Decayed? Dregs? Bulls Welcomed to Clippers’ World

Skip Bayless of the Chicago Tribune, writing before the Bulls played the Clippers on Sunday night at the Sports Arena:

“Could this really be happening? You grope for the sports section. Yes, you’re playing at 6 in the ‘Clip Joint,’ a Sports Arena as decayed as the south-of-downtown neighborhood around it.

“You’re playing the team synonymous with NBA futility, the Leno jokes, the L.A. Clippers stranded in the netherworld between the NBA, CBA and DOA.

“You know you better beat the Clippers or you might eventually find yourselves back on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the wrong reason.”

Bulls 89, Clippers 84. Whew.

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Grim commentary: Even though the Bulls won, Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun-Times wasn’t impressed, writing:

“How fitting the Bulls would stumble into the dilapidated L.A. Sports Arena. Because decay is their destiny now, in the dregs with the meager Clippers, somewhere in the recesses of an NBA black hole where 6,118 lost souls would watch on a bush-league stage.”

What would he have written if the Bulls had lost?

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Trivia time: With Dan Dierdorf leaving “Monday Night Football,” name the only other lineman who was a member of the MNF team.

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About time: Jayson Stark of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that in honor of the Phillies’ first visit to Tampa Bay, Devil Ray marketing genius Mike Veeck has scheduled “Lawyer Appreciation Day” for July 19.

Lawyers pay double ticket prices, then get billed extra for every third of an inning.

Why the Phillies?

“To honor all the Philadelphia lawyers,” Veeck said.

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Is that all? In the latest edition of Sport magazine, Chicago Bull assistant coach Tex Winter takes a shot at Keith Van Horn of the New Jersey Nets:

“[Van Horn] plays no defense, has no strength, has poor shot selection and can’t finish in a crowd. He’s highly overrated.”

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Get it on: The Magic Johnson-Michael Jordan All-Stars? Magic likes the idea.

“There wouldn’t be an arena in the world that could hold us,” Johnson said while speaking Monday night at Northwestern.

As for Jordan, Johnson said, “Even if he discounts it now, you watch. He’s going to need his fix. He’s got to play. He’s got to see, ‘Am I still Michael Jordan?’ ”

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Vicious! From Jay Leno: “Muhammad Ali has been chosen to be on the 75th anniversary cereal box of Wheaties. And in a related story, the Atlanta Falcons’ Eugene Robinson is going to be on a box of Trix.”

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Trivia answer: Alex Karras in 1974-76.

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And finally: While appearing on the “Tonight Show,” Denver Bronco wide receiver Ed McCaffrey offered his take on the Eugene Robinson situation:

“My wife was really mad about it. He had only offered her $20 earlier in the week.”

His wife, Lisa, reportedly was not amused.