Maybe this will be consolation to fans who couldn’t score tickets to Notre Dame-Florida State. Seminole coach Bobby Bowden couldn’t get as many as he wanted, either. Bowden has a cousin living in the Joliet area who’ll be going to Saturday’s contest. But, Bobby noted, his cousin-“who’s like a brother”-has “too many grandchildren” to get as many tickets as requested.
Busy Lou: If Notre Dame wins the showdown with Florida State, Lou Holtz is already too busy to reap personal rewards. When Chicago sports agent David Burns called Holtz’s office the other day to check on his availability for a commercial appearance, he was told the coach is booked “through ’94.”
Greener fields: The NCAA and Sears Roebuck & Co said Thursday the Hoffman Estates company is going to become a major investor in college sports by awarding scholarships to national championship schools in all sports and sponsoring trophies and awards to both national and conference champs. The company will introduce the Sears Cup, which will honor the Division I university ranking highest in all men’s and women’s sports. “The women’s field hockey, men’s tennis, swimming and cross-country teams have the same bearing on the overall race as the college football national champions or the winner of the women’s Final Four,” said John Costello, senior executive vice president of Sears Merchandise Group.
Slapshot II: If you’re one of those who thinks “Slapshot” with Paul Newman was the best sports movie ever made, you’ll be happy to know there’s a movement afoot for a sequel. More good news: The film’s unforgettable Hanson Brothers-Dave Hanson, Steve Carlson, Jeff Carlson in real life-will be here this weekend, appearing Saturday and Sunday for a collector’s show at the Inland Expo Center in Westmont. It’s a rare appearance. Explained Hanson: “We were thrown together in L.A. recently and it was the first time in a while. The movie’s 17 years old, but we couldn’t believe the response. The No. 1 question everyone had was: Did we bring our toys?” You’d have to see the movie to fully appreciate that the gooney Hansons, playing for the fictional Charlestown Chiefs, never went anywhere on the road without taking their slot car sets. The three “brothers,” all pro hockey players, are now out of the sport.
P.S.: The movie is almost mild by today’s standards, but Dave Hanson doesn’t allow his kids to see the big-screen version. Too raw.
Have a ball: Another side of Hall-of-Fame bowler Carmen Salvino will surface next week, when the Chicagoan formally introduces a new bowling ball cover he’s invented. Salvino, who’s become well-versed in friction polymer chemistry, is calling it the CSI HyPower ball. It already is being used on the PBA Tour by Steve Jaros. Carmen says the ball grips the lane better and, as a result, comes into the pocket with more power. For several years, he’s been tinkering in a laboratory several miles from his northwest suburban home and holds two patents.
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Campus quickies: The Illinois football team will learn first-hand Saturday how difficult it can be to play in State College, Pa. The bus ride to the Harrisburg airport, normally a two-hour trip, is expected to take 3 1/2 hours due to postgame traffic. Coach Lou Tepper tried to get a restaurant in State College for a team meal after the game, but no one had room for 130. Hence, it’ll be box lunches on the buses for the lads. “It’ll be a long ride home if we lose,” said Antwoine Patton. “I don’t want to think about that.” . . . The Independence Bowl has informed Iowa officials it plans to have a scout at Saturday’s game in Dyche Stadium. The Hawkeyes can still have a winning record. . . . In an attempt to bolster sagging attendance, Purdue is charging $10 for adults and $1 for school-age children, if accompanied by an adult, for Saturday’s date with Michigan State.
Around town 1: George Nock, former running back with the Jets and Redskins, will have his paintings on display this weekend at Artexpo in the Merchandise Mart’s ExpoCenter. . . . Phil Jackson will participate in a “Sport Is Communication” panel discussion Sunday in the Newberry Library. It’s part of the fourth annual Chicago Humanities Festival. Other scheduled panelists are TV sports producer Jeannie Morris, Davis Cup champion-ProServ founder Donald Dell, New York Times sportswriter Robert Lipsyte and Richard Lapchick, director of the Center for the Study of Sports and Society.
Around town 2: When Wisconsin’s Michael Finley was selected USA Basketball’s “Male Athlete of the Year” this week, he became the second player from Proviso East in Maywood to be picked in the award’s 14-year history. Glenn Rivers was selected in 1982. . . . Members of the U.S. men’s soccer team, plus legendary Brits Geoff Hurst and Charlie Cooke, will be at Sunday’s Soccer Blast USA in Villa Park’s Odeum. . . . Basketball fans attending the De Paul basketball exhibition Friday, or the next two exhibitions or Nov. 27 game-all in Alumni Hall-are encouraged to bring food and clothing that will be collected at the gates and distributed to needy persons.
And finally: Now that NBA All-Star ballots are available-and Michael Jordan is no longer listed-it will be interesting to see how much write-in support he receives.