Touring the sports world, here and there …
• New York Yankees president Randy Levine is being investigated for tampering because he said, “If Mike Trout was here, I’d recommend the 10-year contract.”
• I don’t even have a fantasy baseball team, so it’s OK for me to state the following: Mike Trout is here and I recommend a 10-year contract.
• ESPN’s Buster Olney quoted an anonymous agent as saying if the agent represented Trout he would pursue a 12-year, $400 million contract. The price of Trout escalates with every spectacular season, heck, month that Trout has. The Angels might kick themselves some day for not having gone all-out to lock up Trout long term before his outstanding 2013 season.
• Peyton Manning is Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsman of the Year.” The Denver Broncos quarterback is a great player and a classy person. If asked, a nomination from here would be Brandon Marshall.
• Marshall, a Chicago Bears receiver, openly discusses his mental illness. That a man in the super-macho world of pro football does takes courage.
• Men readily seek help if they have a back issue or a knee problem. But when something is wrong with the most complicated part of the body, the brain, men too often avoid getting assistance because of the stigma attached to admitting a psychological failing. Marshall might be the bravest man in sports.
• SI’s first “Sportswoman of the Year” was tennis’ Billie Jean King, in 1972. SI also had a “Sportsman of the Year” in ’72, Coach John Wooden. The first woman to be sole “Sportswoman of the Year” without a male counterpart was tennis’ Chris Evert in 1976.
• Only reserved level seats, at $198 each, were available Tuesday afternoon at Ticketmaster for the Ducks-Kings hockey game at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 25.
• The average high temperature for Jan. 25 in Los Angeles is 68 degrees. The record high was 86, in 1986; the record low was 36 in 1898.
• Former Fullerton College football coach Hal Sherbeck has been released from a hospital and is back home in Temecula. Sherbeck is battling some health issues. He coached the Hornets to 241 wins and 16 conference championships in 31 years.
• Several Internet sports sites this week published lists of potential candidates to be the Texas football coach. Some lists go 13 deep. It says a lot that no list included a man with head coaching experience on prominent NFL and college football teams – Lane Kiffin.
• Mike Ditka, who had his No. 89 retired by the Chicago Bears last week, played only half of his 12 NFL years with the Bears. He played two years with the Philadelphia Eagles and four with the Dallas Cowboys.
• Ditka’s career coaching record with the Bears was 102-60 in the regular season, 6-6 in the playoffs. He coached the New Orleans Saints for three years, compiling a 15-33 record.
• Ditka’s fame with the Bears was his huge personality and the way he influenced the future of the tight end position. He averaged 53 receptions a year with the Bears, a huge average for the position at the time. Ditka and John Mackey of the Baltimore Colts, perhaps more than any other players, changed the way tight ends are implemented in offensive schemes.
• When Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamal Charles scored five touchdowns Sunday in his team’s 56-31 win over the Raiders, he tied a team record. In 1961, the Chiefs’ Abner Haynes scored five touchdowns against the Raiders. The Chiefs were the Dallas Texans in those days.
• Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith completed 17 of 20 passes Sunday for 287 yards and five touchdowns. His quarterback rating for the day was 158.3, which is the “perfect” passer rating.
• Victories by Miami over New England on Sunday and by Baltimore over Detroit on Monday put the San Diego Chargers in “Do you believe in miracles?” territory.
• For the Chargers to get a wild-card playoff berth they need to beat the Raiders on Sunday and the Chiefs the following and final regular-season Sunday – both at home – and have the Dolphins and Ravens lose their final two games. The Dolphins play the Jets and Bills; the Ravens play the Patriots and Bengals.
• The Chargers were 5-9 at this time last year. They are 7-7 now.
• The city of San Diego and the Chargers should at least give Qualcomm Stadium a fresh coat of paint. Send one of the Spanos grandchildren to The Home Depot in a big van to buy some paint and hire some of the day workers hanging around out front. It won’t be too expensive.
• Chargers fourth-year running back Ryan Mathews is No. 5 in the team’s career rushing yardage list. His 127 yards Thursday in the win over Denver gives Mathews 3,488 yards. Natrone Means is fourth at 3,885.
• Mathews’ contract expires in 2014. He will be signed long term before the ’14 season begins. Angels fans hope Mathews is not the only young star to get a contract that keeps him in Southern California.
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
