America’s Fans Showing Their True Colors

During the late ‘70s, when they were known as “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys ranked No. 1 among NFL teams in merchandise sold, accounting for 25% of all sales.

Today, the Raiders account for 25%, but that might have more to do with the music- and gang-related popularity of their clothing among teen-agers than their appeal as an NFL club.

Ann McDowell, senior licensing manager at NFL Properties, told the Dallas Morning News: “I don’t think (the Raiders) would even want to be ‘America’s Team.’ ”

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Trivia time: Lou Brock of the St. Louis Cardinals led the National League in stolen bases during eight of nine seasons from 1966-74. Who led in 1970?

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No regrets: Former UCLA quarterback Tommy Maddox told Sport magazine: “Some people can’t understand why somebody would want to leave college, because college is the best time of your life. It wasn’t like that for me. I don’t drink. I don’t go out. I’m already married.

“That part of my life was not as big of a deal as it is in some people’s life. I didn’t enjoy the college atmosphere as much as I probably should have and as much as some people do. I was happy playing football there, but the college life is just not my cup of tea.”

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Changing sides: Swimmer Rowdy Gaines credited U.S. teammate Tracy Caulkins for calming him down before he defeated Australian Mark Stockwell for the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle at the 1984 Olympics.

Last year, Caulkins and Stockwell were married.

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Man overboard: America’s Cup defender Bill Koch capsized and swamped a sailboat on Indiana’s Lake Maxinkuckee last week while racing against students at Culver Academy, where he graduated in the ‘50s.

“Each time I come back to Culver, I get humble,” Koch said.

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Porky Panther: Pittsburgh quarterback Alex Van Pelt, on track to break Dan Marino’s all-time school passing-yardage record this fall, is paying for an eating binge during which his weight climbed to 235 pounds as he recovered from an off-season elbow operation.

“I was miserable and that led to the eating,” Van Pelt said, adding that he gained 25 pounds on a diet of extra-thick pizza, burritos, hamburgers and french fries. “When I get upset, I start eating a lot.

“You’ve got guys on the team right now that are trying to gain weight, but if they’d just eaten with me for a week or two during that time, I would have put weight right on them.”

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Air Wimbledon: Of the nearly 4,000 Tennis magazine readers who participated in a poll asking, “Who’s the one pro athlete who could be a top-10 tennis pro?” 58% said Michael Jordan and 29% said Wayne Gretzky.

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Admiring Aztec: Said T.C. Wright, who was San Diego State’s starting tailback last fall in the game during which his replacement, Marshall Faulk, ran for an NCAA-record 386 yards and a freshman-record seven touchdowns: “I was thinking, ‘It should have been me.’ But he did some things that only a person in the NCAA record books can do. I asked for his autograph.”

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Trivia answer: Bobby Tolan of the Cincinnati Reds.

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Quotebook: World champion cyclist Gianni Bugno of Italy, after losing 3 minutes 41 seconds to Miguel Indurain of Spain in a Tour de France time trial: “He must be an extraterrestrial. He comes from another planet.”