Old School With Street Knowledge

Roy McHugh, retired Pittsburgh journalist, recalled the following in his memoirs:

“It’s only in the last couple of decades that newspapers have developed security systems. In the old days, a newspaper office was as open to the public as a sidewalk cafe.

“Once, late at night, when Jimmy Cannon was working on a story in the barn-like New York Journal-American building, a bearded, disheveled, wild-eyed stranger walked in.

“He stopped at Cannon’s typewriter and, bending over, fastened an X-ray stare on the columnist. ‘I’m Jesus Christ,’ he announced. Cannon stood up and held out his hand.

“ ‘My pleasure,’ he said. “ ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’ ”

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Trivia time: What is the Pacific 10 Conference record for the longest field goal?

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Steak or hamburger? Before defeating Jacksonville on Sunday, the Denver Broncos were still upset about having lost a divisional playoff game to the Jaguars in 1996.

Said Bronco linebacker John Mobley, “They came in our backyard and basically took food off our barbecue.”

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Come again? Arizona Cardinal defensive end Simeon Rice after a 34-7 loss to the New York Giants on Oct. 18:

“You don’t let every human emotion ride on this one situation, when you’re just passing through. When you determine the outcome, that’s when you look at hindsight, and we’re far from that now.”

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Telling it like it is: John Crumpacker in the San Francisco Examiner: “On a conference call with Seattle-area media, Charger quarterback Ryan Leaf said: ‘I’m not a very likable guy.’ No argument here.”

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Turnabout: With Sunday’s victory over the St. Louis Rams, the San Francisco 49ers have won 16 consecutive games in the series dating to 1990, when the Rams were in Los Angeles.

There was a time, though, when the Rams dominated the 49ers. From 1968 through 1980, the Rams won 22 of 26 games, with one tie.

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Looking back: On this day in 1962, USC defeated Illinois, 28-16. The Trojans finished the season with an 11-0 record and won the national championship.

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Looking back again: On this day in 1984, Rueben Mayes of Washington State rushed for 357 yards, at the time an NCAA record, in a 50-41 victory over Oregon.

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Trivia answer: 62 yards by Jason Hanson of Washington State against Nevada Las Vegas in 1991.

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And finally: Tom Dempsey, whose NFL-record 63-yard field goal was equaled by Denver’s Jason Elam on Sunday, was born without a right hand and without toes on his right foot.

He wore a special, squared kicking shoe on his right foot. His record kick for New Orleans against Detroit on Nov. 8, 1970, was the last play of the game, as the Saints won, 19-17.

Dempsey played for the Rams in 1975 and 1976. His longest field goal was 51 yards, tying a club record at the time.