In Any Case, He Was Prepped for the Occasion

UCLA radio commentator David Norrie, a featured guest of the L.A. Bond Club USC-UCLA luncheon at the Biltmore Bowl on Thursday, delivered a rather eloquent speech.

Then it was Craig Fertig’s turn at the microphone. “I see where David had to use notes, but I don’t. I had a formal eduction,” said the Prime Ticket commentator, a former USC quarterback and assistant coach.

UCLA Coach Terry Donahue, coming to Norrie’s defense, told Fertig: “You had a formal education all right--at Huntington Park High School.

“When Craig got to USC, they took away all sharp objects, including pens and pencils, so that’s why he doesn’t take notes.”

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Secret weapon: USC Coach John Robinson, also a speaker at the Bond Club luncheon, said wide receiver Johnnie Morton is still suffering from flu (Morton’s mother says it’s tonsillitis), which he came down with last Saturday before the Trojans’ game against Washington.

“Washington put three defenders on Morton, and now all three have the flu,” Robinson said.

And then, looking over to Donahue, Robinson said: “This is just a little advice, Terry. You may want to put only one defender on him and make sure that defender doesn’t get too close.”

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Add Fertig: After Robinson and Donahue finished speaking, Fertig, a former head coach at Oregon State, got up to wrap up the program as many in the audience began filing out. “Must be Oregon State fans,” Fertig said.

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Add Norrie: Norrie took time to serve as co-host with Joe McDonnell Wednesday on KMPC, and Gary Beban was among the guests. Beban is the president of the world-wide real estate firm of CB Commercial, the company that also employs Norrie.

Said Beban to Norrie: “I presume you’ll be putting in extra time at work to make up for this.”

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Priorities: Beban told Norrie and McDonnell he would gladly have sacrificed the Heisman Trophy he won in 1967 for a victory over USC that year. The Bruins lost to the Trojans, 21-20.

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Oscar for Oscar? He doesn’t have a world title yet, but Oscar De La Hoya already has landed a movie deal.

De La Hoya, the East Los Angeles boxer who won a gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, makes his movie debut in a Hemdale Picture Corp. feature film titled, “Macho Palace,” that is scheduled to begin production in late-March--days after he is tentatively set to fight for the World Boxing Organization junior-lightweight title.

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Trivia time: Who has coached all four surviving members of the American Basketball Assn.--the Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers?

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Mr. Mayor: Nine days after reclaiming the championship from Riddick Bowe, Evander Holyfield was proclaimed honorary mayor of Atlanta for a month.

“You were a champion even when you weren’t the champion,” Mayor Maynard Jackson told Holyfield during a 45-minute ceremony at city hall.

A crowd of about 500 and a marching band from Fulton High, Holyfield’s alma mater, jammed the atrium at city hall.

In addition, one of the organizers dropped two makeshift mini-parachutes from the rafters as Holyfield was in the middle of his speech, a reminder of the para-glider who dropped uninvited to the ring at Caesars Palace.

“I think the same thing happened to me before,” Holyfield said.

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Now, that’s inflation: The catalogue for an auction of sports memorabilia by Leland’s Collectibles in New York City this weekend includes item No. 190, a Redskin jersey worn by quarterback Mark Rypien. The suggested price is $750-$1,000.

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Trivia answer: Larry Brown.

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Quotebook: Martina Navratilova, after receiving a thunderous ovation as she walked into Madison Square Garden for the Virginia Slims Championships this week: “For years I felt underappreciated, and now I’m over-appreciated. It’s like I’m the home team everywhere I go.”