Playgrounds Gave Hurley Winning Edge

Bobby Hurley of Duke, who played all 80 minutes in the semifinals and final as the Blue Devils won their first NCAA basketball championship, told Mike Littwin of the Baltimore Sun that he had never been one to back down from a challenge.

“I didn’t grow up in the suburbs or anything like that,” said the native of Jersey City, N.J. “I played on the playgrounds, right there in the projects. There were no refs. There was nobody to stop someone from beating you up.

“I was a little nervous at first. I was the only white kid playing. But the guys I played with respected what I did on the court.”

Trivia Time: Before Wilt Chamberlain’s jersey No. 13 was retired last month by the Philadelphia 76ers, what other numbers had been retired by the 76ers?

Say what?: In a story detailing the team’s signing of Plan B free agent Roger Craig, the Associated Press reported that the Raiders “haven’t been to the Super Bowl in 10 years.”

They won Super Bowl XVIII on Jan. 22, 1984.

Lights out: On April 3, 1936, Al Carr knocked out Lew Massey less than 10 seconds into the first round of a lightweight bout in New Haven, Conn., the quickest knockout in professional boxing history.

Although the official time of the knockout is sometimes listed as 10 seconds of the first round, the fight was stopped after seven seconds as Massey rested on the canvas, according to Bert Sugar, publisher and editor of Boxing Illustrated.

Now-it-can-be-told Dept.: Christian Laettner of Duke was upset and frustrated after the Blue Devils upset Nevada Las Vegas in the semifinals of the NCAA basketball tournament, according to Alan Greenberg of the Hartford Courant.

Why?

It took him more than an hour to produce a urine specimen for the NCAA drug tests, causing him to miss celebrating the victory with his teammates in the locker room.

“I went, but it wasn’t enough,” Laettner said. “I had to wait around, and then go again. I went to the bathroom three times before the game because I wasn’t thinking about drug testing. I’ve been drug-tested a lot and I’m usually the first one out because I replenish my liquids on the bench during the game. But I played (all) 40 minutes, so I was never on the bench, drinking. I was dry, I guess.”

Is nothing safe?: According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, billiards and pool accounted for 4,153 injuries that required emergency room care in 1990. Horseshoes accounted for 2,466 such injuries, marbles 2,216, badminton 1,980 and table tennis 1,732.

Not even rooting is safe.

Cheerleading accounted for 8,628 injuries requiring emergency care.

Wire to wire: According to Sports Illustrated, when pitcher Al Leiter and his agent negotiated a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, they insisted on a $50,000 bonus if Leiter won the Associated Press comeback-player-of-the-year award.

The Blue Jays agreed, knowing they would never have to pay.

Why? The award is given by United Press International.

Trivia Answer: Julius Erving’s No. 6, Hal Greer’s No. 15, Bobby Jones’ No. 24 and Billy Cunningham’s No. 32.

Quotebook: Coach Roy Williams of Kansas, after the Jayhawks made only 41.5% of their shots during Monday night’s 72-65 loss to Duke: “I’ve never seen the basket seem like it had a lid on it like it did for Kansas tonight.”