Yeah, but the Governor Didn’t Take His Team to a Bowl Game

Who is the highest-paid public employee in the state of California?

Is it Gov. Pete Wilson? University of California system president David Gardner? Chief Justice Malcolm Lucas?

No. It’s none other than UCLA football Coach Terry Donahue, according to a story in the San Francisco Chronicle reprinted in the Daily Bruin last week.

Donahue earns a total of $359,000, the Daily Bruin reported. That total is made up of a salary of $108,000, a “talent fee” of $201,000 and $50,000 for “endorsement activities,” such as shoes and other apparel, arranged by UCLA.

Talent fee?The so-called talent fee is standard for compensation on University of California campuses, the Daily Bruin reported, and is supposed to cover time spent at news conferences and making television appearances.

But $201,000? According to the Daily Bruin, designating most of Donahue’s paycheck as a talent fee apparently allows UCLA to avoid submitting his compensation package to the California system board of regents for approval. According to regulations, all salaries of more than $113,000 must be submitted.

Trivia time: How much did the two networks who carried Super Bowl I charge for 60-second commercials?

Head case: Bob Fife, a 6-foot-11, two-year letterman at Oregon, was forced to red-shirt this season after suffering a concussion and double vision when a seven-pound box of nails fell on his head in a hardware store.

Spare rib: From Mike Lupica of the New York News when pro bowler Earl Anthony announced his retirement: “How come? His thumb go?”

History lesson: Exactly 90 years ago today, the first official basketball game was played at the YMCA in Springfield, Mass. Yes, peach baskets were used. The bottoms weren’t removed until 1905.

Temple of Dome: Former Redskin running back John Riggins doesn’t think much of the idea of Super Bowl XXVI being played in the Metrodome.

“The game wasn’t meant to be played in a warehouse,” Riggins said.

Batty: In an interview with Steve Berkowitz, writing for the Copley News Service, infielder Dave Anderson of the San Francisco Giants speculated on the impact lively aluminum bats would have in the major leagues.

“Pitchers would be killed in bunches, which might let minor league pitchers get to the majors sooner than they expected,” Anderson said.

Now you know: Hottest things for the “must-have” tennis pro this year are purple clothes, white strings, fluorescent grips and bandannas. Consider this a warning.

Trivia answer: On CBS, $75,000, and $80,000 on NBC. For this year’s game, CBS will get $1.6 million for 60 seconds.

Quotebook: From Keith Bonds of Colorado State on the height of Brigham Young’s players: “You keep seeing these trees coming in, you think it’s a lumberjack factory.”