Nobody Up There Likes Him

Trevor Berbick, who will defend his World Boxing Council heavyweight title against Mike Tyson Saturday, bills himself as the Fighting Preacher and lately has been preaching at the Moment of Miracles Church in Las Vegas.

Dennis Rappaport, co-manager of Gerry Cooney, told the New York Times that when he was dickering with Berbick last June about a possible bout with Cooney, Berbick’s first words were: “I need money, a $100,000 deposit.”

Rappaport: “I said, ‘What?’ And he said, ‘I got a message from God. He said to ask you, and you’d give it to me.’ I said, ‘When did you talk to God?’ He said, ‘About 20 minutes ago.’

“I told him, ‘Trevor, He changed his mind. He spoke to me about five minutes ago and said not to give you $20.’ ”

From New York Giant safety Kenny Hill, on the criticism that quarterback Phil Simms has taken this season: “He’s been denigrated and castigated by the press, and it’s not deserved.”

Denigrated? Castigated?

Hill went to Yale.

Said New England Coach Raymond Berry, of the Hail Mary pass that beat the Rams Sunday: “There comes a time when you don’t have enough time to score enough points, and at that point, really, the show is over. But until that happens, it’s not over and a lot of people don’t understand or recognize the situation in which it’s not over.

“Some people look upon some situations as being over when they’re not, and when you have time to run one play and one play can score a touchdown and one touchdown can win for you, the game isn’t over.”

Nice of him to clear that up.

Trivia Time: The Pittsburgh Steeler record for longest pass play is 90 yards, set in 1981 by Terry Bradshaw to what receiver? (Answer below.)

Wait a Minute: From Pacific 10 Commissioner Tom Hansen, on the prospect of six conference teams playing in bowls: “It’s not unprecedented, but it is at least as good as any conference ever has done. It’s a very rare feat to have that many teams from one conference playing in bowl games.”

In 1974, 1982 and 1983, the Southeastern Conference sent seven teams to bowl games. Currently, nine SEC teams are bidding for bowl berths.

Paul Westphal, recalling playing for Tom Heinsohn with the Boston Celtics: “I’ll always remember his pep talks. One time there were only 72 bleeps in it--and that was Christmas Day.

Trivia Answer: Mark Malone, then playing at tight end. In 1979 at Arizona State, Malone set an NCAA record for the longest run by a quarterback at 98 yards. NCAA records are kept only for regular-season games. Which quarterback ran 99 yards for a touchdown in a bowl game? (Answer below.)

Bo Schembechler was asked if the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry became a classic because of Woody Hayes and himself.

“The rivalry was always there, but he refueled it,” the Michigan coach said as a smile broke across his face. “I refueled Woody.”

Trivia II Answer: Terry Baker in the 1962 Liberty Bowl game at Philadelphia. It was the only touchdown as Oregon State beat Villanova, 6-0.

Quotebook

Coach Barry Switzer of the University of Oklahoma, on why a player left school: “It was like a heart transplant. We tried to implant college in him, but his head rejected it.”