The Criticism Starts Up Again After Pat Day Fails to Deliver

After Sunday Silence had defeated Easy Goer Saturday for the third time in four meetings, there again was criticism of Easy Goer’s jockey, Pat Day. It was the same sort of criticism that attempted to rationalize Easy Goer’s losses to Sunday Silence in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.

One such critic is Edwin Pope of the Miami Herald, who wrote of the Breeders’ Cup Classic: “Day cost Easy Goer a full head of steam on the backstretch. He put out the fire of a splendid colt in full flame. . . . If Day and Sunday Silence jock Chris McCarron had switched horses, Easy Goer’s handsome chestnut head would be measured today for the crown of all racing.”

But Andrew Beyer of the Washington Post wrote of Sunday Silence’s performance: “The ability to out-kick a rival and the fortitude to outfight him--these are qualities that help define one horse’s superiority over another. Moreover, Sunday Silence has scored his important victories in every corner of the country, while Easy Goer has never won an important race outside of his New York home base.

“There is nothing fluky about Sunday Silence’s 3-to-1 edge in his meetings with Easy Goer. By a slim margin, he is the superior athlete.

“The winning time, 2:00 1/5 for a mile and one-quarter, was superb, suggesting that these two colts are in the same class as the sport’s last great pair of archrivals, Affirmed and Alydar. As in the great battles of 1977-78, one of the horses has a slim but decisive competitive edge over the other.”

Trivia time: What was Affirmed’s record against Alydar in the Triple Crown races of 1978?

Hooking the ‘Horns: Anthony Manyweather of Gardena, Calif., a 5-foot-9 walk-on, caught a 65-yard touchdown pass to give Texas Tech a 24-17 victory over No. 22 Texas Saturday.

Said Texas Tech Coach Spike Dykes of Manyweather: “He just showed up one day. He had enough money to get here, but not enough to get back.”

Said Manyweather of his winning catch: “I knew I had a TD when I cut upfield. I just kept saying: ‘Come on, ball, hurry up and get here.’ ”

Said Dykes of the victory: “You keep scratchin’ and sooner or later you dig up worms.”

Setting their sights: No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 3 Miami will play Nov. 25 at the Orange Bowl. Said Miami defensive end Willis Peguese: “Deep down, mentally and physically, we think we’re the best. But we want Notre Dame to stay on top because we want to be the ones to knock them off. Nobody but us.”

No bones about it: Cincinnati Bengal Sam Wyche said he would keep his team in the dressing room Dec. 3 when the Bengals go to Cleveland if the fans in the end-zone section known as the Dog Pound throw dog biscuits at the Bengals.

Said Wyche: “I’m going on record now. I don’t care how long the delay is before starting the game. We’ll stay in the locker room until they get enough security or they put a fence or a net against them. They need to be caged down there.”

Trivia answer: Affirmed won all three races, with Alydar second each time.

Not for the weather: No. 1 draft pick Tony Mandarich made it clear before signing with the Packers that he wasn’t thrilled by the prospect of life in Green Bay. Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers told Sport magazine: “There’s no minorities in Green Bay. I wouldn’t want to live in Green Bay. Why would any minority want to live in Green Bay?”

Not a cut above: Quarterback Babe Laufenberg of the Dallas Cowboys, on how he will do anything Coach Jimmy Johnson says: “If he wants me to run 26 miles, I’ll do it. If he asks me to carry the water bottle, I’ll do it. If he asks me to go to the barber and get a haircut like his, well, you have to draw the line someplace.”

Quotebook: Dan Hampton of the Chicago Bears, who has had nine knee operations: “If you look at the guys who’ve made a mark on this game, like (Dick) Butkus, (Mike) Ditka and (Ed) O’Bradovich, you don’t walk away. You limp away.”