Some Scarier Thoughts About Raider Fans

Scott Ostler in the San Francisco Chronicle: “People ask me, ‘Those crazy Raider fans, where did they all go once the Raiders were knocked out of the playoffs?’

“They’ve all gone back to their regular jobs--hiding under little kids’ beds at night.”

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More Ostler: “As Tiger [Woods] is addressing a putt, a teenager rolls an orange across the green.

“Terrible! But then, I’m a traditionalist. What’s wrong with the tried-and-true jingling of pocket change?”

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Trivia time: Who holds the NBA record for most consecutive free throws?

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Hardship case: Mario Elie of the Phoenix Suns, on getting fined $7,500 by the NBA for verbally abusing a referee:

“Oh, no. I’m going to call the league on that. I will fight that. It’s not right. That’s ridiculous. I’ve got a wife and we’re trying to have kids. I need that money.”

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Want to gamble? Bookies in England are still taking bets on soccer superpower Manchester United to win the Premier League this season--despite Manchester’s commanding 13-point lead in the standings--the equivalent of four wins and a tie.

The line: 1-to-100. You bet 100 British pounds to win 101.

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Minor detail: Bud Geracie in the San Jose Mercury News:

* “Except for those two guys still being dead, it really has been a fairy-tale season for Ray Lewis.

* “They say the Super Bowl creates more first-time gamblers than all the other sporting events combined, but I don’t buy it.”

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Grudging recognition: Woody Paige of the Denver Post, commenting on Baltimore’s Ray Lewis winning the MVP award at the Super Bowl:

“Most Valuable Player or Most Valuable Parolee? . . . Jailbird leads Blackbirds to 34-7 victory over New York Lilliputians.”

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Remembering Al: Jim Armstrong in the Denver Post: “My favorite Al McGuire one-liner? His description of Billy Packer wasn’t bad. ‘He had a great outside shot, but forgot that basketball is played indoors.’ ”

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Give it up: USC continues to instruct the press in its media guides not to refer to the school as “Southern Cal.”

It’s a losing message. In introducing Giant defensive back Jason Sehorn before Sunday’s Super Bowl game, the public address announcer referred to him as being from “Southern Cal.”

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Laker recipe: Mike Wise of the New York Times urges some patience despite the tension between the Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant: “They may become a dynasty one day, but at this moment the cake is still in the oven. Why not let it bake a little longer before the middle caves in?”

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Looking back: On this day in 1977, the Detroit Pistons (29) and Indiana Pacers (28) tied an NBA record for most offensive rebounds, 57, in a game.

Trivia answer: Micheal Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves, 97, from March 24 to Nov. 9, 1993.

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And finally: Adrian Wojnarowski of the Bergen (N.J.) Record, writing (angrily) before the Super Bowl game: “These Baltimore Ravens are a polluted parade of bad acts, from the conniving owner to the pompous coach, from the big-mouth receiver to the menacing middle linebacker.

“They’re hard to listen to. Even harder to love . . . Just who wants to see this renegade operation rewarded?”

Easy, Adrian, easy, it’s show biz.