Road Race Is a Naked Obsession

The annual Bay to Breakers road race in San Francisco is sometimes more notable for what people aren’t wearing.

Depending on the May weather, there is more nudity in the streets that day than at some beaches in the south of France. Bay Area clinical psychologist Dr. Judith Schiller explained the behavior of some nude participants.

“There’s an excitement and pleasure that is denied us,” Schiller told the San Francisco Examiner. “Little kids can do it and adults can’t.

“Because people do all kinds of crazy things and dress up in costumes, it’s easy. It’s another kind of costume. It’s permission giving.”

Well, at least they don’t have to worry about permission giving at the Ice Breaker Road Race in Great Falls, Mont.

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Trivia time: Where did NBC newscaster Stone Phillips play quarterback in 1975 and 1976?

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Figure it out: If you were wondering why figure skating seems to be on television every waking moment, just listen to the rabid fans at the recent World Championships in Minneapolis.

One spectator had traveled to North America twice in the last three months--from Bogota, Colombia--for the sole purpose of watching figure skating competitions. To these fans, it didn’t matter much that the World Championships were reduced to a second-tier field because of the absences of the top Olympians.

The Toronto Star spoke to Dotty Olsen-DeHon of West Palm Beach, Fla., who was pleased about her Christmas gift from her husband--a double-decker VCR.

“It was the best gift he’s ever gotten me,” DeHon told the Star. “Sometimes NBC and CBS will show two shows at the same time and we can’t tape it with one thing, so I had to call my mother or sister or my friends.

“But now I’ve got the double-decker, so I’m a happy woman.”

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Buzz about Buzz: Georgia Tech and a minor league baseball team in Salt Lake City are trying to swat each other’s mascots with trademark lawsuits.

The Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech have Buzz, a bee in dark blue and gold. The Salt Lake City Buzz has Buzzy, also a blue and gold bee.

“We are known all over the country as the Buzz. They are the Yellow Jackets. They are not the Buzz,” said Joe Buzas, owner of the Minnesota Twins’ farm team.

Buzas’ suit asks a Utah judge to rule that his team’s name isn’t infringing on the university’s trademarks.

“What does a bee do? It buzzes. You can’t own something that an insect does,” Buzas said.

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Gone fishing: Milwaukee pitcher Jeff Juden beat the Florida Marlins in his first start of the season and his stuff off the mound was just as good afterward.

“They [the Marlins] are just another team with a big fish on their shirts. I like fish. It’s one of my favorite foods.”

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Trivia answer: Yale.

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And finally: New Jersey’s Sam Cassell, after the Nets lost, 109-103, to Charlotte on Wednesday and failed to wrap up a playoff spot for the second consecutive game: “The last few games have been like appetizers. We’ve come close to the big meal, but haven’t gotten to eat yet.”