COACHES' CORNER.

REGGIE JACKSON, on how he became a baseball legend. "I never intended to become legendary, but after a while I couldn't fight it anymore."

JOE MONTANA, on a quarterback's greatest joy: "Having seven guys up front whom you can look straight in the belly button."

MIKE REID, former Bengal tackle turned philosopher: "There are a thousand reasons for failure, but not a single excuse."

ABE LEMONS, one of college basketball's immortal wits: "Why is it that you can talk to popes, kings, and presidents, but not to basketball officials? In the next life, everyone will be given a whistle."

TONY SIRAGUSA, the Baltimore Ravens' 375-lb. defensive tackle, on his new ambition in life: "I want to put on a bikini and become an XFL cheerleader."

FOOTBALL COACH to a track star playing in his first football game: "Remember, Joe, nobody is going to give you a medal for finishing second in this sport."

AL McGUIRE, in his prime: "The only time winning is really important is in surgery and war."

DEAN SMITH, the legend of North Carolina: "Once a year an athlete may be made insufferable by praise. Every other day in the year a deserving athlete will drop out of sport for want of a word of praise."

TED TURNER, the most unbashful executive in TV: "I wish I had a little humility. It would make me perfect."

BOB LILLY, the Dallas Cowboy Hall of Famer, on Tom Landry's coaching: "It was fabulous, brilliant. The only trouble was that by the time you learned it, you were too old to use it."

CASEY STENGEL: "Managing is the art of making people believe you are always thinking."

ROCKY BRIDGES, the minor-league baseball manager, after finishing second in a pre-game milking contest: "I had to slow down when I found myself becoming emotionally involved."

BUD WILKINSON, football coach/educator: "Losing a game is heartbreaking. Winning a game by cheating is tragedy."

LEE TREVINO, on how to ensure a happy marriage when you're away from home for weeks at a time: "Convince your wife that you hate all the marvelous restaurants, worshipping crowds, appearances on TV, and posing with beautiful movie actresses."

LARRY MIZE, pro golfer, on how he learned to handle pressure in the big tournaments: "I got my butterflies to fly in formation."

DICK HARP, the Kansas basketball coach when a freshman named Wilt Chamberlain arrived in Lawrence, KS: "Son, did you come here to play basketball or to be the guy who holds out his right hand at our railroad crossing?"

BILL PARCELLS, retired football coach: "If a man's grasp cannot exceed his reach, he has no business playing wide receiver."

BOBBY VALENTINE, Mets manager, on the wonder of Billy Martin: "He was the only person I ever knew who could go completely out of his mind and nobody would notice."

NORMAN CHAD, syndicated columnist, on the Cleveland Browns' offense: "It's like an eclipse. Keep staring at it long enough and it will damage your eyes."

CHUCK NOLL, former Steelers coach: "Coaches who scrimmage all the time probably don't know what to practice."

JERRY GLANVILLE, TV commentator: "Jimmy Johnson is a great coach who is full of energy and enthusiasm and, unfortunately himself."