It’s Only Lip Service to Support Their Teams

Dwight Perry in the Seattle Times: “[Tennessee] Volunteer supporters are putting their true colors where their mouth is by wearing two-tone lipstick, called Sports Paint, in the school’s trademark orange and white....

“Judy Brennan Connor, a local cosmetics-shop owner, came up with the idea and plans to expand her products--such as custom painted nails--to the entire Southeastern Conference next season.

“The concept isn’t entirely original.... Oregon State fans have been wearing black and orange lipstick for years, but the big drawback has been that stores in Corvallis don’t stock it until Halloween.”

Trivia time: Who was the first major league player to hit two grand slams in a game?

Come again? Canadian boxer Eric Lucas, on whether he’s superstitious: “No, if you have superstitions, that’s bad luck.”

Asking and hoping: Dan Roach, coach of the Little League World Series champions from Louisville, Ky., before the 11-and 12-year-olds met George W. Bush at the White House: “This is the president, guys. Use your very best manners.”

Mr. Cool: Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel on the late Johnny Unitas: “He ran a two-minute drill like an air traffic controller working on Thanksgiving weekend.”

More Unitas: Unitas was at his best with a game on the line. After he’d rallied the Colts from a 20-point deficit to beat Minnesota, Viking defensive end Jim Marshall said, “Unitas led his team down the field three times, like a man walking his dog.”

And always will be: A double bogey on the 18th hole cost Neal Lancaster the Canadian Open last weekend, but he kept his sense of humor. Asked whether he was the biggest celebrity in his tiny hometown of Smithfield, N.C., he said, “No, Ava Gardner. She’s dead, and she’s still more popular than me.”

Catty Comments: Washington Post fashion writer Robin Givhan caused a stir among some readers with her recent criticism of Serena Williams’ tennis outfits.

She said Williams “wore an orange crochet hussy dress modeled after something that Wilma Flintstone might choose,” and said of Williams’ U.S. Open attire, “Her tight black tennis romper was the stylistic equivalent of trash talk.”

Willie’s legacy: Richard de Give of Winton, in Merced County, wonders what Willie Mays would think of a Web site that is promoting country-music concerts to benefit drought-stricken ranchers and farmers in Alberta, Canada. The site: www.sayhay.com.

Looking back: On this day in 1974, USC opened the football season by losing to Arkansas in Little Rock, 22-7.

It was the Trojans’ only loss. They finished the season by defeating Ohio State, 18-17, in the Rose Bowl game for a 9-1-1 record and were accorded the national championship by UPI.

Trivia answer: Tony Lazzeri of the New York Yankees on May 24, 1936.

And finally: Philadelphia Eagle Coach Andy Reid on watching his son, Britt, play high school football: “I love those games. Sit there with a big hot dog, one that’s been sitting in the heater for about two hours.... I love that.”