Don’t Worry, Nittany Lions Won’t Wear Blue Suede Shoes

Joe Paterno, Penn State coach, reacting to people who say Oregon doesn’t have a chance in the Rose Bowl game:

“There are a lot of people who think Elvis is still alive. Oregon is a very, very fine football team that won a conference title in a very competitive conference.

“If I see Elvis down the street tomorrow, I’ll believe they’re not very good.”

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Trivia time: Who is the only NBA player to had had 20 points, rebounds and assists in one game?

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The American way: To promote her appearance Sunday at the Forum in “The Nutcracker,” Olympic figure skating champion Oksana Baiul of Ukraine agreed to an interview with one provision. It had to be conducted in English so that she could practice the language that she has been learning since moving this year to Connecticut.

Her grasp of English is fine for a beginner. But her understanding of her new home country is even better.

Asked how she will spend the money she is earning from professional competitions and ice shows, she replied, without hesitation, “Going shopping and paying taxes.”

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Air strikes: Arizona has its “Desert Swarm” defense, but that nickname doesn’t apply to the defensive backfield.

Greg Hansen of the Arizona Daily Star reported that the Wildcats intercepted only four passes this season, the lowest total in Pacific 10 history since records have been kept.

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Duck call: Ivan Maisel in the Sporting News: “Now Oregon is champion of the Quack-10.” Fear of failure: Leroy Burrell, world record-holder in the 100 meters at 9.85 seconds, in an interview with Mark McDonald of the Dallas Morning News:

“I’ve got the statistics, and I’ve run a lot of fast times, but without the Olympic gold medal, that’s kind of like going undefeated all year and then losing the Super Bowl.

“I don’t want to be known as the Buffalo Bills of track.”

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Look out below: Warren Sapp, the University of Miami’s award-winning defensive lineman, is also an avid swimmer who reportedly does double back flips off a diving board.

Defensive coordinator Greg McMackin says Sapp can dunk a basketball from any angle starting from a flat-footed stance.

Mind you, he stands 6 feet 3 and weighs 284 pounds.

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Big challenge: Sapp and the Hurricanes will face top-ranked Nebraska in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1. Asked what he saw when he looked at films of the Cornhusker offensive line, Sapp replied: “Man, I see a lot of weight.”

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Trivia answer: Philadelphia’s Wilt Chamberlain, with 25 rebounds, 22 points and 21 assists against Detroit on Feb. 2, 1968.

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Quotebook: University of Miami defensive end Kenny Holmes: “If we play like we’re capable of playing, I don’t think anybody can play with us, including Nebraska. Sometimes that even includes teams that play on Sundays.”