Pasadena Follows Rose Bowl Rule of ‘Never on Sunday’

The Rose Bowl game between Penn State and Oregon will be played on Monday, Jan. 2, in keeping with the Tournament of Roses Assn.’s “Never on Sunday” policy for its New Year’s parade and football game.

The tradition dates to 1893, when officials feared that the parade would frighten horses tethered outside Pasadena churches and perhaps disturb worship services.

This will be the 16th time the festivities will be held the day after New Year’s Day.

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Add Jan. 2: The situation won’t happen again until 2006.

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Trivia time: Penn State has had 65 All-American football players. Who was the first?

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Marked man: Tight end Josh Wilcox, Oregon’s self-proclaimed free spirit, has a new tattoo on his left biceps to commemorate the Ducks’ game with Penn State. It’s a skull with fiery red eye sockets and the words “Rose Bowl ’95.”

“Memories are forever,” Wilcox said, “and so are tattoos.”

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Backup job: Exchanging his helmet and pads for a tuxedo, New England quarterback Drew Bledsoe joined the Boston Pops orchestra and guest conductor Bobby McFerrin for a reading of “ ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

About 120 Boston business executives attended the annual event to raise money for the Boston Symphony orchestra.

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Never too old: Ron Lyle, who once fought Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in heavyweight title matches, wants to make a comeback at age 52.

“I would love to fight (Foreman) again,” Lyle said. “My skills haven’t slipped that much. I’m in good shape. I fought at 220 pounds and I’m 235 now.”

Comebacks are nothing new to Lyle.

“I got stabbed in prison. Died twice in the operating room but came back,” said Lyle, who learned to box while serving time.

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Special treatment: When Wayne Gretzky established a curfew of sorts for his hockey all-stars on their European tour, he remembered Russ Courtnall, the Dallas Stars’ wing with a reputation for enjoying night life.

“The curfew is midnight, unless that’s too early,” Gretzky said. “Then it’s 1 a.m. But for you, Rusty, there’s a $100 fine if you’re in your room before 5 a.m.”

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Deep pockets: Golf Digest reports that Bill Gates, the billionaire Microsoft magnate, prefers to buy used golf balls.

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Trivia answer: W.T. (Mother) Dunn, a 1906 center, who was 29 when he earned All-American honors.

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Quotebook: Drag racer Kenny Bernstein, who also owns Winston Cup stock car and Indy car teams: “Racing doesn’t run on nitro-methane, gasoline or methanol. It runs on money.”