E-Nike

Bill Buckner, refusing to let his infamous 1986 World Series blunder haunt him, is cashing in on it. The former Boston Red Sox first baseman is featured in a new Nike commercial that also includes Michael Jordan, Ken Griffey Jr., Willie Mays and Stan Musial.

In the ad, filmmaker Spike Lee finds Jordan playing minor league ball and points out that he can’t compare to Mays, Musial and Griffey. The three defend Jordan, saying, “He’s trying.”

Then it’s Buckner’s turn. “Michael’s no Bill Buckner,” Lee says as a ground ball shoots between Jordan’s legs. “But he’s trying,” Buckner rejoins.

Good game, coach (Translation: Break a leg)

His opinions seemed oddly placed - coming after a charity game - and even more oddly timed - after an eight-run loss. But Arizona State baseball coach Pat Murphy didn’t hold back, even after the California Angels replacements whipped his Sun Devils 13-5 last week.

Murphy ripped the winners, saying they played at an “A-ball level” and wouldn’t even be good enough to win the Pac-10.

“He might want to spend a little more time evaluating his own program instead of ours,” Angels manager Marcel Lachemann countered.

The Sun Devils coach added that if he had used one of his top two pitchers, “we would have held them to no runs.” Murphy didn’t throw his aces because ASU had a weekend series against Arizona.

“That’s just a lack of class,” Angels outfielder Greg Shockey said. “The only scabs I saw out there were the ones on their rear ends after we kicked them.”

And from pitcher Dion Beck: “If we’re not good enough to win the Pac-10, where does that mean they’ll finish? Eleventh?”

Winning ugly

For the second straight year, a poll conducted by The Hockey News named the emblem of the Cincinnati Cyclones as the worst among minor-league logos.

Don’t expect changes. “It’s always difficult to repeat even a dubious achievement like ‘worst logo’ and we feel it’s quite an achievement,” Cyclones GM Doug Kirchhofer sad. “There’s already talk of a three-peat.”

Geraldo nose boxing

Pernell Whitaker prepped for his bout with Julio Cesar Vasquez by going a round with Geraldo Rivera.

“I went in there and showed (Geraldo) this is not as easy as he thinks it is,” Whitaker said. “Those 3 minutes are very real - and they’re long.”

The work apparently paid off - Sweet Pea won a unanimous decision Saturday night.

According to publicist Mike Boorman, Whitaker mostly clowned around during the promotion. Afterward, Rivera was concerned about his TV looks, asking, “How’s my nose look?”

The last word …

“I hate these sidebars.”

- ESPN’s Mike Patrick, unaware he was on the air during a lull of a recent telecast