Things Are Getting Looney in New York

Jim Fassel is still the New York Giants’ coach, but the New York Post is already suggesting possible replacements.

Listed as the 3-1 favorite Tuesday was former Jacksonville Jaguar coach Tom Coughlin. Louisiana State Coach Nick Saban was listed at 5-1, Deion Sanders at 500-1 and Elmer Fudd at 1,000,000-1.

“At least he’d give fans some laughs,” the paper said of Fudd.

Lucky for Fassel: Giant co-owner Wellington Mara, told that the popular assumption is that Fassel will be fired, responded to New York reporters by saying, “Fortunately for Coach Fassel, I’m not part of the popular assumption.”

Trivia time: What team holds the NBA single-season record for scoring?

Pressure mounting: The four co-hosts of HBO’s “Inside the NFL” are picking winners (without the spread), not to win a prize but to avoid finishing third or fourth and being subjected to some sort of punishment suggested by viewers via hbo.com.

One viewer, Susan Hughes, suggests that if Bob Costas and Dan Marino finish last, they must go to a football field in full gear, where Costas must intercept a pass by Marino and try to return it for a touchdown. Marino will have the option of tackling Costas.

That might be worthy of pay per view.

No scholar: A Morning Briefing item about Mike Tyson’s possibly facing a 500-pound Sumo wrestler in a K-1 match reminds us of what the late promoter Dan Duva once said of Tyson’s imprisonment: “Why would anyone expect him to come out smarter? He went to prison for three years, not Princeton.”

Money matters: Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune, noting that Tyson’s bankruptcy filings show he’s $30 million in debt but spends $18,000 a month on clothes, says, “So that’s what he did with the money he saved on finishing school.”

Fear factor: Max Baer uttered a memorable quote after he’d fought Joe Louis before a crowd of 88,150 at Yankee Stadium in 1935 and was asked for his definition of fear.

“Standing across the ring from Joe Louis and knowing he wants to go home early,” said Baer, who was knocked out in the fourth round.

Overworked: Word is, Johnny Ortiz, host of the weekly “Ringside L.A.” boxing show Sunday nights on KMPC, is in a dispute with the show’s executive producer, Chris Maroe.

“I don’t know what he is upset about,” Ortiz said. “Maybe it’s because I work one hour a week and asked about vacation time.”

Trivia answer: The 1981-82 Denver Nuggets at 126.5 points a game.

And finally: From KFWB’s Bret Lewis: “Washington Redskin Coach Steve Spurrier not only let offensive coordinator Hue Jackson call all the plays in the upset victory over the Seattle Seahawks, he also let him give the pep talk at the team meeting Saturday night. No truth to the rumor Jackson told the players, ‘Win one in spite of the coach.’ ”

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