Ending Salute Would Put Him More at Ease

Bruce Keidan of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the salutes rendered by the Denver Broncos after a score are appalling:

“Thought to have originated in ancient Rome as a way of showing the raised right hand did not hold a dagger, the salute is a gesture of goodwill and respect.

“The Broncos--and their imitators--have turned that on its head. They use it to taunt an opponent.

“The mock salute is an act of self-aggrandizement at the opponent’s expense. And like all forms of gloating, it is unsportsmanlike and despicable.”

By the way, Bruce, there is another hand gesture that is much worse.

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Trivia time: Who is the only player in NHL history to have amassed 400 goals and 200 penalty minutes--and he’s still active?

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Nose club: Peter May of the Boston Globe writes that Shawn Bradley of the Dallas Mavericks has broken his nose three times, “well below the presumed NBA record of 12 held by Bill Walton.”

The NBA doesn’t keet stats on such things, but Jerry West’s nose took a battering during his 14 years in the league.

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Youngsters now: From Track & Field News: “In the November 1948 edition, we quoted Olympic 400H champ Roy Cochran, who said of himself and fellow 4x4 gold medalist Cliff Bourland: ‘We’re getting on in years. Let the young guys have their day. We’ve had ours.’

“At the time, Cochran was 29 and Bourland all of 27.”

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If you make it: Peter Gammons in the Boston Globe: “John Kruk now owns a bar in Keyser, W. Va. called Third Base. Why third base, when he was a first baseman? It’s the last place you stop on your way home.”

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Gutty scribe: Wallace Matthews in the New York Post on Michael Jordan possibly winding up his career with the New York Knicks: “I have a gut feeling it is gonna happen, and my gut is seldom wrong.”

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Looking back: On this day in 1974, Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford of the New York Yankees were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Mantle was elected in his first year of eligibility and Ford in his second year.

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Trivia answer: Dallas Star winger Pat Verbeek.

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And finally: Chicago Bull rebounding star Dennis Rodman tangled with Knick forward Larry Johnson during a recent game and then really let him have it afterward, saying, “What’s the guy’s name who makes $90 million? Larry something?

“He’s out there, I mean, come on, give some of that money to charity. Don’t be stealing from the league. He thinks his game is so incredible.

“He better go buy a game with that $90 million. I was teasing him all game, ‘You all got a good team. This is you all’s year.’ But he won’t be seeing us in the playoffs. They’re going to get knocked out in the first round.”