Sherrill Would Feel at Home in Arco Arena

Here’s a rule that Laker Coach Phil Jackson could support.

Southeastern Conference university presidents recently voted to penalize the home team if fans use artificial noisemakers during football games. The rule is aimed at Mississippi State fans and their beloved cowbells.

But Bulldog Coach Jackie Sherrill has vowed to keep the cowbells ringing.

Sherrill said he wants the university to pipe in the sound of cowbells through the stadium’s sound system. Piped-in music and sound effects are allowed during pregame, halftime, timeouts and after scoring plays.

“We will take care of the cowbell issue,” Sherrill said. “We will have cowbell sounds in the stadium that are louder than ever before.”

Where is this guy from, Sacramento?

Trivia time: Who is the only major league player to be active when Babe Ruth retired and when Hank Aaron broke in?

Hard-hearted: Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post says the Lakers know what it takes to be champions because they’ve had their hearts broken in the past:

“Remember all those times Shaq got swept out of the playoffs? Remember Kobe’s air-ball bonanza at the end of an elimination game a few years back? It’s been a long time, but don’t forget that Phil Jackson’s Bulls lost a Game 7 in Detroit.

“The making of a champion, the development of toughness in the clutch, clear thinking under stress, and grace under pressure hardly ever happen without first experiencing crushing defeat leading to soul searching.”

Travelin’ man: Shaquille O’Neal, asked if he had visited the Parthenon during a trip to Greece, replied, “I can’t really remember the names of the clubs that we went to.”

Scientific saves: Goalkeepers at the World Cup can improve their chances of saving penalty shots by reading visual clues given subconsciously by penalty-kick shooters, according to scientists from Britain’s Greenwich University.

Researchers found that goaltenders should watch the angle of the kicker’s shoulders and his standing leg for clues as to the direction of the shot.

Outcasts: Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News says, for the most part, it isn’t easy being an American soccer fan:

“It takes considerable initiative. The scores aren’t on the TV sportscasts. So you go to the Web. The neighbor doesn’t want to talk about the beautiful sport at all. So there is a chat room, or maybe the soccer moms in the park.”

Trivia answer: First baseman Phil Cavarretta, who played from 1934 to 1955. Ruth retired in 1935; Aaron made his debut in 1954.

And finally: Tony Kornheiser of the Washington Post, with some satirical commentary on the latest baseball scandal:

“I guess I ought to confess. I take steroids.

“I’ve been taking them for years, throwing them down like M&Ms.; Truthfully, I take so much juice, my nickname is ‘V8.’

“I take steroids to get bigger, stronger, faster on the keyboard. You should see me type now. I’m unbelievably fast, yet precise at the same time. I’m the Eric Clapton of the laptop. I can type all of ‘Moby Dick’ in 14 minutes.

“I can type it faster than Evelyn Wood can read it!”