Cup’s New Port Didn’t Match Old Standards

Sailors on the East Coast still can’t get over the day Dennis Conner took the America’s Cup from Newport, R.I., to San Diego. Writes Tony Chamberlain in the Boston Globe:

“Some think America’s Cup all but died in the minds of the sporting public because every image of competition since 1987 came from San Diego, where Southern California’s laid-back zephyrs make paint drying look exciting.

“ ‘The Coma off Point Loma’ is how the Euro-wags described the 1992 and 1995 Cups.”

Trivia time: Which is the oldest NFL stadium in use?

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Laker bashing: From the Rant and Rave column in Sport magazine:

“The NBA season hasn’t even begun, and we’re already sick of the Lakers. Ergo, we’re sick of Shaq, Kobe and Phil. And Dyan Cannon too.”

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New geography: In the world of golf, Australia has become part of Europe.

To make sure the Greg Norman Holden International in Sydney had a strong international field, Norman arranged for the tournament to be part of the European Tour by adding $650,000 of his own to the prize money.

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Say what? Dwight Manley, agent for Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone, says a recurring back injury has made Malone and the Jazz cautious.

“If you have a $3-million Ferrari in the garage along with a $10,000 Dodge, you’re going to be more careful if you have a problem with the Ferrari,” he said.

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Bigger and bigger: The NBA lists 46 players at least 7 feet tall and only nine shorter than 6 feet.

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The worst: It may have seemed like it, but last Saturday was not the worst of weekends for the USC and UCLA football teams.

On Oct. 4, 1941, reader Dwain Esper recalls that USC lost to Ohio State in the Coliseum, 33-0, while UCLA lost to Stanford and Frankie Albert at Palo Alto, 33-0.

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Time study: Fans at the UCLA-California game were surprised when Bear quarterback Kyle Boller was yanked for a couple of plays right after his team had been penalized for delay of game.

Coach Tom Holmoe explained: “We’re watching the play clock run down, and Kyle’s pulling up his socks.”

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What’s next? Remember when the combination of chocolate ice cream, marshmallows and almonds was plain old Rocky Road? Not any more in one ice cream company’s playbook.

The flavor has been renamed “Jeff’s Rocky Road” to honor NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, who once said it was his favorite. You can find it with Gordon and his No. 24 Chevy pictured on the carton.

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Trivia answer: Chicago’s Soldier Field, which opened in 1924.

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And finally: Peter Vescey on Detroit Piston center Bison Dele’s possible retirement: “Dele says he doesn’t want to come to camp and give a half-hearted effort. Funny, it never stopped him before.”

“I’m trying to find myself,” Dele has reportedly said. Vescey’s response: “From what I’ve seen, the first place he can avoid looking is the stats sheet.”