They Found These Greens Tough to Read

A longstanding Masters tradition is that the reigning champion gets to set the menu for the Champions Dinner the next year. This week, Bernhard Langer chose German soup, a Thanksgiving-type dinner and Black Forest cake for desert.

The dinner caused Ben Crenshaw to remember what he did in 1985 after winning in ‘84: He had a big tray of appetizers and jalapeno chiles disguised as pickles.

“Well, both Jack (Nicklaus) and (chairman) Hord Hardin were digging in, and all of a sudden they both grabbed for a big glass of water,” Crenshaw recalled. “I looked over at Hord later and he had sweat all over his forehead. But he never said anything. He just stuck in there.”

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Trivia time: Who is the only repeat winner of the Wooden Award, recognizing the college basketball player of the year?

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Speculation: Pat Williams, general manager of the Orlando Magic, on reports that Madonna is interested in buying an NBA team:

“It would be interesting to have an owner who wears less clothes than the players.”

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Prove it, Dad: Duke basketball star Grant Hill is the son of former NFL running back Calvin Hill, who was regarded as a pretty good basketball player in his own school days.

“Calvin scored 59 points in a high school basketball game once in New York City,” said Janet Hill, his wife, “although we have yet to find anyone who can verify this.”

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FYI: In the Dallas Morning News’ baseball predictions, reporter Kevin Blackistone placed the Dodgers last in the National League’s West Division, behind San Francisco, Colorado and San Diego.

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So much bull: Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls said all NBA coaches should be former NBA players, even if they haven’t coached elsewhere. He added:

“A lot of coaches, I wonder how they become coaches when they haven’t played the game. Reading a book doesn’t make you a good coach.”

John Jackson of the Detroit News responded: “By Pippen’s logic (or lack thereof) coaches like Chuck Daly, Mike Fratello and George Karl never should have been hired.”

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Traveling companions: Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia News asked Robert Parish of the Boston Celtics about fellow veteran Moses Malone of the Philadelphia 76ers. Parish replied:

“The best thing I like about Moses is he’s the only guy who gets away with more travels than I do.”

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Awed: Former Xavier basketball coach Pete Gillen, at a news conference introducing him as the new Providence coach, commented:

“The limo that took me here was bigger than my house in Cincinnati. The crystal was so thick in the limo that it took a long time to put it in my bag.”

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Trivia answer: Ralph Sampson of Virginia in 1982 and ’83.

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Quotebook: Lee Janzen, 1993 U.S. Open champion, on the mystique of the Masters: “You get the feeling like Bobby Jones is standing out there with you.”