Colon and Ryan Hit Same Goal Differently

Bartolo Colon is the Angels’ first 20-game winner since Nolan Ryan won 22 games in 1974, but the comparison ends there as Colon enjoys something Ryan had little of -- offensive support.

In Ryan’s 16 losses, the Angels scored 22 runs. They finished last in the American League West at 68-94, and were last in the AL in batting (.254) and runs scored (618).

Ryan recorded 367 strikeouts (Colon has 149), logged 26 complete games (Colon has two), struck out 19 batters three times and pitched his third no-hitter, against Minnesota. He finished with 332 2/3 innings (Colon is at 212 2/3 ) and an earned-run average of 2.89 (Colon, 3.34).

Not that this should take anything away from what Colon has accomplished. He hails from a different era entirely.

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Trivia time: Despite Ryan’s performance in 1974, he did not win the AL Cy Young Award. Who did?

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Bowl season already? New Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis referred during the preseason to the Washington game as the “Ty Bowl” because Tyrone Willingham, who was fired at Notre Dame, now heads the Washington program.

But as Saturday’s game draws closer, Weis has refrained from such references and Notre Dame has even scratched his “Ty Bowl” comment from its news conference transcript, replacing it with “the Washington game.”

Writes Anthony Gimino of the Tucson Citizen: “Heck, the Huskies probably prefer the original comment, considering it’s as close as they will get this season to a bowl.”

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Stooping lower: Oklahoma has stumbled to a 1-2 start for the first time under Coach Bob Stoops, prompting Reggie Hayes of the Fort Wayne (Ind.) News-Sentinel to comment, “Stoops’ reputation was reduced from ‘pure genius’ to ‘smarter than Barry Switzer but not nearly as smarmy.’ ”

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Spreading the sunshine: Saturday was momentous for football fans in the Sunshine State: For the first time in the 70-year history of the Associated Press poll, Florida State, Florida and Miami defeated nationally ranked opponents on the same day.

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Perfect pair? Here’s a match seemingly made in heaven: University of Alabama freshman running back Glen Coffee and golfer Paula Creamer. Their life together, however, might turn out to be a grind.

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Leadership qualities: The real brains on the gridiron might be jumping up and down behind the bench. Said Tampa Bay Buccaneer cheerleader Victoria Vodar in Playboy magazine: “During tryouts we had to take a football quiz.” She added, “I love football. You have to pay attention because you don’t want to cheer when something goes against your team.”

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Trivia answer: Catfish Hunter of the Oakland Athletics, who was 25-12 with a 2.49 ERA and 23 complete games. Ryan was third in the voting behind Hunter and Ferguson Jenkins of Texas.

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And finally: What does the Miami Heat’s Shaquille O’Neal, who wants to be a policeman, yell to a fleeing suspect? “Stop or I’ll shoot a free throw,” according to Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.