TIME OUT WITH TANY
BY JACK B. TANY

QUICK QUIZ:

What golfer who won a Major Amateur Golf Championship has a father who won
an Oscar for Best Actor?

A. Kevin Costner
B. Fred Couples
C. Nathaniel Crosby
D. Hal Shilling

QUOTABLE QUOTE

Dave Cowens, former Boston Celtics star center, after signing an autograph
for a persistent fan, "Now, may I have yours?"

* * *
Sportswriter Joe Gergin's description of the Cleveland Sheraton, "Don't
turn around with your luggage, or you knock out a window."

* * *
Sports agent Bob Woolf, on the new trend in sports, "These days it's not as
important to know the difference between a veer offense and a wishbone as
to know the difference between a preliminary hearing and a temporary
injunction."

IDLE THOUGHTS

I see where Central Michigan University is changing their tailgating policy
after Chippewa football games. Fans say they want more time for tailgating
with family and friends at CMU home games. Effective this season, football
fans may tailgate outside the stadium for an hour after the end of football
games. A tailgating policy was adopted in 1999 to ban mass quantities of
alcohol such as kegs and to prevent excessive drinking and nuisance
behavior, enhance crowd control and increase football game attendance.
Tailgating is not allowed during games or at halftime.
* * *
I am a baseball purist. I hate artificial turf, lights at Wrigley Field in
Chicago, and I detest the designated hitter rule. But one of the additions
to Major League baseball I really enjoy is interleague play. There's
nothing better than to catch a game on the tube between the New York
Yankees and the New York Mets - two teams that thoroughly hate each other.
* * *
The next time I'm in a golf outing I plan on inviting Bruce Gibbons of
Midland to play in my foursome. Gibbons recently aced his fourth par 3 at
Midland Country Club. He used a 3-iron on the 176-yard fourth hole. The
58-year-old Gibbons, a retired schoolteacher, collected his first par 3 in
June of 1974 when he aced the 133-yard seventh hole. Over 20 years later,
he aced the 182-yard 13th hole with a 7-wood. He found the bottom of the
cup again in August of 1998 when he stroked an ace on the 190-yard 18th
hole, again using the 7-wood. He has chalked up six aces at the Midland CC.
Gibbons holed a tee shot on the 18th hole before it was remodeled, and aced
one par 3 that now serves as the putting green.
* * *
Hats off to Arthur Hill grad Jason Richardson who was the fifth pick
overall in the recent NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. The 6-6
jumping jack vowed to work hard. His work ethic is what got him where he is
today . . . an instant millionaire. I recently chatted with Dave Slaggert,
his coach at Arthur Hill High School. He informed me the Los Angeles
Clippers called him and talked for 45 minutes to get every last bit of
information on Richardson prior to the draft.

* * *
It still boggles my mind how someone like Shane Battier, the college
basketball national player of the year, slipped all the way to No. 6. The
former Duke forward, who was selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies, will be a
solid NBA player for the next 15 years.

* * *
Check out www.fenwayfaithful.com/yankees_suck.htm. It is a web site created
by a Boston Red Sox fan to commemorate the bitter feud between the Red Sox
and the New York Yankees.

* * *
Ah, the corporate dollar strikes again. I read where the Heinz company paid
$57 million (go figure) to buy the naming rights to the Pittsburgh
Steelers' new stadium. They plan to erect a huge ketchup bottle right next
to the new stadium. Pretty  tacky. I'd like to know which side came up or
down to hit the number $57 million.

* * *
If you are a true Detroit Tigers' fan you probably cringe every time the
Bengals play the New York Yankees. In the next year or so the Yanks' left
side of the infield will feature two Michiganders - Derek Jeter (Kalamazoo)
and Drew Henson (Brighton). Come on, Tiger scouts, you can't keep letting
homegrown talent head out of town.

* * *
Look out for the Detroit Red Wings next year. The addition of all-star
netminder Dominik Hasek, recently obtained for the up-and-down Slava
Kozlov, will make the Wings a solid playoff contender. They were only a
couple of player's away last season when the Los Angeles Kings ousted them
from the playoffs. General Manager Ken Holland said the Red Wings would not
keep three goaltenders. Whoever the odd man out is will surely be dealt for
a solid defenseman.

* * *

Whatever happened to Jerry Lumpe?

QUICK QUIZ ANSWER

C. Nathaniel Crosby, who won the United States Amateur Championship in 1981.