Extra Ears in the Huddle Called No Factor in Loss

First, it was “You Make the Call.” Now, CBS-TV has come up with “You Take the Call.”

If you want to.

Before Texas A&M;’s two-point conversion attempt late in its 28-27 loss to Texas Saturday, a CBS field crew trained a camera and a shotgun microphone on the Aggies’ sideline huddle. A national audience was in on the plan.

When running back Darren Lewis was stopped well short of the goal line, Aggie fans cried foul. But officials from both schools said the telecast had nothing to do with the outcome.

Norm Hitzges of KLIF Radio in Dallas, whose sports show was besieged with calls after the game, said: “The question is, shouldn’t we be a little careful here? Twenty to 25 seconds before the ball was snapped, a lot of people knew what the play was.”

Add CBS telecast: Robin Brendle, a publicist for CBS Sports, said broadcasting the play was inadvertent but added: “A big part of our telecast is trying to . . . capture the essence of the game. We certainly don’t want to affect the outcome of the game, but we want to bring our viewers into the huddle.”

Trivia time: How many current NFC head coaches played pro football?

Who is Eugene Dooley?: After Indiana State dropped its Indian chief mascot last year, the school polled its 11,600-plus students, asking them to suggest a new one.

Of the 62 students who responded, 20 said a mascot was not needed. And according to Eugene Dooley, president of the Student Government Assn., the other suggestions were ridiculous.

One student recommended Bart Simpson.

In-bounds friendship: When rookie Derrick Coleman replaced Jack Haley in the New Jersey Nets’ starting lineup a month ago, the two began feuding.

They kept it going before a game at Phoenix in late November, with a shoving match over complimentary tickets.

But when Coleman got in a fight with Mark Acres of the Orlando Magic Saturday, the first to come to Coleman’s defense was Haley. He was ejected.

Trivia answer: Chicago’s Mike Ditka and Detroit’s Wayne Fontes.

Quotebook: Seattle forward Xavier McDaniel, after making only one of 10 shots and scoring only two points in the SuperSonics’ 135-102 loss to the Celtics at the Boston Garden Monday night: “When you look at the word stink , that’s what I did tonight.”