Ties May Bind, but Not if You Don’t Get Job

When Tulane officials called a news conference to name a new coach to replace Tommy Bowden, who left for Clemson, offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez was so sure the job was his that he bought a new coat and tie for the occasion. Imagine his surprise when Chris Scelfo, a Georgia assistant, was introduced as the new coach.

Rodriguez responded by moving to Clemson with Bowden, but there was still the matter of the coat and tie.

“The tie has ‘Tulane’ on it, [so] I’ll certainly give that away,” he told Don Wade of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “The coat is green, but doesn’t have Tulane on it. I’ll probably keep it.”

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Trivia time: Who was the last player to win a PGA tournament while leading every round?

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Safety first: The NBA lockout has New York Knick point guard Charlie Ward sitting around doing nothing, but the 1993 Heisman Trophy winner says he has no interest in returning to football.

“I’ve thrown a ball around a little bit, but I don’t miss having defensive linemen in my face,” the former Florida State quarterback said.

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Dark moments: A long snapper on punts might be the most anonymous player on a football team--until something goes wrong.

“In this job, the worst thing you can hear somebody say is, ‘I saw you on TV last night,’ ” says Texas A&M; snapper Kyle Lednicky. “As long as nobody knows who I am, I’m doing my job right.”

Lednicky said he watched his Purdue counterpart, Andy Standifer, sail two snaps over the punter’s head against Kansas State in the Alamo Bowl. Actually, he only saw one.

“I couldn’t look when it happened a second time. I really felt for the guy. I knew what he must be going through.”

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Mass movement: Quarterback Mark Brunell is one player who is impressed by Tony Boselli, his Jacksonville Jaguar teammate.

“I’ve never seen 330 pounds move that fast,” Brunell said after watching the former USC offensive lineman chase down a cornerback who had intercepted a pass.

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Advice for Ted: Peter Gammons of the Boston Globe has an idea that he says could raise baseball to a higher level:

“Have Ted Turner change the name of the [Atlanta] Braves’ park from Turner Field to Aaron/Turner Field,” he recommended.

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What about Michael? The NBA lockout isn’t the most serious problem facing pro basketball, according to Scott Becher, president of Sports & Sponsorship Marketing agency in Miami.

“Michael Jordan’s return, to me, is a bigger issue than the work stoppage,” he said.

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Trivia answer: Ernie Els, in the 1997 Buick Classic.

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And finally: Not everyone is upset about the NBA lockout.

Columnist Jimmy Smith wrote in the New Orleans Times-Picayune: “Michael Jordan once again shot the Bulls to the NBA championship, and a few months later, owners and players shot the season. Good riddance.”