Opinion: The Orioles' batting order (against right-handed pitching) in 1999: Delino DeShields, Brady Anderson, Will Clark, Albert Belle, Harold Baines, B.J. Surhoff, Cal Ripken, Charles Johnson, Mike Bordick. Anderson and Surhoff could switch places.
Fact: Those players hit a combined .279 last season, as opposed to the Orioles' .273 team average.
Opinion: The Orioles won't lose any sleep over their offense next season, but they will over a bullpen that figures to be a patchwork job at best.
Fact: If the NFL season ended now, a team with a losing record would qualify for the NFC playoffs.
Opinion: Installing instant replay would help limit bad calls in NFL games, but it won't begin to solve the real problem: bad officiating.
Fact: New York Giants coach Jim Fassel on his 5-8 team still being in playoff contention: "Until you're out of it, you're in it."
Opinion: The next time you have a fender-bender, just remember that it could have been worse if you'd bumped into Mike Tyson's car. Oops!
Fact: Just so you know what the Orioles got for $65 million, Belle was third in the AL in batting last season, second in RBIs, second in homeruns and first in total bases and slugging percentage.
Opinion: The Ravens should go out of their way to find another job in their organization for Ted Marchibroda when they get around to making a coaching change. Ted adds a needed touch of class.
Fact: Marchibroda's Ravens have averaged one win per season against AFC Central teams other than the lowly Bengals.
Opinion: Florida State will rout Tennessee in the Fiesta Bowl and win the national title with an 11-1 record. Four other teams with one loss will cry foul. Total confusion and anarchy will reign. Who says a college football playoff would be better?
Fact: Kansas State was set to play Tennessee for the national title, lost the Big 12 championship game to Texas A&M; by three points in double overtime on a controversial call, and winds up with a spot in the almighty Alamo Bowl. Ouch.
Opinion: If Gary Williams' Maryland Terrapins are going to have a weakness this season, it'll be rebounding. Freshman widebody Lonny Baxter could help if he develops.
Fact: The Terps have six games on their schedule against opponents ranked in the top seven of the current AP poll.
Opinion: Anyone who says there isn't enough humor in the world hasn't heard the NBA players talking about the "needy" among their union membership, which averaged $2 million in annual salary last season. "We do have a lot of expenses," says Alonzo Mourning, who made $11 million last season. Come on, that's way better than anything on "Saturday Night Live."
Fact: According to a recent ESPN poll, 63 percent of the nation's sports fans don't care if the NBA season ever starts.
Opinion: I think I'm just going to pass on paying $1,000 for a courtside seat to that NBA players' exhibition game in Atlantic City later this month.
Fact: NBA players who participated in an exhibition game in Miami last week (attended by all of 2,000 fans) refused to speak to a crew from the local NBC affiliate because NBC is paying the teams during the lockout.
Opinion: If the Orioles really were excited about adding Will Clark's "intensity" to their clubhouse, they wouldn't have offered Rafael Palmeiro $50 million first.
Fact: The Redskins' win over the Chargers on Sunday was their first fourth-quarter comeback in Norv Turner's five years as their coach.
hTC Opinion: The Orioles have to root hard for Roger Clemens to get traded to the Astros or Braves, moving him out of their path to the playoffs. If he winds up with the Yankees or Rangers -- uh, oh.
Fact: The Arizona Cardinals franchise has won one playoff game in 79 years in Chicago, St. Louis and Arizona.
Opinion: A school desperate enough to pay Lou Holtz $1 million a season, as South Carolina did, is just a little too desperate to win.
Fact: Bob Baffert's horses have earned almost twice as much money as D. Wayne Lukas' horses this year.
Opinion: Let's hear it for the Maryland men's soccer team. It's almost as hard to get to the Final Four in that sport as it is in basketball.
Fact: Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe on his team's chances of finishing unbeaten after reaching 13-0 on Sunday: "If you're at the restaurant, you might as well order dinner."
Opinion: The new definition of a good football stadium? One that doesn't buckle and fall on you.
Pub Date: 12/09/98