By the Evening’s Early Light . . .

Mayor Charles Luken of Cincinnati said he will make good on his bet and have chili delivered to Cleveland Mayor George Voinovich as payment for the Browns’ 34-3 victory, which clinched the AFC Central title Sunday.

Voinovich had put up kielbasa, Polish sausage, against Luken’s chili.

Luken also will have to fly Cleveland’s flag in front of Cincinnati’s city hall for a day.

Said Luken: “I looked it up, and Dec. 21 is the shortest day of the year. So that is when I’m going to do it.”

Kiss-of-death-Dept.: Wrote Barry Wilner of the Associated Press after the New York Jets had beaten the Atlanta Falcons, 28-14, to make their record 9-1: “It now can be said with conviction. Ken O’Brien of the New York Jets is the best quarterback in the NFL.”

Today, the Jets are 10-5, and O’Brien isn’t even going to the Pro Bowl. Dan Marino and John Elway were named to the AFC team.

From Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times, wondering how anyone can relate to the America’s Cup: “How many taverns sponsor 12-meter racing teams? When you were young, did you play Little League yachting?”

Trivia Time: Which of these running backs played both in the National Football League and the American Football League: Red Grange, Ken Strong, Tom Harmon, O.J. Simpson? (Answer below.)

Basketball Coach Clem Haskins of Minnesota, a former NBA guard, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press: “Believe me when I tell you this. Oscar Robertson and Jerry West are the best guards to ever play. You can take all the 6-foot-7 athletes playing guard today and there isn’t an Oscar or a Jerry in the bunch.

“Oscar was the consummate player. West had the great jumper and the quickest hands. You couldn’t think about driving on him because he’d pick your pocket. He broke up more two-on-one and three-on-one breaks than anyone.”

Add Oscar: Bob Glickley of Irvine couldn’t believe a recent item in this space that Robertson once averaged a triple-double for a season. It’s true. In 1961-62 for the Cincinnati Royals, he averaged 30.3 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists a game.

Darrell Royal, former Texas football coach, on confidence: “You’ve got to think lucky. If you fall into a mudhole, check your back pocket--you might have caught a fish.”

Trivia Answer: All four. There have been four different American Football Leagues--in 1926, 1936-37, 1940-41 and 1960-69. Grange played for the New York Yankees, Strong for the New York Yanks, Harmon for the New York Americans and Simpson for the Buffalo Bills.

Add Harmon: In 1941, the year after he won the Heisman Trophy at Michigan, he and John Kimbrough, All-American fullback from Texas A&M;, were signed by the Americans for a one-shot appearance against the Columbus Bullies at Yankee Stadium.

A crowd of 25,385 saw the teams struggle to a 7-7 tie. Harmon averaged 3.7 yards a carry and Kimbrough 3.4. Harmon was 0 for 5 passing with 2 interceptions.

At the end, the American fans were shouting, “We want Hutchinson.”

He was the regular New York tailback.

Quotebook

Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Sean Farrell, to a heckler in Minnesota: “Look, why don’t we talk about this Monday when you pick up my trash.”