Tyson Is Proving What Many Suspected

Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star, commenting on Mike Tyson’s fight with Lennox Lewis in Memphis on Saturday:

“I’m still not convinced the fight will take place.... Right now you can’t give away tickets to Tyson-Lewis, a bout that has been hyped nonstop for a year.

“All of Tyson’s crazy, pre-fight hype may have actually hurt the gate. Instead of piquing interest in the fight, Tyson has confirmed that he’s one of the most unstable people on the planet.”

Trivia time: Who holds the single-game record for assists in the NBA Finals?

Envy factor? Red Auerbach, the former Boston Celtic coach, continues to needle Laker Coach Phil Jackson, noting that Jackson has won big after inheriting Michael Jordan in Chicago and Shaquille O’Neal in L.A.

“Most of your great coaches do some teaching and developing of players,” Auerbach said. “Phil may be able to do it, but he hasn’t shown it. His teams have been ready-made.”

About as “ready-made” as Auerbach’s teams were with Bill Russell.

Bullpen: Pitcher Dan Plesac, who was traded by the Blue Jays to the Phillies recently, jokingly said he wouldn’t miss Scott Eyre, his chatty colleague in the Toronto bullpen.

“Scotty was talking my ear off and about the fourth inning of a game recently,” Plesac said, “so I picked up the phone and called the manager and said, ‘ ... you either have to put me in now or put him in now because I can’t stand it anymore.’”

Classic series: Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, on the Lakers’ overtime victory over Sacramento on Sunday: “The Lakers are viewed as villains in many corners--possibly most corners--of the NBA-watching world, because they seem more like cartoon characters and sparkling commercial pitchmen than real players.

“Well, this series--this amazing, historic, stomach-churning (literally) series--was about real basketball. Real nerves. Real sweat. Real brilliance. A real Laker comeback from trailing three games to two.”

That’s no Bullwinkle: Players and fans in Denver were entertained Monday night when a squirrel roamed the outfield during the Dodgers’ game with the Rockies.

The squirrel entered the field from near the Rocky dugout to the cheers of the fans in the top of the third inning. Two small birds repeatedly swooped down and pecked at it. The grounds crew finally got the squirrel off the field during a rain delay with one out in the bottom half of the third.

His hang-up: While chatting with Bob Costas on his HBO show, “On the Record,” Miami Heat Coach Pat Riley admitted that he’s not entirely normal.

“I want control,” Riley said. “I’m a control freak. It costs me about $160 every now and then to deal with that aspect of my life.”

Trivia answer: Magic Johnson, 21, against Boston on June 3, 1984.

And finally: The Seattle Seahawks’ new logo and uniforms are a new shade of blue called “Seahawks Blue.”

It’s not royal, it’s not navy, and it’s not midnight. It’s closer to silver, but it’s not quite that either, although it has a hint of shimmer.

Receiver Darrell Jackson certainly is no help.

“What color is this?” he asked, pointing at his helmet.