McEnroe Is Wary Over Battle of the Ages

Jimmy Connors is trying to put together a $1-million doubles match to be played in Las Vegas early next year. Connors told the BBC it would involve him, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras and a Sampras contemporary.

The interesting part is that Connors, 51, said he and McEnroe, 45, would be partners.

McEnroe said he might consider it, if Sampras is limited to one serve per point.

“Jimmy has proven that he has pretty much gone off the deep end by trying to put this match together,” McEnroe said. “I’m already off the deep end by agreeing to consider it.”

Trivia time: Announcer Rory Markas asked this one on Sunday’s Angel radio broadcast: What two pitchers were 20-game winners for both the Angels and Dodgers?

Can you hear me now? Sunday was a big day for the Cal State Fullerton baseball team, and Thursday was a good day for the Titan basketball team.

Senegal native Pape Sow, a 6-10 former Titan center projected to play power forward in the NBA, was drafted in the second round by the Miami Heat.

Sow, a guest of Rick Schwartz and Ray Crockett on XTRA the night of the draft, said he hadn’t yet called his parents in Dakar to give them the news. So Schwartz volunteered to make the call, even though Sow’s parents speak only Wolof.

With Sow translating, Schwartz asked Sow’s father what the first thing was he wanted his son to buy for his parents. Sow’s father, after checking with his wife, said, “A house.”

Apparently they understand the way things work in the U.S.

Fit to a T: Rudy Tomjanovich may be the right guy for the Lakers, says Sports Illustrated’s Jack McCallum.

Wrote McCallum: “In 11 years as a player and 12 as a head coach, Rudy T., 55, has seen it all, his vision sometimes blurred, the result of having his face rearranged by a punch from Kermit Washington in 1977. Tomjanovich also battled back from bladder cancer in 2003.

“And after many years of drinking, smoking and caffeining, he has given up alcohol, cigarettes and coffee. Maybe coaching in that purple-and-gold nuthouse wouldn’t be so hard for him.”

Looking back: On this day in 1971, Muhammad Ali won a four-year legal battle to overturn his 1967 conviction for draft evasion when the Supreme Court voted, 8-0, in Ali’s favor.

Also, on this day in 1997, Mike Tyson, in a heavyweight title fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, was disqualified after twice biting the right ear of Evander Holyfield.

Trivia answer: Bill Singer won 20 games for the Dodgers in 1969 and 20 for the Angels in 1973. Andy Messersmith won 20 for the Angels in 1971 and 20 for the Dodgers in 1974.

And finally: From Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle: “Half of the tickets for the Olympics in Athens remain unsold. And when I phoned to ask what day the Olympics open, the operator replied, ‘What day can you get there?’ So they’re even behind schedule in updating their jokes.”

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