A Long Day’s Triathlon Into Night

Norton Davey of Oceanside completed Saturday’s Isuzu Ironman Florida Triathlon in Panama City Beach, Fla., with an unofficial time of 18 hours 20 minutes. The event consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycle and 26.2-mile run.

Even though he didn’t make it under the 17-hour time limit--he missed the bike cutoff by five minutes--race officials allowed him to continue the event and he crossed the finish line at 1:20 a.m. Sunday.

Said Davey, “It seems like I was 28 years old when I started this race.”

He aged considerably because he’s 82.

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Trivia time: Oregon, Washington and Oregon State are in the top 10 of the latest Associated Press college football poll at Nos. 6, 7 and 10, respectively. When was the last time three Pacific 10 schools were in the top 10 in the final AP poll?

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You must remember this: Nick Canepa in the San Diego Union-Tribune, on the winless Chargers: “With apologies to Dooley Wilson, it’s still the same old story . . . the fundamental things apply, as 0-9 goes by.”

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Pond scum: Paul Lovelace runs a golf ball salvage business in Kansas City, Kan., and has collected plenty of things from golf-course lake bottoms--golf carts, bikes, shoes, bowling balls, flags and spear guns.

“I found a bag of clubs with the guy’s address on the bag,” he told USA Today. “When I called him, he said he didn’t want them. He said they were in the pond for a reason.”

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Tempest in Tempe? After losing to Oregon and USC in overtime, Arizona State Coach Bruce Snyder is presumably on the hot seat--and Arizona Republic columnist Dan Bickley suggests he should be fired:

“Time after time, from the 1997 Rose Bowl [previously undefeated Arizona State lost to Ohio State, 20-17] to the present, Snyder has shown an uncanny knack for losing his wits when chaos is swirling around him.”

Tua, Tua, Tua: So how does David Tua expect to fight Lennox Lewis in their heavyweight championship bout Saturday?

“There’s no secret about David Tua’s style,” Tua said. “It’s not hard to look for David Tua. David Tua is going to be right there in front of you. David Tua is not a boxer, not a fighter who wins on points.”

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Luxurious: Sean Horgan of the Dallas Morning News, writing on Maverick owner Mark Cuban:

“It’s now Club Mark, where nothing is too good for the players, from the arcade-like locker room to the padded seats on the bench and the first-class travel arrangements.

“ ‘There’s first class, and there’s Cuban class,’ said Coach Don Nelson.

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Handicap: From comedy writer Jerry Perisho: “Moroccan runner Abdelkhader El Mouaziz won the New York City marathon in 2 hours 10 minutes 9 seconds. He could have broken two hours if they hadn’t sewn his name on the back of his jersey.”

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Sick situation: Fox Sports Net NFL analyst Billy Ray Smith, on washout quarterback Ryan Leaf and the Charger coaching staff:

“How many guys is this guy going to take down with him? He’s the Typhoid Mary of the NFL.”

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Trivia answer: 1984, when Washington was No. 2, UCLA No. 9 and USC No. 10.

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And finally: Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News wrote a fictitious diary for Oakland Raider Coach Jon Gruden, who arrives at work at 4 a.m. every day:

“4:02 a.m.: Notice that next car pulling into the lot is former Raider quarterback Ken Stabler, just returning from a night on the town that began in 1975.”