Morning Briefing : Old Stadium Didn’t Work on All Levels

The good citizens of Cleveland forked out $200 million in tax money to help pay for their new $282-million stadium, which opens tonight, and this one will probably get much better reviews from the Browns than its predecessor.

The “Mistake by the Lake,” torn down in 1996, was not fondly remembered for its creature comforts. For one thing, the Brown’s locker room was so small that players had to dress in different rooms on different floors--veterans downstairs, rookies upstairs. Players had to use nails in the walls to hang their coats, and the frequent lack of hot water made showering a chilly proposition.

And there was something else. “It had a bad smell,” offensive tackle Orlando Brown said. “You couldn’t wait to get out of there. I’ll never forget that odor.”

Trivia Time: Which is the oldest arena used by an NHL team?

Rim shots: Leave it to the Houston Rockets’ Charles Barkley to rip teammate Scottie Pippen for his request to be traded to the Lakers, saying he should “stand up and be a man” in Houston:

“This is about him taking charge and being a leader. With the Lakers, it would be like Chicago all over again--a no-lose situation. If they win, it will because of the ‘leadership’ Scottie brought to the team. If they lose, then it’s going to be Shaq’s fault or Kobe’s fault.

“Besides, who would the Lakers give us that I’d want--Kobe? And from what I’m told, the Lakers don’t want Scottie. They haven’t called us about him; he’s calling them.”

Now you know: In the opinion of Muscle & Fitness magazine, which apparently takes interest in such matters, the worst physique in the NFL belongs to Indianapolis Colt offensive tackle Tarik Glenn, who stands 6 feet 5 weighs 335 pounds. OK, so you tell him.

Fondy memories: Three players showed up for spring training in 1949 to compete for the starting job at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers. One was Gil Hodges, who got the job; another was Chuck Connors, who became “The Rifleman” on television, and the third was Dee Fondy, who died Thursday at age 74. Fondy might not have achieved the fame of the other two, but he did have one unique distinction: He was the last player to bat in Ebbets Field, grounding out for the last out in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2-0 loss to the Dodgers on Sept. 24, 1957.

Trivia answer: The Pittsburgh Penguins’ 38-year-old Civic Arena.

And finally: Associated Press columnist Jim Litke, commenting on Lawrence Philips’ return to the NFL with the 49ers: “Phillips has a rap sheet long enough to print out and use for a first-down marker.”