A Simple Task Goes Awash

Boxing publicist Irving Rudd, recalling the second Leon Spinks-Muhammad Ali fight, told Phil Berger of the New York Times that there was nothing but confusion in the Spinks camp before the fight.

It seems the camp was overloaded with trainers and handlers, and Spinks never was quite certain who was in charge.

On the night of the fight, when Spinks and a very large entourage arrived at his corner, it was discovered he had forgotten his protective cup.

Rudd: “The cry went up, ‘Did you bring the cup?’ ‘No.’ ‘Did you bring the cup?’ ‘No.’ ‘Did you bring the cup?’ Finally: ‘Go get the cup.’ ‘Go get the cup.’ ‘Go get the cup.’

“One of the many camp aides was dispatched to the dressing room to retrieve the cup. He raced up the aisle to the back of the arena and, when he returned, it was a with a cup . . . of water!”

USA Today, on Monday night’s fight between Michael Spinks and Gerry Cooney: “The fight is so publicity starved, flamboyant promoter Butch Lewis said he has offered Fawn Hall and Donna Rice $25,000 each to parade around the ring as round-card girls. So far, no takers.”

It-had-to-happen dept.: As Arnold Palmer addressed the ball, ESPN’s Bruce Devlin said, “Arnold has been a great driver over the years.”

The next sound you heard was, “Oh, no!”

Out in the fairway, ESPN’s Gary McCord said, “That one landed between out of bounds and the outhouse.”

Said Chi Chi Rodriguez when asked by ESPN when he realized he was a great golfer: “When I played nine holes with Jack Nicklaus and won two of them.”

Doug Sanders, on Sam Snead: “If you could get the digging rights to Sam’s backyard, you’d never have to work again in your life.”

Trivia Time: What does Doyle Alexander of the Atlanta Braves have in common with retired pitchers Catfish Hunter, Dock Ellis and Ed Figueroa? (Answer in column 2.)

Wrote Alan Greenberg of the Hartford Courant after the three games at Boston Garden: “Doesn’t Magic Johnson get tired of coming to the Garden and having to play one on five?”

From Ben Walker of the Associated Press: “Although they are not related, Houston’s Glenn Davis was raised in high school by the parents of San Diego’s Storm Davis in Jacksonville, Fla. The two consider themselves as close as brothers and spend as much time together as possible. So what happened this week when they faced each other for the first time in their major league careers? Storm hit Glenn with a pitch.”

14 Years Ago Today: On June 13, 1973, the Dodger infield of Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Ron Cey and Bill Russell played together for the first time in a game against Philadelphia. They would set a major league record by playing 8 1/2 years in the same infield. The Phillies won the game, 16-3.

From Joe Gergen of Newsday: “Honk if you haven’t been interviewed by the New York Knicks.”

Trivia Answer: They were the starting and losing pitchers for the New York Yankees when they got swept by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1976 World Series.

Quotebook

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Lakers, on the power of Celtic pride and tradition: “They didn’t buy all those banners at Woolworth’s.”