He’s Studying History, Hopes to Make Some

James (Bonecrusher) Smith, in preparing for the Mike Tyson fight March 7, has been studying films of George Foreman’s two knockouts of Joe Frazier.

Says Wallace Matthews of Newsday: “Of particular interest to Smith is Foreman’s tactic of pushing the much smaller Frazier off him, and then landing his long, powerful right hand to the head. At 6 feet 4 inches, 230 pounds, Smith is about the same size as Foreman, while Tyson and Frazier are both about 5-11. And Smith’s best punch, not coincidentally, is a straight right hand.”

Smith told Matthews: “I’m convinced we’ve got the Foreman-Frazier fight all over again. All I’ve got to do is back this guy up and then hit him. Tyson is going to find out I’m the hardest puncher in boxing.”

Smith has offered a $500 bounty to his sparring partners--Jimmy Young, David Bey, Mike Perkins and Lucius Kirkley--if any of them can knock him down. So far, although many have connected, none has collected.

Note: It was Young who forced Foreman into retirement 10 years ago, beating him in a 12 rounder in Puerto Rico.

Said Chi Chi Rodriguez Sunday after shooting a 67 to win the PGA Seniors Championship following a 76 on Valentine’s Day that dropped him six shots behind: “Today was really Valentine’s Day. Yesterday was Bela Lugosi’s Day.”

From Cincinnati Red Manager Pete Rose, who lately has been speaking in Stengelese: “The infield is pretty well set, it’s just a matter of who’s going to play.”

Trivia Time: Who was the pitcher who stopped Pete Rose’s hitting streak after he tied Wee Willie Keeler’s National League record of 44 straight games? (Answer below.)

Says Sam Bowie of the Portland Trail Blazers, recovering from yet another leg injury: “I feel no individual in the United States knows more about tibia fractures than Sam Bowie. This is the most famous tibia that has ever been on earth. There are times when I took down at my lower extremities, particularly my tibia, and say, ‘You going to hang in there or what, tibia?’ ”

When Mychal Thompson was still with the San Antonio Spurs, Boston’s Kevin McHale had this to say about his former teammate at the University of Minnesota: “I thought he was going to be great. He’s been good, but night in and night out, he hasn’t been what I thought he would be. I tell people how great Mychal was in college, but they don’t believe me.”

Said Larry Bird after facing Thompson in his Laker debut Sunday: “He is one of those players that probably is going to play a lot better because he is with a good team. I’ve never known him to play as physical as he did today.”

For the Record: UCLA sports information director Marc Dellins says Sports Illustrated was guilty of sloppy journalism in an item on the court behavior of Reggie Miller.

Dellins said the magazine, in listing Miller’s “lowlights” this season, used one isolated incident from two seasons ago and another from last season. He said a retraction is forthcoming.

Trivia Answer: Gene Garber of the Atlanta Braves.

Quotebook

Abe Lemons, Oklahoma City basketball coach, on why he keeps his plays simple: “You could tell five guys to go over to the post office at 2 o’clock and one of ‘em wouldn’t be there. So why have so many tricky plays?”