Despite Faults, They Still Love Him in Hico

Fans in Mitch Williams’ off-season hometown are coping with his World Series problems far better than their counterparts in Philadelphia.

About 200 crowded into the Hico, Tex., community center Sunday for a celebration in honor of the Phillie reliever, giving him a key to the city and a cake, three days before his 29th birthday.

“When the World Series was over and we knew he was coming home, we wondered what we could do,” Hico Mayor Sandra Ethridge told the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram. “We knew a ticker-tape parade wouldn’t do well, because the tallest building in town is two stories.”

Add Williams: Philadelphia fans may never forget that Williams failed to hold a five-run lead in a 15-14 loss to Toronto in Game 4 and served up Joe Carter’s series-ending home run in the ninth inning of Game 6.

“It’s so nice to be home,” said Williams, who received a death threat during the World Series. “When the World Series was over, I got back here as fast as I could so I could get to my guns on my ranch. The people of Philly were looking to get even.”

Temple of gloom: An equally grim Philadelphia story is the Temple football team. After opening the season with a 31-28 victory over Eastern Michigan, the Owls lost to California, 58-0; to Boston College, 66-14; to Rutgers, 62-0; to Army, 56-21; to Virginia Tech, 55-7; to Akron, 31-7; to Miami, 42-7; to Syracuse, 52-3, and to West Virginia, 49-7.

Trivia time: Seven NFL head coaches are former quarterbacks. What position has produced the most head coaches?

Bad karma: The Golden State Warriors lost starters Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway and Sarunas Marciulionis to injuries before the season even started.

Jamal Mashburn is the player the Warriors would have drafted had they not made a deal for Chris Webber. Mashburn, now with Dallas, is happy.

“If Golden State had drafted me, I’d probably be injured now,” he said.

Have hightops . . . How much does University of California guard Jason Kidd love playing basketball?

According to Tim Layden of Newsday, Kidd got a call from Brian Shaw of the Miami Heat one morning in October. Shaw said there would be a pickup game involving several pros that afternoon at Pauley Pavilion.

Says Kidd: “My father works for an airline, so I jumped on a 12:45 flight--my last class was at 11--made it to L.A. by 3 and was home by eight.”

Yodel if you love football: Today is the 25th anniversary of the “Heidi” fiasco on NBC. The network cut away from the Oakland Raider-New York Jets game in the final minutes to broadcast the movie, leaving viewers unaware that the Raiders scored twice to win, 43-32.

Kneel-down basketball: Taiwan played North Korea in the Asian Men’s Basketball Championships at Jakarta, Indonesia.

Both had already advanced, but the winner would have to play defending champion China. The loser would play hapless Saudi Arabia, so why win?

Neither team really tried, with some players intentionally throwing the ball out of bounds before the game was called with Taiwan leading, 14-7, after nearly 11 minutes.

Trivia answer: Linebacker, with eight.

Quotebook: Gary Moeller, Michigan coach, on this week’s Michigan-Ohio State game: “If you’re not Michigan or Ohio State, you don’t play in this game.”