Hot Lakers Sure Doing Superbly in Hyperbole

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News writes that the Lakers are not merely eliminating teams in the playoffs, they are destroying reputations:

“They are humiliating great players. They are devouring hope. They are hitting people so hard, their ancestors are feeling it. They are hitting people so hard, the wooziness is bound to last for years, not months. . . .

“The avalanche has started. And it will be a long time before anyone else will be allowed to come up for air.”

Wait a minute! The hype is the avalanche.

*

Trivia time: Who were the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame?

*

Looking up: Newly elected Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, on going to the institution in Cooperstown, N.Y., for the first time: “I used to look up to all of them. To be in their company is really something. You see the history and the tradition and what it means to America. I’m proud to be just a small part of that. You never know when you start in this game what direction your career will go in.”

*

Mobile man: Milwaukee Buck point guard Sam Cassell analyzing himself: “I’m not the fastest point guard out there, but I know how to get my shot off. I am crafty enough to do some things on the court.

“I can get anywhere on the court that I want to. I don’t consider myself an easy cover.”

Has Sam ever considered a post-NBA career in the CIA?

*

Sickening: Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News commenting on the recent Laker-Spur series: “The Lakers were the hammer, and the Spurs were the nail, as well as the bloody thumbnail and the pulp. . . .

“This was Lakers-Clippers, if not Lakers-Loyola Marymount, and that’s all-time by any definition.

*

They don’t forget: Jim Armstrong in the Denver Post: “Reader writing to the San Francisco Chronicle: ‘The only thing that could cool Barry Bonds off right now would be the playoffs.’

* “This just in, Al Davis is going to court to try to overturn the Raiders’ loss in last year’s playoffs.”

*

Sobering thought: Bud Geracie in the San Jose Mercury News: “The biggest losers in the new NFC West are the local [Bay Area] sportswriters, who’ve lost their annual weekend on Bourbon Street.”

*

Lazy talk: Scott Ostler in the San Francisco Chronicle: “No official announcement yet, but ‘I mean’ has replaced ‘y’know’ as the official language disease. In sports, radio/TV guys and even some writers start every sentence with ‘I mean, comma.’ I mean, like, what does ‘I mean,’ mean, y’know? It’s Hamburger Helper.”

*

Combustible pair: Jack O’Connell in the Hartford Courant on Chicago White Sox pitcher David Wells: “If the Twins are serious about staying in contention, they should consider Wells. The perfect spot for him may be in a state whose governor is Jesse Ventura.”

*

Looking back: On this day in 2000, Brian Shaw of the Lakers fouled out against Portland in a playoff game after playing only seven minutes, one minute short of the NBA record held by former Laker Travis Knight against San Antonio in 1999.

*

Looking back again: On this day in 1911, Ray Harroun won the first Indianapolis 500 in 6 hours 42 minutes 8 seconds with an average speed of 74.59 mph.

*

Trivia answer: Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner, in 1936.

*

And finally: Hubert Green, 1977 U.S. Open champion, comparing Tiger Woods to Jack Nicklaus: “Jack had no goal to copy. Tiger has Jack, who just wanted to win. Tiger wants to rip your heart out, take a few bites out of it and bury you.”