‘Hermanator’ Wins Best Actor on the Slopes
Mark Kiszla in the Denver Post: “The ‘Terminator’ [Arnold Schwarzenegger] wanted a summit meeting with the ‘Hermanator’, a.k.a. Hermann Maier, the 26-year-old Austrian who won the downhill at the World Alpine Ski Championships by laughing at danger and blowing everybody off the hill.
“Schwarzenegger to Maier: ‘You terminate the mountain.’ To which Maier replied: ‘It’s very dangerous downhill. Very nice downhill.’
“True action heroes don’t need much dialogue. And make no mistake, Maier is Conan the Barbarian on skis. He doesn’t ski a course. He wrecks it.”
*
Trivia time: Who holds the NBA record for most steals in one quarter?
*
People in glass houses: Steve Rosenbloom in the Chicago Tribune: “Several high school football players recruited by [Gary] Barnett at Northwestern ended up with Barnett at Colorado.
“Meanwhile, when several players recruited by Rick Neuheisel at Colorado ended up following Neuheisel to Washington, Barnett called it unfair and questionable.
“Which is like the weasel calling the ferret rabid.”
*
More Rosenbloom: “The radio network that broadcasts North Carolina basketball games admitted it piped in crowd noise to make it seem like the fans were into it.
“You know, the way Bears’ broadcasts will have to do it next season.”
*
Guess again: Blackie Sherrod in the Dallas Morning News: “What’s in a name: Winston October, hero in paperback romance? No, a kick returner at Richmond. Otis Kirk, saxophonist in jazz quintet? Instead, an Arkansas flanker. Joey Mayo, nightclub comic? Try San Diego State linebacker.”
*
Maybe, maybe not: Marlon Garnett, who played in Turkey for three months before winning a job with the Boston Celtics:
“It’s better to have Turkey on your resume than to have nothing.”
*
Clip and save: Steve Aschburner of the Minneapolis Star Tribune on the Lakers: “Either they make the finals, or Phil Jackson is coaching them next fall.”
*
FYI: Jason Kidd of the Phoenix Suns now has his own Web site and later this week hopes to give a live interview through https://www.jasonkidd.net.
*
FYI II: Denver had one turnover to Atlanta’s four in the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl history, the team with the fewest turnovers has won 25 of the 33 games.
*
Trivia answer: Fat Lever of Denver, with eight, March 9, 1985 against Indiana.
Lever also shares the record for most steals in one half at eight with nine other players.
*
And finally: Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press in an interview with Piston standout Grant Hill:
Albom: “What’s the best pep talk you ever heard?”
Hill: “It’s probably one of Coach K’s [Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski]. He had so many. I remember one time, before a game, he turned off all the lights. And he came in with candles--and he was like, ‘I’m just an old Polish guy looking for a team with heart.’ ”