The Name’s the Same, and So Is Their Game

Walt Hazzard, basketball coach at UCLA, has a Beverly Hills lawyer who went to USC, named Jerry Roth.

George Raveling, new basketball coach at USC, has a Philadelphia lawyer who went to UCLA, named Jerry Roth.

Jerry Roth of Beverly Hills has invited Jerry Roth of Philadelphia to lunch today.

No paging, please.

More than one coach has complained that Dick Vitale knows nothing about basketball, but the man who calls the shots for ESPN was a head coach for four years at the University of Detroit, where his average season’s record was 20-8.

One of his players was Terry Tyler, now of the Sacramento Kings, and he told Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times: “At Detroit, he took a program that drew maybe 500 fans and sold the place out. He brought basketball to the Motor City. He put it on the map.

“He was a gifted motivator. He had a lot of charisma and drive. And he loved to win. The first time I met him, he was recruiting me for Detroit. I felt like taking off my clothes and putting on a uniform and going out and playing right then. He taught me a lot about basketball and life in general.

“I love him.”

Add Vitale: He told Kelley: “I’m making way more money than I was coaching. The money is very good. I love it. And I think a lot of people like me. I don’t think Andy Russo would have asked me to speak at the University of Washington if he didn’t respect me.

“The only guy I’m having trouble with is Walt Hazzard at UCLA. I said on the air that UCLA is starting a new tradition. Instead of going to the NCAA every year, they’ve fallen in love with the NIT. Walt didn’t like that.”

Trivia Time: What do Mac O’Grady, Sidney Wicks and Warren Moon have in common? (Answer below.)

George F. Will in Newsweek said it’s a shame pitcher Mike Smith didn’t make it with the Cincinnati Reds, because his quotes could make him the next Yogi Berra. Said Will of Smith, now pitching at Denver:

--”He once asked a waitress to put some neutrons on his salad.”

--”Checking out of a hotel, he said he wanted to pay his accidentals.”

--”He says his coat is warm because it has good installation.”

74 Years Ago Today: On April 11, 1912, Rube Marquard of the New York Giants beat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 18-3. It was the first of 19 straight wins by Marquard, still a major league record. He lost his magic in the second half of the season and finished with a 26-11 record.

Also on this date, in 1962, the New York Mets played their first game and lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 11-4.

Charley Neal, the Met second baseman and now a representative of Purolator Courier in Dallas, said: “I remember sitting at my locker afterward and saying, ‘God, it’s going to be a long season.’ ”

When Seve Ballesteros said he knew the Augusta National course as well as he knows his house, a reporter suggested he spent so much time traveling he might not know his house that well.

“It’s a small house,” Seve said. “One bathroom, one bedroom. I know it.”

Trivia Answer: All three went to Hamilton High School.

Quotebook

Larry Holmes, on his rematch with Michael Spinks at Las Vegas April 19: “If he runs like he ran the first time, I’m going to put on my shoulder pads and I’m going to do some tackling.”