Inside Story: A Stilt Is Better Than a Swoosh

The NBA recently released a list of its 50 greatest players, but the selections weren’t ranked. Inside Sports magazine takes care of that in its February edition. And, No. 1 is . . .

Wilt Chamberlain ahead of No. 2 Michael Jordan with these comments:

Chamberlain: “Most unstoppable player in history.”

Jordan: “Even Nike can’t buy No. 1.”

The 50th player on the list is former New York Knick Dave DeBusschere with this succinct comment: “Why?”

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Trivia time: Which school will be USC’s opponent to open the 1997 football season?

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Borrowed number: Florida State was looking to remain No. 1, but it will soon lose No. 2 forever. Samari Rolle, a junior defensive back, is the last player who will wear jersey No. 2 for the Seminoles.

The number was officially retired in 1995 in honor of defensive back Deion Sanders, but Rolle was given the opportunity to wear it until his playing days ended.

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Add Seminoles: There were 28 Bowdens on hand for the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Thursday. Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden said his family always uses bowl games as family reunions.

With Florida State losing, 52-20, to Florida, the reunion was more like a wake.

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Stay away: Chicago civic and business leaders are pondering whether to try to bring the Olympic Games to the city in 2008. Bob Verdi of the Chicago Tribune is definitely opposed.

“They [Olympics] have become bloated and unmanageable, and it’s highly unlikely that drift would be reversed by 2008. This is a TV show, and networks are starved for programming, so rest assured that in 12 years, there will be more of less.”

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Consolation prize: Brad Faxon set a PGA Tour record in 1996 for most money won without a victory--$1,055,050.

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Ice party: Center Sergei Fedorov, on his five-goal night in the Detroit Red Wings’ recent 5-4 victory over the Washington Capitals:

“It was just an unusual night. All of a sudden I scored two goals, and then I was in a mood to score more goals. I’m just a happy kid.”

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Looking back: On this day in 1972, the Lakers won their 32nd consecutive game, beating the Cavaliers in Cleveland, 113-103. They would win an NBA-record 33 in a row before losing to Milwaukee, 120-104, on Jan. 9, 1972.

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Trivia answer: Florida State, on Sept. 6 at the Coliseum.

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And finally: Bill Lyon of the Philadelphia Inquirer, on the resiliency of Eagle quarterback Ty Detmer: “He may look no more forbidding than a Tickle-Me Elmo, but he is harder to keep down than cucumbers and chili.”