Driesell Looks for Respect

Charles Driesell, head basketball coach at the University of Maryland, has been called Lefty since he was in grade school in Norfolk, Va., but he says that’s enough. He says he’s outgrown the nickname.

“I’m 53 years old,” he said. “I no longer want to be called Lefty, because it’s disrespectful.”

OK, Baldy.

When the 28 members of the Italian delegation checked into the Holiday Inn in Montreal for the World Gymnastics Championships, the kitchen anticipated a lot of orders for pasta.

Not so.

“They ate nothing but steak,” said meet organizer Bruno Murdock. “It was steak, steak and more steak. Every meal for 12 days.

“It got so bad that the hotel ran out of steak--the first time that has happened in 20 years. Their meal bill came to between $8,000 and $10,000.”

Trivia Time: The runners-up in the Heisman Trophy voting to John David Crow of Texas A&M; in 1957, Gary Beban of UCLA in 1967 and Pat Sullivan of Auburn in 1971 all are working in Hollywood. Who are they? (Answer below.)

The fastest linebacker in football? Don’t bet against Andy Headen of the New York Giants. He did something Sunday that some of the best sprinters in the world couldn’t do in the Olympic 400-meter relay--catch Ron Brown from behind.

Brown appeared to be long gone on a kickoff return for the Rams after shaking off kicker Eric Schubert on the sideline, but Headen angled over to flag him down on the 11-yard line.

Headen, 6-5 and 230, is a third-year pro from Clemson. Last year, he scored a touchdown on an 81-yard run after a fumble recovery.

Tulane, getting its last touchdown after an onside kick, defeated Southwestern Louisiana, 27-17, last Saturday. It was the first win in nine games for the Green Wave, but Coach Mack Brown said he still gets crank calls.

“A guy called and griped about us running up the score,” he said.

After Kansas City Chief Coach John Mackovic canceled free lunches as part of his get-tough policy, some of the players started showing up with hard hats, carrying lunch pails.

The free lunches were restored.

It’s the Chicago Bears vs. the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday, and Keith Van Horne of the Bears said: “I hate the Cowboys.”

Why?

“Because they’re the Cowboys,” he said.

Trivia Answer: Alex Karras of Iowa in 1957, O.J. Simpson of USC in 1967 and Ed Marinaro of Cornell in 1971. Note: Simpson won the Heisman the following year, in 1968.

Quotebook

University of Minnesota football Coach Lou Holtz, on penalties: “No player is allowed to get a penalty unless he can get the yards back.”