‘Perceived’ wisdom on Love, Mayo

Gary Parrish of CBSsports.com has assigned roles of “perceived” good guy and bad guy to UCLA center Kevin Love and USC guard O.J. Mayo and asserts theirs will become a rivalry within the cross-town basketball rivalry.

The star freshmen, Parrish explains, “do not come from similar backgrounds, nor have their careers taken similar paths, which is to say Love has never dunked a ball, grabbed it, thrown it into the crowd and torn his jersey off in a matter of seconds.

“To my knowledge, he has also never been ejected from a game for bumping an official. Mayo has accomplished both those feats.”

The teams meet for the first time Jan. 19 at Pauley Pavilion.

Trivia time

Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson has rushed for 1,036 yards and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s rookie record of 1,808 yards in 1983. Who are behind Dickerson in second and third?

Tuning out

Arizona Coach Mike Stoops says it’s harder to get through to football players these days, what with all the gizmos available to them.

“It is ultimately a challenge to get the point across to them when they are walking around with headphones and stuff in their ears 24-7,” Stoops told the Tucson Citizen. “They have every electronic gadget known to man. It drives me nuts.”

That ‘70s show

If the New England Patriots follow the trail blazed by the Boston Red Sox, it’d mark the fourth time since 1970 that teams from the same city won World Series and Super Bowl titles during the same season.

And what a difference 37 years makes. In 1970, the Baltimore Orioles trounced the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. Three months later, on Jan. 17, 1971, the Colts edged the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V.

But this was before the media explosion and unrelenting hype. The Orioles, for example, could not sell out Memorial Stadium for the clinching Series victory; and the Colts did not even merit a parade after they became Super Bowl champions.

Said safety Rick Volk to the Baltimore Sun: “By the time we got home, all the excitement was gone.”

Waxing nostalgic

David Thomas of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, on Notre Dame’s falling to Navy to end the Irish’s 43-game win streak over the Midshipmen: “Before Saturday, the last time Navy beat Notre Dame in football, ‘McHale’s Navy’ was on television.”

Age of discovery

Central Florida’s Kevin Smith has rushed for 1,448 yards and, by some accounts, is a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Not bad considering he was widely recruited as a defensive back but chose UCF when Coach George O’Leary told him he could play running back.

Writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: “When it comes to uncovering sunken treasure, O’Leary might go down as college football’s version of Jacques Cousteau.”

Miller time -- again

Dennis Miller, who spent the 2000 and 2001 seasons in the “Monday Night Football” booth, is back in the sports business.

A weekly series titled “Sports Unfettered With Dennis Miller” debuts tonight on Versus, with Al Michaels and Curt Schilling as guests.

Miller, who during his initial foray was criticized for a lack of sports knowledge, said of his new venture, “I don’t know everything about sports, but I do know hypocrisy when I smell it, and I have to tell you, the sports fridge has gotten a little gamey lately.”

Trivia answer

George Rogers, 1,674 yards for New Orleans in 1981, and Ottis Anderson, 1,605 yards for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1977.

And finally

Brian Costello of the New York Post, on actions and statements that have made Patriots Coach Bill Belichick a less-than-beloved figure outside of Massachusetts: “It’s enough to make you throw out all your hooded sweatshirts.”

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pete.thomas@latimes.com