A Breed Apart, Sometimes Literally

Kicker Adam Vinatieri of the New England Patriots, a guest on Tim Brando’s Sporting News radio show Monday, talked about what coaches do in practice to get kickers accustomed to pressure.

Vinatieri said one way was to have the kicker try a field goal in front of the team at the end of practice. If he makes it, practice is over. If he misses, everyone runs laps.

Former Washington Redskin coach Joe Gibbs used to say he never could figure out kickers and never knew how to deal with them. He recalled that one year he decided to stay completely away from kicker Max Zendejas.

“We ended up having to cut him,” Gibbs said, “and the next day in the paper I read where Zendejas says, ‘I knew I never had a chance with Coach Gibbs. He never said a word to me.’ ”

Trivia time: What is the NBA record for margin of victory?

Of all places: Associated Press reported that a bus carrying about 50 Buffalo Bills’ fans, headed for Dallas from Houston on Sunday for the Bills’ game against the Cowboys, pulled off the freeway to get more beer in Buffalo, Texas (pop. 1,810).

One problem: Buffalo is a dry town, so no beer was available there. Another problem: The bus broke down and arrived late for the game.

New York coincidence: Ever think that New York is out of step with everywhere else? Consider this: The home team lost in only two NFL games Sunday, and both involved New York teams. The Giants lost to Atlanta at home, and the Jets won at Oakland.

Can you spell b-o-r-i-n-g? On Sunday, ESPN televised a Scrabble tournament that took place in August at Providence, R.I. It was the first time a Scrabble competition had been televised. What’s next, tiddlywinks?

And then this: The Times of London reports plans are in the works for Mike Tyson to take on 500-pound Hawaiian Sumo wrestler Akebono in a K-1 fighting match. K-1 combines boxing, karate, kickboxing, taekwondo and kung fu. It is so brutal, it is illegal just about everywhere.

The newspaper quotes a K-1 fan saying, “With all that weight, Akebono will deliver a sickening blow, and he can probably absorb quite a lot from Tyson too. It will be gory.”

Just about anything goes, but since Akebono is 6 feet 8, Tyson may have trouble biting his ears.

Different perspective: On ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown,” the studio analysts were asked to name the most disappointing teams this season. Steve Young said Pittsburgh, Michael Irvin said San Diego.

Tom Jackson, who played for the Denver Broncos, said, “The Raiders are most disappointing, but I just can’t be disappointed.”

Trivia answer: 68. The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat, 148-80, on Dec. 17, 1991.

And finally: Illinois, which looked terrible in a 6-3 loss to UCLA, is 1-10 overall and 0-7 in the Big Ten after losing to Indiana, 17-14. Wrote Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune: “Does Illinois know that there’s no No. 1 draft choice when you stink it up in college?”

Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.