RECORD SALES WERE DOWN last week - bye weeks will do that - but for the season "The Tysman Rap" has sold a little over 9,000 copies.
"If everything goes like it's been going," says Val Butcher, sales director for Airus Records in Salt Lake, "it will probably do about 20,000."That will be a world record, of course, for a rap song done by a white singer that's about a college football quarterback.
"Initially, it was done as a joke," says Butcher. "But response was so overwhelming we went ahead and promoted it."
Air play has extended beyond local radio stations to guest appearances on ABC and ESPN. The song is performed by a man named Johnny Biscuit, a singer/comedian who owns Johnny B's Backstage Cafe and Comedy Club in Provo. BYU quarterback Ty Detmer, who has a good shot at winning this year's Heisman Trophy, is the song's subject matter.
Now that BYU is back in action this week after taking last Saturday off, Butcher sees sales going back up. "It's been consistent all year," he says, "although the week after the Oregon game wasn't too good. Interceptions seem to hurt sales."
THE DEERHUNTER: Speaking of Ty Detmer, yes he did get his deer on Saturday, and yes he was covered by the media even though he was sleeping
in a tent about 70 miles north of Cougar Stadium.
Detmer got a 2-point buck in the East Canyon area above Salt Lake City. He shot a 4-point buck before that, but so did a lot of other people in the same general area, and when the deer went around a corner it was finished off and claimed by an unnamed hunter.
"It was a much bigger deer," said Detmer.
"I went with George Curtis, our trainer," said Detmer. "We had a great weekend." Everyone except the deer. KSL-TV provided live coverage, with sportscaster Doug Miller doing a remote from the camp.
WOODEN'S FAVORITE: On the occasion of his 80th birthday last week, the Los Angeles Times visited with legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. As part of the interview, Wooden commented on his feelings about the pro game. He said he didn't care for it much.
But he added that his favorite NBA player is Jazz guard John Stockton. Wooden said Stockton is a pleasure to watch because he does things so effortlessly, and he isn't a showboat when he does them.
ON THE MAP: Street & Smith's Basketball Yearbook - the 21st annual - is at the newsstands, and Southern Utah State, in just its third year of Div. I
status, is rated fifth among the nation's independent teams.
DePaul is ranked first, Notre Dame second, Wright State (Ohio) third, Miami fourth and then the T-Birds.
"With five of his top six scorers and five of his top six rebounders back, plus a trio of top-notch JC transfers, (Coach Neil) Roberts thinks this might be the season basketball fans learn the basics of Southern Utah State - like it's in Cedar City, it has an enrollment of 3,600, its nickname is the Thunderbids and, now sto me here if I'm going too fast . . . it's located in Utah," writes Gary Nuhn.
In the Big Sky predictions, Weber State is picked to finish sixth (Idaho first), while in the WAC, BYU is picked fifth and Utah seventh, with New Mexico first, Wyoming second, CSU third, UTEP fourth, San Diego State sixth, Hawaii eighth and Air Force ninth.
UNLV is the preason choice for No. 1. The only Rocky Mountain team cracking the top 25 is New Mexico, ranked No. 22.
STILL THE UNDERDOG: Evander Holyfield, the challenger, has been made an 8-to-5 favorite to beat Buster Douglas in their heavyweight championship fight Thursday night in Las Vegas. Among those favoring Holyfield is Mike Tyson, the former champion who was knocked out by Douglas.
"He (Douglas) had a good fight against a bum," Tyson said in the New York Times. "I was a bum because of my mood and condition. Buster had a luck-out night. He's a fluke champion. It's like he won the lottery."
Actually, winning the lottery wouldn't be as lucrative. After making $500,000 in the Tyson fight, Douglas will now pick up $24 million for fighting Holyfield, win or lose.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: First year University of Utah Coach Ron McBride, on the travails of coaching, "It's just like pulling teeth. You have to pull them one tooth at a time."