Now, Just Who Was That Senior Athlete?

At a track luncheon in New York to publicize Saturday night’s meet at the Meadowlands, Bill Cosby showed up and announced he will compete as a member of a seniors relay team.

Cosby then reeled off some one-liners, and everyone was laughing, including a contingent of Romanian athletes and coaches. One of the coaches, who sppeaks English, was asked if the Romanians knew who Cosby was.

“Oh sure,” he said. “Bing Crosby.”

The New Jersey Generals make their camp at the University of South Florida where meals are served at the school’s cafeteria.

Generals Coach Walt Michaels, talking about the impact of Doug Flutie’s signing, told newsmen: “The school already has received applications from an additional 100 college girls to work in the cafeteria.”

Add Flutie: Agent Bob Woolf said the contract was the toughest he ever had tackled and revealed that both sides called in prestigious law firms to hammer out the final terms.

Woolf turned to a law firm that carries the name of legal giant Louis Nizer. The Generals called in the firm that just represented Ariel Sharon in his libel suit against Time Inc.

For what it’s worth: Before Stan Morrison took over as USC’s basketball coach, the Trojans hadn’t beaten UCLA in nine years. Over a 16-year period, USC’s record against UCLA was 2-36.

Morrison, 5-6 against the Bruins, told the Daily Trojan after Friday night’s win: “They told me when I got this job all I had to do was beat the Bruins. They lied to me. I’ve found you have to do a lot more than that.”

Add Morrison: Of playmaker Larry Friend, who made the decisive free throws against UCLA and the winning shot against Oregon State, he said: “He doesn’t surprise me. You can have a big Cadillac, but it won’t run without the little key. He’s the key.”

Not that Morrison was comparing USC to a Cadillac.

“We’re just an old pickup truck that keeps plodding along,” he said.

Low Blow Dept.: From a hockey column by Robert Fachet of the Washington Post:

“Q. What do the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Maple Leafs have in common.

“A. Neither can play hockey.”

Paul Hornung once again was snubbed by the pro football Hall of Fame, and Larry Guest of the Orlando Sentinel is somewhat outraged.

Of Hornung’s one-year suspension for gambling, Guest writes: “Hey, I forgave Hornung a long time ago. How can anyone from today’s society continue to condemn Hornung for making some bets on his own team 23 years ago? He was punished back then by losing one precious year of his career. Is it possible that we are still punishing him now?

“Talk about hypocrisy. Can it be the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles can continue to be a known compulsive gambler (and loser) who uses his name as collateral, but a fine player like Hornung is denied his rightful place in the league’s Hall of Fame because of a few bets made in 1962?

“Give me a break.”

Quotebook

Middleweight champion Marvin Hagler, on the guaranteed $5.1-million purse for his scheduled April 15 fight against Thomas Hearns: “There will be two winners--me and the IRS.”