In His Book, Perhaps a Leaf Was Missing

Dave Kindred writes in the Sporting News that Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning is “clearly today’s outstanding college player” and should win the Heisman Trophy.

As for Michigan defensive back Charles Woodson, Kindred said, “He’s wonderful, the Deion Sanders of his time. But if Sanders, the best cornerback ever, didn’t get a smell of the Heisman, who is Charles Woodson to win it?”

No mention by Kindred of Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf, who may be more deserving than either Manning or Woodson.

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Trivia time: Who is the only Heisman Trophy winner to have played on a losing team?

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Waltz time: Plodding Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jamie Huscroft, on what he thinks when he gets to the rink each day: “Just another chance to slow down the world’s fastest game.”

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Lower goals: Beleaguered Dallas Cowboy Coach Barry Switzer, on his 6-8 team: “You try to compete every weekend. You try to win. We’ve got a chance to be a .500 team.”

How the mighty have fallen.

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Carlesimo clone? Terry Foster in the Detroit News: “In a way, the [Latrell] Sprewell incident is similar to what has been happening with the Pistons and [Coach] Doug Collins.

“Players grew tired of Collins’ overbearing ways. Their anger hit the press and we saw what a different coach Collins has been [recently]. But let’s see if it lasts.”

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Clip and save: Ron Borges in the Boston Globe: “Don’t be surprised if the Chargers make a big push to trade for Jacksonville’s backup quarterback, Rob Johnson, who is a restricted free agent at the end of the season.”

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Swinging door: Rick Hummel in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, on Cardinal Manager Tony La Russa: “[He] did the most tinkering of any major league manager this season. He used 146 different lineups in 162 games.”

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Looking back: On this day in 1994, the Lakers equaled the NBA record for steals in a quarter, with 11 against Dallas. The Lakers had set the record against Chicago in 1982 and it later was tied by several teams.

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Trivia answer: Quarterback Paul Hornung of Notre Dame in 1956. The Irish had a 2-8 record that year.

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And finally: The retirement announcement by Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne recalls an epic UCLA upset of the Cornhuskers, the year before Osborne became coach.

In an opening-night game in 1972 at the Coliseum, the Bruins stunned the two-time national champions, 20-17.

Osborne replaced Bob Devaney in 1973, and partially atoned for that defeat as Nebraska routed UCLA, 40-13, at Lincoln.

USC never played an Osborne-coached team, beating and tying Nebraska in 1969 and 1970 in the teams’ only meetings.