Call Us by Our Real Name, or at Least by Our Initials

The craft of sports publicity took a step forward last week when Bob Anderson, the sports information director at Northeast Louisiana University, sent a letter to all opponents and the news media.

Wrote Anderson: “The name of our university is Northeast Louisiana University. It is not NE Louisiana. It is not Northeast State. It is not NE La. It is not Northeastern Louisiana. It is not NELU. . . .

“I request. I ask humbly and earnestly. I beseech. I petition. I entreat. I implore. I beg you on bended knee--please don’t call us NE Louisiana.”

At the top of the letter, he identified himself as “NLU SID.” Anderson explained that if an abbreviation is necessary, NLU is acceptable.

Trivia time: Name the only current major league team that has never finished in last place.

The Columbia Seven: Dave Parry, supervisor of officials for the Big Ten conference, discussing the officials’ failure to call pass interference on Michigan’s two-point conversion attempt in the closing seconds of a 28-27 loss to Michigan State Saturday, brought up Colorado’s disputed victory at Missouri a week earlier when the Buffaloes scored a touchdown when given an extra play.

Parry told Times Sports Editor Bill Dwyre: “It’s really too bad, but those seven guys (who missed Colorado’s “fifth down”) helped every football official in the United States more than they know. Every official on every field in America is counting every down twice.”

Can’t hurt: Walking off the field after his team upset Arkansas Saturday, Texas Tech Coach Spike Dykes saw a penny on the goal line. So he did what any clear-headed, 2-4 coach would do.

“Nothing bad can happen from picking up a penny,” Dykes said. “I’m superstitious. There is no telling what might happen to this team now.”

When the Red Raiders play Rice this Saturday, the penny will be inside Dykes’ left shoe.

Swiss watch fails: Maybe Henri Nuoffer, chief warden of the Bellechasse jail in Fribourg, Switzerland, could help revive the athletic shoe company ads that read: “There is no finish line.”

Nuoffer allowed two inmates--each convicted on drug offenses, each serving 30-month terms and each eligible for release in January--to run in Sunday’s 17-kilometer Murten-Fribourg Classic.

Police are looking for the inmates, who finished the race and kept running.

Trivia answer: The Kansas City Royals.

Trivia correction: Tuesday’s trivia answer incorrectly stated that New York Giant pitcher Sal Maglie threw the pitch that Cleveland Indian first baseman Vic Wertz drove to deep center field, where Willie Mays made his famous over-the-shoulder catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series.

The pitcher was Don Liddle, who relieved Maglie.

Quotebook: Turner Network commentator Pat Haden, after broadcaster Skip Caray remarked during Sunday night’s Ram-Bear telecast that Chicago’s 38-9 rout was surprising because the Rams were emotional: “The guys at the Alamo were emotional and it didn’t do them much good.”