Does One Spree Make a Decade? Check It Out

The high points, low points and ticklish talking points of the weekend that was:

Leave it to Latrell Sprewell to make all the other blood-and-roses rivalry matchups this weekend seem just a little stale and strangled.

USC vs. UCLA, riding on a blown call? The Florida war whoops? Stanford packing the sidelines with John Elway and Jim Plunkett and earning a Rose Bowl berth for the first time in 28 years?

Fascinating stuff, all fun to watch and debate.

But Sprewell returning on Saturday for his first game in Oakland since he was suspended for conduct detrimental to Golden State Coach P.J. Carlesimo’s continued breathing?

Sprewell declaring that he wanted to “kill” the Warriors, screaming at taunting fans 90 minutes before tip-off, chest-thumping his New York Knick teammates hard enough to challenge for a sumo-wrestling title, clanking up 11 misses in 17 attempts but gesturing to the Warrior bench, anyway?

That was real heat. That was genuine ugliness. That was sports, heading wildly into the year 2000, and not particularly honorably, either.

Carlesimo said he would like to meet Sprewell before the game, shake his hand at least. But Sprewell stayed away, and there weren’t any stinkin’ handshakes Saturday.

It’s not only Sprewell, either. Sunday, Green Bay Packer quarterback Brett Favre, who may have wanted to choke Mike Holmgren some days but never did, repeatedly made slashing gestures toward the Detroit Lions, which presumably did not communicate his undying respect.

It was about shedding blood, symbolic or otherwise.

Favre was flagged once for unsportsmanlike conduct, but who cared? He won.

The 21st century doesn’t start for quite some time, but don’t even debate it: The Spree Decade began a while ago.

THE BIG PICTURE

His turned out all right, so I’ll follow Chad Morton with another (slightly less bold) prediction:

No way will we ever see eight in a row again in the UCLA-USC series, in either direction, through rain, shine or mayoral edict.

That was the longest streak of the rivalry, and it will remain that way, barring the return of John Robinson, the reinstatement of Keyshawn Johnson and Cade McNown or the continued refereeing of linesman Harvey Jones.

And I don’t think any of those things will be repeated--though I never imagined Robinson would come back a second time (of course, JR II was 0-5 vs. UCLA), so who’s to rule out a third?

There’s too much at stake for both teams to let such a run happen again, too much talent streaming into both programs for the better part of a decade to go by without a table-turning.

Whatever it was that put that UCLA streak together, whatever glued all those Bruin victories in a row, from 1991 until Saturday--McNown, Terry Donahue, John Barnes, Robinson, fate and fumbles--it was unique and fundamentally unrepeatable.

Enjoy it, or banish it from your memories. It’ll never happen again.

WEEKEND TALKING POINTS

1. Who wants to be an MVP voter: Regis Philbin could’ve helped two writers who kept Pedro Martinez off top 10 voting lists. Derek Jeter and Juan Gonzalez ahead of Pedro. . . . Is that your final answer?

2. USC 17, UCLA 7: Of course it makes sense--two error-prone teams play a mistake-filled game that’s climaxed by a referee’s error.

3. Paul Hackett: Bravely and successfully called fake-field goal, then took field goal off scoreboard to go for touchdown. That’s how you play a rivalry game.

4. Jim Rome: Friday’s bracing show, featuring callers from Texas A&M;, put bonfire accident in perspective and gave real voices to the tragedy.

5. Bill Stoneman and Mike Scioscia: Five weeks ago, you would’ve never imagined either guy as part of the Angels’ future. Now, they’re it.

6. New York Jet quarterback Ray Lucas: Indisputable proof that anybody is better than Rick Mirer.

7. Florida State vs. Virginia Tech matchup for national title: That was great. Now only six weeks until they play.

8. Galaxy, MLS runner-up: Buffalo Bills of soccer?

9. Leroy Hoard, arrested in Miami: Eugene Robinson, Dennis Rodman, now Hoard. . . . At least Carmen Electra stayed away this time.

10. Kansas defensive lineman Dion Rayford: Gets stuck in a Taco Bell drive- through window, demanding his chalupa. Piglet and Christopher Robin warned him not to let his stomach lead him around!

LEADING QUESTIONS

Think Jimmy Johnson is feeling pretty good these

days about his Miami Dolphins after his defense intercepted Drew Bledsoe five times in an impressive victory Sunday?

They hunkered through several weeks of Damon Huard, even a quarter of Scott Zolak, and still stayed at the top of the AFC East, didn’t they?

Isn’t this the perfect way for Johnson to make his return to Dallas for the Thanksgiving game, with Dan Marino ready to go, J.J. Johnson running well, and home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs within reach?

If Indianapolis is the next-best team in the AFC, whom do you like in a tense playoff matchup--Jim Mora or JJ?