Ewing Has Failed to Make a Point With Chamberlain

At least one person of stature is not impressed with the ability of Georgetown center Patrick Ewing. Former NBA star Wilt Chamberlain doubts that Ewing will be any kind of offensive threat in the pros, insisting that if he’d had Ewing’s college stats, “they wouldn’t have talked about me.”

In his junior season at Kansas, his last before turning pro, Chamberlain averaged 30.1 points and 17 rebounds a game but finished third in the 1958 NCAA scoring race behind Cincinnati’s Oscar Robertson (35.1) and Seattle’s Elgin Baylor (32.5).

This season, Ewing averaged 14.6 points and 9.5 rebounds.

Add Wilt: Writing in the Akron Beacon Journal, columnist Steve Love had this to say about former UCLA center Stuart Gray, now with the Indiana Pacers:

“Leaving school early is all Gray has in common with the greatest center of all, Wilt Chamberlain.”

Would-you-believe-it dept.?: Denver Gold Coach Mouse Davis has received most of the credit, but the originator of the run-and-shoot football offense was Glenn (Tiger) Ellison, a former quarterback coach at Ohio State under Woody Hayes.

According to Tim Panaccio of The Sporting News, Ellison wrote “Run-and-Shoot: The Offense of the Future” while working for Hayes and the Buckeyes in 1965. Not too surprisingly, Ellison couldn’t convince Hayes that passing was an acceptable way of moving the football.

“Woody was awfully conservative,” Ellison said. “Ol’ Woody was hardheaded about that grunt-and-grind offense of his. I couldn’t sell mine.”

Describing the USFL’s Orlando Renegades, who won their first game Thursday night, Jacksonville Times-Union columnist Greg Larson wrote: “The ‘Gades are owned by a man named Donald Dizney. He may spell his name a little differently, but he still owns a Mickey Mouse team.”

After his team lost a recent game to the Golden State Warriors, 145-122, San Antonio Spurs Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons turned to the bus driver and said: “Let’s get out of here before they score again.”

Pennant prediction?: Former Angel manager John McNamara sounds as if he’s glad to be in Boston with the Red Sox.

“From top to bottom, this is the most solid club I’ve had,” McNamara said. “All I have to do is not mess it up. Players make the manager; managers don’t make players.”

Former Herald Examiner publisher Frank Dale may be walking into a lion’s den in his new job as commissioner of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Listen to Cleveland Force owner Bart Wolstein:

“I think Frank Dale had a great resume. He has a good background. But he wasn’t my candidate. My feeling is that he will be a pussycat. And that’s not what we need in the commissioner’s office.

“I don’t like to beat up on pussycats! But he’s going to be hearing from me--and often.”

What’s it like being a substitute in the NBA?

“I’m in a Catch-22 situation,” said Tom Scheffler, Portland Trail Blazers reserve center. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt, but the only way I can play is if someone is hurt. I just have to stay ready.”

Over the years, Lou Carnesecca generally roamed far and wide to protest calls by the officials. But according to his wife, Mary, the St. John’s coach stayed in the sideline box put in this year to curb the nomadic nature of NCAA basketball coaches.

“I’m very proud of him,” Mary Carnesecca said. “He didn’t get too many technicals for getting out of the box. Of course, the kid (Jerry Mirabito) hired to restrain him on the bench got some black and blue marks.”

Quotebook

Chicago White Sox outfielder Ron Kittle, on the acupuncture he is undergoing for shin splints: “Of course, my calves hurt now, because that’s where they stick the pins. But at least it takes my mind off the front of my legs.”