Fast Words From Buddy Ryan

Martin Booker, a former Villanova hurdler with 9.3-second speed for the 100-yard dash, is trying out as a receiver with the Philadelphia Eagles even though he hasn’t played football since high school.

He’ll have to go some to impress Coach Buddy Ryan, who is not generally impressed by track stars who try to make the switch to football.

Of sprinters, Ryan says: “They got fast running home trying to keep from getting whipped.”

Take-your-choice Dept.: Said the headline Wednesday in the New York Times: “U.S.F.L. Loses in Antitrust Case.”

Said the headline in the Wall Street Journal: “Antitrust Suit Is Won by U.S. Football League.”

Trivia Time: Why are Eddie Murray’s teammates at Baltimore now calling him Wally Pipp? (Answer below.)

Ron Kittle of the New York Yankees, on his trade from the Chicago White Sox: “I have mixed feelings, but I’m kind of glad it’s over with. I have to find someone to mow my lawn and feed my dog. Maybe Hawk will feed my dog.”

That’s Ken (Hawk) Harrelson, White Sox vice president of operations.

Wait a Minute: Asked about Steve Pelluer, the new No. 2 quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, Coach Tom Landry recalled that Pelluer was the hero of last year’s 28-21 win over the New York Giants, clinching the NFC East title for the Cowboys.

“His performance in that New York game under pressure was tremendous,” Landry said. “I never saw anybody who did that in the NFL without having played in a game before.”

Could it be that Landry has forgotten that classic encounter with the Washington Redskins in 1974 when an unknown quarterback came off the bench to replace an injured Roger Staubach and threw a 50-yard touchdown pass in the last 28 seconds to beat the Redskins, 24-23?

His name was Clint Longley.

Tennessee football Coach Johnny Majors, formerly the coach at Pittsburgh, calls the 1976 Pitt team, led by Tony Dorsett, the best college team in the last 20 years.

The team, which also featured Matt Cavanaugh at quarterback and Gordon Jones at wide receiver, climaxed a perfect season with a 27-3 win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

Majors said: “I’ve taken teams against the great Nebraska teams and the great Oklahoma teams and the great teams from Alabama and Notre Dame and Penn State and Georgia, and I don’t think there has been another team that could match that 1976 team.”

Wonder how it would have done against the 1972 USC team? The Trojans, led by Anthony Davis, Sam Cunningham, Lynn Swann and Charles Young, wound up the regular season with a 45-23 win over Notre Dame. Then it climaxed a perfect season with a 42-17 rout of Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

Add Majors: Recalling when Dorsett was being promoted for the Heisman Trophy, he said: “Phyllis George of CBS came to do an interview with Tony. Afterwards, she came over and said, ‘Coach, I’ve got a scoop. Tony’s changed his name to Dor- sett. ‘

“I looked at her and said, ‘If that impressed you, Phyllis, I’ll change my name to Ma- jors. ‘ “

Trivia Answer: With Jim Traber hitting up a storm while Murray is sidelined, teammates are hinting that Traber will take over in Baltimore as Lou Gehrig did in New York when Pipp went out of the lineup.

Quotebook

Jerry Dower, a devoted fan of the Memphis Showboats, wondering what he will do to fill the void this fall if the USFL folds: “That’s another nine nights with nothing to do. I guess it’s back to indoor soccer.”