Let’s get right to it. The bus rides. Everyone’s concerned about Michael Jordan riding buses if he gets assigned to the minors. Will he or won’t he be willing to travel in this fashion after jetting around in the Bulls’ charter airplane?
Larry Schmittou, president of the White Sox’s Triple-A affiliate in Nashville, has some comforting words. “We don’t ride very much,” he said. “We fly almost everywhere.” In fact, the Sounds’ only bus rides are from Omaha to Des Moines, when they make their western swing, and from Nashville to Louisville.
Anything lower than Triple-A and Sir Michael has a problem. The Birmingham Barons, at Double-A, ride a charter bus throughout the Southern League. “It’s not a bad bus,” said Barons communications director Chris Pika. “It’s not as nice as a Madden-cruiser, but it’s better than your standard Greyhound.” Birmingham’s longest trip? It’s a 557-mile jaunt from Zebulon, N.C., home of the Carolina Mudcats, to Birmingham.
Of course, there’s always the unlikely chance Jordan could start with South Bend, a Class-A team, in the Midwest League. This is strictly a bus league, too. Sir Michael probably could stay in his Highland Park home and play with this team. Most of the games are driveable. More:
– If this was strictly a photo op, it wasn’t a good one. Photographers complained lighting in the IIT gym was terrible.
– Richard Dent, accompanying MJ on a recent workout, took a few swings in the cage and “looked terrible,” according to an eyewitness.
– Jordan retired to his restaurant following Monday’s exhibition, where a few hundred helped him celebrate his birthday (he’s 31 next week). Among guests were Ernie Banks, Alonzo Spellman, Chris Zorich and Tom Waddle. There were taped greetings from Magic Johnson. (He has plenty of free time these days, too.) Dave Wannstedt even was on hand to offer Michael a Bears’ contract.
Jump start: Naturally, there’s a song commemorating Michael Jordan’s fling at baseball. Written by Chicago songwriter Gregg Shipp, with help from Betsy Shepherd, “Air on My Sox” starts hitting the airwaves Tuesday. The refrain: “I’ve got air on my Sox, it’s a summertime thing, add to my collection a World Series ring. You heard about Mantle, the Babe, and Jumpin’ Joe. Now we got MJ, so forget about Bo.” Can a T-shirt be far behind?
Note to Gregg: If the Joe referred to is DiMaggio, it’s Joltin’ Joe, not Jumpin’ Joe.
Foul play 1: Big 10 basketball announcer Bill Hoskett is becoming some sort of jinx for Bobby Knight. In addition to working the recent game for Raycom TV in which Knight got the boot, Hoskett was also an announcer when Bobby threw chairs on the floor against Purdue. Incidentally, technical fouls are on the way up this season as officials-at the behest of the NCAA-crack down on decorum.
Foul play 2: That flagrant foul by Kevin Johnson on the Bulls’ Steve Kerr cost Johnson a point. According to a new NBA rule this season, after a player accumulates five points-one for each flagrant foul-he is suspended for a game. Just think. The league finally decides to crack down on repeat roughnecks and Bill Laimbeer quickly retires.
Cup runneth over: Hard to believe “creative differences” caused the split between the U.S. Soccer Federation and Disney, which no longer is doing World Cup opening ceremonies in Soldier Field. Who doesn’t like Mickey & Goofy? Insiders say it was more like “ego clashes” between Disney’s Michael Eisner and USSF boss Alan Rothenberg. Arny Granat’s Jam Productions in Chicago is a likely replacement. . . . Opera star Placido Domingo, a soccer nut, is scheduling a Ravinia appearance around World Cup games in Soldier Field. His native country, Spain, is playing matches here.
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Friendly skies: Willye White’s second annual dinner to celebrate National Girls & Women’s Sports Day has come and gone-and it was made a lot brighter due to a dozen United Airline pilots, plus one from American Transair. After reading about White’s harried efforts to put the event together in the Park West, they kicked in $250 apiece and volunteered their services. Thus, what was supposed to be a buffet-style dinner became a regular sit-down event when Willye turned them into servers. The pilots even stayed to clear and clean. (Probably a relief to get away from airline food.) United’s Jim Engleman spearheaded the effort. American’s Bob Gordon, a distance man, is in the Wisconsin Track Hall of Fame.
Around town: Chet Coppock to WGN-AM? That possibility is getting warmer. The WMVP-AM sportscaster is having a chat this week about that possibility with station director Dan Fabian. . . . A U.S. Figure Skating Association sweatshirt signed by Tonya Harding went for $250 at a Lake Forest Symphony fundraiser. It was a bargain. Harding even drew a little “smiley face” next to her signature.
And finally: Best line from SportsChannel’s overkill, err, telecast of Michael Jordan’s workout may have come from announcer Julie Judelson. “He’s so loose. He’s so happy. He looks like he’s on the basketball court.” Uh, Julie. The workout was on a basketball court.