Seattle’s Real-Life Robocop Not Brimming With Goodwill

Not all international sporting events in recent years have been festivals of pure goodwill. Just the same, the city of Seattle doesn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea about its new robot.

The city’s $80,000 “Andros Mark VI,” which is controlled by a human being from a remote board, came to town two weeks ago. Seattle and the Pacific Northwest will play host to the 1990 Goodwill Games, which open next Monday.

“Because (the robot) is arriving now, there’s an assumption that it was brought in specifically for the Games,” said Ty Hughes, public information officer of the Port of Seattle. “We’ll be using it well after the Games are gone. Besides law enforcement, we can use it in fires, chemical spills or communicating with a barricaded suspect.

“We’re not aware of any plans to disrupt the Games,” Hughes said. “But whenever you have an event that covers 300 square miles, you have to consider all the possibilities.”

Trivia time: Since the formation of the NBA in 1946, how many players from the Celtics and the Lakers have made the Basketball Hall of Fame?

Mac whack: John McEnroe’s loss to Brentwood’s Derrick Rostagno at Wimbledon Tuesday provided British newspapers with a wealth of material . . . and brisk sales.

The Sun, a tabloid that sells 4 million copies a day, ran a banner headline reading “McEN-ROUT” and, below that, “The blaster brat crashes out,” according to United Press International.

The Daily Mail, probably England’s most respected tabloid, had “Farewell to McEnroe” and said his defeat “heralds the end of a golden era.” Another tabloid bannered “McEnroe put out to grass.”

The Times of London, though, never one to lose perspective, ran a front-page story headlined, “McEnroe loses in first round.”

Erie thought: Now that the National League has announced its plans to add two teams in 1993, the Greater Buffalo Chamber of Commerce is ready to ride herd on the league’s 12 cities. On different dates during the next year, a promotion called “Buffalo Night USA” will give former Buffalonians in St. Louis, San Francisco, Chicago et al. a chance to support their native city’s bid for a franchise.

“We want the National League owners . . . to understand that special thing we know about Buffalo when it comes to loving our city and loving our sport,” said chamber president Kevin Keeley.

According to the Associated Press, the “Buffalo Nights” will feature Buffalo’s best-known food, chicken wings.

Fashion-wise: Beware, all opponents on Rice University’s football schedule this fall. The Houston Chronicle has reported that the team, which went 2-8-1 in 1989, has voted to change its look. This year the Owls will look more, well, Owlish.

First off (don’t worry, Rice purists) the blue pants stay. They’ve been around since the days of Jess Neely, when the Owls had winning records.

But an element from the losing days of former coach Jerry Berndt had to go: the “R” on the side of the helmet. The players voted for wings on the front, a la the Philadelphia Eagles.

To complete the ensemble (and the turnaround?), a university spokesman said, “The kids voted to wear black shoes.”

Trivia answer: Celtics 12, Lakers 7.

Quotebook: NBC’s Don Criqui: “Cecil Fielder is the only Japanese import to be cheered in Detroit.”