All Things Considered,He’s No Fan of Philly

Tony Kornheiser of the Washington Post, trashing the city of Philadelphia before the Eagles played host to the Redskins last Sunday: “Had Dante been to Philadelphia, he would have declared the official snack of the Inferno to be a cheese steak. There’s nothing welcoming about Philadelphia for the Redskins, certainly not the Eagles’ fans.

“They like to loaf in the parking lot of the Vet (Veterans Stadium) and smash windows of cars with Maryland, Virginia and D.C. license plates.... And the stadium itself is a wreck. The Vet has all the charm of a Taliban cave; its decor could be described as pre-Osama.”

Yet, the Redskins survived, winning, 13-3.

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Trivia time: Who holds the NFL record for most receptions in a game?

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It’s not a fruit: Jim Armstrong in the Denver Post: “True story: Somebody asked Bronco safety Kenoy Kennedy the other day whether he felt parity was more prevalent than ever in today’s NFL.

“‘Never heard of it. What does it mean?’ It means he’s young and I’m getting older.”

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Reasonable enough: Oakland Raider Coach Jon Gruden says, “I have very few rules and they are: Don’t be late and don’t be overweight.

“And my players are not going to play with their shirts hanging out and not play anything but respectful football.

“We’ve got too many guys here that are laying it on the line.”

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Come again? They said it: Bill Peterson, when he was coach of the Houston Oilers: “Men, I want you thinking of just one word all season long, one word and one word only: Super Bowl.”

* Former New Orleans Saint running back George Rogers, when asked about the upcoming season: “I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first.”

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And, mess it up: Michael Ventre of MSNBC: “I’m not much of a soccer fan, so personally I don’t need to see 32 teams in the World Cup. I’d rather just let the BCS handle it.”

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Limiting “Air” time: Washington Wizard Coach Doug Collins is looking to reduce Michael Jordan’s playing time. “If I have to chain him down, I have to get his minutes down,” he told the Washington Post. “If his minutes stay 40 or over, we’ll never be able to get him through the season.”

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Whew! After Phoenix Sun guard Penny Hardaway reportedly complained about being benched in a game against Toronto, Coach Scott Skiles told him: “We’re trying to win a game here. This isn’t about you. Grow up.”

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Trivia answer: Terrell Owens of the San Francisco 49ers, who had 20 against the Chicago Bears on Dec. 17, 2000.

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And finally: The buzz in Denver concerns the loyal Bronco fans who got shoved into the upper deck/and or the end zone in the city’s new stadium or were priced out altogether.

Fans who have held season tickets for decades found the seats comparable to those they had for years priced way out of reach, so when they complained they were laughed at. One guy got his revenge, though.

“Minutes after picking them up,” he wrote to the Rocky Mountain News, “I sold my whole season to a scalper outside the stadium for 50% more than I paid for it.”