These Two Are Not on Buddy System

Tim Sullivan in the San Diego Union-Tribune: “Daniel Snyder was unavailable for comment. The owner of the Washington Redskins doesn’t do interviews during the season, or so his spokesman said.

“Pity, I had hoped to personally thank the little twerp for firing Marty Schottenheimer. I wanted Danny boy to know just how well the antiquated coach was working out in San Diego, and see if Steve Spurrier might need any Super Bowl tickets....

“Snyder is wealth without wisdom, power without prudence, a clumsy, callous child in a game meant for grown-ups ... Snyder is like George Steinbrenner without the championships, like Marge Schott without the subtlety. Compared with Daniel Snyder, the irascible Alex Spanos comes off like Cary Grant.”

Trivia time: Who were USC and UCLA’s first consensus All-American football selections?

Green gimmick: Notre Dame’s attempt to stimulate its players by wearing green jerseys against Boston College on Saturday backfired when the previously unbeaten Irish lost to the Golden Eagles, 14-7.

The Irish have resorted to wearing green jerseys in the past, notably against USC. In 1977, the Irish wore their traditional blue and gold jerseys in warmups, then went to the locker room and changed to green before the kickoff. Notre Dame then routed the Trojans, 49-19.

The Irish went on to win the national championship.

Hurry up and win: A few years ago, said Pat Forde on ESPN.com, Kentucky basketball Coach Tubby Smith was hearing from angry fans on a call-in radio show shortly after a loss.

One caller, Forde said, sounded a hopeful note: “Coach, I just want you to know I haven’t given up on the team yet.”

Said Forde: “What faith. The Wildcats were 22-4 at the time.”

His appeal: Blackie Sherrod in the Dallas Morning News: “Regardless of his aloofness, Major League Baseball should thank the cash registers for Barry Bonds.

“Were it not for the slugger’s box office intrigue, the Left Coast Series might have been ignored by Madison Avenuers, from whom all commercial blessings flow.”

Fun guys: Scott Ostler in the San Francisco Chronicle: “Halloween story that didn’t get the media coverage it deserved: Randy Moss is treated for cuts and bruises after being run down by an SUV shortly after trick-or-treating at Albert Belle’s house.”

Add Ostler: “Bud Selig says it’s undignified and dangerous to have immature kids running around the dugout. So he’s contracting the New York Mets.”

For good reason: Bill Suda in the San Diego Union-Tribune: “The Game 7 World Series headline nobody used: ‘World Chimps.’ ”

Trivia answer: USC halfback Mort Kaer in 1926 and UCLA end Burr Baldwin in 1946.

And finally: Kansas City Chief Coach Dick Vermeil, a wine connoisseur, was asked what drink he might compare to Jerry Rice.

“Jerry Rice to me would be like a Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet, anywhere from ’95 through ‘97, which is the finest bottle of wine produced in the Napa Valley,” Vermeil said. “They’re rare.”