Cheap Seats

Another Bobby Knight follower

Pity the poor reporter assigned to get a quote from Tennessee linebacker Al Wilson.

“I hate the media,” he told a gathering of writers in Arizona. Asked how much he hated them, on a scale of 1 to 10, he snapped:

“Minus one.”

Don’t mess with the paperboy

Will Bush used to deliver John Thompson’s morning newspaper. Now he is a Big East official.

Wednesday, Bush delivered an ejection to Thompson in the form of two technical fouls. Bush also called a technical on Georgetown assistant coach Craig Esherick.

“I personally have a problem with Will calling our games,” Thompson said. “Will was my paperboy at one time. I think familiarity creates a problem sometimes. You go out of your way to show that you’re grown up. Or you go out of your way to show you’re emphatic about things.

“First of all, Craig did not curse at him. And (Bush) was on the other side of the court. So, in order to call a technical foul on Craig, he had to be listening and looking for that.”

Esherick said he yelled at Bush but did not curse.

“This is my 20th year of coaching, and this is my first technical foul ever. Ever. Ever,” Esherick said.

Broncos can’t compete

Minnesota Vikings All-Pro defensive tackle John Randle was asked if he has followed the Denver Broncos much this season.

“Not really,” he said. “I was more concerned with `The Young and the Restless.’ I’ve been watching that weekly. You’ve got Victor Newman and finding out what’s going to happen to him. Victor’s got some problems. He’s staying with his ex-wife. His daughter just lost a baby. I don’t want to go into full detail, but that’s more of my concern than Denver right now.”

This guy would trade his own son

Bob Boone remembers the time Al Campanis, then the Los Angeles Dodgers’ general manager, traded his own son, Jimmy, to the Kansas City Royals. Boone never thought he would have a similar experience.

“It’s a strange emotional feeling,” Boone said. “I’ve had the opportunity in the course of my career to do some pretty unusual things and be around some special things. I never had the opportunity to trade your kid.”

As a member of the Cincinnati Reds’ front office, Boone participated in the November trade that sent his son, Bret, to the Atlanta Braves for Denny Neagle. Did Bob, a former major league catcher, feel any guilt?

“No, I’m pretty analytical,” he said. “My wife is a little upset at me.”

Buns of steel (springs)

Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns, 40, is another of those fighters who can’t quit. In his first fight since Nov. 29, 1996, Hearns knocked out Jay “Swamp Man” Snyder, a 37-year-old South Carolina maintenance worker.

“Swamp Man” was knocked out three times in the first round last year. Hearns hit him so hard, both boxers fell.

“I’ve never hit anybody like that before,” Hearns said. “I was up fast, wasn’t I? I’ve got springs in my butt.”

And rocks in your head.

The last word …

“Si.”

- Cincinnati Reds manager Jack McKeon when asked if he spoke French.