crustaceans, and blues legend Lonnie Brooks.

GETTING INTO THE SWING

RING THIS ONE UP FOR CHARITY

Michael Lohan has some hunches about punches.

Consequently, the father of actress Lindsay Lohan is to fight a Philadelphia radio personality Friday for charity in Philly.

''I don't have a background in boxing,'' he told Chris Yandek of CYInterview.com. ''I played lacrosse, hockey and football all my life through all my years of high school and even college. Then I got into martial arts. Martial arts is just a means of controlling ourselves, and it's more a defensive thing. I have some training there and I really enjoyed it, so I decided, let me give it a shot in the ring.''

He might want to watch out for the other guy's shots.

ALWAYS A 'CHALLENGE'

WORKING OUT THE DETAILS

If you're fit, this is it.

It's the ''Alpha Female Challenge,'' a contest that consists of a series of workout activities designed by trainer/entrepreneur/

Quick Hits friend Bob Dixon. He's hoping to turn the event -- set for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday at HiFi Fitness, 1030 North Ave. -- into a reality series.

There's no cost to enter or attend. All a woman has to do is show up with gym shoes. The winner will receive $1,000. There also will be an ''Omega'' contest (not quite the elite level of ''Alpha'') with $500 for the winner. Sponsors include HiFi, Harley-Davidson, Roberts & McGivney, Symmetry Fitness and Maud House.

Beth Horn (Venom on TV's ''American Gladiators'') is to be host of the show with Elliott Harris providing commentary (hey, we all need to explore career options). Chicagoan Tony Brown, a former NBA player and assistant coach, is the ''grand marshal.'' Horn and participants also will be signing autographs.

Dixon plans to hold events every three months. He also plans to post action from the events on YouTube. When they're out there, Quick Hits will let you know, if you're interested -- and even if you're not.

GRAPPLING WITH HISTORY

'DRAGON' STEAMING INTO HALL OF FAME

Ricky ''The Dragon'' Steamboat has come a long way from his early days in pro wrestling.

''I started in 1974, and 35 years later, who would have thought a young kid back then would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame?'' he told Quick Hits by phone the other day.

''I grant you it wasn't around back then, but even as you come up throughout the years -- I retired in '94 -- and we're capping it off right now on the 25th anniversary of WrestleMania by being inducted into the Hall of Fame. A very, very humbling experience. It's going to be great. I'm wired up for it.

So is his speech prepared?

''I've been working on some bullets,'' he said. ''I might just go out there and wing it, let it flow.''

Not only will Steamboat be among the inductees, he is scheduled to be part of WrestleMania XXV -- the pay-per-view program to be held Sunday in Houston -- with Chris Jericho taking on legends Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka and Steamboat.

''I was in the first one,'' Steamboat said. ''It's amazing to see the evolution of WrestleMania, what it's done for the last 25 years. It's a worldwide experience.''

Color Photo: Andrew H. Walker, Getty Images / Don't tell Ricky ''The Dragon'' Steamboat, but Quick Hits is running a picture of wrestling legend Ric ''Nature Boy'' Flair with WWE Divas Kelly Kelly (left) and Eve from the WrestleMania XXV news conference on Tuesday in New York. ; Color Photo: Michael Lohan Color Photo: Greg Sidelnik / April Rose should help provide a visible presence for Chicagosportswebio.com. And possibly expert analysis. Color Photo: horsephotos.com/ntra / THIS TAKES THE CAKE: Inez Karlsson will celebrate her 26th birthday on Saturday at Hawthorne Race Course. A former boxer, the native of Sweden will be riding Knight Shot (a 30-1 long shot) in the 52nd running of the $500,000 Illinois Derby. ;