Mask Says He’s Got ‘Psycho’ Written All Over His Face

Rookie goalie Corey Hirsch of the Vancouver Canucks has an Alfred Hitchcock silhouette painted in the middle of his mask and the Bates Manor from the movie “Psycho” on either side.

The manor includes the upstairs window in the room where Norman kept his mother’s body.

“I’m a little bit of a Hitchcock fan,” Hirsch said. “I’m the furthest thing from ‘Psycho’ there is. But you can make me as crazy as you want. I’m a quiet little guy--like Norman.”

Comment: spooky.

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Trivia time: Who holds the Laker career record for three-point shots made?

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Kickers’ union: Norm Johnson of the Pittsburgh Steelers empathizes with fellow kicker Lin Elliott, whose three missed field goals made him the goat in Kansas City’s 10-7 loss to Indianapolis in a playoff game.

“I’m sure [Elliott’s] family still loves him, but now he has to worry about his job,” Johnson told Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I watched the game and listened to the announcers making excuses for the quarterbacks, talking how hard it is to throw a frozen football.

“I can guarantee you, it’s a lot harder to kick one off a frozen grass field.”

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Surfing dudes: Hawaii has been or will be the destination of several college football coaches this month--but not for a vacation. They will be recruiting Faaesea Mailo, an outstanding high school offensive lineman.

The coaches’ lineup includes: USC’s John Robinson, Brigham Young’s LaVell Edwards, Arizona’s Dick Tomey, Colorado’s Rick Neuheisel and Washington’s Jim Lambright, according to the Honolulu Advertiser.

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Shaq’s racket: When the Orlando Magic was recently snowbound in Allentown, Pa., Shaquille O’Neal composed a rap song, perhaps out of boredom:

“I woke up, there was 50 feet of snow, nowhere to go. All the stores were closed, frostbite on my nose. Tried to step outside, frostbite on my toes.”

Advice to Shaq: Don’t give up basketball.

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TV-only option: Blackie Sherrod in the Dallas Morning News: “Almost criminal, this NFL charge of $350 for a Super Bowl ticket. Perhaps we should call it the Write-Off Bowl, since few can afford to go unless at corporate expense.”

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Rodent nostalgia: Michael Jordan doesn’t feel at home at the Bulls’ new home court, the United Center. He misses Chicago Stadium and its mystique.

“The ambience is too nice, the locker rooms are too nice,” he said of the new digs. “I haven’t seen one rat since I’ve been here.”

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Worthless: After a discouraging 35-putt round last year, PGA Tour player Billy Ray Brown handed his putter to a youngster at the 18th green and said, “You can have this, but don’t try putting with it.”

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Trivia answer: Byron Scott, with 522.

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Quotebook: Boston Bruin defenseman Ray Bourque on Saturday’s NHL All-Star game: “It would have been special to play the All-Star game in the [Boston] Garden, but the FleetCenter is really nice. The other place would get kind of crazy.”