During a recent basketball practice at Pauley Pavilion, UCLA players’ attention was drawn to actress Sigourney Weaver, training on a side court with former Bruin Nigel Miguel for a future movie role.
After the Bruin workout, the “Alien” star walked over to interim Coach Steve Lavin for a chat.
“Imagine, she wanted to meet me,” said a chuckling Lavin. “Talk about a life change.”
Think Washington State Coach Kevin Eastman has these sort of disruptions during practice in Pullman, Wash.?
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Trivia time: When was the last year that USC was ranked in the top 10 in the final Associated Press college basketball poll?
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Designated out? Chicago White Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillen, looking ahead to an explosive 1997 offense featuring Albert Belle, Frank Thomas, Robin Ventura and Harold Baines:
“I think they’re going to start pitching around the whole lineup to face me.”
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Curtain call? Shaun Powell in the Sporting News: “Can we cut to the chase and give Michael [Jordan] the MVP trophy right now? And hand over the trophy to the Bulls, while we’re at it? Seriously, this is all a big waste of time.”
The Lakers delayed the coronation a bit on Wednesday night.
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Slapstick team: Jim Cleamons, the frustrated coach of the woeful Dallas Mavericks, in an interview in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
“If I were a teacher, I think I’d have a special education class. At some point, you’d think we’d become tired of being the straight man in a nightly comedy act.”
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Wild and geeky guy: Detroit Red Wing forward Brendan Shanahan, after learning he was going to be one of 20 men featured on a TV show called “The World’s Coolest Bachelors”:
“If they think going home and doing laundry and playing around the Internet is cool, well, I don’t know. Personally, I think it’s geeky.”
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Looking back: On this day in 1987, Nancy Lopez won the Sarasota Classic. It was her 35th victory and assured her of a place in the LPGA Hall of Fame.
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Trivia answer: 1971, when USC had a 24-2 record, ranking fifth, losing only to UCLA.
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And finally: If Angel pitcher Jim Abbott has to bat in interleague games, can he handle it?
Well, as a high school senior in Flint, Mich., Abbott batted cleanup and hit .427, with seven home runs.
At the University of Michigan, he batted three times . . . and got two hits.