Bulls’ Jackson Says Knicks Are Ancient History

Chicago Bull Coach Phil Jackson isn’t worried about protocol, or offending the New York Knicks.

“I think they are too old,” Jackson said. “They’ve got Patrick (Ewing), who is what, 30? And Rolando Blackman, who’s 33 or whatever,” Jackson said. “They’re players with a lot of habits, an accumulation of personal failure.”

Jackson’s remarks created headlines in both Chicago and New York. They came in the wake of the Bulls’ 89-77 victory on Dec. 25 over the Knicks.

New York Coach Pat Riley didn’t seem all that concerned with Jackson’s comments. “We’ve got experienced players,” he said. “They still have a lot of kick in them,” he said. “And we’ll leave it at that.”

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Trivia time: When was the last time the Rose Bowl game ended in a tie?

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Money matters: The budget-conscious Cleveland Indians spent only $106,724 for each of their 76 victories last year, according to the SportsLetter of the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles.

Conversely, it cost the Dodgers $695,048 for each of their 63 victories. Baseball America reported that the Indians had the lowest major league payroll--$8,111,000--at the start of the season, while the Dodger payroll was $43,788,000.

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Cool it: Glenn Dickey of the San Francisco Chronicle, on the television hysteria caused by the return of quarterback Joe Montana to the San Francisco 49ers last Monday night after a two-year absence.

“At one point, (Dan) Dierdorf said that, with Montana back, ‘All is right in the world again.’ Really. Might be a tough sell in Somalia, or Bosnia, or on the streets of San Francisco where the homeless huddle.”

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Comedy store: Former NFL linebacker Matt Millen, who reportedly had a tempestuous relationship with Joe Paterno at Penn State, asked Paterno at a roast for the coach earlier this year:

“When you take off those glasses, does the nose come with them?”

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Mile-stone: Reader George Kiseda regards Moses Kiptanui’s 3,000-meter world record of 7:28.96 as the most underrated track record of 1992.

“With another half lap (plus a few yards), and we have the first eight-minute two mile--back-to-back four-minute miles. Remarkable,” Kiseda said.

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Trivia answer: 1927: Stanford 7, Alabama 7.

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Quotebook: Michael Jordan, after he was informed that he trailed Charles Barkley in NBA All-Star voting last year: “Maybe I need to write a book and say I was misquoted, or punch somebody in Milwaukee.”