He Was Bridging the Gap Jordan-Style

Swilcan Burn, as any golfer worth his nine-iron knows, is the brook that runs through the Old Course at St. Andrews and is crossed, near the 18th fairway, by Swilcan Bridge.

It was on that bridge that Arnold Palmer made his famous farewell during his final British Open in 1995. But as another illustrious American showed recently, there is more than one way of crossing the water.

Michael Jordan, according to Senior Golfer magazine, bypassed the bridge during a round and horrified tradition-minded onlookers by jumping across the eight-foot-wide stream.

That, of course, would be one big leap for man, one small step for Jordankind.

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Trivia time: Only three players in NFL history had a better quarterback rating in their final season than John Elway. Who were they?

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Water hazards: It might be safe for Jordan to soar over streams in Scotland, but don’t try that sort of thing just anywhere. “Those of you who play in tropical climes like Florida should know the dangers,” advises Australia’s Steve Irwin in the current issue of Esquire magazine. “An errant shot that winds up at water’s edge can land you in a world of trouble, mate.”

Irwin, whose show, “The Crocodile Hunter,” airs on Animal Planet, says a 12-foot ‘gator can launch itself six feet up a bank from a submersed position. “To be safe,” he wrote, “stay 20 feet from the edge at all times.” Sure. But trying telling the ball that.

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Inspiration: “When people of a certain age mourn Pee Wee Reese, the implication is that things were better back then. And maybe they were. The salaries were lower, the players were in tune with the world around them, the Dodgers car-pooled from humble rentals in outer Brooklyn. Real people.” So wrote George Vecsey in the New York Times, adding that there is a way all fans can pay meaningful tribute to Reese: “Every time we turn on the tube, or go to the ballpark, we should appreciate the latter-day Pee Wee Reeses, the noble captains, the teachers and leaders, the good and real people who keep us from being totally cynical in this time of gigantic money and incessant media bleat.”

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It only takes pesos: Promotion and relegation have long been an accepted part of soccer, with winning teams rising from lower leagues to higher ones and losing teams taking the opposite route. Now, however, one Mexican club has come up with a unique and controversial way to beat the system. Puebla was relegated from Mexico’s first division to the second at the end of last season but is back in the top flight now after club directors dipped into their pockets. They bought Union Curtidores, a team that had won promotion from the second division, and moved the latter club to Puebla. Astonishingly, the Mexican soccer federation approved the switch and Puebla has been able to continue as if nothing had happened.

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Trivia answer: Boomer Esiason in 1997, Sonny Jurgensen in 1974 and Otto Graham in 1955.

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And finally: Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune points out that, “The White Sox will finish the year with their slogan ‘The Kids Can Play.’ But the Cubs will change to ‘Are You Ready for Some Football?’ ”