They Would Like to Sink Rose’s Ambassadorship

Under the headline, “All-Century Team No Place for a Thorny Rose,” Bernie Lincicome of the Chicago Tribune wrote:

“[Pete] Rose is as he was--disgraced, an outcast and, in his own mind, unfairly persecuted.

“ ‘I am the best ambassador baseball has,’ Rose said. ‘My name is synonymous with the game.’

“In the way that Lizzie Borden’s name is connected with hand tools, maybe.”

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More Rose: Ron Cook in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

“Shame on baseball for getting back in bed with Rose.

“The man didn’t belong on the All-Century team, didn’t belong on the field [Sunday night] with the other 17 living legends of that team, doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame and doesn’t belong in baseball.”

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Trivia time: What was the last year that Stanford went undefeated in football conference play?

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Grim comparison: Bill Conlin in the Philadelphia Daily News:

“In the National League, where Chipper Jones and Jeff Bagwell are the favorites [for the MVP award], you can make a case for [the Astros’] Billy Wagner, who has emerged as the most dependable closer since Dr. Jack Kevorkian.”

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Cheap shot? Tom FitzGerald in the San Francisco Chronicle:

“Astro third baseman Ken Caminiti fractured his lower back after falling from a duck blind on a hunting trip.

“But it could have been worse; he could have been hunting with Bobby Knight.”

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Job description: From comedy writer Earl Hochman:

“Laker assistant coach Tex Winter being assigned to be Shaquille O’Neal’s free throw tutor is like asking Mr. Blackwell to be a fashion consultant to Dennis Rodman.”

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Air somebody: Buffalo Bill quarterback Doug Flutie said that when his daughter saw that TV commercial featuring Michael Jordan and Mia Hamm, she asked, “Who’s that guy with Mia?”

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Trivia answer: 1940--and Stanford went on to beat Nebraska in the Rose Bowl game, 21-13. The Cardinal was 10-0 overall and ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press final poll behind Minnesota.

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And finally: Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe on Celtic Coach Rick Pitino:

“This year he promises we’re gonna be in the playoffs. Sounds great. Would be nice.

“It’s sad to contemplate, but we’re coming up to Year 5 of the FleetCenter and there has yet to be an NBA playoff in that building.

“The name ‘Boston Celtics’ simply doesn’t mean anything to the current generation.”