On Second Thought, Keep the Change

New York Giant Coach Tom Coughlin might be a little uptight headed into today’s NFL wild-card playoff game against the Carolina Panthers. During a media session Thursday, he was asked if he had changed.

“That’s the 7,749,000th time I have been asked the question,” Coughlin said. “You had better change. You change each year you are in this business. You change just based on the quality of trying to be better.

“There are certain values that I have, which are not going to change, and the players are well aware of that.”

Then came another question: “You haven’t lightened up at all, though, right?”

“None whatsoever,” Coughlin said, “especially if I get a few more questions like that.”

Trivia time: When did college freshmen become eligible to play varsity football and basketball?

Does he float? Former NBA player Charles Shackleford, arrested on suspicion of drug and weapon violations last week during a routine traffic stop in North Carolina, once found himself in the news on a lighter note.

Referring to his being ambidextrous, Shackleford said, “Left hand, right hand, it doesn’t matter. I’m amphibious.”

Politically correct: Shaquille O’Neal, asked by Fox Sports radio’s Jorge Sedano about his relationship with Coach Pat Riley, said, “He knows what he’s doing. So whenever he says do something, I’m going to follow it. He’s [George] Bush, I’m [Dick] Cheney. Whatever he says, I’m going to do.”

Mustard on the hog dog: O’Neal, asked which athlete he would pay to see, named Cincinnati Bengal receiver Chad Johnson.

“He’s a great athlete, and when he scores he makes you remember he scored,” O’Neal said. “Then he makes you remember what he did after he scored. It’s called entertainment.”

What will it take? Skier Bode Miller admits to reporter Bob Simon on CBS’ “60 Minutes” tonight that he has put his life at risk by skiing drunk. So Simon assumes he won’t try it again.

“No, I’m not saying that,” Miller says.

Close to home: Golfer Jim Furyk has a house near the 18th green at the Kapalua Plantation course. He had played 40 competitive rounds there before this year’s Mercedes Championships.

“If I haven’t figured it out by now, it’s never going to happen,” he said.

Looking back: On this day in 1993, Michael Jordan became the 18th NBA player to reach the 20,000-point plateau when he scored 35 points in a game against Milwaukee. Jordan reached 20,000 in 620 games, faster than anyone except Wilt Chamberlain, who did it in 499 games.

Trivia answer: 1972. The rule change was announced on Jan. 8 of that year and went into effect that fall.

And finally: Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times asks, “What’s the difference between Chamberlain and this season’s Portland Trail Blazers?”

Perry’s answer: “Wilt has a 100-point game to his credit.”

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