Painful Slip, but She Still Made the Sloop

Times staffer Rich Roberts says that anyone who thinks sailing is a sissy sport should know about Imogene Thompson, who races a Catalina 25 sloop, The Genie, out of Long Beach with her husband Walt and daughter Susan.

After winning the first two races of their class last Saturday during the 64th Midwinters Regatta, the Thompsons were ready for the clincher Sunday before Imogene tripped over a parking curb on her way to the boat at Alamitos Bay. Helped to her feet, she made it to the boat and off they sailed, although her pain was getting worse.

They talked about returning to the docks, but Imogene insisted they race, even though she couldn’t get out of the cabin. The Thompsons finished sixth that day and third overall before taking Imogene to the hospital.

The diagnosis: a broken hip.

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Trivia time: Who came closest to breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA rookie record of 58 points in a game?

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New world order: Said San Francisco comedian Don McMillan, after the Atlanta Braves signed pitchers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz to contracts worth $64.5 million: “That’s more than the Clinton Administration is going to spend on arms.”

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Louie, Louie, you gotta go: From Neil Best of Newsday: “Message to the National Assn. of Basketball Coaches: Give up this crusade to protest Cal’s firing of (Lou) Campanelli. The public-relations battle is lost. Coaches and their blindly loyal supporters among TV announcers are the only groups left defending out-of-control screamers such as Campanelli.”

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Over the hill?: Wrote Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe, before Wayne Gretzky ended a 16-game goal-less streak Wednesday night: “Makes one wonder if King owner Bruce McNall didn’t know something when, at the All-Star break, he said he would never stand in 99’s way if he wanted to leave--nor would he ask for any form of compensation.

“Another month without a goal, and what would Gretzky’s appeal be on the open market?”

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This just in: Wrote Jan Hubbard of Newsday, after Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers said the NBA gives special treatment to Michael Jordan: “It’s a good thing Reggie is a player and not an investigative reporter. I could imagine my phone ringing right now and Reggie breathlessly shouting, ‘I’ve got a big one: Clinton wins.’ ”

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Trivia answer: Rick Barry, who scored 57 points for the San Francisco Warriors against the New York Knicks on Dec. 14, 1965.

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Quotebook: Michael Jordan, who was fined $10,000 and suspended for one game, at a cost to him of $48,480, after fighting with Reggie Miller: “For $58,000, I’d have liked to have hit him more than once.”