You Either Go His Way or You Don’t Go at All

Vito Stellino of the Baltimore Sun on the Raiders’ Art Shell becoming the first black coach in modern National Football League history:

“The football significance of Al Davis naming him the head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders is that Davis, the team’s owner, is going back to doing things his favorite way--his way.

“He said last week that when he named Mike Shanahan head coach a year ago, ‘I thought our organization need a fresh implementation of ideas.’

“It turned out that Davis didn’t like new ideas. He wants things done the Raiders’ way--his way.”

Add Stellino: “Chicago Bears Coach Mike Ditka said, ‘This is not 1970 anymore and it’s not 1968 or 1973 or even 1979. The Raiders are a team right now that has got to go through a complete rebuilding program.’

“The trouble is Davis won’t admit that. He acts as if they’re still the old Raiders.”

Last add Stellino: “When he was asked what he thought of Shell’s appointment, New England Patriot Coach Raymond Berry said, ‘Appointment to what?’

“After being told, Berry said, ‘I didn’t know that. What’s Art been doing lately?’

“Told he had been an assistant coach, he said, ‘That’s interesting. What’s the Raiders’ record? Who’s their quarterback?’

“He was told that Jay Schroeder is their quarterback and he’ll see him Nov. 26.

“Said Berry: ‘We play the Raiders this year?’ ”

Trivia time: On Oct. 9, 1943, Bob Hoernschemeyer threw six touchdown passes, a National Collegiate Athletic Assn. record for freshman, in Indiana’s 54-13 victory over what team?

Farewell to a legend: Dale Austin of the Baltimore Sun, writing about the death of the legendary Secretariat last week, recalled this tribute to Big Red by Charlie Hatton, late columnist for the Daily Racing Form, in 1973:

Weave for the mighty chestnut

A tributary crown

Of autumn flowers, the brightest then

When autumn leaves are brown

Hang up his bridle on the wall,

His saddle on the tree,

Till time shall bring some racing king

Worthy to wear as he.

Trivia answer: Nebraska.

Quotebook: The Boston Celtics’ Joe Kleine on his 10-month-old son, Daniel Christopher: “He’s 6-8 already and the colleges want him, but he’d have to be a Prop. 48 because he can’t talk.”