Clark’s Agent Says Owners Are Merely Passing the Buck

When Will Clark of the San Francisco Giants agreed to a four-year, $15-million contract Monday that calls for the first $4-million salary in baseball history, few were happier than his agent, Jeff Moorad.

Moorad said of baseball’s salary spiral:

“We’re dealing with a new reality this year in terms of baseball economy. Major league owners have solidified themselves with the new TV contract. Before they sell a single ticket or park a single car or sell a single concession, they already have all that money.

“Nine separate teams set attendance records last season. What you have is a very healthy industry, and the result is the players are reaping their rightful due.”

Trivia time: On Jan. 23, 1971, UCLA’s basketball team lost to Notre Dame, 89-82. How many consecutive victories did the Bruins have after that?

Mom always understands: How did Rhoda Murray react when the Washington Capitals fired one of her sons, Bryan, and replaced him with his younger brother, Terry?

“I heard it on the radio and TV and at first, I wasn’t sure what to think,” she said Sunday.

“Terry was the first to call. He was always good that way. I remember one time all his brothers bought tickets to go see him play against Montreal and the night before, he called at 1 a.m., scared me half out of my wits and told me he’d just been traded to Detroit.

“I think I knew by then, this could be a tough business.”

Narrow perspective: In an attempt to reduce the importance of kicking in college football, the NCAA rules committee voted last week to reduce the width of goal posts from 23 feet 4 inches to 18 feet 6 inches.

But according to Dave Nelson of the University of Delaware, secretary of the rules committee, the plight of kickers could have been much worse. Nelson said other proposals included placing the ball at the hash marks for extra points, moving conversion attempts back to 25 yards, and crediting field goal points on a scale according to the distance of the kicks.

It looks better with age: Jack Nicklaus, who turned 50 Sunday, said he isn’t excited about the low level of competition he expects to find on the senior tour. Arnold Palmer said of Nicklaus’ perspective: “He will get more involved in time. His interest will improve tremendously. It’s the opportunity to stay in the game a little longer. I enjoy it.

“I don’t think Jack will play very much the first year. He will play some on the regular tour and some on the senior tour. I did exactly the same thing. A couple of years later, I found myself not busting to get on the course with the flat bellies.”

Clarification: A brochure recently distributed by the Clippers that featured guard Ron Harper on the cover sought new season-ticket sales.

Trivia answer: Eighty-eight.

Quotebook: Marty Schottenheimer, coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, guided the North college all-stars to a 41-0 victory over the South in Saturday’s Senior Bowl. Schottenheimer said: “You know, at halftime, one of my players wanted to know if I was trying to start another war.”