On a Scale of One to Tenor, He Was No Pavarotti

By MAL FLORENCE

March 18, 1999 12 AM PT

Shaun Powell of Newsday writing on the firing of New Jersey Net Coach John Calipari:

“When the Nets bottomed out to 3-17 over the weekend and the firing line was formed, every player took a giant step backward and left Calipari standing alone.

“They weren’t going to defend him. Are you kidding? They couldn’t take him anymore. He was immature and bratty. They were sick of his college-boy shtick.

“For two plus years he coached every single possession. He embarrassed them in full view of family, friends and cameras. He showed more tonsils than Pavarotti.”

Trivia time: When did USC and UCLA first play in the men’s NCAA basketball tournament?

Novel notion: The Evander Holyfield-Lennox Lewis decision is causing the boxing community to change the way it conducts business, says comedy writer Alan Ray:

“For all future title matches, the judges will attend the same fight as the fans.”

Net bets: From the Morning Line column in the Dallas Morning News: “Taking a cue from horse racing, some pro tennis tournaments are looking to gamblers to boost attendance.

“Spectators at the Italian Open tennis tournaments in Rome will be able to bet on matches for the first time this year, as two gaming companies will have stands on the grounds of Foro Italico.

“What a racket.”

Agonizing decision: Keith Olbermann of Fox Sports News commenting on Dennis Rodman’s “personal problems,” such as “whether or not to hit on 17” while playing blackjack in Las Vegas.

Real students! Ron Rapoport in the Chicago Sun-Times: “A note to Minnesota’s basketball team: The players on the Dartmouth women’s team brought their laptops to the NCAA regional at Rutgers over the weekend so they could work on term papers in their spare time.”

FYI: Jeff Fryer of Loyola Marymount holds the NCAA tournament record for three-point field goals, making 11 of 22 against Michigan in 1990.

As a team, Loyola made 21 three-point shots to Michigan’s four.

Trivia answer: The Trojans played in 1940, in an eight-team field, beating Colorado, 38-32, before losing to Kansas, 43-42; the Bruins played in 1950, losing to Bradley, 73-59, in an opening-round game.

And finally: Dan Shaughnessy in the Boston Globe writing on the disputed draw in the Holyfield-Lewis fight:

‘The boxing game is a quagmire of sleaze. It’s WWF without the good acting. Ears are bitten, landslides are ruled draws, and we’re supposed to wait breathlessly for the rematch. . . .

“[Boxing judge] Eugenia Williams awards the Oscar for the best picture to ‘The Postman.’ ”