Grizzard

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- "When we were behind, I thought of him," Navy's senior leader, Javier Zuluaga, said yesterday, referring to former teammate Alton Grizzard, who, with two other Naval Academy graduates, had been killed in a double-murder-suicide three days before.The Mids had dedicated their annual game against Army to the quarterback, and, in losing, they certainly couldn't be faulted in the effort put forth on behalf of their comrade while losing to the Cadets, 16-14."What I was thinking all the time we were behind was what a competitor 'Griz' was," Zuluaga continued.

They're usually Southern, generally outsiders, often fragile, narcissistic, living in the past and, above all, very feminine. They are the classic heroines in the plays of Tennessee Williams, whose work is being celebrated in "Tennessee Williams Explored," a four-month festival at Washington's Kennedy Center. Highlighted by new all-star productions of A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Glass Menagerie, the festival gets under way tomorrow with a symposium titled "Women of Tennessee."

IF I EVER GET BACK TO GEORGIA, I'M GONNA NAIL MY FEET TO THE GROUND. By Lewis Grizzard. Villard Books. 308 pages. $17.95. LET US agree from the get-go that Lewis Grizzard, syndicated humorist for the Atlanta Constitution and best-selling author of 13 books (including the wonderfully titled "Elvis is Dead and I Don't Feel So Good Myself") is a very funny fellow.Better yet for his legions of devoted readers, he is a very funny writer who serves up heaping portions of Southern-fried rumination on everything from singles bars, cheeseburgers and pick-up trucks to his fear of flying and his three divorces -- his third wife wrote a book about him and called it "How to Tame a Wild Bore."

ANNAPOLIS -- The last time Navy met Virginia in football, Gary Tranquill was coaching the Middies, Napoleon McCallum was a rookie with the Los Angeles Raiders and a fellow named Chuck Smith trampled all over the Cavaliers.The year was 1986. In the opener, Smith rushed for 230 yards and a touchdown, the sixth best rushing performance in academy history, as Navy won, 20-10.On the sideline that day was McCallum, Navy's All-America tailback the year before who was in the area with the Raiders for their game against the Washington Redskins.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Yesterday's game against Navy was expected to be a mere break in Notre Dame's schedule, but the No. 2 Fighting Irish might have left Giants Stadium wondering whether they were really among the country's best teams.Notre Dame (7-1) scored often in yesterday's 52-31 win over Navy (3-5). And it looked impressive in erupting for 42 second-half points. But the Fighting Irish, possibly the new No. 1 after top-ranked Virginia's loss yesterday, had to survive a day when their defense was thoroughly confused by an offense that last week could muster just seven points in a loss to Division I-AA James Madison.

GEORGE GRIZZARD, 79 Broadway, movie, TV actor Broadway and screen actor George Grizzard, who won acclaim, and a Tony Award, for performing in Edward Albee's dramas, has died. He was 79. Mr. Grizzard died Tuesday at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center of complications from lung cancer, said his agent, Clifford Stevens. Mr. Grizzard's film roles included a bullying U.S. senator in Advise and Consent in 1962 and an oilman in Comes a Horseman in 1978. On television, Grizzard made regular appearances on Law & Order and won a best supporting actor Emmy for the 1980 TV movie The Oldest Living Graduate, which starred Henry Fonda.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Navy coach George Chaump said his team needed a superhuman effort to beat Virginia. But it may have taken Superman himself to contain Shawn Moore and the 11th-ranked Cavaliers.And perhaps even the Man of Steel would not have been enougfor Navy. Moore passed for four touchdowns and ran for two in just over a half of play, as Virginia smothered the visiting Midshipmen, 56-14, before 39,400 at Scott Stadium. The victory puts the Cavaliers (3-0 overall, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference)

ANNAPOLIS -- On a day in which Navy's passing game was grounded, it took an effort from two backup running backs to save the Midshipmen from an embarrassing loss.Running backs Jason Pace and Dominic Flis combined for 164 rushing yards, as the Midshipmen rallied yesterday to beat Villanova, 23-21, before 21,491 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.Quarterback Alton Grizzard was presented the game ball for becoming Navy's all-time offense leader (he amassed 159 yards, to give him 4,553 for his career)

When Froggy staged a crime spree to finance his wooing of Miss Mousie, children's book author Kevin O'Malley had the court send him to prison for a long stretch.But when O'Malley's fanciful "gangster" version of the old folk tale got the boot from Baltimore County elementary schools last spring after one parent complained, the author never had his day court -- neither a hearing nor notification of the ban. The rules don't require it.Now, after appeals from O'Malley and from Clara Grizzard, a neighbor and art educator, school officials have decided to hold an unprecedented meeting to allow O'Malley to plead his case.