Quotable quotes

Oklahoma basketball coach Billy Tubbs on his desire to see the Sooners play as many different places as possible: ''We'd like to be the first team in history to play the University of Mars. We'd even go up there and play as long as they would guarantee us a return game.''

Red Auerbach, general manager of the Boston Celtics, on Larry Bird's practice habits: ''Whenever he misses a shot, you can see his mind start spinning immediately. He doesn't just say, 'Oh, well, it happens.' He figures out why it happens. And sure enough, the next time he takes the same shot and it goes in.''