I Never Told a Lie ...Yeah, That’s the Ticket

Norman Chad, in his weekly sports column on America Online:

“George O’Leary and I first met in the early 1960s when we roomed together at the prestigious Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. I was senior class president and voted Most Likely to Succeed by my peers; George was star and captain of the football team, which, I believe, was ranked No. 1 in the nation two years running by USA Today.

“At Dartmouth, I had a double major in molecular biology and theological studies, plus I worked weekends as a plasma volunteer at St. Joseph’s Hospital’s trauma center in Nashua. George played football at New Hampshire, where, I believe, he was the school’s all-time leading scorer, rusher and tackler.

“Our junior year, I visited George at school one autumn weekend. George had a game that Saturday, though I couldn’t get there in time.... Anyway, George said he had gained more than 200 yards that day and scored four touchdowns. UNH won, but George couldn’t remember the exact score. Like 19-17, or something, he told me.”

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More Chad: “I finally settled down and got married in 1984 to my first wife--Elena or Helena, if I recollect correctly. George was a groomsman, future Toronto Blue Jays Manager Tim Johnson was the best man and Danny Almonte was the ring bearer.

“Earlier this month, George took the head coaching job at Notre Dame, the pinnacle of his profession.

“Then, after five days on the job, mired in an administrative foul-up, I believe, George wisely resigned as the only Fighting Irish coach never to lose a game.”

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Trivia time: Since moving to L.A. before the 1984-85 season, how many seasons have the Clippers had a winning record?

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Fasten your seat belt: The Intimidator’s Monte Carlo is up for sale.

The car that late racing legend Dale Earnhardt drove during his second NASCAR Winston Cup championship year, 1986, will be among the cars on sale next month at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Classic Car Auction in Arizona.

The blue-and-yellow Monte Carlo comes with a crash helmet signed by Earnhardt. Auction host Craig Jackson said Earnhardt’s car should fetch up to $250,000.

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Trivia answer: One. They were 45-37 in the 1991-92 season.

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Rest in peace: Dick Schaap had a big heart, a great wit and a Rolodex jammed with names.

“He’s been in heaven for about a little under two days and he’s still shaking hands with people up there,” said Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press. “That’s how many people he knew.”

Schaap, one of the most versatile sports journalists of his generation, died Friday at 67 from complications after hip surgery.

He was remembered Sunday morning on the ESPN show for which he served as host, “The Sports Reporters.”

In a business where envy and vindictiveness can run deep, Albom recalled a remark by journalist Jimmy Breslin in summing up Schaap: “Dick was a friend behind your back,” he said.

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And finally: Portland guard Bonzi Wells, on the home fans’ dissatisfaction with the Trail Blazers: “We’re not really going to worry about what [the fans] think about us. They really don’t matter to us. They can boo us every day, but they’re still going to ask for our autographs if they see us on the street. That’s why they’re fans and we’re NBA players.”