Linebacker discovers his luck just stinks

You’ve heard that a black cat crossing your path is bad luck.

Imagine how San Francisco 49ers linebacker Manny Lawson must feel. His luck has been awful since he hurt his knee last season. He had missed the last two games because of a strained hamstring before blocking a kick Sunday, but the 49ers still lost to the New York Giants.

His omen isn’t a cat; it’s a skunk. Most recently he was accosted by one as he was leaving the playing facility.

Before that a baby skunk stepped out and started chasing him as he was leaving his house.

“I’ve never ran so fast in my life,” he told the San Francisco Chronicle.

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Trivia time

Denver Coach Mike Shanahan and New England Coach Bill Belichick will square off tonight as the only active coaches to have won back-to-back Super Bowls.

Four non-active coaches have accomplished this. Who were they?

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Want to get away?

The Nevada Las Vegas football team has not faded entirely into obscurity, writes Ron Kantowski of the Las Vegas Sun:

“But if you were to escape from Alcatraz, hijack an airliner over the Pacific Northwest or get on the Mafia’s bad side, Rebel Park would be a good place to lie low for a while.”

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A memorable October night

Dodgers fans preparing for a World Series that won’t involve their beloved team may remember that the team was on the field in mid-October in 1977. But they may choose to forget the result.

It was Oct. 18, Game 6 of the Series. Reggie Jackson belted three homers on three pitches from three different pitchers to lead the New York Yankees to the championship.

Chances are, Burt Hooton, Elias Sosa and Charlie Hough remember that night very well.

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Hustled in London

Stuart Tanner is not an NBA star, but the British amateur player has become a YouTube sensation since beating New Jersey Nets guard Devin Harris in a game of one-on-one.

More than 3.5 million viewers have watched a clip of the contest this month in south London. Afterward, Harris said he’d been hustled and added, “We need to sign him up tonight.”

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Bow wow

Tommy Bowden was fired last week by Clemson but will be paid $3.5 million. Jeff Bowden, fired two years ago by Florida State, is still getting paid. Bobby Bowden, the current Florida State coach, makes $2.5 million a year.

Writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: “Wow, that makes three Bowdens getting paid, but none of them is actually coaching.”

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Trivia answer

Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, Chuck Noll and Jimmy Johnson.

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And finally

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic on Manny Ramirez: “He is Barry Bonds with personality.”

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pete.thomas@latimes.com