Cheap Seats
A man with growing responsibilities
Steve Rosenbloom in the Chicago Tribune: “Writer Argus Hamilton, on Mike McCaskey, the Ivy League-educated (Chicago) Bears chairman, making landscaping decisions at the new Halas Hall:
“`The early betting line in Vegas has the crab grass as a four-touchdown favorite.”’
Dr. Johnson and Mr. Hyde
Greg Hansen of the Arizona Star writing on Randy Johnson, the Diamondbacks’ intimidating pitcher.
“There are few neutral opinions about 35-year-old Randy Johnson. In Seattle, he is viewed as moody and petulant. In Arizona, he’s viewed as a savior.
“`In the end,’ wrote Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times, `Johnson didn’t have a friend on the team. He fought with teammates. He hunkered by his locker stall. He sank into a dark hole. He lost his fire.”’
Wrote Hansen: “In the first six weeks with the D-Backs, Johnson has been the model superstar. He has been a clubhouse joker, accepting public appearance requests with punctuality.”
No longer a pin-up guy
Former Iowa wrestling coach Dan Gable was not pleased when he was passed over as coach of the United States 2000 Olympic team by USA Wrestling, the governing body that instead chose Oklahoma State’s John Smith and Lehigh’s Greg Strobel to guide the squad.
“I just don’t like politics,” Gable said. “When it’s settled on the mat, I’ve always been successful. When it’s settled off the mat, I don’t win very often.”
A practical prospect
An impressive rookie in the Detroit Tigers camp has been Gabe Kapler, an outfielder who prepped at Los Angeles’ Taft High School. “I have no question in my mind that he’s going to be a star,” said Hall of Famer Al Kaline, for one.
Equally impressive is the way Kapler has overcome attention deficit disorder, which was diagnosed his sophomore year of high school.
Judy Kapler, his mother, tells Lynn Henning of the Detroit News, “He told me when he was in junior high school that he had already learned everything there was to know, and that he would just look up the rest.”
High anxiety
The Denver Nuggets nearly blew a 29-point lead before holding on to win a recent game with Seattle.
“If we had lost after having that lead,” Nuggets coach Mike D’Antoni said, “I’d have been up on a ledge somewhere and no one would have been able to talk me down.”
Retorted general manager Dan Issel, “If we had lost that game, nobody would have tried to talk you down.”
Red’s last stand
Red Auerbach, the former Boston Celtics coach and general manager, and now vice chairman of the board, said the Celtics are two players away from being a good team, including one “Charles Oakley-type of rebounder. But not (Dennis) Rodman.
“If they go after him, I’ll retire.”
Even if he’d slam dunk Rick Pitino?
The last word …
“Escape to over 100 cities where nobody makes jokes about the Eagles.”
- Lufthansa Airlines, advertising its new service between Philadelphia and Frankfurt, Germany