Turned Out to Be Another Tall Tale About Dawkins

Yang Jun, 7-2 center for the Chinese national team which has been scrimmaging NBA teams, was plainly overmatched in the physical department when he faced Pat Ewing and the New York Knicks.

According to the New York Times, he was told it wouldn’t be easier against Darryl Dawkins and the New Jersey Nets.

“Darryl’s 285,” he was told.

When Yang heard that, he went into a state of semi-shock. His eyes widened and he began muttering to himself. A reporter asked what was wrong.

Said an interpreter after talking to Yang: “When you said 285, he thought you meant Dawkins’ height was 2.85 meters.”

Conversion: 9 feet 4 inches.

Trivia Time: When the New York Yankees won the 1977 World Series with an 8-4 victory over the Dodgers in Game 6, Reggie Jackson hit three home runs off three different pitchers. Who were they? (Answer below.)

Now-it-can-be-told dept.: Mickey Mantle, in an article he co-authored in TV Guide, revealed he got “cockeyed drunk” the night before Game 3 of the 1960 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Mantle said he went to a New York nightclub where Kay Starr was singing.

Mantle: “Kay had a spotlight thrown on our table. A nice introduction: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I want to welcome a fellow Oklahoman, a fellow we all know and I’m sure we respect and love. Let’s hear it for Mickey Mantle!’ ”

Mantle didn’t remember what happened next but said, “A friend told me that I started to get up and fell on the floor, cockeyed drunk.

“Thankfully, nobody reported it. And you can bet I came into the third game sober as a judge.”

Note: In the game, Mantle went four for five with a home run and a double and two runs batted in.

Mary Brown, wife of General Manager Paul Brown of the Cincinnati Bengals, is a lady who has opinions and isn’t reluctant to share them.

After the Bengals were whistled for 16 infractions in a game, she stood at the entrance to the officials’ dressing and shouted: “You guys stink! You stink! You dirty officials, you stink!”

When Steve Jacobson of Newsday said that St. Louis pitcher Joaquin Andujar has created controversy in both Spanish and English, Dominican Republic journalist Juan Vene said: “If he spoke French, it would be the same thing. He is one loco Dominicano.”

Bruce Clark, the New Orleans defensive end who slam-dunked Raiders’ quarterback Marc Wilson, separating his shoulder, apparently is a man with a problem.

On Sept. 22, he slugged Tampa Bay tackle Ron Heller, who said later that Clark threatened him and told him the game would be his last in the NFL.

Said Clark: “Actually, I did tell him that. I just don’t know what happened. I hope I never see that part of me ever again. I was uncontrollable. It ruined my whole image. Here I am trying to be a low-key guy. Now, they’re going to put me in the same book with some of the other fools in the league.”

Said Denver quarterback John Elway when asked his speed in the 40-yard dash: “I’m probably about a 4.9 normally, but when a 280-pound guy is chasing me, I’m 4.6.”

Trivia Answer: Burt Hooton, Charlie Hough and Elias Sosa.

Quotebook

University of Minnesota football Coach Lou Holtz, on lifetime contracts: “At some schools, a lifetime contract means if you’re ahead in the third quarter and moving the ball, they can’t fire you.”