They’ve Become a Real Sonic Bust

Steve Kelley in the Seattle Times commenting on the many problems affecting the city’s NBA franchise: “Already this calendar year, the Sonics have pulled off one of the most difficult trifectas in basketball. They have lost at home to Denver, the Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland.

“What’s left? The Washington Generals?

“The offense has stalled. The defense hasn’t been able to trap like it did last season. The effort has been erratic. And the mood in the locker room is so tense you’d think all the players were finalists on ‘The Bachelorette.’ ”

Trivia time: Who holds the NBA record for steals in a season?

Intimidated: Robin Williams told Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated that he hasn’t mustered the courage to attend an Oakland Raider home game:

“I mean, Raider fans are in their full war gear and the giant metallic faces -- and those are just the vendors! And you see them, the vendors, calling, (peanut vendor voice) ‘Hey, welding here! I got welding, Who wants acetylene? Who needs acetylene?’ ”

Image problem: Charles Barkley, the former NBA star and now a TV analyst, made the rounds at a few schools in Colorado recently to give the kids some much-needed advice.

“I tell my daughter every time she leaves the house: ‘You represent me. Don’t do anything to embarrass me. If you are an idiot, people are going to think your dad’s an idiot.’ ”

No good answer: Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune calls the NFL’s instant replay policy a fraud for these reasons:

“Roughing. Holding. Interference. Eighty percent of the time, these are the decisive calls and replay rules don’t allow a second look for a referee.

“When an NFL season is over, the public still has the same doubts about the justness of results as when officials relied in all instances on their best judgment.”

FYI: Gail Goodrich scored a school-record 42 points in leading UCLA to a 91-80 victory over Michigan in the NCAA championship game in 1965. His record was broken by Bill Walton, who had 44 points in the NCAA title game against Memphis State in 1973.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the record-holder after scoring 61 points against Washington State in 1967, when he was known as Lew Alcindor.

Worth a try: Elliot Harris in the Chicago Sun-Times: “Now that Redskin defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis has become the Bengals’ head coach, maybe Johnnie Cochran can get him off by pleading temporary insanity.”

Looking back: On this day in 1971, the first Super Bowl under the NFL-AFL merger ended with Baltimore Colt rookie Jim O’Brien kicking a 32-yard field goal for a 16-13 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Trivia answer: Alvin Robertson, San Antonio, 301, 1985-86.

And finally: Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle, on Pete Rose’s negotiations with Commissioner Bud Selig to return to baseball: “Latest offer on the table: Rose agrees to accept reinstatement if Selig admits that he once sold used cars.”