He Might Have Lost a Step, but DeBerg Is DeBest on a Bike

Tampa Bay Coach Sam Wyche is amazed by the physical condition of 39-year-old quarterback Steve DeBerg.

“The guy is in incredible shape,” Wyche told Pro Football Weekly. “The other day after a hot, hot workout, we all came into the locker room to take a shower and cool off. Steve went to the workout room and started riding a stationary bike.

“He challenged myself and some of our coaches to a race. It would be him against all of us. We could have a relay team. He would go it alone.

“We raced for three miles. He beat all of us, even though it was four against one, and he had been practicing all afternoon.”

Trivia time: Ken Griffey Jr. already shares two statistics with Hall of Fame player Stan Musial. What are they?

Pigpen: Boston Red Sox bullpen coach Gary Allenson analyzing some of the worst bullpens in the American League for the Hartford Courant:

Tiger Stadium: “It’s like a submarine, you can’t wait to get out of it.”

Anaheim Stadium: “It’s just too dusty, and it smells. It smells like--tractor pulls.”

Elway’s gift: From New York Giant owner Wellington Mara: “Our club already has its MVP for this season--John Elway. Without Elway, we never would have been able to get Dan Reeves as a coach.”

Hottest seat: Ed Sherman of the Chicago Tribune commenting on the pressure on Ohio State football coach John Cooper:

“There are hot seats in college football, and there’s the hot seat under John Cooper.

“The Ohio State coach seems to have a customized model, complete with a switch where the Buckeye fans can turn up the heat. The dial always is set on high.”

Add Buckeyes: Phil Jackman writes in the Baltimore Sun, “The stated reason Ohio State dumped Earle Bruce as football coach some years back, after several 9-3 seasons, is Bruce was a ‘poor communicator.’

“So, guess who just got named as the color man on Buckeye radio broadcasts this fall after being fired by Colorado State?”

Warning: ABC-TV announcer Keith Jackson told USA Today: “I’ll be at the Stanford-Washington game Sept. 4, and you can figure they’ll stretch jockstraps from (Los Angeles) to Seattle to beat Bill Walsh’s butt after his statements about Washington having an outlaw program.”

Come again: Chicago Cub Manager Jim Lefebvre’s explanation for relief pitcher Randy Myers’ blowing of five consecutive save opportunities: “He’s pressing because he’s trying too hard.”

Trivia answer: They have the same birthplace, Donora, Pa., and the same birthday, Nov. 21.

Quotebook: Nick Price, who has won four PGA Tour events this year, on his definition of playing in a zone: “When I’m on the tee, I’ll see a divot in the fairway and try to run my ball over that divot. That’s the zone.”