Attention Jim Rice: Playoffs Are Now Best-of-Seven

Jim Rice apparently has no doubt that Boston will be playing in the World Series this year.

According to Marty Noble of Newsday, Rice offered this reply to a question in a recent radio interview: “I don’t think the Angels will be tough at all. With Roger Clemens, Oil Can Boyd and Bruce Hurst, we can wrap it up in three games.”

Wrote Noble: “That would be quite an accomplishment in a best-of-seven series.”

In a Sports Illustrated story, Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth promised that Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde won’t get as much time to throw this year as he did last year in Miami’s 27-17 win over Oklahoma.

Says Miami defensive tackle Dan Sileo: “Oklahoma has the most overrated player in the country, and the most overrated defense. It’s going to take a team like ours to shut him up.”

The rematch is Saturday.

Paul Hornung, on Dick Butkus whose No. 50 was retired Saturday by the University of Illinois: “Dick would not only tackle you, he would consume you.”

Add Butkus: Said former Illinois Coach Pete Elliott, recalling the 1964 game against UCLA: “On first down, he shot the gap and hit the fullback two yards behind the line of scrimmage. On second down, UCLA faked the same play and came back with a counter. Butkus got rid of his block and made the tackle at the line of scrimmage. On third down, UCLA tried a rollout pass into the flat and Butkus intercepted.”

Illinois won, 26-7.

Just Asking: In an era of contrived statistics, did they finally go too far in the story of Wednesday’s Boston-Milwaukee game when they noted that Don Baylor of the Red Sox was the first man to hit 30 homers and be hit a pitch 30 times in a season?

Enough, already.

From Peter King of Newsday: “When Bill Walsh reported that Joe Montana came out of his back surgery and said that he was hungry for a pizza, most pizza delivery outfits in San Francisco delivered one to his room. There were more than 30 piled in his room.”

Nine Years Ago Today: On Sept. 22, 1977, Bert Blyleven of the Texas Rangers pitched a 6-0 no-hitter against the Angels at Anaheim Stadium. It was the last no-hitter against the Angels until Joe Cowley turned the trick Friday night.

Now-it-can-be-told dept.: Kevin Smith, a quarterback from Salem, Ore., who is sitting out the year at Oregon after transferring from BYU where he only played jayvees, told of a recruiting a trip he made to BYU when Coach LaVell Edwards called him in for a heart-to-heart talk.

“I guess someone told him I was drinking beer and was a little wild on that trip,” Smith told Terry Frei of the Portland Oregonian. “Coach Edwards said you can’t be doing that kind of stuff down here. He said: ‘Kevin, there was a guy in here before who was kind of in the same position you’re in named Jim McMahon. He caused havoc around here, and I don’t want another one around here.’ ”

Quotebook

Pitcher Tom Candiotti of the Cleveland Indians, on discussing knuckleballs with teammate Phil Niekro: “It was like talking to Thomas Edison about light bulbs.”