`We had a great start to this year, but we’ve seen spending slow down a little bit and no one is sure what that will mean for this holiday season.’ —
Michael Niemira, a retail analyst at Bank of Toyko-Mitsubishi in New York, as retailers wonder whether big crowds will translate into big sales during the Christmas shopping season.
CHARLES BARCLAY, ON HIS 3-10 HOUSTON ROCKETS FRIDAY NIGHT MEETING IN PORTLAND WITH SCOTTIE PIPPEN’S 11-2 TRAIL BLAZERS: `It’s not me against Scottie. We just need to win a game.’
`I’m looking forward to it.’
Will Perdue, on the game Friday in San Antonio against his former teammates David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
`Can we answer the question of whether or not the government fired on the Davidians? I think we can and I think we will in the course of this lawsuit.’
Michael Caddell, a lawyer for survivors of the Branch Davidians.
`He has not decided whether he will travel to Seattle.’
A Cuban Foreign Ministry spokesman, on whether President Fidel Castro would be attending the meeting of the World Trade Organization beginning Tuesday.
`I want to run 25 to 28 times and give a big, powerful back like Curtis (Enis) a chance to wear a defense down.’
Bears offensive coordinator Gary Crowton, regretting that he called only 12 running plays in 21-17 loss in Detroit.
`Europe’s biggest wheat producer.’
France, because of government subsidies of $1 a bushel, according to Dale Durchholz, a marketing analyst in Bloomington, Ill.
`I didn’t want to do that to Dan.’
Miami coach Jimmy Johnson, on why he did not yank the 38-year-old quarterback Dan Marino in Thanksgiving’s nationally televised 20-0 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
`I take full responsibility for those offensive rebounds. It will be rectified. Trust me.’
Illinois basketball coach Theresa Grentz, after a 71-61 loss Sunday in the Preseason Women’s NIT, rectified with two consecutive wins to improve their record to 4-1 going into Saturday’s match at home against sixth ranked Notre Dame.
`The Internet is all flash and no substance. Plus, it’s very difficult to take your children shopping on the Internet.’
Alvin Isacowitz, a bag-laden tourist from Brooklyn, interviewed while shopping on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.
`Trust has been built on the Web.’
Mark Speaker, co-author of the “Complete Idiot’s Guide to E-Commerce,” on on-line sales.
`We have made one small step toward figuring out what the brain does when we develop a habit.’
Ann M. Graybiel, a brain researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, on a study showing that neurons flashing signals about the brain undergo a dramatic change as the mind learns new habits of behavior.
