Sports in brief: Greene collects his ‘Coke’ award

Mean Joe Greene already had his four Super Bowl rings. Now, 30 years later, he also has his CLIO for one of TV’s most famous commercials.

Greene earned the award, given annually for excellence in advertising, for his role in the 1979 commercial in which he flipped his game jersey to a young fan who handed him a cold Coke as the weary Steelers’ lineman limped to the locker room following a game.

The commercial has been frequently cited as among the best in TV history.

Greene was not available to receive the award at the time it was presented. When Coke realized upon the 30th anniversary of the commercial’s airing that Greene still didn’t have it, a ceremony was held before the Bengals- Steelers game Sunday.

Tommy Okon, who played the wide-eyed youngster in the commercial, watched as Greene was given the award. He was 9 at the time of the filming.

Associated Press

Cougars, Eagles get together

The coaches know each other. The schools? Not so much.

Washington State University hosts Eastern Washington tonight at 7 in a non-conference basketball game between two schools separated by about 75 miles, but that have played only once since the 1998-99 season.

That one game, a 68-41 WSU win in 2007, marked the debut of Eastern coach Kirk Earlywine.

Cougars head coach Ken Bone made his WSU debut Friday, a 94-66 win over Mississippi Valley State. The Cougars were led by guard Klay Thompson, with 20 points, and post DeAngelo Casto, who added 18.

But Bone knows Earlywine’s teams well.

While at Portland State, Bone and the Vikings played EWU twice a season in Big Sky Conference play.

Vince Grippi

Carroll draws Dickinson St.

Montana’s Carroll College, ranked No. 2 in NAIA college football, will host a rival from North Dakota for its first playoff game.

The Helena-based school’s powerhouse football team, which won all 11 games this year, is due to play 7-3 Dickinson State on Saturday at noon.

Associated Press