Ashe Always Was at Head of the Class

Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post reports that the late Arthur Ashe was unlike many of the tennis champions who succeeded him.

“He never broke rackets or cursed umpires or threw hysterical tantrums that hijacked the TV cameras or put him at the top of the sports news,” Wilbon wrote.

“Not once did I ever see him wave a finger to signify that he was No. 1. Not once did I see him try to upstage an opponent. Not once do I recall him whining or alibiing, embarrassing himself or his family for no reason.

“As an athlete, he won or lost, congratulated an opponent, and moved on. Always with dignity, with his self-respect and sense of self completely intact.”

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Trivia time: Whom did Ashe beat in the U.S. Open final in 1968?

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Welcome everywhere: Reinstated after missing 11 games following his arrest in a credit-card fraud case, guard Gerrod Abram of Boston College was greeted upon his return to the lineup by Villanova students who held up a large sign painted as a Visa card, complete with his name and jersey number.

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The world awaits: Due at bookstores in June is “Marge Schott . . . Unleashed! The Unauthorized Biography,” written by columnist Mike Bass of the Cincinnati Post.

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Nothing but net: Wrote Jan Hubbard of Newsday, on reports that the Sacramento Kings are miffed that Craig Hodges, who has not been on an active roster this season, was invited to the NBA’s three-point shooting contest while backup guard Jim Les of the Kings was not: “If the Kings really want to feel better about this, maybe they should sign Hodges.”

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Face value: From Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Did you see the best tickets for World Cup soccer will go for $475? Are there really five people in America who will pay to watch that stuff? If the championship game is a real thriller, it will end up 1-0 in an overtime shoot-out.

“Maybe the Pro Bowl isn’t as boring as I thought.”

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Hold, please! Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe, on the announcement that the International Hockey League will add a team in Las Vegas next season: “Wonder who’ll wear No. 21, and will he be able to take a hit?”

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Fashion plate: Coach Rick Majerus of Utah, who has worn the same brown and gold pullover sweater most of the season, said he bought it for $25.

“It’s lightweight and all sweated up,” he said, explaining his fondness for it. “It’s the kind of thing you wear to Bob’s Bowling. It’s got ketchup and gravy stains worked right into the fiber.”

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Trivia answer: Tom Okker of the Netherlands.

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Quotebook: Kevin McHale of the Boston Celtics, asked if he and Robert Parish can expect the same type of ceremony Larry Bird had when they retire: “I told Robert we’ll probably get ours during a 20-second timeout.”