One Well-Placed Shot Changed Nordique History

The Hartford Courant’s Jeff Jacobs tried to weave some revisionist history into a Stanley Cup story this week:

“If Benedict Arnold hadn’t taken a musket ball in the left leg during a New Year’s Eve blizzard in 1775, his courageous invasion of the fortressed city hard on the St. Lawrence cliffs would have been a rousing American Revolution success story.

“Quebec City would have been our 14th colony.

“The Plains of Abraham? The Winter Carnival? Those scrumptious restaurants jammed into Old Quebec? All ours for Yankee exploitation.

“That lousy Canadian exchange rate never would have killed the NHL in Quebec City 220 years later. Benedict Arnold never would have been branded a traitor. Neither would have Nordiques owner Marcel Aubut.”

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Trivia time: Who holds the World Series record for most consecutive scoreless innings pitched?

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Zzzzzz: Newsday’s Steve Zipay, on what TV executives aren’t saying about the NBA and NHL finals:

“Oh sure, the NHL and NBA can say they’re happy with the finals matchups. The NHL points to the growth of two new markets.

“The NBA has the Bulls’ three stars preparing for a coronation.

“Ho-hum. Bulls-Sonics has about as much potential for drama as Tyson-McNeeley, but NBC’s ratings will overwhelm Fox’s NHL numbers.

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Tap-dance time: In the wake of the Hartford Courant’s story that said UMass star Marcus Camby accepted jewelry and “a couple thousand” in cash from an agent, some were reminded of a March TV interview when Camby appeared wearing a gaudy diamond necklace.

The Courant said UMass Athletic Director Bob Marcum, when asked about it, replied:

“I didn’t even know it was diamonds; you’re telling me it was diamonds. . . . You look at our [team] rings, they look like diamonds, too, but they’re zircons.”

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Wait a minute: Should Evander Holyfield be allowed to fight Mike Tyson?

They were supposed to meet in November of 1991, but what was projected as a possible $100-million fight flamed out when Tyson was convicted for rape.

Agreement was reached this week for the two to meet in October for Don King, according to the New York Daily News.

Naturally, King rival Bob Arum knocked such a match.

“My feeling is Holyfield’s an accident waiting to happen,” Arum said, adding he didn’t think Holyfield could be licensed to fight in Las Vegas.

Nevada boxing Commissioner Dr. Elias Ghanem also said Holyfield shouldn’t be licensed.

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Trivia answer: Whitey Ford, 33.

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And finally: New York Knick President Dave Checketts recalled this week the thrifty habits of John Stockton in his rookie year with Utah.

Checketts, who was running the Jazz at the time, said Stockton, to save meal money, used to eat free press room food.

“He wasn’t the only player I saw do that,” Checketts said. “But the other guys would send a ballboy to get the food and bring it to the locker room. Stockton went in and ate with the writers.”