Lefty Just Wants Things Right Again

Stop the presses! Charles G. Driesell has reconsidered. He wants to be called Lefty again.

Actually, the Maryland basketball coach said, “Call me whatever you want.”

Before the season, Driesell requested that the nickname Lefty be dropped, feeling it was inappropriate for a 54-year-old man.

He now says, “The change has led to confusion and the issue has been blown way out of proportion.”

It hasn’t done much for his record, either. The Terrapins are 12-10 overall and 2-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. At one time, they were 0-6 in the ACC, the worst start ever for Charles G.

Certainly, Lefty could have done better.

Said Larry Bird, after winning the long-shooting contest at the NBA All-Star game: “Leon Wood might be the best three-point shooter in the league, but I kept telling him what a big slump he’s been in. I told all the guys before the contest who was going to win--I just wanted know who was going to come in second.”

Trivia Time: What are the first names of former NBA coaches Red Auerbach, Red Holzman and Red Rocha?

Dallas Mavericks’ Coach Dick Motta, onetime coach at Weber State, tells the Dallas Morning News why he got out of college coaching: “In the spring of 1964, I was on a train going to a conference meeting with a coach from the West whom I admired.

“He was complaining about a coach I idolized and how he was paying one of his players. I was shocked and suggested the coach turn in the offending coach. He told me he was afraid to do so because he was paying one of his players more, and he was afraid the other coach knew about it. That was 21 years ago.”

From the Denver Post: “Chicago Bulls’ Coach Stan Albeck has announced that Michael Jordan, upon his return, will switch to small forward, with George Gervin staying in the starting lineup at guard.

“Albeck also announced that, henceforth, the Bulls will use two basketballs in all their games. . . . Just kidding.”

Tommy Bolt, asked to compare Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan, told Golf Digest: “I saw Nicklaus watch Hogan practice, but I never saw Hogan watch Nicklaus practice.”

Melvin Gilliam of Oklahoma State has this complaint about free throws: “I think the trouble is the name. If they’re free, they ought to give ‘em to you.”

Joe Dial, who held the indoor pole vault record until both Serguei Bubka and Billy Olson broke it, told Dave Rosner of Newsday that he and Bubka have become good friends.

“Every time Serguei sees me,” Dial said, “he comes up and puts his arm around me and says, ‘Joe, you my friend.’ And he always says, ‘Joe, wish you many happiness.’

“But he can’t talk any English in front of those other people,” Dial said, referring to Soviet officials. “He can’t talk to me in front of them. There are just some things he can’t do even though he wants to, and I understand that.”

Add Bubka: Billy Olson said, “I haven’t seen Serguei since July when he drove my girlfriend and me to the airport after a meet in London. He couldn’t drive worth a flip--we had to cover our eyes--but he sure was having a blast, hootin’ and hollerin.’ ”

Trivia Answer: Arnold Auerbach, William Holzman, Ephraim Rocha.

Quotebook

Boston College basketball Coach Gary Williams, on why playgrounds are the best place to learn the game: “Because if you lose, you sit down.”