Write Stuff Isn’t Always the Good Stuff

Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press on sportswriters:

“We are not PR people. I don’t think athletes understand this. They read 100 straight positive articles and take them for granted. They read one critical article and throw a fit.

“And speaking of positive--a common cry, why can’t you be more positive?--hey, consider what we’re covering. This year the front pages had Magic Johnson and the AIDS virus, Marge Schott accused of racial and ethnic slurs, a college quarterback blowing $50,000 on guns and parties and countless athletes charged with sexual assault.

“Folks, believe me, it’s hard to put a positive spin on that.

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Trivia time: Who holds the NFL playoff record for most touchdown passes in a game?

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Can’t go wrong: Sportscaster Chick Hearn, during a tense moment of Thursday night’s Laker-Clipper game at the Sports Arena, observed a break in the action by exclaiming: “Los Angeles time out!”

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Barn concert: Some thoroughbred trainers breed horses, in addition to conditioning them, but not David Bernstein. He breeds parakeets. A couple dozen reside in his Barn 59 at Santa Anita.

“The parakeets quiet the horses,” he said, “because they provide an environment that is similar to nature.”

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Magic number: Some philosophy from Doug Dickey, former football coach at the University of Florida:

“It’s better to go 7-3 than 9-1. When you go 7-3, everybody talks about the games you won. When you go 9-1, all anybody talks about is the game you lost.”

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Scary thought: Joe Gergen of Newsday, writing that nothing would surprise him in 1993, offers this look into the near future:

“After being rebuffed by two more people on his list, George Young announces he has succumbed to public pressure in his choice of head coach for the New York Giants. ‘You people should be happy,’ the general manager tells the media. ‘I’m bringing back a former coach with years of experience.’ Spontaneous applause turns to stunned silence as Allie Sherman emerges from behind a curtain at Giants Stadium.”

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Easy living: Wide receiver Michael Irvin of the Dallas Cowboys is one of 17 children. He told Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle he didn’t have any responsibilities at home while growing up.

“I had nine sisters, so I never cleaned the house,” Irvin said. “I did the yard work. Now I pay to have the work done, and I still don’t do anything around the house.

“My wife (Sandy) does everything. All I do is wake up and put on the clothes she sets out. My only responsibility is to catch deep ins and some deep outs.”

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Grounded: Utah Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan, asked if he noticed a difference in the play of center Mark Eaton, who opened the season on the injured list because of a bad knee, said:

“Not really. But since he could only jump two inches off the floor in the first place, it’s hard to tell.”

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Trivia answer: Daryle Lamonica of the Oakland Raiders, with six against the Houston Oilers in 1969.

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Quotebook: ESPN’s Chris Berman, after the Oilers blew a 32-point lead the against Buffalo Bills: “That’s the worst oil disaster since the Exxon Valdez.”