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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Cheap Seats

The spy who loved meat

Abe Gibron, the former Chicago Bears coach who died recently, stood 5-foot-11 and weighed well over 300 pounds.

When he was scouting for the Seattle Seahawks in 1985, Sam Wyche, then coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, accused Chuck Knox, Seattle’s coach, of sending Gibron to a Bengal game to steal sideline signals.

Knox said he sent Gibron to scout, not spy. “If we were to send a spy,” Knox said, “I would think we would be a little more discreet about it. We had to get Abe two seats in the press box.”

They should go one-on-one in the ring

A sports talk show host isn’t likely to be charged in Los Angeles after he offered a bounty on former National Hockey League superstar Gordie Howe.

Jim Rome, a nationally syndicated sports talk host with KTIK sports radio in Los Angeles, was raising money to give to any player who would punch Howe during the 69-year-old’s bid to be the first person to play professional hockey in six decades, a feat he achieved Friday night.

Although one of Howe’s attorneys, Wayne Logan, said he asked the Los Angeles police department to investigate the matter, a police spokesman said it’s unlikely they’ll file charges against Rome. California law prohibits anyone from using words to provoke an altercation.

“As far as the threat goes, I’d have to say it’s a real wobbler,” Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Mike Partain said. “It sounds a lot more like a tongue-in-cheek situation than anything else. It doesn’t sound like malicious intent to me.”

After getting decked by Jim Everett, Rome realizes he can’t do his own fighting.

Perhaps Bo knows innovation

Remember Bo Jackson, Heisman Trophy-winning tailback at Auburn in 1985, school career leader with 4,303 yards? This year, No. 8 Auburn is averaging 95 yards rushing per game, next-to-last in the Southeastern Conference.

Auburn is not alone. Not in the SEC. Not nationally.

You want to talk about the sad decline of Tailback U? The school that coined the term, Southern Cal, the school that produced four, count ‘em, four Heisman Trophy-winning tailbacks - Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Charles White and Marcus Allen - had a 123-yard outburst last weekend against Cal, moving from 112th to 109th nationally in rushing.

First the platoon system, now the passing game. How will football survive?

Don’t expect a friendship bouquet

In a recent game against Oakland, the New York Jets fooled the Raiders with a fake-punt pass completion. When asked if the play was designed to send a message to the rest of the NFL, Jets coach Bill Parcells replied: “Message? We’re trying to win the game, we’re not sending any messages. This isn’t some FTD Florist operation here.”

The last word …

“It’s expected he’ll be given two choices for his punishment, either a year in jail or six months announcing Clippers games.”- Jay Leno on Marv Albert

, DataTimes