– Signing off: What was Don Zimmer`s final act before undergoing knee surgery Thursday and flying to Cincinnati to visit his ailing mother? Wednesday night, Sportsman Park`s Stormy Bidwill invited Zimmer to dinner at Kelly Mondelli`s Restaurant to present Zim with silks in Cub colors. Their relationship started years ago at Stormy`s dog tracks in Florida, where the Cub skipper lives. Zim was touched by the show of loyalty. Said Bidwill: ”If we would`ve had coaches like Don with the (football) Cardinals when I was with them, we would`ve had more championships.” Incidentally, Colts owner Bob Irsay was just a few tables away.
– More surgery: Andre Dawson, like Zimmer, has an upcoming knee operation. Dawson`s is early next week. After surgery, the Cub outfielder plans to stay in Chicago for rehab for a few weeks before heading to his Florida home. This will lengthen his usual postseason stay here.
– Lou & Bob: Who stole the show at the Big 10`s Basketball Tipoff luncheon Wednesday in the Marriott? Try Lou Henson, whose one-liners about his hair, Wisconsin`s pep band and assorted other subjects, made him sound like Jay Leno. The best moment came when he talked about Bob Knight`s youngest son, who just finished his high school career. Said Henson: ”You know, I watched Matt play in Bloomington, and he`s really an excellent player. We really thought we`d recruit him, but we didn`t. I just didn`t want to have to pay a home visit.” Then, Knight walked up behind Henson, threw his arm around the Illinois coach, and said: ”Why don`t you get the SOB`s name right, Lou, and call him what everyone else does. It`s Pat, not Matt. I know we all (Big 10 coaches) would`ve been better off if you`d called Anderson Dick instead of Nick.”
– More Big 10: The luncheon is likely to become an annual event after this initial try. Some leftovers:
– Bill Frieder`s name never was mentioned, but the ex-Michigan coach definitely took it in the ear. For one thing, Knight suggested that the Wolverines would`ve been winning NCAA titles a lot sooner if someone else had been coaching. For another, Purdue coach Gene Keady left no doubt Frieder was Arizona State`s second choice after explaining why he turned down the job. Said Keady: ”No. 1, my wife said, No. `No.` 2, I got a helluva raise. No. 3, As long as Knight is in the same state, I can be an ornery SOB and nobody`ll know it.”
– Ohio State`s Randy Ayers may be a rookie head coach, but he was smart enough to be the only one to welcome Rich Falk as the league`s new director of refereeing.
– Billy Packer made a special presentation for CBS to Steve Fisher, giving the Michigan coach two gifts he surely doesn`t possess: A picture of the coach`s family and a tape of last year`s NCAA championship game.
– Inside scoop? HBO`s Gary Myers reports Thursday that, after talking to NFL owners, the league will drop the instant replay rule next year. Myers says it`ll be done for two reasons: Pete Rozelle was its biggest advocate and he`ll be gone. And owners are incensed by incidents involving San Francisco`s Jerry Rice and Philadelphia`s Randall Cunningham last weekend, when replay officials made the wrong call.
– Fit to print? You can always count on the New York Times` computerized college football poll for a laugh. Here are the top five teams in this week`s rankings: 1, Colorado; 2, Houston; 3, Arkansas; 4, Nebraska; 5, Notre Dame. Does strength of schedule account for this odd alignment? Then how do you explain No. 9 Air Force, whose opponents have been San Diego, Wyoming, Northwestern, Texas-El Paso, Colorado St. and Navy? Where`s the Big 10?
Illinois gets the best spot at No. 16-just behind No. 15 Louisville-with Michigan at No. 18.
– News, Notes & Nonsense: Ara Parseghian, George Brett and Pat Haden will throw out ceremonial first pitches in the Irish Fall Classic baseball tournament that opens Oct. 19 in South Bend. This is the annual matchup of teams from Notre Dame and Southern Cal that precedes the football contest between the schools that weekend. . . . The Rumpleminze Liquor series of Robotic Boxing matches, which lets contestants square off without getting hurt, starts Thursday at Phoenix. The Oct. 24 date at Ditka`s should be noteworthy: Leon Spinks takes on challengers. . . . Those who attend Northwestern`s golf benefit Monday at Lake Barrington Shores get the usual food, cart and 18 holes for their $150, but a lesson from Wildcat coach Jim Suttie and a video review of your swing is included. . . . The White Sox`s Daryl Boston and John McCartney, a member of the club`s sales staff, were honored Wednesday for their work in the annual WE CARE program also sponsored by the Chicago Police, Chicago Board of Education and Office of the Mayor. In WE CARE, Boston and McCartney work at encouraging students to stay in school. – And finally:The Sizzler Restaurants here are making a clever promotion from a favorite Chicagoland recreation, Bear Watching. It goes like this: The Bears have been given coupons for free meals in the Sizzler steakhouses, and any time you`re the first person to spot one of them (they`re usually very large and lately have been limping a lot) chowing down, you get a free meal for two for the next visit. The contest lasts through the end of the regular season.
