U.S. Justice Is in the Eye of Beholder

Canadian lawyer Richard Pound, who sits on the International Olympic Committee’s executive board, said the U.S. Olympic Committee “doesn’t have much of a choice” but to leave Tonya Harding on its Olympic team.

“Unless you have compelling evidence, such as a confession or a conviction, you don’t have a basis on which to overturn the results,” he said.

What about an indictment?

“Grand juries can indict fire hydrants in the U.S.,” he said. “You couldn’t take that seriously.”

Add Harding: Writes John Eisenberg of the Baltimore Sun:

“That doesn’t mean the USOC won’t go after Harding. That they want her off the team is obvious.

“You can’t blame them. Her presence would push the other athletes off the front page.

“The luge can’t compete with TonyaGate.”

Trivia time: Who was the last Heisman Trophy winner not to attempt to play pro football?

So-so: What kind of player was Indiana Coach Bob Knight?

His Ohio State coach, Fred Taylor, said in a 1992 interview:

“He was as competitive as anyone I ever had. His intensity, his instincts and his intelligence were better than his physical talent.

“In practice once he got an elbow in an eye and was rushed to the infirmary, where they put nine stitches in him. He was back in 45 minutes, expecting to practice.

“Bobby was slow afoot, but was a very good shooter to 14 feet. At long range, he took shots he shouldn’t have. From distance, he had a flat trajectory, a problem he never corrected.

“I tease him every time I seem him. I tell him he teaches better defense than he played.”

No thanks: Greg Gumbel, who will be the host for CBS’ Winter Olympics coverage next week, on his reaction to a suggested interview with former President Richard Nixon:

“Two years ago, (producer) Eric Mann wanted Nixon on as a guest on ‘NFL Today,’ ” Gumbel said. “I said, ‘If you do, I’m not doing the show. I will not talk to him. . . . I had six fraternity brothers, two teammates and several other friends who never came back from Vietnam.’ ”

Perspective: From the June 5, 1910, Times sports section:

“Ty Cobb is accredited with getting $9,000 per season. . . . Frank Chance, the leader of the Chicago Cubs, gets around $10,000. And so does Christy Mathewson of the Giants.

“There are scores of men who get from $3,000 to $4,500, or far more than the vast majority of eminent ministers.”

The article pointed out that “as recently” as 1885, players in the “world championship games” were happy to have received an extra $41 “on the rake-off.”

Trivia answer: Army’s Pete Dawkins, the 1958 winner.

Quotebook: The late basketball star Pete Maravich, upon learning his coach had been fired: “The last time I was that surprised was when I found out ice cream cones were hollow.”