Let Us Know When They Have Won Two or Three Titles

Billy Packer, what’s got into you? Of Michigan’s freshmen, the “Fabulous Five,” the CBS-TV analyst said: “This is the best freshman class I have ever seen.”

What? Packer must have had his eyes closed for a few years. In 1965-66, when freshmen weren’t allowed to play on the varsity, the UCLA freshman team, featuring Lew Alcindor, Lucius Allen, Lynn Shackleford and Kenny Heitz, went 21-0. The next three years they compiled an 88-2 record and won three NCAA titles.

In 1970-71, the UCLA freshman class of Bill Walton, Keith Wilkes and Greg Lee finished 20-0. They went 86-4 the next three years and won two NCAA titles.

Add Packer: He might be jumping the gun a little bit. Michigan has played seven games this season.

In the cards: The baseball season ended seven weeks ago. Topps and Upper Deck are releasing their 1992 baseball cards in the next two weeks.

Such a deal: Unable to sell their condominium in suburban Rochester, N.Y., Robert and Diane Ryan have come up with a creative real estate deal. Buy their 1991 Buffalo Bills’ playoff tickets, their 1992 season tickets and a lifetime option to purchase season tickets--all for $94,500.

They will throw in the condo as a bonus. The Ryans are expecting to make a deal.

Said Diane Ryan: “We found there was more interest in the Buffalo Bills than in our condominium.”

News item: Contemplating a comeback at 44, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is offered a job playing for the Rockford (Ill.) Lightning in the Continental Basketball Assn. Reaction: Can’t you just picture Kareem riding a bus in the middle of the night to Nebraska for a game against the Omaha Racers?

Trivia question: What is Kiki Vandeweghe’s real first name?

‘Q’ calls a ‘T’?Meanwhile, there is news of another possible comeback. Quintin Dailey might have been released last week by the Seattle SuperSonics, but according to John Hillyer of the San Francisco Examiner, Dailey is thinking about coming back as a referee.

Postage due: In the view of Peter Vecsey of USA Today, Karl (Mailman) Malone’s elbow to the face of Isiah Thomas that required 40 stitches was a case of Malone “delivering junk mail.”

Hoist the coach: Washington Redskin Coach Joe Gibbs said he knew where fans would have wanted to see him if quarterback Mark Rypien had been seriously injured instead of merely suffering a torn fingernail late in last week’s meaningless game with the New York Giants. Said Gibbs: “I would have been hanging right from that flagpole right there.”

Case for the defense: For what it’s worth, the Buffalo Bills have given up 50 points more than the Houston Oilers, 70 points more than the Kansas City Chiefs, 80 points more than the Denver Broncos and 101 points more than the Redskins.

Trivia answer: Ernest.

Quotebook: Bill Bates of the 10-5 Dallas Cowboys: “Most likely the (NFC) team that plays in the Super Bowl is going to be a team from our division. Why not let it be us?”