Orlando Cops Say Hats Off to These Fans

Police officers in Orlando, Fla. have been schooled in what to expect from the Dutch soccer fans at the World Cup.

Traditionally, the fans like to take the hats off police officers and plant a kiss on their lips.

Charlie Wright, Orlando’s deputy chief in charge of World Cup planning, says his officers will be more than tolerant of this kind of behavior, especially the taking of department-issued baseball caps.

However, he says his officers will discourage fans giving them kisses.

Trivia time: When was the last time an Indiana team played in the NBA finals?

Oxygen debt: At Coors Field in Denver, the Colorado Rockies’ new ballpark that will open next season, one row of seats, about three-fourths of the way up the upper deck, will be exactly one mile above sea level. The row will be painted purple.

The color of fans’ faces?

Forgettable round: At the Worst Avid Golfer competition at the TPC Sawgrass (Fla.) course in 1985, Angelo Spagnolo scored a 66 on the par-three 17th hole, with an island green, and a 22 on No. 18 for a 257.

On 17 he put 27 balls in the water before putting one on the peninsula cartway path.

Quote drought: Paul O’Neill of the New York Yankees is making a lot of noise with his bat with an average of over .400.

However, he comes up empty in the interview department. “I know you (reporters) want great quotes,” O’Neill said. “I just don’t have them.”

Debunking the dunk: In “Tall Tales” by Terry Pluto, former NBA star Oscar Robertson said that dunking is a showboat play.

“All the stars in my era could dunk, but we saw no reason to do it,” Robertson said. “We had too much respect for each other to try and dunk in each other’s face.

“The dunk, the behind-the-back garbage--those aren’t great plays and they aren’t skilled plays.”

Faltering franchises: Art Spander in the San Francisco Examiner, on the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, who are in last place in their divisions despite recent winning streaks:

“Losing to the A’s or Padres is like drowning in two inches of water.”

No interceptions: Boston Red Sox trainer Charlie Moss, after Boston’s recent 21-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins:

“We were doing all right until the defensive backs started falling on the crossing patterns.”

Head case: Mir Zaman Gul of Pakistan was recently fined $750 for head-butting. Earlier he was fined $2,250 and suspended for four months for the same reason.

Gul isn’t a boxer; he’s a squash player.

Trivia answer: The Ft. Wayne Pistons lost to the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1955-56 season.

Quotebook: Chuck Daly, former NBA coach, on his nickname, the Prince of Pessimism: “A pessimist is just an optimist who has been around.”