He Started Blowing Smoke and Became a Real Sportswriter

Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times, tracing his career, told about the first time he interviewed pitcher Dock Ellis.

Ellis became upset because he didn’t think Kelley’s questions were professional and said, “How can you call yourself a sportswriter? You don’t even smoke cigars.”

Kelley: “I was 23 and figured he knew more about it than I did. I started smoking cigars. I got interviews, but I never had dates.”

At a special meal last week, the Florida State team feasted on gator meat as it prepared for its traditional showdown with Florida.

“I always like to give the boys a taste of gator before this game,” Florida State dietitian Betty Gibson said.

How did it taste?

“Great,” tackle Gerald Nichols said. “I hope it tastes this good Saturday.”

It didn’t. Florida won, 38-14.

Add Gator: The Chicago Bears will feast on alligator as they travel to Miami for Monday night’s game against the Dolphins, but it has nothing to do with Florida.

“We happened to have alligator on the plane before the game with San Francisco,” said Bear General Manager Jerry Vanisi, who pays for the meat himself. “I can’t change. I have to do it the same way.”

Trivia Time: When the Miami Dolphins preserved their perfect record in 1972 with a 21-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC championship game, the key play was a run for a first down on a fake punt. Who was the the punter? (Answer below.)

Add Trivia: If USC beats Alabama in the Aloha Bowl Dec. 28, will Ted Tollner become the answer to this trivia question: “Who is the only coach to win three bowl games in the same year?”

In 1985, Tollner already is a winner in the Rose Bowl and the Mirage Bowl.

Another former Daily Trojan staffer has come forth to chastise the Daily Bruin for reporting that its win this year was the first by a visiting team in the football series between the papers.

Writes Bob Roddick of San Bernardino: “I’m proud to say I was a member of the 1970 Daily Trojan team that stomped UCLA, 13-6, in the shadows of Pauley Pavilion. It was 13-0 until the Bruins stumbled into a ‘gimme’ touchdown against our reserves in the secondary on the game’s final play. Up to then, I believe we had not allowed UCLA a first down.”

Just Asking: Shouldn’t next Saturday’s game between Texas El Paso and Wyoming in Melbourne, Australia, be called the Lame Duck Bowl? Both coaches, Bill Yung of Texas El Paso and Al Kincaid of Wyoming, have been fired.

Wait a Minute: Said Emory Bellard, confident of finding another position after being fired at Mississippi State: “I’ve been very, very successful coaching football my entire career. In fact, this is the only time since I’ve been coaching it hasn’t been a pretty resounding success. In my days at Texas A&M;, I guess there was one coach that had a better record there than Bear Bryant, and that was Emory Bellard.”

Bryant was .641, Bellard .640. A&M; coaches with better records than both were Charley Moran .826, Dana X. Bible .791 and J.E. Platt .783.

Trivia Answer: Larry Seiple.

Quotebook

Lou Holtz, new head football coach at Notre Dame, on what kind of offense he will employ: “We will use some kind of option, and we will throw the football. I hope it will be at our people.”