Hey, Americans in Norway: It’s Really, Really, <i> Really</i> Cold

For many Americans, the big problem with the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, is the winter part.

The other day at the luge track, while Norwegians reveled on a sunny day, U.S. fans tried to keep their feet warm in 7-degree weather.

Ann Lefebvre of Atlanta, where the Summer Games will be held in 1996, wore two layers of socks under felt-lined boots and stood on two foam pads.

“If I had five pads, I would stand on five and my feet would probably still be cold,” she said.

Stacy and Jim Goddard of Denver, a bit more accustomed to cold weather, had foam sandals shaped like Viking ships strapped over their winter boots.

“Kind of a Norwegian version of wooden shoes,” Goddard said of the devices, courtesy of their Norwegian hosts. “In Norway, they look at the weather a little differently than we do. They sleep under huge down comforters with the windows wide open. I knew we were in trouble when we saw that.”

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Trivia time: What Winter Olympic event was held only when the Games were in St. Moritz, Switzerland?

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Young at heart: Right-hander Rick Sutcliffe, who won 17 games and was rookie of the year with the Dodgers in 1979, still thinks he can win in the majors.

“My knee is (sound) again and I have the arm of a 32-year-old,” Sutcliffe said after signing a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. “Money doesn’t mean anything. I’ve earned $20 million and kept a bunch of it. I just want to win.”

Sutcliffe, a 16-game winner for Baltimore in 1992, started last season 8-2, then suffered a knee injury and finished 10-10.

“I went six weeks without saying anything,” he said. “I went 0-7. I’m not real smart, I guess.”

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Insurance policies: The Cincinnati Reds are talking to Lloyd’s of London about insuring their top players. The Reds collected in 1993, when pitchers John Smiley and Tom Browning were injured.

According to the Cincinnati Post, Chubb Insurance Company wrote the Reds a check for $1.7 million for the rest of Smiley’s contract after it was determined that he needed surgery for an elbow injury last July.

They also collected more than $500,000 when Browning sat out the final two months because of a broken finger.

What they would probably prefer most is to have an insurance policy that would bring reliever Rob Dibble back to his best form.

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No fireworks: After Kansas City acquired Vince Coleman, Royal Manager Hal McRae had some choice words for the speedy outfielder:

“On July 4, wherever we are, you are rooming with me.”

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Victory parade: Emmitt Smith had something extra to celebrate last week--the return of his beloved helmet.

The helmet was stolen during the Cowboys’ 30-13 Super Bowl victory over the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 30.

Even owner Jerry Jones helped in the search for the missing headgear, to no avail. But last Wednesday, Texas Stadium officials said a man called to say that although he didn’t steal the helmet, he had it in his possession and wanted to get rid of it.

Apparently, it was returned, no questions asked.

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Trivia answer: The skeleton, on the Cresta Run. The skeleton is a heavy sled that is ridden headfirst, and the event was held at St. Moritz in 1928 and ’48.

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Quotebook: UCLA basketball Coach Jim Harrick, on recent outbursts by coaches: “This job makes you go nuts, and it’s a short drop to nuts.”