Something Is Rotten in Vermont

It’s called the greatest smell-off of them all. It’s the 17th annual Odor-Eaters International Rotten Sneaker Contest that will be held Friday at Montpelier, Vt.

Youngsters from across the country will compete for the dubious honor of having the foulest-smelling footwear.

Neither the city’s worst flood in 65 years nor the power outage that followed will postpone the annual event.

“The contest is an important part of life here,” Montpelier Mayor Ann Cummings said. “We can’t disappoint these kids who have come so far and worked so hard in odor achievement, dragging their feet through muck and mire and driving their mothers mad.”

Add sneakers: One of the contestants is 10-year-old Alex Momdjian of Glendale. His father, Pierre, who works at a gas station, says his son’s shoes are worse than any fumes he has ever smelled.

Trivia time: Name the team UCLA defeated in 1964 to win its first NCAA basketball championship.

Canvas ticket: Italian state television doesn’t want the public to see political candidates in sports events because it would be tantamount to giving them free publicity.

So a 10-round heavyweight bout between Fracesco Damiani and American Frankie Swindell was canceled because Damiani is a candidate in next month’s parliamentary elections.

Damiani is running on the Republican ticket, although some boxing observers in the United States wondered if he might be seeking election as a pacifist.

When last seen in the United States, he was rubbing his sore nose with boxing gloves while being counted out after being knocked down by Ray Mercer.

Farr out: New York Yankee relief pitcher Steve Farr is known as “The Beast,” in part because of his fierce work habits.

His fiancee apparently approves of the nickname. She has a vanity license plate that reads, BEAUTEE.

Royal deckhand: The exiled King Constantine of Greece, an avid sailor, was the 17th man aboard America 3in its race against Stars & Stripes last Friday.

Helmsman Buddy Melges was asked how he addressed the King. “Your majesty--I mean, ‘Your majesty, get your butt over here.’ ”

Dracula complex: Baseball players are regarded as the most superstitious athletes. Baltimore Oriole relief pitcher Gregg Olson fits right in.

“I got caught up in a lot of superstition that I turned into truth,” Olson told Mike Littwin of the Baltimore Sun on his performance last year.

“Like there was this day-night thing. I had a bad day game, and suddenly it was like I couldn’t pitch in day games. And I convinced myself that I couldn’t pitch in domes. A Sunday day game in a dome was a nightmare.”

Add Olson: He’s now sporting a beard and mustache to look intimidating.

“The idea is to look nasty,” he said. “Goose Gossage was real nasty looking. Of course, he could also throw it 98 miles an hour.”

Historical event: While meeting at the Plaza Hotel in New York for collective-bargaining talks, NHL owners conferred in the Versailles Room.

Said one writer: “If they settle this thing, they can call it the Treaty of Versailles.”

Trivia answer: Duke.

Quotebook: Detroit forward John Salley on a proposed trade that would have sent him to Portland in exchange for 280-pound center Kevin Duckworth: “The trade would have been good for Kevin because restaurants are open later in Detroit.”