Azerbaijan’s Bogus Journey Began in Baku

Azerbaijan, one of the countries from the former Soviet Union, got off to a phony start in the World Wrestling Championships in Stockholm.

A coach was detained at the airport with $1,500 in counterfeit Swedish currency. It was confiscated, leaving the team broke, the Swedish national news agency TT reported.

The coach, who was not identified, claimed he got the 12 Swedish bills at a bank in Baku, the Azerbaijan capital. He was later released.

“I do not understand how a bank in Baku could have 12 thousand-kronor bills,” Police officer Leif Eggeblad said. “How did they get there? Swedish tourists do not go to Azerbaijan.”

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Trivia time: What is the only service academy team that played in the Rose Bowl game?

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Matter of time: A sign in Atlanta after the Braves had beaten the Cincinnati Reds, 7-6, Wednesday night to increase their lead over the the San Francisco Giants to 3 1/2 games in the National League West:

“San Francisco: The Fat Lady is rehearsing to sing.”

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Package deal: From David Letterman: “I hear George Steinbrenner is thinking seriously about taking the Yankees out of New York. Maybe he’ll take the Mets with him.”

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Wrong book: Jess Hill, the former USC football coach and athletic director who died at 87 recently, once recalled long train trips with the New York Yankees, with whom he played in the 1930s.

“Lou Gehrig and Bill Dickey were a great bridge team,” Hill said.

“They used to beat Red Rolfe and me all the time. Finally, I told Red we had to buy a book and beat those two. Well, we got a book, studied it--and they still beat us, every time.”

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Defense overrated: Brigham Young’s formula for staying unbeaten after two games: Just yield 1,032 yards and an average of 34.5 points.

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Where are you? Billy McKinney, director of personnel for the Detroit Pistons, asked anyone who had seen eccentric forward Dennis Rodman to give him a call.

“Sure enough, the next morning there were eight messages waiting for him--all Rodman sightings,” wrote Jackie MacMullan of the Boston Globe. “The two best: a caller who claimed he saw Rodman running naked through the streets, retrieved him and threw him in jail; and another who swore he saw Rodman eating lunch with Elvis at Burger King.”

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Two for one: Nose tackle Alphonso Taylor, who was recently signed by the Denver Broncos, stands 6 feet 1 and weighs 347 pounds.

“Actually, we signed two nose tackles--Alphonso and Taylor,” Denver Coach Wade Phillips said. “But it only took one piece of paper to get him.”

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Trivia answer: Navy, in 1924, tying Washington, 14-14.

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Quotebook: Atlanta Falcon Coach Jerry Glanville on his 300-pound rookie offensive guard, Lincoln Kennedy: “He can be a great player in this league for a long time if he learns to say two words: I’m full.”