As Usual, New York Gets It All Wrong

Owner John Nerud was happy that Cozzene won the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Saturday, but he appeared to be more delighted that the event was held at Aqueduct.

Nerud, one of the organizers of the Breeders’ Cup, told Joe Gergen of Newsday: “No event is a national event until it happens in New York. New York is the greatest city in the world. It’s also the media center. You can hold an event 10 times and you haven’t held anything ‘til you’re in New York.”

The attendance Saturday at Aqueduct was 42,568. The handle was $8,171,520. Last year, the Breeders’ Cup was held at Hollywood Park. The attendance was 64,254. The handle was $11,466,941.

Trivia Time: When Georgia Tech beat Cumberland, 222-0, in 1916, the highest score in college football history, who was the Georgia Tech coach? (Answer below.)

For What It’s Worth: William (The Refrigerator) Perry of the Chicago Bears has as many touchdown receptions this year as wide receiver Willie Gault, No. 1 draft choice of the the Bears in 1983.

Add Perry: He normally lines up at fullback on goal-line situations, inspiring Ken Denlinger of the Washington Post to write: “William Perry is the fullest back there ever was.”

Anyone notice that Craig James has overtaken his old SMU running mate, Eric Dickerson, in the NFL statistics?

James, of the New England Patriots, has carried 128 times for 603 yards, a 4.7 average. Dickerson has carried 137 times for 543 yards, a 3.6 average.

James had a couple of injury-plagued USFL seasons before finally emerging at New England.

Would-you-believe-it dept.: Washington Redskins running back Keith Griffin, who netted 164 yards in 16 carries Sunday, never gained 100 yards in a game at the University of Miami.

Griffin is a brother of Archie Griffin, two-time Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State but something of a disappointment with the Cincinnati Bengals. He had only three 100-yard days, topped by a 139-yard game as a rookie in 1976.

Said USFL Commissioner Harry Usher in announcing a new alignment for 1986: “The Los Angeles Express is somewhere between terminal and moribund.”

With that, he disconnected the life-support system.

Bobby Knight assured reporters that Indiana is not susceptible to a basketball scandal similar to the one at the University of Kentucky.

Asked why, he said, “The Indiana alumni are scared to death of me.”

From Don Riley of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: “Cheap hunting tip: Stay home, let your mind wander--and shoot your mouth off.”

He adds: “If you’ve lost your memory--forget it.”

Trivia Answer: John Heisman, the man for whom the Heisman Trophy is named.

Add Heisman: Before each season, he would display a football to his squad and describe it thusly: “A prolate spheroid, that is, an elongated sphere, in which the outer leather casing is drawn tightly over a somewhat smaller rubber tubing.

“Better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this.”

Quotebook

Anne Gaylor, president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, on Wisconsin football Coach Dave McClain leading the Badgers in prayer before games: “Praying before battle is a barbarian custom. What’s next, the sacrifice of a badger?”