No Dope Now, Foreman Ready to Rope In Ali

Twenty years after losing his heavyweight title to Muhammad Ali, George Foreman has it again, and he says he’s finally ready for The Rematch .

“It’s time for Muhammad Ali,” Foreman said a little more than a week after regaining the crown he lost to Ali in Zaire on Oct. 30, 1974. “I want him now. I didn’t want him in the ‘70s, but I want him now.”

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Add Foreman: The champ was being his silly self again obviously, dispensing advice for the aged and waxing eloquent on the virtues of cheeseburgers at a news conference at which he had absolutely nothing to announce, not even his current weight.

“None of your business,” he told an inquisitor, politely.

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Trivia time: How many drivers have won the Indianapolis 500 and the Formula One world championship?

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Complimentary: Michael Irvin of the Dallas Cowboys relishes his one-on-one duels with San Francisco 49er defensive back Deion Sanders.

“Every wide receiver wants (the challenge of going against one of the best cornerbacks in the league),” Irvin told Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star. “The only way you get somewhere is by playing against the best, and I do consider Deion the best.”

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Looking back: Anybody remember what happened on this day in 1968?

It was the day NBC cut away from the Oakland-New York Jet game in the final minutes to the “Heidi” television special, leaving viewers unaware that the Raiders scored two touchdowns in the last minute for a 43-32 comeback victory.

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Sound thinking: Ted Williams was asked why he included Shoeless Joe Jackson among his top 20 all-time hitters although Jackson is banned from the Baseball Hall of Fame for having dealt with gamblers.

“Everybody I talked to about Jackson went into hysterics about how good he was,” Williams said. “These are the 20 greatest hitters. The Black Sox scandal’s got nothing to do with it.”

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Bottom line: Art Thiel of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, after watching the Seahawks lose, 17-10, in Denver:

“The paramount question from the Seattle sports observer: Who has the lower shooting percentage against Denver--Shawn Kemp or Rick Mirer? Kemp finished last spring’s five-game NBA playoff series against the Nuggets at 37%. Against the Broncos, Mirer underdid him, shooting 34%.

“Kemp, of course, had to operate over Mt. Mutombo (el. 5,287 ft.). Mirer was matched against the worst defense in the NFL.”

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Listen up: Shaquille O’Neal has released a second solo album, “SHAQ-FU: Da Return.”

The album features “Biological Didn’t Bother,” which discusses the Magic center’s relationship with his stepfather, who helped raise him, and estranged father, who abandoned him and his mother.

“I’m saying just because you bring a child into the world doesn’t make you a father,” O’Neal said. “You have to raise him and put food on the table.”

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The comeback: After the Chicago Bulls retired Michael Jordan’s jersey, a club official told him that he could play basketball again after his baseball career was over.

“Yeah, but I’ll be about 55 years old then,” he said.

Jordan is 31.

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Trivia answer: Four. Jimmy Clark, Graham Hill, Mario Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi.

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Quotebook: Pat Riley, New York Knick coach, on his job: “There have been reports that I’m not happy in New York. You know what? I’m not. I will never be happy in New York until we win a championship.”