Raider Fans, Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Rocket Ismail of the Oakland Raiders witnessed what he believed was a life-sparing scene last Friday night at Stanford Stadium, where the Raiders and New England Patriots played an exhibition game.

“I turned around and saw this New England fan wearing all this New England stuff, and he was in a sea of Raider fans,” Ismail told Victor Chi of the San Jose Mercury News.

“They were all booing and everything. But in L.A. a guy dressed like that would have been close to dead. They would have beat the mess out of him.”

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Trivia time: Who was the first USC athlete to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated?

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No other option: Mike Macfarlane, Boston Red Sox catcher, grew up in Stockton wanting to become the next George Brett.

“But,” he explained, “my dad said, ‘You’ve got that squatty body. You’re going to be a catcher.’ ”

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Court cops: A U.S. Open prediction by tennis guru Bud Collins: “German internal revenue officials will descend on the stadium court to seize Steffi Graf’s rackets and sneakers as hostages until her tax problems are solved.”

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Hall of Shame: It was noted here recently that quarterback Dave Krieg’s biography in the Arizona Cardinal media guide runs 40 pages.

He also gets a mention in the NFL record book: most fumbles in a career, 128.

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Spirit of ‘96: Colin Campbell of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on the city hosting the Summer Olympics: “Everybody I know is eager to gouge some rich foreigners by renting them their homes.”

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Freedom road: Michael Barrow, Houston Oiler linebacker, was ecstatic on leaving training camp in San Antonio and returning to Houston:

“I felt like I was in Egypt in biblical days. Interstate 10 opened up like the Red Sea. When camp ended, we said: ‘Part it, Moses, and let’s get the hell out of here.’ ”

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Update: Mitch (Wild Thing) Williams, the retired Angel pitcher, is now concentrating on team roping (of cattle) competition from his home in Hico, Tex.

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False alarm: Joe Falls in the Detroit News: “Message on the scoreboard at Milwall, a south London soccer club: ‘Ex-wives disposed of without a trace.’

“Relax. It was an ad for a tattoo parlor.”

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Morbid: Buddy Ryan, Arizona Cardinal coach, after losing a recent exhibition game to the Cleveland Browns: “I’ve never seen worse tackling in my life. It was like a string of dead bodies behind every run.”

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Looking back: On this day in 1934, the Chicago Bears and College All-Stars played to a scoreless tie at Soldier Field before 79,432 in the first game of this series.

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Trivia answer: Shotputter Parry O’Brien, who appeared on the issue of March 21, 1955.

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Quotebook: Bobby Beathard, San Diego Charger general manager, on the new NFL rules to protect quarterbacks: “It’s [agent] Leigh Steinberg expanding his income.”