By George, He’s a Real Father Figure

Mom and V are doing well, thank you.

George Foreman, who will be 43 when he fights to regain the heavyweight title he held 18 years ago, became a father for the ninth time Wednesday.

Foreman’s wife, Joan, gave birth at Northeast Memorial Hospital in Humble, Tex., to a son weighing in at 8 pounds 13 ounces.

The latest arrival was named George V. The fighter’s other three sons also are named George.

Pappa Foreman, who is George I, fights Evander Holyfield for the title April 19 at Atlantic City, N.J.

Trivia time: Name the California school that is undefeated in three postseason bowl appearances, having won the Sugar Bowl twice and the Orange Bowl once.

Cleaning their clock: William Gildea of the Washington Post closed his story on the San Francisco 49ers’ playoff victory over the Washington Redskins Saturday:

“The master of the comeback in the final two minutes, (quarterback Joe) Montana put the 49ers in front with 41:08 to play. To the Redskins, it was an unpleasant eternity.”

Blockbusted: Critics of Penn State’s plain, unadorned football uniforms will be saddened to learn that investigators in Plantation, Fla., recently recovered a cache of equipment, including jerseys, stolen from the Nittany Lions before the Blockbuster Bowl.

A Broward County sheriff’s detective got a tip from an informant, which led to about 15 teen-agers involved in the theft. No charges are expected.

Said sheriff’s spokesman Jim Leljedal: “They were keeping (the equipment) at their homes. We got them to give it back.”

Mush: In 1986, Ann Bancroft became the first woman to reach the North Pole on foot. Last week, she recalled the adventure in a speech to the Women’s Sports Foundation convention in Indianapolis.

There were men along, but, said Bancroft: “When I needed them the most, the men failed me. I have found that is usually the case. But the dogs, well, they are smart and handsome, they know how to keep your secrets, and they have this wonderful coat of fur that you can bury your face in and cry your eyes out.”

Trivia answer: Santa Clara, which defeated Louisiana State in the 1937 and 1938 Sugar Bowl games, by scores of 21-14 and 6-0, respectively. The Broncos defeated Kentucky, 21-13, in the 1950 Orange Bowl.

Quotebook: Pittsburgh Press columnist Bob Smizik, on Miami’s taunting in its Cotton Bowl victory over Texas: “What’s the only thing worse than having your son play against the University of Miami? Play for the University of Miami.”