He Almost Got Tired Out Near the Finish

Odds-on favorite T K’s Skipper won Saturday night’s race in the American Pacing Classic Series at Los Alamitos. Shortly after the finish, a loud pop sounded throughout the track.

Videotape of the stretch drive showed that the right wheel of the winner’s sulky was vibrating, providing the bettor who had $20,000 to show on TK’s Skipper a rare opportunity: Cheering for a tire.

‘Dog and Tiger show: Monday’s editions noted that history repeated itself when Chicago’s Kevin Butler kicked the game-winning field goal in the final four seconds to defeat Minnesota. Six years ago Saturday, Butler kicked the game-winner with 11 seconds remaining for Georgia to beat Clemson. The common element was Donald Igwebuike, the Vikings’ kicker Sunday and Clemson’s kicker six years earlier.

Clemson alumnus Mark Crammer suggested that Denver Bronco kicker David Treadwell also be saluted, if only as a footnote.

Sunday, Treadwell kicked a field goal in overtime to beat Seattle. Four years ago Saturday, he kicked a field goal with no time left to give Clemson a 31-28 victory over Georgia. Three years ago Saturday, he kicked a field goal in the last two seconds to beat Georgia, 21-20.

Trivia time: Name the only Division I-A conference in which two pairs of teams have the same nicknames.

By the numbers: Bill Dobson, Occidental’s offensive coordinator, walked onto the field with his players to get ready for the Tigers’ football game against Azusa Pacific Saturday night.

Near midfield, he saw three students in street clothes rehearsing a series of football moves with Oxy sports information director Jim Kerman.

Said Dobson: “He was training his statistics crew. He had a football, and he was walking them through every possible play--straight handoff, lateral, pass behind the line of scrimmage, you name it.

“I thought, ‘Hey, maybe I should go into this much detail with my guys.’ ”

He got the first name right: During Monday night’s telecast of the Buffalo Bills-New York Jets, the announcer on ABC’s promotional spot for Saturday’s USC-Ohio State game pronounced the name of the Trojans’ quarterback, “Todd Mara-NO - vich.”

Unseating news: The Physician and Sportsmedicine magazine, noting in its September issue that Prince Charles of England has suffered two leg fractures in a fall from his polo pony, added:

“According to David E. Nelson, M.D., an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, the rate of serious injuries per riding hour is estimated to be higher for horseback riders than for motorcyclists or automobile racers.”

Swinging at a ghost: Philadelphia Phillie outfielder Lenny Dykstra recently told a reporter how it feels to be competing against Willie McGee for the National League batting championship, now that McGee has been traded to the Oakland Athletics, leaving behind a .335 average and enough at-bats to qualify for the title.

Said Dykstra: “It’s weird, dude. It’s like (McGee) is hitting .335 every day until the end of the year. That’s hard to do in September. . . . It’s a tough league, dude.”

Trivia answer: The Southeastern Conference, with the Auburn Tigers and Louisiana State Tigers, and the Georgia Bulldogs and Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Quotebook: Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench, on National League expansion: “I was thinking about making a comeback until I pulled a muscle vacuuming.”