O’Neals Find Press Is Tough in Britain

John McEnroe has long complained about his treatment in the British press, and now girlfriend Tatum O’Neal apparently is getting sucker-punched by the tabloids.

Tony Kornheiser of the Washington Post reports that the London Mirror obtained an exclusive, and supposedly friendly, interview with Joanna Moore, O’Neal’s mother.

The Mirror then described the family this way: “ . . . more famous for their fisticuffs than their films . . . tempestuous Ryan, married first time to ‘ex-pill popper’ actress Joanna Moore . . . ‘Tantrum’ Tatum . . . and her drug addict brother Griffin.”

Welcome to Wimbledon.

For What It’s Worth: Boris Becker is the third German to reach a Wimbledon final. The last was Wilhelm Bungert in 1967; he lost to Australia’s John Newcombe. Baron Gottfried Von Cramm was a three-time finalist, losing to Britain’s Fred Perry in 1935 and 1936 and to America’s Don Budge in 1937.

How do you handle Kevin Curren’s serve? Says Joe Gergen of Newsday: “The best way is to wait until it stops rolling and then pick it up.”

Add Curren: Said Martina Navratilova, in picking him to win today: “He is a little cooler and has a better second serve.”

Last Add Curren: According to UPI, he cost the scalpers a bundle when he eliminated John McEnroe.

“Last week,” UPI said, “they were predicting prices of around $1,040 for a pair of tickets to Sunday’s final. Now, the most they expect is around $520.”

Take-your-choice dept.: Said St. Louis Manager Whitey Herzog of Pedro Guerrero’s triple Friday: “He hit a good pitch, low and away. He’s a low-ball hitter.”

Said Guerrero: “It was a high fastball. It was up in my eyes, where I could see it.”

From Steve Jacobson of Newsday: “Chicago Cubs coach Ruben Amaro, a Philadelphia resident and a citizen of Mexico, places a high value on higher education--even on a coach’s meager salary. His eldest son recently graduated from Duke; the younger one is a junior at Stanford. Both expensive. ‘I tried to tell them about the University of Vera Cruz,’ Amaro lamented. ‘They said no.’ ”

Jacksonville Bulls owner Fred Bullard said the USFL should go to 10 teams next season and exclude Los Angeles.

“I was against Los Angeles to begin with and I’m against Los Angeles now,” he said. “The franchise is an embarrassment to the league. I don’t feel that communities that don’t show support should have teams.”

Fashion Note: From the Chicago Tribune: “William (The Refrigerator) Perry set his first National Football League record this week when Bears equipment manager Ray Earley ordered Wilson Sporting Goods to make the first-round draft choice a pair of size-46 pants--largest in the NFL.”

When Big Eight teams appear on television, receipts are split among the conference schools.

Says NCAA President Jack Davis: “We used to joke at Nebraska that every time Oklahoma went on probation, Kansas State would have to drop another sport.”

Quotebook

Boris Becker of West Germany, asked why he wears a watch during his matches: “Well, I have a contract with the watch company.”