They Said It

Tom Heinsohn, former Boston Celtic star, explaining why he turned down a college football scholarship: "If I was going to get beat up, I wanted it to be indoors where it was warm."

Clint Hurdle, Kansas City Royals outfielder, who came into baseball as a much-ballyhooed phenom: "If I'd done everything I was supposed to, I would be leading the league in home runs, have the highest batting average, have given $1,000 to the cancer fund and have married Marie Osmond."

George Raveling, Washington State, one of the few blacks coaching a major college basketball team: "When the athletic director said I should recruit more whites to keep the folks in Pullman happy, I signed Rufus White and Willie White."

Leon Wandel, Belgian basketball official, in response to criticism from Soviet Basketball Coach Aleksandr Gomelsky at the Olympics: " Mr. Gomelsky can say what he wants. It's a free country."

Lynn Wheeler, after resigning as the coach of Iowa State's women's basketball team, which finished the season with 14 straight defeats: "I've taken this team as far as I can."

John Mackey, former Baltimore Colt tight end, lamenting the absence of a black head coach in the NFL: "l look at all the coaches in the game today, and I think to myself there's no reason why a black coach can't lose, too."

Gerry Cheevers, the goaltender-turned-coach of the Boston Bruins, who got off to a 3-9-1 start in the 1980-81 season: "Hockey was my life. This could be death after life."

Chico Resch, New York Islanders' loquacious goaltender, "If I wasn't talking, I wouldn't know what to say."

Willie Stargell, the Pittsburgh Pirates' 40-year-old first baseman, explaining why he didn't become a free agent: "You pull up an old tree from the ground and move it, say, to California. Well, you can damage the roots."

Harry Neale, coach of the Vancouver Canucks: "Last season we couldn't win at home, and this season we can't win on the road. My failure as a coach is that I can't think of anyplace else to play."