His Life’s Finest Moment Came With a Guarantee

Joe Namath became a cult hero when he guaranteed a victory--then produced--for his New York Jets over the favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.

Now 54, Namath was asked by Fritz Quindt of the San Diego Union-Tribune how that achievement ranks with him.

“It was the pinnacle of my life,” Namath said. “The high point that influenced my life. A high I have not experienced since.

“If I could stay at any age, it would be 25.”

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Trivia time: Who scored the only touchdown for the Jets in their 16-7 victory over the Colts?

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Lombardi alerted: In what has been perceived as an ill-conceived tactic, Green Bay Coach Mike Holmgren had his players concede the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl.

Said Bernie Lincicome of the Chicago Tribune: “Without having any way of knowing if Vince Lombardi actually has turned over in his grave, my guess is he is at least up on one elbow.”

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Cheap shot: Latrell Sprewell has been offered a contract to play in the United States Basketball League.

“He may be a little rusty,” humorist Alan Ray said. “He hasn’t touched a coach in weeks.”

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Mom knows best: Kultida Woods, after her son struggled in the first round of the Johnnie Walker Classic before rallying to win on the final day:

“Just get Tiger a Big Mac, fries and a strawberry shake and he’ll be fine.”

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Donahue file: This business with the Dallas Cowboys isn’t the first time Terry Donahue has been rumored as a candidate for an NFL coaching job. In January 1987, he seriously considered becoming coach of the Atlanta Falcons, before deciding to stay at UCLA.

And, more recently, he probably would have become the Rams’ coach, sources say, if the franchise hadn’t moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis in 1995.

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His specialty: From The Good Doctor in Inside Sports magazine:

Question: “Charles Barkley tossed a dude through a window at a bar. What do you think Barkley will do next?”

Answer: “Barkley is a cinch to win the Fan Throw portion of the NBA All-Star weekend.”

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A new category: Dave Poile, general manager of the expansion Nashville Predators, who begin NHL play next season, on the team’s proximity to the country-music industry:

“We should lead the league in good national anthem singers.”

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FYI: The largest crowd to attend a Pacific 10 Conference basketball game was 15,517 on Feb. 27, 1992, at the Sports Arena, where USC defeated UCLA, 83-79.

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Trivia answer: Matt Snell, on a four-yard run in the second quarter.

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And finally: This falls into the Can’t Win Department: Green Bay Packer safety Eugene Robinson returned an interception 58 yards in the NFC championship game against San Francisco, before he ran out of gas.

“People say, ‘How come you got caught? How come you got tired?’ Because football is a tiring sport, that’s why.”