Caution Is Called for When Comparing Prep Players to Wilt

Julian Rubinstein writes in the Washington Post that Rasheed Wallace, a 6-foot-11 senior at Gratz High in Philadelphia, is considered the best of more than 10,000 high school basketball players in America.

“Comparisons have inevitably been made to (Wilt) Chamberlain because of their common roots,” Rubinstein writes. “But Wallace already has a better all-around game than his Hall of Fame predecessor, known best as a prolific scorer and rebounder.”

By the way, Julian, Chamberlain also led the NBA in assists one season and was a prolific shot blocker before the statistic was recorded.

Trivia time: Can you identify the last Pacific 10 school to reach the Final Four in the NCAA tournament?

Incentive: Woody Woodburn of the Ventura Star-Free Press on how to really speed up golf: “Give players 10 seconds of silence to hit while a course marshal holds up a QUIET sign. After that, raise a LOUD sign.”

Warning: From Dan Shaugnessey of the Boston Globe on George Steinbrenner’s return to baseball:

“Old Blue Eyes is back, George Steinbrenner is back. Meet the New Boss, same as the Old Boss. Don’t get fooled again.”

Prediction: From the Fly in the Sporting News: “Fly’s said it before (so you know Fly’ll say it again): Montana to Ismail. Touchdown Raiders!”

It’s going around: Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ridicules the Pirates for purchasing damaged goods--injured pitcher Alejandro Pena--from the Atlanta Braves for $1.35 million.

“You would think when spending that kind of money--particularly with a franchise as financially strapped as the Pirates--they would closely inspect this purchase. They did not,” Smizik writes.

Neither did the Angels. It must be a trend.

Come again?: Former British soccer star George Best says he once told current star Paul Gascoigne that his IQ was less than his jersey number.

“He asked me, ‘What’s an IQ?’ ” Best said.

There’s a limit: While campaigning for a seat in Parliament, England’s Sebastian Coe, the only two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 1,500 meters, was invited into one home, where he saw a 24-foot python slithering around the living-room floor.

“My patter left me,” Coe told Sports Illustrated. “This was a giant thing as thick as my thigh!”

When the owner asked Coe if if he would care to see the boa constrictor in the bedroom, Coe sputtered, “No thank you,” and politely left.

Off base: From “Baseball Quotations,” former Angel manager Jim Fregosi discussing Nolan Ryan in 1978:

“He’s not the best pitcher in baseball. Never has been. I’ll say this: He’s the most exciting .500 pitcher in baseball.”

Right on: From Tom FitzGerald of the San Francisco Chronicle: “Philadelphia sociologist Digby Baltzell recently wrote a book called, ‘John McEnroe and the Decline of Civilization.’ ”

Trivia answer: Arizona in 1988.

Quotebook: Tom Watson, on the state of his golf game: “It’s kind of like I just took it out of the refrigerator. It’s cold in spots, warm in others.”