Comparably, Ryan Seems Tame

Running back Earnest Jackson, who has gained more than 1,000 yards each of the last two seasons, has caught on with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being dropped by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Asked why the Eagles let him go, he said: “I’m not with the Eagles because Buddy Ryan did not like Earnest Jackson. Buddy Ryan, you can’t explain. Why did Hitler happen in Germany? Why did Buddy Ryan happen in Philadelphia? Who knows?”

Add Jackson: His agent, Harold Lewis, said: “With Buddy Ryan, the handwriting was on the wall. Right in the middle of practice, Buddy said, ‘Get him out of here. Trade him for a six-pack. It doesn’t even have to be cold.’ ”

Add Ryan: He often identifies his players only by number, inspiring this banner at last Sunday’s game: “Hey, Buddy, do you call your wife by number?”

Said Ryan later: “Sure I do. She’s a 10. Make sure you tell her that.”

Trivia Time: If Oakland’s Dave Kingman, a two-time National League home run champion, wins the American League title this year, will he be the first to have won home run titles in both leagues since the advent of the lively ball in 1920? (Answer below.)

For What It’s Worth: Former USC defensive back Charles Phillips, who held the school record for longest fumble return at 98 yards before Tim McDonald went 99 yards at Baylor, also had a fumble return of 83 yards in the same game.

It was against Iowa in 1974, and the Hawkeyes dominated the statistics. They had drives of 80, 57, 59 and 84 yards, and they totaled 363 yards to 232 yards for the Trojans, but they were undone by Phillips’ two long returns and an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Anthony Davis.

USC won the game, 41-3, and went on to win the national championship.

Reggie Jackson, on the subject of winning, told Tony Kornheiser of the Washington Post:

“I learned that in professional sports the idea is to win--not to have fun. As a kid I played for fun, and had a glass of Kool-Aid with my friends when it was over.

“But when you get to the professional level and men play the game, when they’re in a contest of who is the best--I’m better than you, I’m tougher than you, I’m stronger than you, I’m the champion--when all of those ingredients are on the line, the guys who win are the ones with ability, of course, but they’re the ones who understand what winning means, what the contest is, what is on the line.”

Said Kornheiser: “No, I don’t know what he’s talking about, either. But don’t you love the way he spins it?”

The emergence of Cory Snyder as a slugger and the promise of Greg Swindell on the mound could make the Cleveland Indians a good longshot bet in the American League East next year. Also, it’s their turn.

In the last six seasons, counting this one, there have been six different winners in the seven-team division. They are New York in 1981, Milwaukee in 1982, Baltimore in 1983, Detroit in 1984, Toronto in 1985 and Boston (in all probability) in 1986.

For 1987, that leaves only Cleveland.

Trivia Answer: Yes. Darrell Evans came the closest. Last year with Detroit, he won the American League title with 40. In 1973 with Atlanta, he was third in the National League with 41, behind Willie Stargell of Pittsburgh with 44 and teammate Davey Johnson with 43.

Quotebook

Livingstone Bramble, the World Boxing Assn. lightweight champion, on why he’s threatening to get rid of his pet boa constrictor: “He’s so tame, he won’t kill his own rats. I have to do it for him, otherwise he will not eat.”