The Governors Make the Bet, Now Winner Will Have to Eat It

Today’s NCAA Division I-AA football championship game between Nevada and Georgia Southern certainly has all the tension it needs.

But just for insurance, Nevada Governor Bob Miller and Georgia Governor-elect Zell Miller put together one of those bet things.

It’s Governor Bob’s case of original Nevada Basque chorizo vs. Governor-elect Zell’s case of Georgia sorghum syrup.

Said Miller: “When the Wolf Pack brings Nevada its second national championship this year--and I predict we’ll win in fewer than three overtimes--we will savor it with some of Cousin Zell’s syrup.”

No word from “Cousin Zell” on how he plans to serve that spicy sausage.

Trivia time: In this year’s Heisman Trophy balloting, Virginia quarterback Shawn Moore finished fourth and Virginia wide receiver Herman Moore was sixth. Can you name the two other times a school has had a quarterback and a receiver in the top 10 of the voting?

See you in court: As John McEnroe, his family and a still-unnamed nanny finally traced a vapor trail across the friendly skies Wednesday afternoon, you could hear United Airlines breathe a sigh of relief.

No harm, no foul, both parties had said earlier in the day, after McEnroe had thrown a tantrum and reportedly started a shoving match when told that his party, which had arrived late from Los Angeles on a connecting flight, would not be allowed to board a flight to Kona because the airline had held the plane and its 133 passengers long enough.

But Friday, United revealed that McEnroe’s adversary in the fracas was ticket agent Diane Lemke, who broke her finger when the tennis star allegedly threw her against a wall.

Add broken finger: United spokeswoman Sara Dornacker said Lemke’s finger, broken at the tip, “will be in a brace for a while.”

Lemke was unavailable for comment, but Dornacker added that United’s position in L’affaire McEnroe remained unchanged: “As a corporation, United does not intend to press any charges. However, any individual has the right to pursue the matter as they wish, and United won’t interfere in that.”

No pass-outs: Against Connecticut Wednesday, New Hampshire fell behind, 32-0, after 11 minutes 48 seconds and eventually lost, 85-32.

Wildcat Coach Jim Boylan said: “After the first couple of turnovers it was like a shark attack. They just kept coming and coming. I wanted to leave twice, but they wouldn’t let me.”

If that: After Buster Douglas lost the heavyweight championship to Evander Holyfield on an embarrassing third-round knockout last month at The Mirage in Las Vegas, a spokesman for the hotel-casino said it had no intention of doing business with Douglas again.

Besides, said Alan Feldman, Mirage vice president of public relations: “I don’t think anyone would pay $5 to see him fight again.”

Trivia answer: In 1954, Navy quarterback George Welsh, now Virginia’s coach, placed third, and Ron Beagle, an end for the Midshipmen, was seventh. In 1964, Notre Dame quarterback John Huarte won the Heisman Trophy, and Irish receiver Jack Snow finished fifth.

Quotebook: Sugar Bowl official J.B. Coincon, on the matchup between Southeastern Conference champion Tennessee and Virginia, which lost three of its last four games: “When we picked Virginia, they were a good team. Now, I guess we’ve got the Saccharine Bowl.”