Dolphins’ Clayton Has the Final Word

Late in the game last Saturday at the Orange Bowl, Miami receiver Mark Clayton and Seattle defensive back Terry Jackson were engaged in a spirited debate.

According to Clayton, Jackson said, “I hope we play you guys again next year so I can kick your butt.”

Clayton told Terry Frei of the Denver Post that the rest of the conversation went like this:

Jackson: “You’re not going to catch that deep stuff on me.”

Clayton: “You’re right, not with you playing 20 yards off me.”

Jackson: “Yeah, but I killed you on that short stuff.”

Clayton: “Yeah, but you’ll be going home in seven minutes. And you’ll be watching us on TV next week.”

Said Washington Redskins defensive line coach Joe Bugel last week: “A lot of people are alarmed that we gave up eight sacks in the last game, but we’re not panicking. We’re not stupid, either. We sit down, watch films, find out what caused the problems and then correct them.”

They did make some progress. The Chicago Bears had seven sacks Sunday.

San Francisco Coach Bill Walsh, on Chicago running back Walter Payton: “If you watch Walter Payton, regardless of his team’s productivity, he’s playing as if it’s a championship game. How he can continue to play with that intensity, with that size, is amazing.

“Eric Dickerson has to be the greatest talent the game has seen. Walter Payton is the greatest competitor I’ve seen.”

Casting his vote for BYU as No. 1, Frank Luksa of the Dallas Times Herald also puts in a plug for Coach LaVell Edwards. Noting that BYU is handicapped in recruiting, Luksa offers this scenario of Edwards approaching a hotshot Texas recruit:

“Jim Pat, I think you’re a great talent. You can play for us and probably start as a sophomore.”

“Coach, I’m interested. Tell me more.”

“A couple of things about our school are different. You can’t smoke, drink alcohol or use drugs.”

“What?”

“You can’t drink caffeine, either.”

“You’re kidding.”

“You also have to forgo premarital sex.”

“Get serious.”

“If you’re a Mormon, you could be sent away to do missionary work for as long as two years. You might even wind up in a foreign country.”

“What happens to my Trans Am?”

“No worry there. You won’t have one. What do you say?”

“Coach, I guess I’ll say goodby.”

How is Dan Issel adjusting to the role of coming off the bench for the Denver Nuggets?

He told Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post: “I was doing pretty well until one particular night when the public address announcer, instead of just introducing the starting five, announced everybody on the team. He said, ‘First, we’ll begin with the non-starters.’ To me, it was like saying, ‘First, we’ll introduce these seven schmucks, and then we’ll get to the real players.’ ”

How many games could you win with a team of Bernard King and Jamaal Wilkes at forwards, Robert Parish at center and Gus Williams and Derek Smith at guards, with World Free and Lewis Lloyd in reserve?

That’s what they’re wondering in the San Francisco Bay Area. All are former members of the Golden State Warriors.

Quotebook

WBA lightweight champion Livingstone Bramble, who meets former champion Ray (Boom Boom) Mancini Feb. 16, recalling his TKO of Mancini last year: “I destroyed him. I beat him up. It ain’t Mancini anymore, it’s Boycini.”