This Kangaroo Takes a Bad Hop on Italians

A story making the rounds in Fremantle, Australia, concerns an Italian America’s Cup crew that took a drive in the country on its day off.

Several hands from the 12-meter boat Italia, whose major sponsor is Gucci, wanted to see a live kangaroo but had no luck after driving several miles into the bush. However, as they turned around, a kangaroo bounded onto the road and was struck by their car.

As the stunned animal lay in the road, the Italians had another idea: Let’s get a picture of the kangaroo wearing a Gucci jacket.

But just after they slipped the jacket onto the kangaroo, it jumped up and ran away, wearing the jacket, which contained the owner’s wallet and the keys to the car.

The Italians walked back to Fremantle. So far, there have been no reports of a kangaroo wearing a Gucci jacket driving a car.

For what it’s worth: From 1970 through 1985, 17 National Football League teams started the season 6-0. All 17 went to the playoffs. Eight went to the Super Bowl. Five won the Super Bowl.

Chicago and Denver are 6-0 this season.

With enemies like these ... : David Harris’ mammoth new 710-page tome, “The League”--subtitled, “The Rise and Decline of the NFL”--contains the following exchange between the late Carroll Rosenbloom, at the time the owner of the Baltimore Colts, and Colt tight end John Mackey, an activist in the NFL Players Assn:

Rosenbloom: “(The owners) don’t need football, but you do.”

Mackey: “If you didn’t have tickets to give away, you wouldn’t have any friends.”

While other college basketball teams around the country have started practice, the John Carroll University squad is learning a lesson, and not in the classroom.

The John Carroll team and its cheerleaders are spending the week painting the Independent Living Facilities for Cerebral Palsy at Health Hill Hospital in Cleveland. The Blue Streaks open practice next Wednesday.

“Although we like to win, our athletes have to understand that there are more important things than winning and losing games,” Coach Tim Baab said. “When you really have a talented team, as we do, it’s sometimes hard to play your best every game. A project like this will make the players more appreciative of the skills they possess.”

Is this what Al McGuire means when he says, “In the paint?”

Beef Bowl: Two of the biggest offensive lines in the country will be on the field Saturday when Michigan plays host to Iowa. From tackle to tackle, the Wolverines’ offensive line goes 290, 255, 290, 285 and 305 pounds. The Hawkeyes are only slightly smaller at 280, 285, 255, 270 and 285 from side to side.

Kansas City cornerback Kevin Ross, one of several Chiefs fined for his part in the brawl with the Raiders two games ago, looks at the incident differently than most of his teammates.

Apparently tired of the whining of Coach John Mackovic and other Chiefs, Ross said: “The whole thing was overrated,” Ross said. “It makes the players look like girls: ‘Aw, the Raiders beat us up.’ It was no big thing. They did what they had to do to win the game. If that sparks their team, so be it. We’d better find a spark.”

Quotebook

University of Pittsburgh basketball Coach Paul Evans, on the high preseason ranking of his team: “How can you rate a team that was 15-14 last year and has no true center or point guard in the top 20? It only proves that sportswriters indulge in more drugs than athletes.”