They Think She’s in a League, er, Lane, of Her Own

Amy Van Dyken, the 23-year-old swimmer who was named sportswoman of 1996 by the U.S. Olympic Committee, was working out recently at a community swim club in her hometown of Englewood, Colo., when she noticed she was in the center lane by herself and about 30 or 40 people were in all the other lanes.

Said Van Dyken: “I had to convince them it was OK to share the lane with me, that I didn’t have cooties.”

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Trivia time: Who is the worst free-throw shooter in Laker history, minimum of 100 attempts?

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Clank music: It is the worst free-throw shooting team in the NBA, but if you thought the Lakers’ 57% mark from the line the other night in Chicago was bad, it’s not even close to their low-water mark--33% against Cleveland on Nov. 18, 1994.

The Lakers won that one, though, 82-80.

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Honk if you love blitzes: A freeway in Tampa has been renamed the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway in honor of the former Buccaneer defensive end. Exit ramps are now known as red zones.

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Run this reverse: Worshipers at the Las Colinas Church in Irving, Texas, love the Dallas Cowboys so much, a large TV screen is placed outside the sanctuary for churchgoers to watch the pregame shows.

The way things are going for the Cowboys, the players probably ought to be watching the church services.

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Big dough: According to Domino’s pizza, the night gymnast Kerri Strug won her gold medal, the tips received by pizza deliverymen given by short women answering the door increased by 46%.

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Now we get it: Carol Slezak in the Chicago Sun-Times: “Dennis Rodman scheduled his annual midseason sabbatical to coincide with the debut of his MTV show. (What, you never heard of overnight ratings?)”

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Frame is extra: Still looking for that perfect Christmas gift? In Chicago, one memorabilia company is advertising color photographs of Rodman and Michael Jordan, signed by both, for only $175.

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Irish eyes: Pay attention to Notre Dame’s recruiting now that new football Coach Bob Davie let go Dave Roberts, who wound up the head man at Baylor.

Roberts recruited 20 Irish blue chippers the last two years, but apparently the Irish decision-makers said he didn’t fit in because he is a Southerner, a non-Catholic and didn’t fit the Notre Dame image.

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Trivia answer: Wilt Chamberlain, 47.5%, 1,265 of 2,662.

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And finally: The Raiders’ Chester McGlockton was in postseason form, even if the Raiders were not, before Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos. McGlockton proved to be a cliche all-pro: “We’re behind the eight-ball right now, and I think everything goes this week. . . . We’re in an all-out situation. What have we got to lose?”

Only the game, 24-19.