A Real Reason to Cheer the Season

Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press, writing his version of a popular Christmas carol:

“Baseball owners sing to Mark McGwire: ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen:’

“God rest ye merry home run king

“For you have swung your bat. Seventy home runs this year. No one can topple that!

“Bud Selig has just one request of your phenomenon, next year could you hit 71, just for fun?

“How about you try for 71?”

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Trivia time: Who holds the NFL rookie record for rushing touchdowns in a season?

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Standoff: After Indiana’s basketball team took last week off for final exams, Coach Bob Knight had this to say to reporters:

“I didn’t think you ever had to take a final in journalism, did you? You just had to spell your name and they passed you. I just wanted to throw that out about finals for those of you are unfamiliar with them.”

To which Ken Davis of the Hartford Courant asks, “Any tips on furniture abuse, Bob?”

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Cheap shot: From Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe: “If you ask me, the Los Angeles Clippers have never had a finer season.”

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Voice of reason: Second-year Dallas Maverick center Chris Anstey, coming from Australia, has a different perspective on the NBA lockout:

“These [players] spend more money in a week than a lot of people do in two or three years. Everybody should be thankful for what they’ve got and play the game they love.”

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Seeing green: Mighty Duck Coach Craig Hartsburg was a fine NHL defenseman during his playing days, but his son, Christopher, hasn’t exactly followed in Dad’s footsteps.

Chris plays hockey--he’s a freshman at Colorado College--but he’s a forward. Because he doesn’t like to skate backward?

“Because he wants to make big money,” Craig Hartsburg said.

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Raking up Leaf: Tom Cushman of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that lame-duck Charger Coach June Jones wants to look at game film before making a decision whether to start rookie quarterback Ryan Leaf in the final game of the season Sunday at Arizona.

“Why? Against the Raiders, all Leaf did was stand on the sideline with his hat turned backward--perhaps a sartorial reminder of the fact that when given an opportunity earlier in the season he played as though his helmet was on backward.”

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Awesome! Headline in the Denver Post on Tulane’s surprising 11-0 record this season: “The Green Wave developed into a tsunami.”

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Looking back: On this day in 1969, Pete Maravich set an NCAA record by making 30 of 31 free throws while scoring 46 points to lead Louisiana State to a 98-89 victory over Georgia.

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Trivia answer: Eric Dickerson of the L.A. Rams, 18 in 1983.

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And finally: John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, passing on this rumor:

“UCLA Coach Bob Toledo and former UCLA coach Terry Donahue are on San Diego General Manager Bobby Beathard’s short list.”