Cardinals’ Bidwill Gets Last Laugh

Bill Bidwill, owner of the St. Louis Cardinals football team, is considered somewhat of an eccentric among his NFL peers, so Commissioner Pete Rozelle got a laugh at the winter meetings when he suggested that Bidwill move his team to Hong Kong, or that at least he start buying his suits there.

According to Jim Dent of the Dallas Times Herald, Bidwill got a bigger laugh when it was suggested that NFL owners ban all stadium banners containing a commercial message.

“We really need to make sure that we don’t see any more religious banners,” TV committee chairman Art Modell said. “You know, we need to get rid of that banner that always says ‘John 3:16.’ ”

Rising slowly from his chair, Bidwill raised his hand and said, “You consider ‘John 3:16’ a religious message? I always thought they were talking about John Madden’s weight.”

Trivia Time: In the history of the NBA, what rookie has made the greatest impact as far as improving the team’s record from the previous season? (Answer below.)

Dave Rosner of Newsday, on Cleveland State guard Ken (The Mouse) McFadden who didn’t play high school basketball in New York: “ On the playgrounds of the Lower East Side, Kenny McFadden cemented his reputation as The Mouse That Scored. In AAU tournaments and summer leagues, he would routinely outscore the likes of Dwayne (The Pearl) Washington, Kenny (The Jet) Smith and Walter (The Truth) Berry. Playground legend has it that The Mouse could hold his own against any guard in America.”

Now-it-can-be-told dept.: In Michigan State’s first-round game against Washington, Scott Skiles told Washington guard Al Moscatel who was roughing him up, “I’m going to score 50 on you.”

As it was, Skiles scored 31 points, including the winning free throws, as the Spartans won, 72-70.

“He did a lot of bragging, but he backed it up,” said Moscatel, who missed a last-second shot that would have sent the game into overtime. “He won the battle. He got the best of me.”

Rich Kelley of the Sacramento Kings is playing his last year in the NBA, but there will be no special nights or going-away presents for the 7-footer from Stanford.

“After all,” he told Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times, “it’s not like people are calling on me like they do Doctor J or Kareem. It’s not like I’m quitting on top. I’ve never been on top.”

Added Kelley, whose game has never inspired such nicknames as Skywalker or Human Highlight Film: “My game is very horizontal. That’s why I’ve never had any knee problems. Knees like horizontal players.”

Although he’ll leave behind few records, he will be remembered for a classic quote. Asked at an airport for a Hare Krishna donation, he said: “I gave in another life.”

Trivia Answer: Larry Bird. In 1978-79, the Boston Celtics were 29-53. In 1979-80, his rookie year, they were 61-21, the best record in the NBA. That’s an improvement of 32 games. Next is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Milwaukee Bucks improved 29 games in his rookie year of 1969-70.

Quotebook

Former baseball commissioner A.B. (Happy) Chandler, on his successor, Ford Frick: “His sleep was not as long as Rip Van Winkle’s, but it was equally as deep.”