New Cal Coach Say Everyone’s in It Together

Steve Mariucci, California’s new football coach, is taking a gung-ho approach to his job. A sampling as told to Jake Curtis of the San Francisco Chronicle:

“This is my vision: When we play it’s not just our coaches and players against their coaches and players. It’s our cheerleaders against their cheerleaders. Our faculty against their faculty. Our administration against their administration. Our band against their band. Our beat writers against their beat writers.”

OK, writers, sharpen up those adverbs and adjectives.

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Add Mariucci: “We’ll start hitting the [rival] quarterback as soon as he gets off the bus.”

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Trivia time: Who holds the Rose Bowl record for most yards gained rushing in a game?

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Come again? Golf World magazine reported that when John Daly said his new baby daughter’s name was Sierra, a reporter asked: “Like the desert?”

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Return to Oz: Bernie Lincicome of the Chicago Tribune on visiting USC’s Heritage Hall, where four Heisman trophies--Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Charles White and Marcus Allen--are displayed along with other Trojan memorabilia:

“What was clear to me, to Dorothy and Toto too, is that I wasn’t in Evanston anymore.”

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Only in America: Gene Collier in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “After about a quarter- century of fooling around on the UCLA sidelines, Terry Donahue has reached the top of the football profession. He’s a broadcaster. Just like that. It’s a great country.”

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Add Donahue: time: Woody Woodburn in the Ventura Star Free-Press: “Just once I’d like to see a college or pro football team steal someone from a TV studio to become the head coach.”

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Whoopee! Tom FitzGerald in the San Francisco Chronicle: “A college basketball player to watch: Lekan Somefun of Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind.”

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A real curveball: Mike Lupica in the New York Daily News: “I assume that David Cone will eventually stop trying to explain that his return to [George] Steinbrenner and the Yankees was absolutely not about the money.

“Because, let’s face it, those explanations already have more movement in them than some of his breaking pitches.”

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Hold the anchovies: According to Jericho Promotions, the top five fake names given when ordering a pizza are: 1. Al Cowlings; 2. Virginia Gingrich; 3. John F. Kennedy Jr.; 4. Bill Gates; 5. Mike Tyson.

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Explanation due: After knocking out Buster Mathis Jr. in the third round on Dec. 16, Tyson approached the groggy Mathis and said, “You’re my brother.” Said Mathis: “If he’s my brother, I’ve got to talk to my mother.”

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Closing in: After Missouri basketball Coach Norm Stewart recorded his 665th victory in December, passing former UCLA Coach John Wooden, he said: “I’m only 10 behind him in national championships.”

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Trivia answer: Charles White of USC, with 247 yards against Ohio State in 1980.

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Quotebook: Utah Jazz President Frank Layden, explaining the success of his marriage to wife Barbara: “The reason we stayed together all these years is we go dancing. I go Monday, Wednesday and Friday. She goes the other days.”