For Gruden, It Would Be One Whale of a Move

Skip Bayless of the San Jose Mercury News speculates that Oakland Raider Coach Jon Gruden will succeed Bob Davie as Notre Dame’s football coach.

“Educated guess: Gruden will abandon an aging Oakland ship with Captain Ahab--a financially drained Al Davis--still at the wheel. Soon after this season ends, Gruden will become the most expensive and trumpeted addition to Notre Dame’s program since 21,000 seats were added to the stadium in 1997.”

Gruden, 38, has Notre Dame ties. His father, Jim, was an assistant coach under Dan Devine from 1977-80.

Jon played quarterback for South Bend’s Clay High.

Bayless: “That’s when Gruden fell under the spell. He told NFL. com.

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Trivia time: Who holds the NCAA Division I-A record for most consecutive passes attempted in a season without an interception?

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Reason to be wary: Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden, whose Seminoles are 4-2--routed by North Carolina and Miami--said in an interview with Hubert Mizell of the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times:

“I’m a realist who grew up in the depression.

“Some people were figuring Florida State had become immune to a poor season where we dropped three or four games. Some folks used to say I had a halo over my head, but I always knew, with just a little slippage, it could become a noose.”

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Let’s move on: Scott Ostler in the San Francisco Chronicle:

“Sure, the breakup was sad. But with Ted and Jane no longer man-and-squaw, we don’t have to endure their televised napping, nuzzling and knucklehead chopping.”

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More Ostler: “Rasheed Wallace, 79 technical fouls the past two seasons, is named co-captain of the Portland Trail Blazers. I believe the other co-captain is Donald Duck.”

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Hot and bothered: Dick Heller of the Washington Times, ripping Baltimore Oriole owner Peter Angelos:

“His stubborn, egotistical and just plain wrongheaded approach has reduced one of baseball’s proudest franchises into one of its most pitiable.

“The Orioles have reeled through four losing seasons since going wire-to-wire to win the American League East in 1997, and the end is nowhere in sight.”

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His favorite target: Jim Armstrong in the Denver Post: “Word out of Lubbock is that the joint was rocking for Bob Knight’s first Midnight Madness in Texas. Knight reportedly christened the event by cutting a ribbon and smashing a bottle of champagne into the side of a sportswriter.”

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Trivia answer: Trent Dilfer of Fresno State, 271 in 1993.

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And finally: St. Louis Ram receiver Torry Holt, commenting on Coach Mike Martz in an interview with Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “Coach is a trip, man. He is so intense and competitive. And we like that. The outlook of your team, the personality of your team, reflects the head coach.

“And he’s a competitive, fiery guy. He’s always in an attack frame of mind. And that’s how we come out and play football. And he tries to instill that in us every single play.”