Will fatherhood mellow shot-putter Christian Cantwell? It’s an intriguing thought, for competitors of this 6-foot-6, 320-pound former University of Missouri star who is an assistant coach for the Tigers, and for reporters who seldom find him without an opinion.

On Tuesday, Cantwell and his wife, 2000 Olympic shot putter Teri Steer, are scheduled to have a son, Jackson Daniel, to be delivered by Cesarean section because a month ago the “little dude,” as Cantwell puts it, already weighed nine pounds.

So Cantwell, 27, has some diaper-changing in his immediate future, along with the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field on June 8, and the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials later in the month.

Cantwell has Pre Classic victories in 2004, 2006 and last year; in 2006, he threw 72 feet, nine inches in the Pre Classic, just off the meet and Hayward Field record of 72-93/4 set by Kevin Toth in 2002. Cantwell’s best is 73-111/2, the world record is 75-10¼, and yes, he thinks about it, and wants it.

Maybe more, in fact, than Olympic gold. Sour grapes? Well, Cantwell hasn’t competed in the Games yet; in the 2004 Olympic Trials, he fouled on five of his six throws when, battling injuries, he couldn’t control his spin technique enough to stay in the ring, and finished fourth. How good was he that year? Well, he had the four best throws in the world, and Track & Field News ranked him No. 1 in the world despite his Trials failure.