Pursuit of Gold Is King’s Personal Wild-Goose Chase

It is widely rumored that promoter Don King has Jose Sulaiman, president of the World Boxing Council, and Gilberto Mendoza, president of the World Boxing Assn., in his back pocket--next to his wallet.

What might that mean for the people’s heavyweight champion, James (Buster) Douglas, who knocked out Mike Tyson Saturday night? Wallace Matthews of Newsday writes:

“King’s plan is undoubtedly to get the WBA and WBC to declare the bout a ‘no contest,’ vacate the title and order an immediate rematch, promoted, of course, by Don King, who now holds promotional rights to both fighters.

“In order to get his shot at Tyson, Douglas was forced to sign over the right to promote his next three bouts to King. That is why, when Tyson was being led from the ring, King was not in the procession. He was behind Douglas, smiling for the cameras. The man who likes to say, ‘I must go where the wild goose goes,’ knew where to go as soon as Tyson’s goose was cooked.”

Trivia time: When was the last time a player for a team with a record worse than .500 was voted most valuable player in the NBA?

Dream team: Mike Moran, director of public relations for the U.S. Olympic Committee, on the possibility of NBA players leading the U.S. team: “Just think about it--Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing and Michael Jordan against Egypt in the first round.”

Add NBA: Jerry Reynolds, player personnel director for the Sacramento Kings, compared the All-Star games of the NBA and Continental Basketball Assn.: “The CBA game is a lot more exciting. Those guys really play. They’ve got something to play for--they’re trying to get out of there.”

Rising expectations: Tennis star Andre Agassi on his poor showing in 1989: “Some of the same people who said I was the great hope began saying I was getting too big for my britches. I never asked to be the savior of American tennis, and the next thing I know they were criticizing me for not living up to that.”

No harm done: Bill Frieder, Arizona State basketball coach, apologized to the people of Pullman, Wash., after calling the home of Washington State a dump. Said John Sherman, a Pullman city supervisor: “We’ve been called worse.”

Trivia answer: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, for the 40-42 Lakers during the 1975-76 season.

Quotebook: Charlie Finley, former owner of the Oakland Athletics: “Some of the owners in baseball, if they had a brain, they’d be idiots.”