Neither Is Spared in Bowling Debate

Every year, pro bowling gets better ratings on TV than college basketball, and every year, Billy Packer disputes the figures. Finally, according to the Chicago Tribune, Packer decided to take his own survey.

“He walked through an airport and claimed he talked to 39 people before he found one who could identify bowling broadcaster Nelson Burton Jr.,” the Tribune said.

“That led Burton to conduct a survey of his own. He walked through an airport and claimed he talked to 50 people before he could find one who knew Billy Packer.

“And that guy, Burton said, thought Packer played for Green Bay.”

Broadcaster Al McGuire, on Indiana basketball Coach Bob Knight: “I got a funny feeling he’s going to take off this year. Go into outer space. Become a kamikaze. I mean that in a good sense. Since the chair heard ‘round the world, I think Bob Knight’s kinda got the monkey off his back. He skates the razor’s edge, but he’s a very smart guy.”

Here’s the question, and don’t say you don’t give a hoot: How did Temple get the nickname Owls?

Answer. The university, founded in 1884, originally was a night school.

Trivia Time: Earnest Jackson, who gained more than 1,000 yards for the San Diego Chargers in 1984 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 1985, needs 145 yards to do it for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season. He thus would become the first player in National Football League history to go over 1,000 yards for three teams. Who besides Jackson has done it for two teams? (Answer below.)

Texas Ranger slugger Pete Incaviglia will wear glasses next season, and Manager Bobby Valentine told Marty Noble of Newsday: “Hopefully, he will see more. And if he does, the rest of us might see some things we’ve never seen before.

“He must have come into my office 10 times and said, ‘Skip, I’m just not seeing the ball like I usually do.’ And me, in my infinite wisdom, I told him, ‘Hey, it’s big league pitching. You’ll adjust.’ Now they test him and find out he has 20-60 in his left eye. They tell me that means he’s picking up pitches 20 feet from the plate instead of 60. It’s regrettable he didn’t get to see where some of the home runs landed.”

A clause in the contract of New York Met Manager Davey Johnson, specifying he not be paid less than the manager of the New York Yankees, earned Johnson a raise for next season.

Said Yankee Manager Lou Piniella: “Tell Davey he doesn’t owe me anything. All he has to do is play my cousin at third base.”

Piniella’s cousin is Dave Magadan, the former University of Alabama hitting sensation.

Chicago Bear quarterback Doug Flutie, on Monday night’s 16-13 win over Detroit: “Thank goodness for Walter Payton and the running game.”

Trivia Answer: Mike Garrett (Kansas City, San Diego), Delvin Williams (San Francisco, Miami), Chuck Muncie (New Orleans, San Diego), Wendell Tyler (Rams, San Francisco), George Rogers (New Orleans, Washington).

Quotebook

Bobby Valentine, on why he read a history of the Texas Rangers upon being appointed manager of the team: “I wanted to know everything my players should forget.”