At 1-0, Pitino Already Was Toast of Town

Dan Shaughnessy in the Boston Globe on the Celtics’ upset victory over the Chicago Bulls in the NBA opener for both teams Friday:

“A couple of hours after it was over--after the loudest cheers ever heard in the New Garden--Rick Pitino celebrated with family, friends and associates at Fours Boston on Canal Street in the heart of downtown Celtic Nation.

“By now we know that there are no small gatherings when it comes to toasting Little Ricky. This young coach has a bigger entourage than Mike Tyson, Frank Sinatra, or Bill Clinton.”

All this after one game in an 82-game schedule?

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Trivia time: Who holds the NFL record for touchdown passes in consecutive games?

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NBA pest: Chris Gatling of the New Jersey Nets on his defense: “I’m like a pebble in somebody’s shoe, always irritating and bothering.

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Modest: When New York Jet receiver Keyshawn Johnson was asked about Baltimore’s defensive backs last week, he replied: “No one is a threat to me.”

He caught four passes for 63 yards as the Jets won in overtime, 19-16, so it wasn’t idle chatter.

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Dynasty crumbling: Dallas running back Emmitt Smith before the Cowboys lost to the 49ers on Sunday: “We’re the best 4-4 team in the league.”

Presumably, the Cowboys are now the best 4-5 team in the league.

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Add Cowboys: It’s gloom and doom in Dallas. This from Randy Galloway of the Dallas Morning News: “Forget the postseason. Forget the Cowboys. Ding-dong Dallas is dead. By Christmas, Jerry [Jones] will be stuffing stockings with pink slips.”

Galloway’s colleague, Frank Luksa, wrote: “The Cowboys aren’t America’s team anymore. They’re more like America’s guest. The team is 1-5 on the road, a record flat enough to qualify as a road kill.”

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Crash course: Washington Redskin offensive lineman Shar Pourdanesh on switching from left to right tackle:

“It’s like learning to drive in Great Britain--at 200 mph. Everything is going to be reversed.”

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Not a clue: Longtime Detroit sports columnist Joe Falls’ new book is titled: “50 Years of Sports Writing (And I Still Can’t Tell the Difference Between a Slider and a Curve).”

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Looking back: On this day in 1993, Evander Holyfield regained the WBA and IBF heavyweight championships from Riddick Bowe in a fight disrupted by a parachutist, who tumbled into the ringside seats at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

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Trivia answer: John Unitas of the Baltimore Colts, 47, from 1956-60.

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And finally: Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch provides an example of an Atlanta Falcon play call under Coach Dan Reeves:

“Ace right, trip slot, fullback motion Q, hot louis wing and Y out, quarterback read draw.

“All that for a pass play that involves nothing more complex than some five-yard out patterns.”