Good Thing He Didn’t Have to Fight Tyson

Russell Crowe, who plays boxer James Braddock in “Cinderella Man,” which opens Friday, is a perfectionist as an actor. That’s why he told director Ron Howard he wanted his ears to stick out -- so that he would look more like the real Braddock.

Crowe, who along with Howard was on a conference call with sportswriters Wednesday, said he had makeup artists create ears for him that looked like Braddock’s, then went to show them to Howard.

“Why are you frowning?” Crowe said he asked Howard.

Howard said he replied, “As a guy who’s had those ears all his life, are you sure you want to do this to yourself?”

Trivia time: Who gave Braddock the nickname “Cinderella Man” and why?

Serious stuff: Angelo Dundee, probably best known as Muhammad Ali’s trainer, served as an advisor on the movie and can also be seen working Braddock’s corner.

Crowe said that while making the movie, in fight scenes that weren’t choreographed, Dundee would at times forget he was making a movie and give Crowe real instructions and pep talks.

Dundee, who was also on Wednesday’s conference call, said, “I felt I was in a fight. I swear to God. I got so juiced up and I’m looking to win. Man, I don’t want to lose. Who wants to be a loser?”

Scary sight: At one point in making the movie, the paraffin behind Crowe’s right ear began coming off.

“I started yelling, ‘Hey, your ear is coming off! Your ear is coming off!’ ” Dundee said.

Crowe said he told Dundee, “Don’t worry, it happens all the time.”

Brain drain: Boxer Mia St. John, a recent guest on FSN’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” on being cut and bleeding during her last fight: “I’m thinking, “My head is leaking.’ ”

Dem bums, 2005: Bay Area reader Janice Hough, pointing out that the San Francisco Giants put “Gigantes” on their uniforms for Juan Marichal Day, suggests the Dodgers could try something similar.

“Dodgers in Spanish would be Trampistos,” Hough says, translating very loosely. “Tramps for short.”

Stay-in-school advocate: TNT’s Charles Barkley, singling out Dwyane Wade as a good example of why kids should go to college first instead of going straight to the NBA, said, “I hope a lot of these kids look at this kid who went to college. Everybody is in a hurry. Hey, the money is not going anywhere. ... And, if you go to the right college, you can get paid there.”

Wade went to Marquette and left after his junior year.

Trivia answer: Writer Damon Runyon gave Braddock the nickname “Cinderella Man” because of his fairy-tale rise from a poor local fighter.

And finally: Comedian Argus Hamilton, on Ricky Williams’ being willing to give up the reggae band lifestyle and return to the Miami Dolphins: “He said he’s lost 40 pounds. Hopefully, the Coast Guard won’t find it before he does.”

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