It’s wrong to endorse Syracuse work of art

Football player Ernie Davis wore No. 44 at Syracuse, which he led to a national title in 1959 before winning the Heisman Trophy two years later.

Sculptor Bruno Lucchesi at least got that much correct. But Lucchesi, 82, put a modern-day helmet in Davis’ hands, a pair of Nikes on his feet, and a swoosh on his jersey -- making the statue that Syracuse recently unveiled not at all true to life.

Or, to put it another way, it wasn’t exactly a feat of clay.

Calling it “an era-specific discrepancy,” Syracuse said Lucchesi would make the necessary modifications and return Davis to his proper place in time.

Noted the Miami Herald’s Greg Cote: “Cannot confirm the sculptor is working on a statue of Abraham Lincoln listening to an iPod.”

Trivia time

The Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday will be unique in Formula One racing. Why?

Not at all average

One of the world’s all-time great cricket players, Australia’s Donald Bradman, would have turned 100 last month, and surviving former teammates gathered to celebrate the occasion.

Just how good was Bradman?

So good that he had a lifetime batting average of 99.94, which Australian researcher and statistician Charles Davis told the International Herald Tribune was “the equivalent of a lifetime .392 batting average in major league baseball or a career scoring rate of 43.0 points per match in the NBA.”

Sink this

The American team’s lead after the opening day of the Ryder Cup in Louisville, Ky., on Friday was its biggest since 1979, the year that Billy Casper, captain of the winning U.S. side, got almost everything right.

“He fouled up once,” said Lee Trevino. “He never got the bar set up in the players’ lounge.”

More suds

Munich’s Oktoberfest started Saturday, the same day that the local soccer team, Bayern Munich, was trounced, 5-2, at home by Werder Bremen.

That brought some advice from one World Cup winner to another.

Said Franz Beckenbauer to Bayern Coach Juergen Klinsmann: “You need to drink a few large glasses of beer tonight. That is the only solution.”

rivia answer

It will be the first night race in the sport’s history.

And finally

From Fark.com: “Washington State football players have to be reminded to eat. I’m guessing this isn’t the Harvard of the Pac-10.”

--

grahame.jones@latimes.com