Jordan Not Worried About His 401(k)

Ron Rapoport in the Chicago Sun-Times: “After playing 39 minutes in a victory over the Celtics on Monday night, which followed 53-minute and 30-minute stints in the Wizards’ two previous games, Michael Jordan has some people wondering whether this really will be his last season.

“Against the Celtics, Jordan had 19 points and led the Wizards with 11 rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Afterward, he told the Boston Globe, ‘I’m focused with finishing this year off with no anticipation of playing next year.’

“No anticipation? Hmmm. That wouldn’t be leaving any wiggle room, would it?”

Trivia time: What is the record for college football bowl appearances by a Pacific 10 coach?

He could do it: “USC suffered a public relations debacle when O.J. Simpson visited the Trojans’ practice before the Orange Bowl and posed for photos with some of the players,” says Michael Ventre of MSNBC.com.

“There is some good news, though: the school has hired Johnnie Cochran to try and prove that Simpson was never there.”

Top of his game: Mike Lupica in the New York Daily News: “To have a better month than he just had, USC quarterback Carson Palmer would have to be sharing in the grosses of the new ‘Lord of the Rings.’ ”

Is it worth it? Chris Vanbuskirk, general manager of a Hooters in San Diego, to the San Diego Union-Tribune on the possibility of the Raiders making the Super Bowl and bringing their fans to town: “It would be like, ‘Sure, we made $20,000 on the bar receipts, but we spent $15,000 replacing all the broken glasses.’ ”

No field of dreams: Columnist Norman Chad for America Online: “They’re thinking of awarding an upcoming Super Bowl to Giants Stadium. Did you look at that field Saturday? Heck, I’ve seen better playing conditions during ‘Apocalypse Now.’ ”

Oh, no! Keith Olbermann of ABC Radio calls the Steelers’ overcoming a 17-point Cleveland Browns’ lead at Heinz Field: “The Heinz Catch-Up.”

Boo hoo: How cheap is Vancouver Canuck winger Todd Bertuzzi, who makes $3 million a year?

“Bert’s wallet is like an onion,” teammate Brendan Morrison says. “Any time he opens it, he starts crying.”

In training: From the Caught on the Fly column in the Sporting News: “Bob Knight has been doing some postgame substitutions, sending son Pat Knight to the news conference instead of going himself. The General explanation is that young Knight needs some hands-on experience in dealing with the media.

“Because when it comes to being mean, condescending and judgmental, you can only learn so much from watching your dad on TV.”

Trivia answer: 14, by Don James of Washington, one more than Terry Donahue of UCLA.

And finally: Miami Dolphin quarterback Jay Fiedler, talking about being cut from the Cincinnati Bengals on “Best Damn Sports Show Period”:

“In hindsight that was probably one of the high points of my career.”

-- Mal Florence