Child’s Name Not Considered Kid’s Stuff

Packer fever is sweeping Wisconsin. As evidence, expectant parents Steven and Janan Mulvey say they’re planning to name their baby, due Jan. 22, after a defensive lineman on the Green Bay team, which meets the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday for the NFC championship.

The Mulveys want to give the honor to nose tackle John Jurkovic, who is also known by the nickname of “Jurko.”

“We were going to make it John Jurkovic Mulvey,” Janan said, but that was before they learned of Jurkovic’s middle name, Ivan.

Now they’re considering Ivan as an option. Apparently, Jurko has been crossed off the list.

*

Add Packers: As a good luck symbol, the Milwaukee Brewers delivered a bagful of lucky rabbits’ feet to the Packers.

General Manager Sal Bando also gave a pet rabbit to Packer President Bob Harlan, who promised to return everything after the Super Bowl so that some luck might rub off on the Brewers, who certainly need it considering their fourth-place finish in the American League Central.

*

Trivia time: Who is No. 4 on the list in major golf tournament victories behind Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen?

*

Post-mortem: Scott Ostler in the San Francisco Chronicle on the 49ers being eliminated from the NFL playoffs by the Packers: “Now it’s TooCalm Park. So quiet you can hear a dynasty drop.”

*

Surprise Santa: The Dallas Morning News gave a High Five award to Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns. He took 20 youngsters from a local homeless shelter to an area toy store on Christmas Eve to buy them presents.

*

Enough, please: From David Letterman: “I think the Fiesta Bowl was way too commercialized with all that corn chip stuff. Even the announcers . . . at one point the guy in the booth says, ‘No. 99 is down with a Tostitos groin pull.’ ”

*

Collector’s item: Tony Kornheiser in the Washington Post: “I tried to get a copy of the Northwestern fight song for my CD player, but after 40 years of losing, it was only available on vinyl.”

*

Puzzled: Detroit Lion quarterback Scott Mitchell, a former Miami Dolphin player: “There were people in Miami who thought I should have stayed and Dan Marino should have been traded. Try to figure that one out.”

*

Looking back: On this day in 1982, the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 28-27, in the NFC championship game in San Francisco.

*

Trivia answer: John Ball, with eight British Amateur victories and one British Open, when the British Amateur was regarded as a major tournament.

*

Quotebook: David Casstevens of the Arizona Republic on the firing of Arizona Cardinal Coach Buddy Ryan: “So long to the end of an error.”