The Formation of an Opinion

When Ron Meyer incorporated some wishbone plays into the Indianapolis offense, New York Giant General Manager George Young recalled when Lou Holtz did the same with the New York Jets.

“Holtz would take Joe Namath out and put in a young Richard Todd to run the wishbone,” Young said. “Every time he did it, the rest of the coaches in the NFL breathed a sigh of relief because he was taking out the best quarterback in the NFL and putting in a young kid.”

As for the Indianapolis wishbone, Young said, “What difference does it make what formation it is when Eric Dickerson is in the backfield.”

For What It’s Worth: This will be the 11th time USC has gone into the UCLA game undefeated. The Trojans have won 8 of 10, losing 1 and tying 1. The loss came in 1959 when a sore-ankled Bill Kilmer, wearing special rubber-soled shoes, led the Bruins to a 10-3 upset victory.

Trivia Time: What are Auburn’s three nicknames? (Answer below.)

How good is unbeaten Arkansas? Said Texas A&M; linebacker Dana Batiste after Saturday’s 25-20 loss to the 10-0 Razorbacks: “Arkansas is not a top 10 team. We played some top teams like Nebraska, LSU, and Oklahoma State, and Arkansas doesn’t match up.”

Said Dallas center Tom Rafferty when asked how he’ll remember New York Giant linebacker Harry Carson, who is retiring: “Well, I know you finish every game with a headache.”

Now-it-can-be-told dept.: Former Green Bay linebacker Dave Robinson, who had been a prep star in New Jersey, told the Pittsburgh Press: “I could have been the first black to play at West Virginia. The coach who was recruiting me said, ‘You can go to Penn State and be a little frog in a big pond or come here and be a big frog in a little pond.’ I got to thinking about it and said, ‘I can go to Penn State and be a big frog in a big pond.’ ”

Today, of course, the size of the ponds have changed.

Where They Are Now: Former USC quarterback Sean Salisbury threw for 322 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 35-28, in the Eastern semifinals of the Canadian Football League playoffs.

Said radio announcer Howard David of the New Jersey Nets after the club obtained Mike McGee from the Sacramento Kings for second-round draft choices in 1991 and 1996: “I hope Sacramento is patient, because one of its picks is in the eighth grade now.”

From John Eisenberg of the Baltimore Sun: “Let’s get the Kansas and Kentucky basketball teams together and have a violation-off. The one with the highest number of NCAA violations wins a copy of George Steinbrenner’s book on tax tips.”

Notre Dame publicist Roger Valdiserri, on the good looks of Butkus Award candidate Michael Stonebraker: “He’s the only linebacker I know who looks like Patrick Swayze and hits like Butkus.”

From Detroit Piston Coach Chuck Daly, admitting he sometimes uses hyperbole in evaluating opponents: “It’s called coach-ese. We all learn it. I picked it up from the college football coaches and am perfecting it after watching Sparky Anderson and Tom Lasorda.”

Trivia Answer: Tigers, Plainsmen, War Eagles.

Quotebook

Sudan native Manute Bol of the Golden State Warriors, admitting he didn’t follow the elections: “Who won? Bush? Does that mean more taxes or not?”