A Flowery Tribute Bestowed Upon ‘Beautiful’ Coach
Anne Gripp, owner of the Santa Barbara Orchid Estate, is such an ardent admirer of John Wooden that she has named a hybridized cymbidium after the former UCLA basketball coach.
The plant’s “elegant, patterned flowers rise in sprays from strap-like leaves,” according to Flower and Garden: The Home Gardening Magazine. “This orchid makes an attractive foliage plant when not in bloom.”
Said Gripp, whose father, Arthur F. Pillsbury, was a professor of irrigation and soil at UCLA: “I’ve always wanted to name a plant after (Wooden). He’s just such a wonderful person. I like to give the orchids names that are fitting for them.
“It’s just a beautiful plant.”
Trivia time: How many touchdowns did Raghib (Rocket) Ismail score on punt and kickoff returns last season at Notre Dame?
Slim pickins’: On this date in 1955, Sam (Toothpick) Jones of the Chicago Cubs walked the bases loaded in the ninth inning, then struck out the side for a 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, completing the first no-hitter by a black pitcher in major league history.
Bird brains: When a pigeon flew onto the court at Boston Garden, interrupting play during Game 2 of the second-round NBA playoff series between the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons, the fans chanted, “Lar-eee, Lar-eee, Lar-eee.”
Add bird: As the pigeon alighted on the Garden’s parquet floor, TNT commentator Hubie Brown hollered: “Look at that: He’s setting up for the three-point shot.”
Fightin’ words: Heavyweight Riddick Bowe is unbeaten in 23 professional bouts and, naturally, hopes eventually to fight Mike Tyson, who comes from the same Brownsville neighborhood in Brooklyn that produced Bowe.
“I remember when he was a chubby kid always carrying around a bag of cookies,” Bowe told Rolling Stone magazine. “If he’s become big, bad Mr. Evil since he left Brownsville--well, I’ve been to Missouri in the meantime, so now I say, ‘Hey, man, show me. ‘ “
Low blow: According to Ray Frager of the Baltimore Sun, a comparison of NFL games to be televised by TBS and ESPN next season reveals that TBS has the better schedule.
Why?
“TBS doesn’t have the Pro Bowl,” Frager wrote.
Razzberries for Strawberry: Stan Isaacs of Newsday said that Darryl Strawberry’s return performance in his first visit to New York as a member of the Dodgers last week was “all too typical” of his years with the Mets.
Wrote Isaacs: “Strawberry hit a two-run home run when his team was behind, 6-0, then couldn’t deliver when he had a chance to drive in the tying run in the ninth inning.”
Trivia answer: One.
Quotebook: Jeff Torborg, who caught Nolan Ryan’s first no-hitter, told Sports Illustrated: “Of course, you’d like to get credit, but now that he’s done it with seven different catchers, I think my cover is blown.”
