They Help Keep Super Media in Fast Lane

Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post, commenting on a police escort that took sportswriters from their hotel to Dodger Stadium, site of a news conference for the Super Bowl teams:

“Imagine you’re a commuter in Southern California, and you’ve spent the usual 90 minutes on the freeway to go two exits. You look up Tuesday morning and see every entrance ramp blocked by cops on motorcycles. We’re talking LAPD, CHiPS; everybody this side of Elliott Ness was on media detail.

“This is the same city that couldn’t get a single cop to the corner of Normandie and Florence last April.”

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Add Wilbon: The writer recalls some reporters’ questions from previous Super Bowls that easily would make the hall of shame:

“Dexter Manley was once asked, ‘If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?’ and . . . Doug Williams was asked, ‘How long have you been a black quarterback?’ ”

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Trivia time: What was the largest crowd to watch a Super Bowl game?

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Cheer, cheer: There will be competition on the sidelines for Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders and their counterparts from Buffalo, the Jills.

“They do have skimpier costumes than we do,” said Jill cheerleader Kelly Wasmund of the Dallas contingent. “They may get more attention because of that. But performance-wise, we’re better.”

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Spokesman: Robert Horry of the Houston Rockets was called for a foul that resulted in a broken finger for Walt Williams of the Sacramento Kings.

“That was no foul,” Horry said. “It was all ball. If he broke a bone, then he’s got weak bones. He should drink more milk. Milk builds strong bodies.”

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FYI: The Vince Lombardi trophy that goes to the winning Super Bowl team stands 20 inches tall, weighs 6.7 pounds and is valued at more than $10,000.

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Paranoia: Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe commenting on the Celtics barring the media from walk-through practices on game night at Boston Garden:

“Good thing they clear out the media. They wouldn’t want us running to Wes Unseld to explain any of those plays they’ve been using for 35 years.”

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Stranger than fiction: The Golf Hall of Shame book recalls when comedian George Gobel and actor Jack Albertson invited a stranger to play with them at the Hillcrest Country Club in 1952.

The stranger had a bad temper and whenever he hit a bad shot he threw a club in disgust. Near the end of the round, Gobel hit a bad shot and, to vent his anger, went to the stranger’s bag, took out a club, and hurled it into the rough.

“Why are you throwing my club?” the stranger screamed.

“Because your clubs are used to it,” Gobel said.

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Trivia answer: In 1980, 103,985 saw Pittsburgh beat the Rams in Super Bowl XIV at the Rose Bowl, 31-19.

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Quotebook: Steve Hummer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on President Clinton: “If he can get Fleetwood Mac back together despite the weight of public indifference, then surely he can do something about artificial turf.”