In a ‘B’ Season, Don’t Expect ‘A’ Game Now

Thomas Boswell in the Washington Post: “How far can an NFL team advance in the playoffs if it has only been a good team, but not a great one during the regular season?

“In other words, are Redskin fans yelling ‘On to the Super Bowl’ out of their burgundy-and-gold gourds? Or is there any sensible precedent for such optimism?

“You think the common sense answer would also be the correct one. If you’ve been a ‘B’ student all year, why should you expect to get an ‘A’ on the final exam?

“There’s an old saying before practice rounds at the Masters: ‘You don’t come to Augusta to find your game. You come here because you got one.’ ”

The Redskins should have gotten a good grade for Saturday’s 27-13 victory over Detroit.

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Trivia time: Who holds the NFL playoff record for the longest kickoff return?

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Also, grow up: From the Morning Line column of the Dallas Morning News: “Whine of the week: One of our local guys, Knicks forward Larry Johnson, is making too much noise about being left off the All-Star ballot.

“He’s fourth on the team in rebounding and scoring. C’mon, Larry. Play. Get paid. Be a professional.”

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Bigfoot lives: Brad Millard, the 7-foot-3, 350-pound center on the St. Mary’s basketball team, wears a size-23 shoe, one size larger than Shaquille O’Neal’s.

“When he takes out a new pair,” Gael Coach Dave Bollwinkel says, “I take the box home and use it as an extra bedroom.”

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Gloomy appraisal: “What a future is in store for Florida State’s national collegiate football champs,” says comedy writer Alan Ray. “Some of them will visit the White House. Others will visit the big house.”

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Gambling again: Pete Rose refused his $10,000 appearance fee at the Mobile Alabama Bowl, telling organizers to give it to charity.

“At least they think that’s what he wanted,” says Michael Ventre of MSNBC, “since many of them had never heard the expression, ‘Let it ride!’ before.”

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No, not that! Tom FitzGerald in the San Francisco Chronicle: “Jane Fonda and Ted Turner are separating, but neither will ask for a divorce,” says Bob Lacey of Miramar. “Both are afraid they might be awarded custody of John Rocker.”

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What’s that? NBC announcer Curt Gowdy during the 1971 World Series: “Brooks Robinson is not a fast man, but his arms and legs move very quickly.”

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Trivia answer: Desmond Howard of Green Bay, 99 yards, against New England in the 1997 Super Bowl.

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And finally: Bobby Bowden, coach of national football champion Florida State, is an admirer of Penn State Coach Joe Paterno:

“When he dies, he’s going to go down as the greatest coach ever, I feel,” Bowden told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “People aren’t going to say nothing nice about somebody until he dies, you know.

“But if I can live another four more years [than Paterno], maybe [greatest coach ever] it’ll be me.”