His Favorite Was Red, As In Blood

How about black and blue: Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth, who has been known to streak his hair, was asked what color he would dye his punk-styled hair for the 1986 Butkus Award banquet. The repeat winner said, “I might have to call Mr. Butkus and see what his favorite four or five colors are.”

Add Bosworth: When he won the Butkus Award the first time last year, his father was overheard to say there was no use comparing the two because “he wasn’t as intimidating.” Well, really, who’s as intimidating as Butkus? Brian’s father looked up surprised. No, he meant Butkus wasn’t as intimidating as Brian.

At SMU, it’s tradition: SMU, which is facing the NCAA’s “death penalty” if the latest charges against the football program can be confirmed, has a lamentably long history of cheating. It goes well beyond the charges that landed the program on probation in 1985 and which could lead to a two-year suspension of the sport. In fact, the tradition goes back to 1921, according to the Washington Post.

Seems that Dallas businessmen decided they wanted the best team money could buy. Some of the players were not full time students and others were given cash loans and paid as much as $1.75 an hour for non-existent jobs.

The Southwest Conference, upon learning of these excesses, entertained a motion to reprimand the school but the motion failed to get the required two-thirds votes. The SMU representative voted against it.

Needs TLC: This note appeared anonymously on the hotel press room bulletin board at baseball’s winter meetings: “FOR SALE: Used baseball team. Good climate. Nice stadium. Needs improvement at third base, center field, presidency. Complete with washed-up right-handed relief pitcher and publicity-conscious first baseman. Tune-up advised. $65 million or best offer. Ask for Ballard.”

San Diego Padres President Ballard Smith isn’t saying whether he’s received any offers.

News flash: Flamboyant fight promoter Don King after a boxer chased him from a press conference, saying he’d break King’s neck: “This business is getting rough.”

Add Rough Business: In reminiscing about the boxing’s dirtiest fighters, Fritzie Zivic’s name never fails to come up. This is what he said after beating Lew Ambers in a 1940 bout: “I dug my thumb into his neck all through the fight. His Adam’s apple must still be in a sling.”

Fire Trap: From a Golf magazine feature on bunkers: “Walter Hagen once hit into a paper bag that was lying within a sand trap. Officials ruled against him taking the ball out of the bag, so Hagen lit a cigarette and put the match to the bag. After the bag burned away, Hagen got up and down for par.”

From New York Jets tight end Mickey Shuler, admitting that he hasn’t been much fun around the house lately: “I wouldn’t want my daughter to have to deal with this kind of life. For that matter, I don’t think it’s such a great deal for the dog, either.”

First Refrigerator, now the Thermos: Doug Flutie’s No. 2 Chicago Bears’ jersey has become the hottest-selling item in some stores since William (The Refrigerator) Perry’s No. 72 last season. It really became frenzied after Flutie’s performance two Sundays ago, in which he had a hand in three touchdowns.

“After Sunday’s game, it seemed like everyone who walked into the store wanted a Flutie jersey or something related to Flutie,” said Dawn K. Cottini, retail buyer of Bears’ paraphernalia for Morrie Mages Sports store in Chicago.

Quotebook

The late Si Burick, sports editor of the Dayton Daily News, will always be remembered for his line on the removal of exotic dancer Morganna from a baseball field by no less than four security officers. “And so they escorted her off the field, two a breast.”