Namath Befriends $150-a-Week Creep

When Joe Namath was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Frank Luksa of the Dallas Times Herald confessed that he once had nurtured a strong dislike for the quarterback who called his shot in Super Bowl III.

“I remember he once complained of being harassed by ‘$200-a-week creeps’ who worked for New York newspapers,” Luksa said. “That ticked me off because I was only making $150. I always thought he was too full of himself and wished someone would clean his clock.”

Luksa changed his mind a couple of years ago when Namath was in Dallas on business and rearranged a crowded schedule to grant an interview over the phone.

Luksa said: “We did the interview, and it was a good one. Before hanging up, I did an embarrassing thing. I came on like a fan.

“I said, ‘Joe, I have two teen-age daughters. They’d be crushed to know I’ve talked to you but didn’t get an autographed picture like those you signed at the mall.’ He said, ‘Hey, give me their names and address.’ I did but never mentioned it to the kids, figuring he’d wad up the note with their names and deep-six it.

“The pictures arrived in the mail two weeks later . . . ‘To Elise and Laura, Be happy and stay sweet, Love and X’s, Joe Namath.’

“They had been mailed from California.”

Said Roger Staubach, 42, when someone suggested he try a comeback after he was named to the Hall of Fame: “I played a flag football game the other day and got chapped lips from the cold and a sore arm.”

He added the clincher: “It’s amazing. I haven’t had a concussion since I left pro football.”

Chicago Bears Coach Mike Ditka, who ended his playing career in Dallas and was an assistant coach there, says of the 49ers: “I’d rank them with the good Pittsburgh teams. I can’t say who’s the best all-time, but when we played Pittsburgh, I don’t know who was any better because they beat us when we were pretty good.”

From Utah Jazz Coach Frank Layden: “If you put Magic Johnson or Larry Bird on any team in the league, that automatically becomes a playoff team.”

How about his own Adrian Dantley, a two-time NBA scoring champion?

Layden: “I don’t think A.D. does that. He’s a good scorer, and I might be crazy for saying this, but getting 30 points a game is his role. That by itself doesn’t make this team a winner.”

Note: John Wooden, once picking an all-time team for Sports Illustrated, had Jerry West and Oscar Robertson at guards, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at center, and Bird and Johnson at forwards--moving Johnson up from a guard post.

Add forgettable quotes: Said Boston forward Cedric Maxwell after Philadelphia’s 42-hour stay in first place had ended with a 113-97 loss to the Celtics Sunday: “I’m just happy Philadelphia didn’t get accustomed to being in first place. Now they’re back where they belong.”

Three nights later, Philadelphia was back in first place after Seattle had stunned the Celtics, 107-97, at Boston Garden.

Quotebook

North Carolina State basketball Coach Jim Valvano, asked what kind of homework he’s doing for his job as TV analyst on Saturday’s Indiana-Illinois game: “Basically, none.”