Carried Away by Excitement, They Forgot One Little Thing
No, no, no--it’s supposed to be the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
At Wembley, England, on Sunday, Steve Morrow scored the winning goal as Arsenal defeated Sheffield Wednesday, 2-1, in soccer to win England’s League Cup. However, Morrow ended up being carried from the field.
When his teammates tossed him into the air after the game in celebration, they failed to catch him.
As they accepted the trophy, Morrow was carried off the field on a stretcher with an oxygen mask over his face. It was later determined that he had broken an arm.
“It was just a freak accident and although it’s brought a sad ending to our day, you can’t tell players not to celebrate,” Arsenal Manager George Graham said.
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Trivia time: Who was the first president to throw out a baseball on opening day?
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Heavenly wish: Included in a recent article in The Times on Islam was a description of heaven. George Kiseda, a former member of The Times sports staff, said the article neglected to point out what won’t be in heaven.
Kiseda’s version of what won’t be in heaven: “There will be no Dick Vitale, no Don King, no Bobby Knight, no tomahawk chops or chants, no hockey, no auto racing, no golf, no upper-case Classics, no weekly polls, no Saint of the Month awards, no sideline interviews, no shoe contracts and no steroids.”
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Shaq’s empire: Ken Rappoport of the Associated Press writes that Shaquille O’Neal is expected to streak by a ubiquitous Michael Jordan as a marketing force.
“O’Neal has a seven-year contract with the (Orlando) Magic for about $40 million. Even more impressive is the latest estimate from long-term endorsements: $70 million with products that include Reebok, Pepsi, Spalding and Kenner Toys among others.”
And he’s only a rookie.
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Bogey battle: Ed Shaffer of Pro Football Weekly on the Pro Athletes Golf League set to begin in 1994:
“It has too much of a ‘Battle of the Network Stars’ feel to it. I refuse to spend an afternoon in April watching Marino and Elway square off on the 18th tee, locked atop the leader board at 16 over.”
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End of an era: Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe writes that that Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens is the final link to the golden age of Boston sports in the mid-1980s.
“He is The Show. He is Elvis and the rest of the Red Sox are Jordanaires. He is Jack Nicholson surrounded by a bunch of guys sent over from Central Casting.
“He is the last Boston star. We never have appreciated him as much as we do right now.”
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Priorities: From Bob Verdi of the Chicago Tribune: “Chip Beck’s conservative strategy (in the final round of the Masters) surely reinforced Jack Nicklaus’ theory about this generation of American golfers. That is, they are better at banking than winning.”
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Trivia time: William Howard Taft in 1910.
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Quotebook: Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets, on his life off the court: “It’s very organized, like a science. I practice my religion, eat the right foods, drink plenty of water, spend quiet time at home, visit close friends. I believe in keeping life simple.”
