His Pen Isn’t Mightier Than Their Swords

Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune, author of the controversial “The Jordan Rules” about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, made his first appearance of the season at a Bull game last week, filling in as the Tribune reporter.

Smith said Jordan looked at him, then looked down at the floor. A smiling Horace Grant saw Smith approaching and made a cross with his fingers. Substitutes Chuck Nevitt and Bob Hansen, who weren’t with the team last year, jokingly asked Smith: “Are we the only guys you can talk to?”

Add books: A new paperback titled “The Courage of Magic Johnson” by Peter Pascarelli isn’t making the Johnson camp very happy. Said Lon Rosen, Johnson’s marketing agent: “That’s just some opportunist taking advantage of Earvin.”

Last add books: “Outrageous,” the soon-to-be-released autobiography of Philadelphia 76er forward Charles Barkley, dunks many of his contemporaries.

He criticizes Hersey Hawkins, Armon Gilliam, Charles Shackleford and 76er owner Harold Katz, calls former teammates Cliff Robinson and David Wingate unprofessional and Kenny Green and World B. Free whiners.

But Barkley on Barkley?

“The way I’ve got it figured, they’ll never be another player like me. . . . I’m the Ninth Wonder of the World.”

Trivia time: Ted Williams, a lifetime .344 hitter, had how many 200-hit seasons?

Odd statistic: With the 1992 season coming up, do you think the Mets realize that newly acquired pitcher Bret Saberhagen’s record is dismal in even-numbered years? Since he came up in 1984, Saberhagen is 36-48 in even-numbered years and 74-30 in odd-numbered years.

Revolving-door policy: Two more players quit the San Diego State basketball team last week, bringing to 18 the number of players who have left Coach Jim Brandenburg’s program without completing their eligibility.

Brandenburg, who has not had a winning season in his four years at San Diego State, did not have a losing season in his previous 11 years at Montana and Wyoming.

Trivia answer: None.

Bobby, this is Burt: Burt Reynolds, a former Florida State football player, telephoned Coach Bobby Bowden of the Cotton Bowl-bound Seminoles last week to apologize. Why? Reynolds is working for NBC at the Orange Bowl.

“When I accepted, I thought you guys were going to be there,” Reynolds told Bowden. “I don’t want you to think I’m abandoning you.”

Quotebook: UCLA Coach Jim Harrick on freshman point guard Tyus Edney, who is listed at 5-10: “He doesn’t look small from where I sit.”