Perhaps Oregon State Should Adopt a New Mascot--Sluggo

Benny the Beaver, the Oregon State mascot, must be seriously thinking of retiring.

The mascot, with student Marri Hollen inside, was slugged in the face Saturday in Corvallis, Ore., by Arizona’s Frank Middleton, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound offensive lineman, as the Wildcats ran off the field after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter.

Witnesses said Benny was standing with Oregon State cheerleaders and did nothing to taunt the Wildcats.

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Add Mascot: Two weeks ago, just before a game against California, Benny was punched by Cal offensive lineman Tarik Glenn after the mascot tapped the player on the shoulder with a giant plastic hammer.

Hollen was not seriously injured in either incident.

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Trivia time: The Cleveland Browns won the NFL championship in their first year in the league in 1950. Which team did they defeat in the title game?

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Sticks and stones . . . : Buddy Ryan, Arizona Cardinal coach, calls kickers “poodles.”

Said Denver Bronco kicker Jason Elam: “If he signs my checks, he can call me anything he wants.”

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Phew, it’s over! When the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Bears, 37-34, in overtime Sunday in Chicago, the “P” jinx ended.

Previously, no team from a city that began with the letter “P” had ever defeated the Bears in Chicago. The Steelers and Eagles were 0-12 each. The Pottsville Maroons were 0-3, the Portsmouth Spartans 0-2, and the Providence Steam Rollers 0-1.

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Go home! Dominique Wilkins, a former NBA standout, was welcomed by more than 3,000 fans when he arrived at Athens, Greece airport in September.

Now he is being ridiculed.

“Dominique a fiasco,” headlined the daily “Sports Time” for his disappointing performances with Panathinaikos.

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Trivia answer: The Browns defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 30-28, in Cleveland.

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Quotebook: Detroit Lion free safety Bennie Blades on being forced to play linebacker because of injuries: “Those 300-pound guys look at me and say, ‘There’s lunch.’ ”