This English Concession Won’t Alter Cup History

English and German soccer fans have spent 35 years arguing over Geoff Hurst’s second of three goals in the 1966 World Cup final. England won in extra time, 4-2, but Germans have been crying foul ever since.

Hurst’s second goal, which in effect won the game in extra time, struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced downward. The Germans said the ball didn’t cross the goal line but officials ruled it a goal.

Now, in his autobiography, “1966 and All That,” Hurst said the Germans may have been right.

“They believed they had been robbed of the most prestigious prize in football,” Hurst wrote.

“Perhaps they were. They genuinely believed the ball had not crossed the line and they might be right. Having listened to all the arguments over the decades and watched the replay hundreds of times on TV, I have to admit that it looks like the ball didn’t cross the line.”

The 1966 win remains England’s only World Cup victory.

*

Trivia time: How many pitchers have thrown two nine-inning no-hitters in the same season?

*

Please, more seasoning?: In the mid-1950s, the late Times columnist, Braven Dyer, used to routinely blast the Pittsburgh Pirates for calling up young players from their Hollywood Stars Pacific Coast League team long before they were ready.

In 1956, the Pirates called up 19-

year-old Bill Mazeroski and Dyer wrote: “Bill Mazeroski is no more ready for the major leagues than Mortimer Snerd.”

Footnote: Mazeroski was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame Sunday.

*

Bee serious: Florida football player Zac Zedalis has developed an odd remedy for tendinitis and other ailments resulting in inflammation: bee venom.

He told SportsLine.com’s Dennis Dodd recently he rounds up five to seven bees, freezes them for 10 minutes, then warms them by blowing on them. He puts them at the injury site and flicks their heads until they sting him.

His physical therapist, Randy Brower, says bee venom acts similarly to cortisone in inflammation cases.

Not exactly FDA-approved, though.

*

Extra onions, please: Larry McShane of the Associated Press poked fun recently at the recent U.S. Olympic Committee’s tour of New York City’s sports facilities. The city wants to bid on the 2012 Summer Games.

McShane suggested hot dog-eating be added to the Olympic program, arguing that a proper venue already exists--Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs on Coney Island.

“I find it absurd that sports of the rich, like equestrian, are included while the sport of the everyman--competitive eating--is ignored,” said Richard Shea, who runs Nathan’s annual hot dog-eating contest.

At Nathan’s annual contest last month, 131-pound Takeru Kobayashi of Japan won by eating 50 hot dogs in 12 minutes.

*

Trivia answer: Five: Nolan Ryan (1973), Virgil Trucks (1952), Allie Reynolds (1951), Jim Maloney (1965) and Johnny Vander Meer (1938).

*

And finally: From comedian George Carlin: “If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest drown too?”