Red Sox provocateur does N.Y.

As Red Sox players and fans celebrated their World Series triumph during a parade, a Boston Globe reporter wearing a Red Sox cap wandered New York to incite reaction.

Matt Viser was snubbed, cursed, elbowed, told repeatedly that Red Sox fans were pompous, and ultimately denied a taxi ride to Yankee Stadium.

“Nah, brah, you don’t want to go there,” the cabbie assured. “You’re going to get pushed, shoved and punched in the face.”

And, for embarking on such an assignment, he probably would have deserved it.

No more cheers

From syndicated columnist Norman Chad: “When they whined about the Curse of the Bambino, Red Sox fans were self-pitying but somewhat lovable. These days, they are just cocky and obnoxious.

“Now I know why Shelly Long left ‘Cheers.’ ”

Trivia time

When was the last time a football team with two league losses won the Pacific 10 Conference championship?

Lateral movement

Lost amid the hoopla surrounding big-time schools was little Trinity University’s miraculous 28-24 victory over Millsaps last Saturday.

The Division III Tigers scored the winning touchdown on the game’s final play -- by using 15 laterals while covering 60 yards. (It can be viewed on YouTube.)

Riley Curry, who got the ball four times, crossed the goal line 62 seconds after the ball was snapped.

Fans may recall that California used laterals in its monumental triumph over Stanford in 1982 -- but only five of them.

Trinity Coach Steve Mohr said he could hardly believe his eyes, adding, “We couldn’t do that against air if we tried.”

‘A’ for arrogance

CBS Sports reporter Scott Miller, on Alex Rodriguez announcing he was opting out of his record-setting contract with the Yankees in the middle of a World Series game:

“It’s an incredibly selfish act by an incredibly selfish man, and no matter what kind of spin he attempts to put on this one, it will only be one more disingenuous and vacuous comment from an empty silk suit.”

Still trying

Allen Iverson, with 20,824 points, tops a list of active scoring leaders who have not won an NBA championship.

Behind him are Kevin Garnett (19,041), Ray Allen (16,954), Stephon Marbury (15,876) and Paul Pierce (15,375).

For the new Boston Celtics trio of Garnett, Allen and Pierce, winning a title this season is a realistic ambition.

For Iverson and the Denver Nuggets it’s possible but unlikely.

But for Marbury and the New York Knicks, it’s an impossible dream.

Pointed critique

Bernie Lincicome of the Rocky Mountain News, on how bad Iverson’s former team will be without him: “The Philadelphia 76ers will be so bad, they will have to change their number to the 55ers to better reflect their scoring average.”

Trivia answer

Last season. USC and California finished 7-2 and USC, by virtue of its triumph over Cal, earned a berth in the Rose Bowl.

And finally

Mike Golic in ESPN the Magazine, on an issue fathers across the country will wrestle with tonight: “It is completely acceptable to eat your children’s trick-or-treat candy. Without you, they wouldn’t have a roof over their heads.”

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pete.thomas@latimes.com