Maybe That ‘Queens’ Crack Was a Bad Idea

The Sacramento Kings’ Christmas Day victory over the Lakers signaled an awakening and resultant power shift in the heated rivalry, according to Sacramento Bee columnist Ailene Voisin.

“Indeed, the bragging rights move north,” Voisin wrote. “The better team resides in Arco. Heck, the Lakers might not even be the best team in their own building.

“ ‘They are not close to the team we played in the playoffs,’ King center Vlade Divac said. It’s much harder to play the Clippers. But if we play our game, we know we can beat anybody.’

“[The Kings] defended their lead [against the Lakers] by continuing to attack, with their exquisite passing, movement, shooting and solid, fundamental defense,” Voisin wrote. “With their talent. So much talent.”

Which the Lakers have had a hard time displaying this season.

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Trivia time: UCLA has a losing record of 5-7 in the Rose Bowl game. What is the Bruins’ combined mark in postseason games other than the Rose Bowl?

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Short-timers: Gary Myers of the New York Daily News sees a brief and tempestuous union between Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones and free-agent coach Bill Parcells, should they hook up.

Wrote Myers: “Parcells, control freak coach, matched up with Jones, hands-on, overbearing owner, would be the most unlikely pairing in NFL history. Regardless of how the Cowboys do on the field, this figures to be a short-term marriage before Jones and Parcells burn each other out and Parcells retires again.”

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Don’t hold your breath: John Haydon of the Washington Times has a soccer wish list for the New Year. Among his yearnings:

“That Major League Soccer insists coaches get to the postgame news conference on time. Don’t they realize writers are on deadline?

“That D.C. United Coach Ray Hudson gets to play Hamlet on stage one day. His oratorical skills are being wasted in the locker room.

“That Sports Illustrated writer Frank Deford, who considers soccer un-American, awkward and inefficient, takes another look at the game with an open mind.

“That [Mia] Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra invite me to their wedding.

“That Tonya Harding dares meet Freedom forward Abby Wambach in a celebrity boxing match.”

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Looking back: On this date in 1987, Seattle’s Steve Largent became the NFL’s all-time reception leader in the Seahawks’ 41-20 loss to Kansas City. Largent’s six catches gave him 752 as he surpassed the 750 by San Diego’s Charlie Joiner. Largent, who finished with 819, is currently in seventh place.

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Trivia answer: With Wednesday’s Las Vegas Bowl victory, the Bruins improved their non-Rose Bowl postseason bowl record to 7-4-1.

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And finally: The Denver Post’s Jim Armstrong didn’t think the former Louisville football coach was being forthright with his feelings.

“John L. Smith cries at his GMAC Bowl press conference, saying how much he loved his players, then takes the Michigan State job 12 hours later,” Armstrong wrote. “Let me guess. The L. stands for liar.”

-- Paul Gutierrez