Boy, Those O.J. Jokes Never Get Old

Jim Armstrong took major heat from his readers for a recent proclamation in his AOL Sports column. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

“You try to say something nice about somebody and look what it gets you,” Armstrong said. “I recently wrote that the Dodgers were playing so well, Los Angeles should be considered the sports capital of America. So what happens? They lose nine of their next 10 games, including eight in a row.

“Not that all the news is bad in Los Angeles. O.J. still hasn’t moved back from Florida.”

More Armstrong: “Sure, sure, it would be nice to see Karl Malone and Gary Payton finally win an NBA championship. But ... what about Reggie Miller? Not that he’s getting old, but he could have been at Woodstock. How many other NBA players can say they saw bell-bottoms come in, go away and come back again?

“How old is he? When Miller was born, LBJ was in the White House, Schlitz was the No. 2-selling beer in America and, for all we know, Wilt Chamberlain had his first kiss.”

Trivia time: Who holds the Los Angeles Dodger record for hits in a season?

Looking back: On this date in 1959, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Harvey Haddix pitched 12 perfect innings but lost the game to the Milwaukee Braves, 1-0, in the 13th inning on an error, a sacrifice and a double by Joe Adcock.

A betting chance: In revisiting his second-round knockout of Roy Jones Jr. with Jim Lamp- ley of HBO Sports, light-heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver said he covered his bases the day of the fight by wagering on Jones -- Smarty Jones to win the Preakness, Tarver said. Wonder whom Tarver has winning the Belmont.

Good question: The Detroit Free Press’ Steve Schrader is vexed by the name of the squad his hometown Pistons are facing in the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals.

“What is a Pacer, anyway?” Schrader wrote. “According to team lore, the name is supposed to represent Indiana’s racing tradition -- both the Indianapolis 500 pace car and harness racing. Cars and horses.

“OK, then why do the Pacers have a dog and a cat for mascots?”

Looking back II: On this date in 1988, the Edmonton Oilers, with most valuable player Wayne Gretzky, defeated the Boston Bruins, 6-3, to complete a four-game sweep and win their fourth Stanley Cup in five years. Canada’s heart would be broken three months later when Gretzky was traded to the Kings.

Trivia answer: Tommy Davis, with 230 hits in 1962.

And finally: KFWB’s Bret Lewis, on the supposed doom and gloom faced by Andre Agassi after losing his first-round French Open match to Jerome Haehnel, ranked 271st in the world:

“His trainer says, ‘We’re in uncharted waters right now. We need to find a reason to wake up tomorrow.’

“Let’s see. Andre is 34. A multimillionaire and an international superstar. With a famous wife and a happy family. Gosh, I hope somehow he can find the will to go on.”