Tiger Fans Fending Off a Shack Attack

Mike Ilitch, who owns the Detroit Tigers, wants to build a new stadium, abandoning Tiger Stadium, a site for baseball in the city since 1900.

His plan is opposed by the Tiger Stadium Fan Club, prompting Detroit Manager Sparky Anderson to say:

“Let me tell you something. Those people who want to preserve Tiger Stadium and keep it for their grandchildren have lost their marbles. If they had to live or work in someplace new and modern, or some old and rundown shack, where do you suppose they would want to live?

“It wouldn’t be no rundown shack.”

Trivia time: What is George Raveling’s NCAA tournament record as a coach at Washington State, Iowa and USC?

More madness: The Saturday event attracted 50,000 spectators and it was seen by an estimated 150 million television viewers in more than 20 countries.

It was the 140th renewal of “The Boat Race,” the traditional rowing competition between Cambridge and Oxford.

After Cambridge won by 6 1/2 lengths, Cambridge Boat Club President Jon Bernstein of Bloomfield, Mich., said ecstatically: “This is ‘March Madness’--I’ll never forget it. It beats hoops.”

Premature analysis: Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe had apparently soured on Boston College Coach Jim O’Brien before the NCAA tournament began.

“As he prepares for the NCAA tournament, O’Brien is again twisting in the wind,” Shaughnessy wrote. “Critics say he hasn’t gotten enough out of the Fab Four. Not tough enough. Too nice. Not a great coach.”

Good enough, however, to get his team to the Final Eight before losing to Florida, 74-66, on Sunday.

Air ball analysis: And now this pre-tournament comment from Dan Barreiro of the Star Tribune of Minneapolis on Duke: “ . . . The Blue Devils are not Final Four material. Their guards are too soft and too slow, which is why the superb Grant Hill has to spend so much time back there.”

Ho hum, Duke is in the Final Four again.

Dream course: An excerpt from “The Rules of Golf”, according to the Bad Golfers Assn: --Movable hazards: All movable hazards should be removed. These include dogs, cattle and people. Trees are also a movable hazard if you have a chain saw in your bag.

--Out of bounds: There is no out of bounds.

Trivia answer: Raveling is 2-6: 1-2 at Washington State, 0-2 at Iowa and 1-2 at USC.

Quotebook: Dallas defensive back Kevin Smith on owner Jerry Jones threatening to hire Barry Switzer to replace Jimmy Johnson as Cowboy coach: “What are we going to do, run the wishbone next year?”