It’s Even Money Curling Won’t Be Thrilling

Japan won’t permit wagering on any events at the Winter Olympics, unlike Norway, which allowed gambling at the 1994 Games in Lillehammer.

In Nevada, the only U.S. state that permits parimutuel wagering on sporting events, there’s virtually no interest in the Games in Nagano.

With the opening ceremony scheduled for Friday, Nevada sports books are posting only two Olympic propositions: the nation to win the most medals and the gold-medal winner in the hockey competition featuring NHL players for the first time.

Canada is a 7-5 favorite to win the hockey gold medal. The U.S. is at 2-1, followed by Sweden at 7-2.

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Trivia time: If Silver Charm wins Saturday’s $500,000 Strub Stakes at Santa Anita, he will join three horses who parlayed a Kentucky Derby triumph into victory in the Strub the next winter. Who are they?

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Street suggestion: Adam Schefter writing in the Denver Post: “Real nice gesture of the city to give [John] Elway and [Terrell] Davis their own streets. But how about showing just a teeny bit of creativity?

“Rather than calling the streets John Elway Boulevard and Terrell Davis Boulevard, why not call the streets John Elway Drive and Terrell Davis Way? I mean, how obvious is that?”

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Favorite hole: Times columnist Jim Murray received a Lifetime Achievement Award recently from the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Assn., and when he spoke at the event at Lakeside Country Club, he noted that he had spent much time there over the years, both playing golf and also playing the 19th hole.

“I know this place well,” Murray said. “My liver is over there in the other room.”

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Common courtesy: Brian Schmidt in the Orlando Sentinel: “The Broncos will be taking a trip to see the President at the White House. Please knock first, though.”

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NFL dinosaur: Jim Ailinger, 96, who lives in Boca Raton, Fla., has the distinction of being the oldest living former NFL player, according to the Miami Herald.

He played one season in 1923 for the Buffalo All-Americans and recalls tackling Jim Thorpe. “All I could see were his knees going up and down. I was knocked out cold--but I tackled him.”

For the trivia minded, the All-Americans had a 5-4-3 record in 1923 in their last season in the league.

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Looking back: On this day in 1987, the Sacramento Kings set an NBA record for fewest points in the first quarter, scoring only four against the Lakers at the Forum.

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Trivia answer: Affirmed, 1979; Spectacular Bid, 1980, and Alysheba, 1988.

And finally: Tim Keown of the San Francisco Chronicle, writing during the rain-plagued AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am:

“The storm was mesmerizing: 12-cylinder winds, horizontal rain and an awesome surf. If you stood there long enough [I did--part of my job] you could watch strands of kelp catapult out of the waves and onto the golf course.

“For entertainment value, it beat the hell out of a birdie putt.”