Coach Says It’s Better to Air on Side of Caution

Before a game in which he planned to match Kerry Kittles against the Chicago Bulls’ Michael Jordan, New Jersey Net Coach John Calipari had some words of advice for his rookie guard.

“I told him, ‘Do not make him mad, do not talk junk, and if you score on him, just say, ‘Excuse me, I’m sorry about that.’ Just let him play his game and leave the building,’ ” Calipari said.

*

Trivia time: In the 1991 NFL draft, what quarterbacks were picked ahead of Southern Mississippi’s Brett Favre?

*

Behind the scenes: To those of us puzzled as to why Don Sutton came up nine votes short of being named to baseball’s Hall of Fame, columnist Jon Heyman of Newsday may have the answer. According to Heyman, one member of the selection committee, who cast a vote only for Tony Perez, said of Sutton:

“He’s a jerk. I’ll never vote for him. He’s probably the only guy I’ll never vote for for that reason.”

*

Similar tune: From Bruce Hayman in the Chicago Sun-Times: “Now that the White Sox have acquired Albert Belle, he needs a nickname to go along with Frank Thomas’ ‘the Big Hurt.’ How about calling Belle ‘the Big Jerk?’ ”

*

Call Dale Carnegie: In hopes of creating better relations with the press, White Sox Manager Terry Bevington has been working with a media consultant.

“I sometimes came off grouchy,” Bevington said. “I didn’t mean to be. Now, I can be a little less paranoid and not be quite so on my guard.”

*

She can’t miss: Kristeena Alexander, a freshman point guard at George Mason, made 20 of 20 from the free-throw line on Dec. 29, setting an NCAA Division I women’s mark for consecutive free throws in one game.

*

She wasn’t too far off the men’s Division I record--24 by Arlen Clark of Oklahoma State on March 7, 1959.

*

Different tune: Jim Kelly has led the Buffalo Bills to the Super Bowl four times. This year, the quarterback will have to settle for the Cuervo Margarita Bowl. The game will be played in New Orleans the day before the Super Bowl.

Kelly will quarterback the NFL Legends team--including James Lofton, Tony Dorsett, Conrad Dobler and Billy “White Shoes” Johnson--against a squad of amateurs.

*

Old come-on: Filling out football schedules isn’t always easy. Division II Valdosta State in Georgia is offering “one night’s lodging and attractive guarantee” to attract an opponent.

*

Home cooking: All eight of Tuesday’s NBA games were won by the home team.

*

Facing the truth: Getting only a 3-3 tie with the Kings after having a two-goal lead in the third period at home was too much for Detroit Red Wing forward Greg Johnson.

“Right now we stink,” he said.

*

Trivia answer: Dan McGwire of San Diego State and Todd Marinovich of USC.

*

And finally: Buffalo Sabre tough guy Matthew Barnaby was asked, after 5 1/2 hours of oral surgery, why he didn’t buy himself a mouthguard.

“I don’t pay for the teeth,” he replied.