His Odd Diet Left Them All Open-Mouthed

Sam Farmer, in his book “Bitter Roses,” chronicling the University of Washington football fortunes, tells the story of a day in Oregon’s Autzen Stadium when someone threw a dog biscuit at the Husky bench.

Assistant coach Jim Lambright picked it up and sought to inspire his linebackers by snapping, “See this? This is what these people think of you. This is how much they respect you.”

Lineman Dave Hoffmann snatched the biscuit from the coach and stuffed it in his mouth.

“Turning to the section from which it was launched,” Farmer wrote, “he slowly chewed, swallowed, and smiled. . . . The rabid fans in the section fell momentarily silent, perhaps sickened, or maybe enlightened with the knowledge that there was a guy on the field crazier than they were, a guy who was prepared to do anything to win this football game.”

Add Huskies: Jamal Fountaine, a Husky defensive end, said of Hoffmann’s snack: “If you were butting heads for two hours every day, you’d be eating dog biscuits, too.”

Trivia time: Other than Rocky Marciano, who was the only boxer to retire while holding the heavyweight championship?

This could hurt: Mike Garrett, the new USC athletic director, was playing against the Oakland Raiders one day when he skittered around big Ben Davidson, only to run into the other gigantic end, Ike Lassiter.

Garrett darted back and forth until Lassiter grabbed him by the right leg. Just about that time, Davidson arrived and grabbed his left leg. Said Davidson: “OK, Ike, make a wish.”

Quick lesson: Arnold Palmer says he has the answer for anyone who wants to take five strokes off their golf game.

“It’s called an eraser,” he said.

No progress: When Sergei Bubka pole vaulted in the 1991 Sunkist indoor meet at the Sports Arena, he protested the runway, claiming it hampered his performance.

Bubka’s winning height at the Sunkist was 19-8 1/4. Last week he won his fourth world championship at Stuttgart. His height: 19-8 1/4.

Sounds like: Motocrosser Jeremy McGrath was headed for a race in Rochester, Minn., when he boarded a plane at Ontario. When he landed, he rented a car to head for his hotel, Holiday Inn South. When he asked for directions, a clerk told him there was no such hotel in the area.

“After a while, I figured out I was in Rochester, N.Y.,” McGrath said. “My ticket was right, but I got the wrong gate and no one noticed it.”

But not Marge: The official 1993 Cincinnati Red team photo will include the banished mascot, Schottzie 02, who like team owner Marge Schott is barred from the playing field this year. The St. Bernard fidgeted through a 20-minute photo session in center field. By custom, the dog sat in front of the manager, Davey Johnson.

“The dog didn’t like to be in that picture, I know that,” Johnson said. “She wanted to be somewhere else, and kind of let it be known. Maybe she would have been better if we were in first place.”

Trivia answer: Gene Tunney.

Quotebook: Country music singer Emmylou Harris, on life while performing on tour: “The only thing on television that isn’t going to give you a headache is baseball.”