A Motor Mouth Gets Put in His Place

Seven weeks ago, when the Pittsburgh Steelers were 1-1 and quarterback Tommy Maddox was sidelined by an elbow injury, Ben Roethlisberger, who last season was playing for Miami of Ohio, got the starting job.

Steeler guard Alan Faneco, according to Jim Armstrong of aol.com, said at the time he dreaded the prospect of blocking for some snot-nosed rookie quarterback whose claim to fame was beating Bowling Green on homecoming weekend.

“The same Alan Faneco who, as we speak, is probably washing Roethlisberger’s car,” Armstrong added.

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Trivia time: Who is the only person enshrined in pro football’s Hall of Fame and baseball’s Hall of Fame?

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Attention, Don King: Dallas receiver Keyshawn Johnson was critical of Fox’s Pam Oliver after she reported during a game against Green Bay on Oct. 24 that he had yelled at assistant coach Sean Payton.

“I almost want to get on a plane, find where she is at, and sit her down and spank her with a ruler really, really hard,” Johnson said on his Sirius satellite radio show Oct. 28.

Asked by the Dallas Morning News’ Barry Horn what she would do if Johnson tried to spank her, Oliver said, “I would punch him in the face.”

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Whiskey humor: Regarding Boston Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar’s line about his teammates’ doing shots of Jack Daniels before the final six games of their postseason run, Greg Cote of the Miami Herald wrote, “Talk about shots heard ‘round the world.”

And from syndicated columnist Tom FitzGerald: “I’m afraid the Red Sox will get carried away next season and not consider a game official until they get through the fifth.”

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Charity case: Angel groundskeepers announced their third annual Thanksgiving food drive Nov. 19-21 at Angel Stadium. Fans who make donations get to bat or shag fly balls.

Proceeds benefit the needy in Orange County. So that means Latrell Sprewell of the Minnesota Timberwolves is not eligible.

Sprewell, seeking an extension on a contract that will pay him $14.6 million this season, recently said, “I’ve got a family to feed.”

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Add Sprewell: Bill Lankhof of the Toronto Sun wondered, “Just how big is this family, anyway?”

And Jim Litke of Associated Press wrote, “Apparently, the Sprewells have never been to Wendy’s.”

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Trivia answer: Cal Hubbard, a lineman for the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers in the 1920s and ‘30s who is in the Baseball Hall of Fame as an umpire.

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And finally: Detroit Lion defensive tackle Kelvin Pritchett, who formerly played for Jacksonville, flew home to Florida last week to vote. He rented a car and stayed overnight in a hotel, spending about $1,200, he told the Detroit Free Press. Pritchett, who said it was his duty to vote, had intended to get an absentee ballot, but a friend forgot to pick it up for him.

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