They Thought of the Raiders as Being on a Very Long Trip

The Raiders have, of course, returned to Oakland, but some former Kansas City Chiefs never acknowledged the Raiders’ Los Angeles identity. The team played here from 1982 to 1994.

“I never quit calling them the Oakland Raiders,” former Chief tight end Fred Arbanas told Kent Pulliam of the Kansas City Star.

Jim Lynch, a former Chief linebacker, was even more emphatic, saying, “I never knew they left [Oakland].”

Trivia time: Who is the only Angel pitcher to have thrown a perfect game?

Time warp: Mark Grace, Chicago Cub first baseman, told Skip Myslenski of the Chicago Tribune that he’s an old-fashioned guy.

“I think I’m an old-throwback, dirty-uniform player,” Grace said. “I don’t wear sunglasses. I don’t wear earrings. I don’t wear wristbands. I don’t have a home run dance. I’m not a flashy player at all.”

Sound bite: From David Letterman: “Yesterday, the Fox network announced it will televise Mike Tyson’s next fight against Buster Mathis Jr. Nov. 4. The fight will air during a three-minute commercial break during ‘The Simpsons.’ ”

No spark: After playing in consecutive series in Montreal and Pittsburgh, Andy Van Slyke of the Philadelphia Phillies said, “There was a lot of electricity in the parks--about that of a nine-volt battery.”

Futility: After Penn State routed Temple, 66-14, last Saturday, Gene Collier of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote:

“As it happens, Temple disappears from Penn State’s schedule after next season, having failed to beat the [Nittany] Lions since seven weeks before Pearl Harbor.”

Flawed reasoning: Michael Irvin, Dallas Cowboy wide receiver, suggests that Deion Sanders should have his ankle surgery “during the baseball season because he hurt it playing baseball.”

Peter Gammons of the Boston Globe wrote: “Irvin obviously took many a logic course in his grinding intellectual experience at the University of Miami.”

Looking back: On this day in 1927, Gene Tunney won a unanimous 10-round decision over Jack Dempsey at Soldier Field in Chicago, retaining his world heavyweight title in the famous “long count” bout.

Trivia answer: Mike Witt, on Sept. 30, 1984 against the Texas Rangers.

Quotebook: Mark O’Meara on the pressure of the Ryder Cup: “I’ve been on a winning, losing and tying team--and to tell you the truth, I didn’t have fun on any of them.”