Red Sox’s Timing May Yank Their Chain

The New York Post reported that, according to major league baseball’s preliminary 2005 schedule, the Yankees and Red Sox will open the season with a three-game series April 4 through 7 at Yankee Stadium and then play another three-game series a week later at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox’s game April 11 against the Yankees will be Boston’s home opener. That means the Yankees will be there when the Red Sox raise their World Series banner and the players receive their championship rings.

“Ultimate Insult,” screamed the headline on the back page of the Post.

Trivia time: When the Lakers won the NBA championship in 1972, who was the team’s leading scorer that season?

Tough question: In the “Ten Yards With Terry Bradshaw” segment on Fox’s NFL pregame show Sunday, one of the 10 questions Bradshaw asked Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning regarding preferences was: “Polite or honest?”

“Honest,” Manning said.

Another question: “Great kiss or great movie?”

“Great kiss,” Manning said.

Added Bradshaw: “Ever had a kiss so great you’ve never forgotten about it?”

Manning: “Yeah, the first kiss with my wife.”

Bradshaw: “Are you being honest or polite?”

Sharp question: On CBS, before the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New England Patriots, Shannon Sharpe made this comment Sunday:

“Tommy Maddox supposedly comes back in two, three weeks. Ben Roethlisberger defeats the world champion Patriots. Who starts?”

Said Steeler receiver Hines Ward: “I’m glad I’m not the coach.”

A little sidestepping: In response to Sharpe’s question, Steeler Coach Bill Cowher said, “Getting Tommy back is going to be a big plus for this football team, and we’ll deal with that down the road.”

Looking back: On this day in 2000, Pat Riley earned his 1,000th NBA regular-season coaching victory as the Miami Heat won its most lopsided opener, 105-79, over the Orlando Magic. The former Laker coach reached the milestone in 1,434 games -- fewer than any coach or manager in any sport.

Trivia answer: Gail Goodrich, who averaged 25.9 points a game that season. Jerry West averaged 25.8 and Wilt Chamberlain 14.8.

And finally: Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar, joking around on FSN’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” said the team drank shots of Jack Daniels and Crown Royal to keep warm before Game 6 of the American League championship series against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

Millar said that since they won that game, they continued taking shots before every game as they swept to their World Series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

“I’m glad we won in four games,” Millar said, “because those Crown Royal shots and Jack Daniels shots started to kill me.”

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