Does He Love to Shoot? It Goes Beyond That

More than 1 basketball player has said, “I love to shoot.” Oscar Schmidt of Brazil says, “I live to shoot.”

Schmidt, a 6-8 gunner who admittedly has no conscience, scored 46 points as Brazil beat the United States in the Pan American Games last year. Said Tony Kornheiser of the Washington Post: “There are probably a couple of people who’ve shot better, but outside of Annie Oakley and William Tell, nobody leaps to mind.”

In Brazil’s win over Canada in their Olympic opener at Seoul, Schmidt scored 36 points and fellow gunner Marcel Souza had 30. Brazil had 46 baskets and only 7 assists.

Kornheiser: “Passing isn’t part of the contract. If Brazil wanted passers, they’d have drafted Terry Bradshaw. Oscar and Souza are there to shoot. Twice, Souza had the ball on a 4-on-1 and pulled up from 25 feet for the 3-pointer. Oscar touched the ball 33 times in the front court, and launched it 28.

“For him to release the ball any quicker he’d have to shoot it before he got it. Can Oscar fill it up? Does a chicken have lips?”

Add Souza: “If I were in the NBA,” he said, “I would revolutionize the game.”

Add Forgettable Quotes: When featherweight Regili Tuur of the Netherlands learned that he had drawn Pan-American champion Kelcie Banks in the first round at Seoul, he told his coach, “I trained all year for this tournament, and now I’m out in the first round.”

Turned out that Banks was out. As in knocked out.

Have you watched any taekwondo from Seoul? Stan Isaacs of Newsday has, and says, “Please, NBC, taekwondo away.”

Trivia Time: What player has hit the most home runs in Yankee Stadium? (Answer below.)

For What It’s Worth: While the Raiders were allowing 9 sacks against the Rams, the Washington Redskins, with ex-Raider Jim Lachey at right tackle, didn’t allow any against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Lachey, who was working against Reggie White, last year’s NFL sack leader, also had key blocks on both Redskin touchdowns.

Said Coach Joe Gibbs: “We’ve got a good one there.”

Idle Thought: Wonder where the Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers would be standing today in their respective divisions if Kirk Gibson had stayed in Detroit?

Brian Bosworth isn’t the only one who loads up with caffeine before games.

Said Phoenix Cardinals fullback Ron Wolfley, revealing he drinks 12 pots of coffee before kickoff: “I don’t need to see guys coming at me. I can feel them coming. I’ve got so much caffeine in me, I’ve got antennas growing out of my head.”

Trivia Answer: Mickey Mantle, with 266. Babe Ruth had 259 and Lou Gehrig 251. Note: Ruth didn’t play in Yankee Stadium until 1923 when he was 28. After 6 years in Boston, mostly as a pitcher, he went to New York where he played his first 3 years with the Yankees at the Polo Grounds.

Add Mantle: Twenty years ago today, he hit the 536th and last home run of his career, a solo shot off Jim Lonborg of the Boston Red Sox.

Quotebook

Detroit Manager Sparky Anderson, on the Minnesota Twins, who have beaten the Tigers in 15 of their last 17 games: “I’m going to take them off our Grapefruit League schedule. I don’t want my spring ruined.”