This Cornerback a Throwback to the Days of Gore and Glory

Rod Woodson, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ All-Pro cornerback, told Inside Sports magazine that he wishes he had played in an earlier era, when “you could throw a guy on his head.

“If you kicked a guy, they (officials) would probably just say, ‘Hey, watch it.’ Nowadays, if you kick, you’re thrown out of the game.

“You used to be able to jump in a ref’s face and call him anything in the book; now you cuss him out, he’s going to throw you out of the game. This is not true football.”

Thank goodness.

Another Woodson: James Washington, the Dallas Cowboy free safety who played for UCLA, told the Dallas Morning News that his teammate, strong safety Darren Woodson, is a silent killer.

“I think it is hard to find another player to compare him to because most of them at his position are real dirty players like myself, like Jack Tatum.”

Trivia time: Who holds the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a season?

She said it: Martina Hingis of Switzerland is 14, but she is beating older players in European tennis tournaments.

Said Hingis: “I’m sure it’s not pleasant for players who have been on the tour for five or six years when a little brat wins against them.”

Countdown: UCLA has lost five consecutive football games. The Bruins haven’t lost six in a row since 1943, when they were winless in their first seven games. Next opponent: Pacific 10 Conference leader Arizona at Tucson.

Buddy bashing: Dallas defensive end Jim Jeffcoat on Arizona Cardinal Coach Buddy Ryan: “Buddy doesn’t block. Buddy doesn’t tackle. Buddy is just a big bag of wind.”

Outpost: GODFORSAKEN PLACE, N.M. That was Nick Canepa’s dateline in the San Diego Union-Tribune for Saturday’s game between San Diego State and New Mexico, which the Aztecs won, 20-13.

Canepa writes that former Aztec Coach Al Luginbill made that comment about Albuquerque two years ago.

“Who can ever forget Al standing by the locker room door shouting: ‘Let’s get out of this Godforsaken Place!’ forever endearing himself to every New Mexican within earshot.”

Hard times: Charles Barkley is growling again, this time about the salary structure in the NBA.

“We need to do something about rookies getting paid too much,” the Phoenix Sun forward said. “What did Grant Hill get, nine years at $45 million? That’s two million a year more than me. Something is wrong.”

Looking back: On this day in 1948 Bob Waterfield was intercepted seven times as the Rams lost to the Green Bay Packers, 16-0.

Trivia answer: Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins, with 48 in 1984.

Quotebook: Dallas Cowboy running back Emmitt Smith on the Philadelphia Eagle defense: “They treat me like I stole something off their kitchen table.”