Spiked Balls Never Taken for Granted

Blackie Sherrod in the Dallas Morning News: “If a genie popped out of the rum bottle and granted two wishes, I would like to see how Vince Lombardi and Bud Grant would handle the showboat prances of today’s pros.

“Once someone asked Grant if his Vikings had a ban on spiking the ball after a touchdown.

“ ‘We don’t have a rule against it,’ said Grant. “ ‘They just not better do it, that’s all.’ ”

*

Trivia time: Three players hold the Pacific 10 Conference record for the longest punt return at 100 yards. Who was the first?

*

Creative thinking: San Jose Shark Coach Darryl Sutter, on the NHL’s short-lived, unpopular experiment of having two teams open the season in Tokyo:

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea if both teams went to Hawaii, split the games and laid on the beach and told the league we went to Japan.”

Grand slam? The Cincinnati Red pitcher formerly known as Dennis Reyes has requested his name be spelled Dennys Reyes.

One member of the Cincinnati public relations staff quipped, “Yeah, and if he keeps eating, we’ll have to put the apostrophe in there [Denny’s].”

*

Not so quick, Jason: Jason Quick of the Portland Oregonian had this to say before Sunday’s San Francisco 49er-Indianapolis Colt game: “San Francisco backup [quarterback] Ty Detmer will be in today’s game against the Colts before halftime with a 30-point lead.”

Detmer cooled his heels as the underdog Colts led, 21-17, at halftime, and barely lost, 34-31.

*

Monsters disappear: Before the Bears improved their record to 2-5 by beating Dallas, Bob Verdi of the Chicago Tribune had coined a new nickname for the team: “Marshmallows of the Midway.”

*

Narrow ruling: From Jay Leno: “Nevada doctors have ruled that Mike Tyson is psychologically fit to fight. He’s not psychologically fit to be out in public, of course, but as long as he’s roped off in a small area, crushing a guy’s skull, he’s OK.”

*

Says it all: A fan’s sign spotted at Yankee Stadium at the end of Game 2 of the World Series: Torre Torre Hallelujah!

*

Opinion: Jerry Magee in the San Diego Union-Tribune: “If Kerry Collins does indeed have a drinking problem, he’s in the wrong town.”

Collins was claimed on waivers by the New Orleans Saints.

*

Looking back: On this day in 1973, Fred Dryer of the Los Angeles Rams became the only NFL player to record two safeties in a 24-7 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

*

Trivia answer: Hugh McElhenny of Washington against USC in 1951.

*

And finally: Temple, a 35 1/2-point underdog, upset Virginia Tech last Saturday, 28-24. It ranks as the third-biggest upset in college football, according to historian Dwain Esper.

In 1985, Washington was a 37-point favorite over Oregon State, but lost, 21-20. And, in the same year, Brigham Young was favored by 37 over Texas El Paso and lost, 23-16.