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I like to dream …

South Carolina Gov. David Beasley has shanked 3-woods with Hale Irwin and dropped the starting flag for Darlington Raceway’s Southern 500. “That’s a part of the job I love,” Beasley said.

The guv also loves to brag. During a recent speech to high school students, Beasley portrayed himself as a former world-class athlete, claiming that he once ran the 100-yard dash in a stunning 9.5 seconds and covered the 40 in 4.3. For good measure, he waxed about his glory days in the ‘76 College World Series (he was on the Clemson team, but didn’t play).

Beasley retreated only when the Charlotte Observer rolled its eyes. “I admit to some exaggerations, but that’s it,” conceded Beasley, who dumped his athletic aspirations in 1979, when he was elected to the legislature at age 21. “And I take it very seriously if anyone were to suggest that these off-the-cuff remarks in any way reflected negatively on my personal integrity and/or character.”

Beasley’s retreat took just 3.4 seconds - a world record, the governor claimed.

Just try to buy it

Nike has added Roy Jones Jr. to its gear-hawking portfolio, even though the company doesn’t sell anything the boxing champion wears. Sound weird? “It does constitute something of a risk on our part,” conceded Terdema Ussery, director of the Nike Management Group, which has the likes of Michael Jordan and Ken Griffey Jr. under contract.

With the exception of the work shoes that are specially handcrafted for Jones’ use, Nike doesn’t manufacture gear for fighters. Nor does it plan to. Jones is somewhat amused. “Everybody’s trying to get shoes like mine,” the IBF super middleweight champ said. “Fighters come up to me and say, ‘Where can I get a pair of those?’ I say, ‘You can’t get them, brother. They’re one of a kind.”’ Don’t look for boxing mainstays like Everlast to follow Nike’s lead. “Muhammad Ali was the most well-known athlete in the world, ever, and to this day he isn’t marketable,” Everlast’s Dennis Clancy said.

“Nike takes a shoe that costs them $7 to manufacture overseas and sells it for $60 in stores. If they’re paying Michael Jordan $10 million or whatever, they call the same shoe an ‘Air Jordan’ and mark it up to $120. We can’t do that in boxing. Our shoe costs $80. How much can we charge by calling it the Julio Cesar Chavez Special?” Forget the Chavez Special - there’s gotta be a market for some Don King sneaks. Call ‘em Hot Air Kings.

NBA, Inc.

Shaquille O’Neal still wants to go back to his college No.33 and give his No.32 jersey to free-agent signee Jon Koncak, but the NBA is balking because so many O’Neal 32 jerseys have been sold.

Said Koncak: “I could see a lot of No.32 jerseys ending up in a bonfire when they find out Jon Koncak is wearing it.”

As often as Koncak gets burned, those No.32 jerseys won’t need a bonfire to ignite.

The last word …

“There’s no ego in my life. But 15-20 years ago, I was wandering around Arkansas and Bill Clinton was running around Arkansas. Who would have ever thought that one would go on to power, prestige and fame - and the other (would) end up President of the United States?” - Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, on HBO’s “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel”

, DataTimes