An Exploding Picture Tube Always Gets Their Attention

Former pitcher Steve Blass of the Pirates was asked by Paul Meyer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to provide some keys to an effective team meeting and how a manager can best get the players’ attention.

“Door-slamming at the start and at the end is good,” Blass said. “Volume on doors is very important.

“And it should be unstructured. Tipping over the TV set is good, something like that, something that can’t be readily fixed.

“At the end of the tirade, muttering is good. Muttering so they can’t quite hear it. That leaves the players not only chagrined and ashamed, but also a little bit confused. They aren’t sure if he’s muttering about a specific player.”

Trivia time: What is the only Pacific 10 Conference school that had a winning record against Don James’ Washington football teams?

Poor PR: The recent banning of Daily News writer Eric Noland from Raider practices is not unprecedented in the organization.

Frank Cooney of the San Francisco Examiner recalled that the Raiders took similar action when the franchise was in Oakland.

Oakland Tribune writer Dave Newhouse was once ordered off a team plane. And Blaine Newnham and Tom La Marre of the Tribune--La Marre now works for The Times--were escorted off the practice field, but were allowed to to return within a couple of days.

Snooze time: From the Fly in the Sporting News: “Fly’s gotta thank CBS, the network that can make room for a bajillion hours of golf coverage on an August weekend but nary a nanosecond of live pennant-race baseball. The afternoon naps were great.”

Costly bogeys: Missed field-goal attempts against Miami in 1991 and 1992 prevented Florida State from a shot at the national championship each year.

Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden is continually reminded of the failed kicks.

Said Bowden: “I could be on a golf course and I’ll miss a putt and somebody will invariably yell, ‘Wide right!’ ”

Job description: Phil Jackman of the Baltimore Sun on win-at-any-cost football coaches: “They tell the story of when George Allen, still under contract to the Chicago Bears, tried to leave George Halas to take a head coaching job. Halas got up in court and thundered about what a dirty, low-down, back-biting, etc., Allen was. Vince Lombardi, upon hearing the description, is alleged to have said to the owner looking to hire Allen, ‘Sounds to me like you’re looking to get yourself an excellent football coach.’ ”

Welcome back: Quarterback Jeff George has rejoined the Indianapolis Colts after asking to be traded. However, some Colt fans are apparently fed up with George.

One hot-selling T-shirt in Indianapolis pictures George in a sandbox saying, “My mommy won’t let me go to camp.” Moreover, some liquor stores are running specials on “Jeff George Whine.”

Trivia answer: UCLA, with an 8-5-1 record.

Quotebook: Gene Mauch, former Angel manager, on losing streaks: “They’re funny. If you lose at the beginning, you’re getting off to a bad start. If you lose in the middle of the season, you’re in a slump. If you lose at the end, you’re choking.”