Maybe He Should Listen to His Own Advice

Jimmy Johnson, former Cowboy and Dolphin coach, said in an interview with Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that Washington Redskin owner Daniel Snyder “developed an obsession for signing guys who are over the hill because he is new and naive and wanted to buy a Super Bowl.”

Johnson added, “There is still only one key to winning in this league--drafting well, developing young players with young legs, and at the same time managing the salary cap.

“Try to do it otherwise, and you are doomed, even if a quick free agency fix brings temporary success. That won’t last.”

*

More Snyder: Analyst Billy Ray Smith of Fox Sports Net’s “NFL This Morning” on the Redskin owner’s spending habits:

“If you spend like a drunken sailor on aging free agents then you fill the roster with guys that play like drunken sailors.”

And this from Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post: “In just two years, Redskin owner Daniel Snyder has become one of sports’ most controversial lightning rods. Apparently, some people are rooting for the lightning.”

*

Trivia time: Who holds the NBA record for most personal fouls in a season?

*

Snobbery: David Haugh of the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune writes that Notre Dame deserves to play a team with a national following rather than a relatively obscure opponent such as Oregon State in the Jan. 1 Fiesta Bowl.

“This is like a car dealer giving the customer his choice of luxury vehicles in the lot and the customer choosing a Hyundai. Sure, it’s a great choice to people who like Hyundais, but a little hard for the rest of the world to understand.”

That’s a narrow, parochial view considering the Beavers are 10-1 and ranked fifth in the nation. By the way, Oregon State opened as a 2 1/2 to 3-point favorite over the 9-2 Irish.

*

Sure they were: Brazilian authorities canceled 55 different traffic fines against soccer superstar Romario after lawyers said some of the violations were committed by robbers who stole his silver Mercedes-Benz.

Time warp: Jason Caffey, one of three Milwaukee Buck players benched for being late to a noon team meeting Sunday: “I heard 12 o’clock, and to me I interpreted that as be here between 12 and 12:30.”

No big deal. What’s a half hour, give or take, when you’re on a Caffey break?

*

West is best: Of the 14 teams in the NBA’s Western Conference, 10 have records that are .500 or better. Of the 15 teams in the East, only five are .500 or better through Wednesday.

Easy, man, easy: Arn Tellem, agent for New York Yankee signee Mike Mussina: “I think Joe Torre is the Mount Rushmore of managers.”

*

Looking back: On this day in 1963, quarterback Roger Staubach led Navy to its fifth consecutive victory over Army, 21-15. CBS televised the game and introduced “instant replay,” changing televised sports forever.

*

Trivia answer: New Jersey’s Darryl Dawkins, 386 in 1983-84.

*

And finally: Johnette Howard of Newsday, inspired by agent Scott Boras’ demands for his client, Alex Rodriguez, has some of her own:

“I want Rollerball pens, not those cheesy office-issue ballpoints we usually get. I want a personal secretary to transcribe my interview tapes. I want a corner office.

“I want promotional coffee mugs with my picture on them. And yo: I want a private helicopter to shuttle me between games in the city. When I cover games, I want a private skybox made available to me. And be sure to cater it.”