Coach Cal Was a Pal to So Many

Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe is a little bitter at the departure of Massachusetts basketball Coach John Calipari for the New Jersey Nets. He said there is a bright side at home games, however.

“University officials won’t have to set aside a special section for player agents, scalpers, jewelers, cronies, runners, media suck-ups and ticket-seeking friends of Coach Cal,” he wrote.

Trivia time: What is the oldest record in the NFL?

Free passes: Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune predicted the airport scene after the White Sox finished a series at Toronto: “As the Sox pass through U.S. customs, the agent will ask if they have anything valuable to declare and the middle relievers can walk right through.”

FYI: For what it’s worth, during Tom Lasorda’s 20 years at the helm of the Dodgers, the New York Yankees changed managers 19 times.

It had corked tires: The Cincinnati Reds’ Kevin Mitchell had some bad news recently. His $375,000 custom-made mobile home was wrecked when it was struck by a truck delivering a pool table to Mitchell’s house. The accident happened in Mitchell’s driveway.

Tyson’s wild kingdom: You might have heard that heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson is a pet lover.

Tyson keeps two exotic pets--a 13-month-old tiger and a lion cub--at his Las Vegas home. He said he teaches tricks to the cub and Kenya, the 200-pound-plus tiger.

Asked what Kenya eats, Tyson said, “Whatever she wants.”

Tyson said lions are more social animals, unlike tigers.

Said Tyson: “If tigers are not in a good mood, they’ll take a chunk out of you.”

It’s simple: Reader Frank Worth has a suggestion on solving the controversy about allowing the Dodgers’ Brett Butler to carry a small water bottle on the field to help his post-cancer dry-throat problem.

“Station a batboy in the bullpen with water bottles and have him wear a shirt that says in extra-large letters on the back, ‘Gunga Din.’ ”

Poor Rich: Steve Serby of the New York Post waited one game before he put New York Jet Coach Rich Kotite on notice. Tough town, New York.

Trivia answer: A 98-yard fumble return by George Halas of the Chicago Bears in 1923.

And finally: A frustrated Bobby Labonte, who drives a NASCAR stock car for Joe Gibbs, threw his helmet at the No. 42 car one day, but hit the No. 17.

“I wasn’t a real good quarterback,” Labonte explained to the Hall of Fame football coach. “I never did know how to lead ‘em.”