Orioles’ Angelos Says Coverage Is for the Birds

Oriole owner Peter Angelos, upset by the Baltimore Sun’s perceived negative coverage of the hiring of farm director Syd Thrift, recently attacked columnist Ken Rosenthal and the newspaper’s reporting.

He issued a press release that derided “moronic media malevolence.”

Angelos has a way with words, also writing that some comments in the article “represent the caterwaulings of an insolent twit whose journalistic fulminations vilify and randomly splatter written bile upon those with whom, in his distorted state of mind, he disagrees.”

So there.

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

Headstrong: Bill Hewitt, a Hall of Fame end with the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles, never wore a helmet, retiring in 1939.

When he came out of retirement to play with the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh “Steagles” in 1943, he had to wear one.

“He didn’t like it,” said Bucko Kilroy, a tackle who played next to Hewitt. “When the play was over, he’d take it off.”

No argument: Michael Jordan, on NBA rookies commanding high salaries, such as Milwaukee’s Glenn Robinson, who sought a $100-million contract but settled for $68 million:

“If those guys are worth $100 million, I’m worth $300 million.”

No hesitation: As the hockey lockout continues, an Edmonton radio station called Oiler winger Kelly Buchberger to ask if he would tape a promo.

He wasn’t home, but his wife, Karla, asked if the spot paid anything. The station offered $1,000.

“I can speak for Kelly,” she said. “He’ll do it.”

Hillbilly gags: Don Ireland, who resigned as the University of Pittsburgh’s public address announcer, had been reprimanded for comments made during the Pitt-West Virginia game Oct. 15, during which he directed his humor at Mountaineer fans.

Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that at one point “Ireland said there was a tractor in the parking lot with its lights on with the license plate ‘E-I-E-I-O.’ He also noted that the stadium’s smoking ban included corncob pipes.”

Missiles fizzled: Before the Raiders played Houston last Sunday at the Coliseum, Oiler defensive back Cris Dishman worried about the Raiders’ long-range passing attack:

“When I think about the Raiders, I think about deep balls, deep balls and more deep balls,” Dishman told John McLain of the Houston Chronicle. “That’s why I’ve been trying to shed five pounds by not eating and staying in a sauna.”

Dishman’s fears were unfounded as the Raiders, using a tame offense, barely won, 17-14.

Different era: George Karl, coach of the Seattle SuperSonics, said that NBA players are like businessmen now.

“They practice from 10 to 12, have a meeting with their stockbrokers at 1, have a meeting with TNT at 2 and go out to dinner with TV hosts at 4.”

Trivia answer: Daryle Lamonica, with 34 in 1969.

Quotebook: Martina Navratilova, 38, on her career winding down: “Getting old really stinks. I miss winning easily. Everything is three sets these days. It’s infuriating.