He Hates Losing, and He Plays for Chargers?

Nick Canepa in the San Diego Union-Tribune commenting on Charger linebacker Junior Seau: “At 33 ... he remains the hunter. The attacker. Animated. Relentless. Vigilant. Smarter. More in control of his risks, but still fiercely independent. Still the leader of the band, acting as if every battle could be his last....

“If there is no letup in Seau on the field, there is no letup in him off it.... He practices like a demon. Arrives early and stays late. And why is that? Fear.

“ ‘I’m afraid of being average,’ he says. ‘I have to win at practice. I have to win in the weight room and I have to win in the film room. I have to win beating everybody to the facility in the morning. It’s that sick.’ ”

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Trivia time: Which school has the NCAA Division I-A record for the longest home winning streak?

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Bittersweet goodbye: Jay Greenberg of the New York Post commenting on the retirement of Patrick Ewing at his farewell news conference: “As he tried to warm up for the rest of his life, there was too much lingering chill from autographs not signed and post-practice media obligations blown off, too many regrets over opportunities missed to make the city he claimed to love want to love him back unrequitedly.”

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The real speedster: Bob Hayes, the former 100-meter world record-holder and Olympic gold medalist who died Wednesday, was regarded, in context, as the greatest sprinter of all time.

When asked by this reporter many years ago what was his fastest time for the football 40-yard dash, Hayes said it was 4.3 seconds. Football players at many universities are credited with 40 times of 4.2 and even 4.1, making this the most abused and erroneous statistic in sports.

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Very big kids: The hottest item in a remodeled Illinois locker room was a new jukebox. Recently, the jukebox was removed because the football players didn’t keep their locker room tidy.

“It’s just like my kids at home,” Illini Coach Ron Turner said. “If their room is a mess, I take something away.”

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Set your alarm: Nick Canepa in the San Diego Union-Tribune: “So ESPN has ordered brunch instead of dinner for San Diego State and UCLA. And the Aztecs are getting stuck with the bill. The Aztecs and UCLA will play their football game here a week from Saturday at 11 a.m., as in the morning. All thanks to the network, which insists on running the game nationally on ESPN2 at that time of day. And there’s nothing anybody can do about it--but complain.”

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Astounding! Jim Armstrong in the Denver Post, on Jason Jennings: “A Rockies’ pitcher is going to be the National League rookie of the year? That’s like a stuntman winning an Oscar for best actor.”

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Trivia answer: Miami, 58, 1985-94. It was ended by Washington, 38-20.

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And finally: A rugby player is out for the season after having a tooth pulled--from his arm.

Australian Jamie Ainscough, who plays for the Wigan Warriors in England, tackled Martin Gleeson of St. Helens Saints in a match in July. According to the London Independent, Ainscough’s arm became swollen a few weeks later, and doctors found one of Gleeson’s teeth in the arm.

How the tooth got there is a mystery. There was no suggestion that Gleeson bit Ainscough.