The passing of eccentric chess genius Bobby Fischer in Iceland this week didn’t trigger widespread mourning.

“People would feel a lot worse about him croaking if he wasn’t such a creep,” Dom Imus observed on his WABC radio show.

Chess legend Garry Kasparov was a bit more tactful after learning of Fischer’s death. “The tragedy is that he left this world too early, and his extravagant life and scandalous statements did not contribute to the popularity of chess,” he told the Associated Press.

Well, yes, Fischer did behave strangely for much of his adult life. His strident anti-American and anti-Semitic views kept him on the fringe of society.

He was at odds with American officials since 1992, when he went to Yugoslavia to beat Boris Spassky and win $3.35 million. That match defied U.N. sanctions against Yugoslavia and led to his arrest in Japan 12 years later.

Fischer lived his remaining years in exile in Iceland, a chess-crazed country that granted him citizenship.

Here were just a few examples of Fischer’s curious behavior:

• He praised the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, saying America should be “wiped out,” and described Jews as “thieving, lying bastards.” (Ironically, his mother was Jewish.)
• In another tirade, he had this: “The United States is evil. There’s this axis of evil. What about the allies of evil — the United States, England, Japan, Australia? These are the evildoers.”
• In 1996, he launched a new version in Argentina, “Fischerandom,” a computerized shuffler that randomly distributes chess pieces on the back row of the board at the start of each game. It has not yet caught on.

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while wondering if the Falcons will ever find a new head coach:

• If you’re Wade Phillips, are you really happy that Jason Garrett is getting paid head-coaching money to look over your shoulder?
• How many of you would have bet on SLU to upset Rhode Island with wide body Barry Eberhardt in street clothes?
• Are the Tigers ready to “D” up against the Jayhawks? Or will that rivalry game turn ugly?

QUIPS ‘R US

Here is what some of American’s leading sports pundits have been writing:

Gerry Callahan, Boston Herald: “Bill Belichick and the Patriots are 17-0. By coincidence, that happens to be the streak that Norval Eugene Turner needs just to get back to .500 for his coaching career.”

Greg Cote, Miami Herald: “Parting thought: A new book, Tarnished Heisman, accuses Reggie Bush of accepting some $300,000 in money and gifts while at Southern Cal. Experts say that, if true, Bush clearly was underpaid.”

Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel: “Two reasons Kelly Tilghman of Orlando-based Golf Channel hasn’t lost her job (at least not yet) following the totally inappropriate, racially charged “lynch him in a back alley” term she used about Tiger Woods: (1) Because she’s a FOT (Friend of Tiger) and (2) Because she’s not an old white dude (see Don Imus, Rush Limbaugh, Jimmy the Greek, Al Campanis, Fuzzy Zoeller, etc., etc.).”

Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, on new 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz: “Martz says of his new job, “It’s not a challenge, it’s an opportunity.” I disagree. I see it as a challenge to Martz to make the most of an opportunity to take on the challenge of challenging himself to recognize the opportunity to challenge himself and the offense. It’s also an opportunity to appear on Discovery Channel’s ‘Dirty Jobs.’”

Jay Mariotti, Chicago Sun-Times: “Whether it’s professing his love for deer sausage or engaging in a snowball fight during a game, Brett Favre just can’t help himself. He keeps proving he’s one of us, in spirit and scope, which explains his enduring appeal as the athlete we root for most. In these times of viral hatred, Internet punkery and 24/7 scrutiny that leads to scandals and shame, the concept of a universally beloved celebrity seems absurd. But here is Favre, with silver stubble and an 11-year-old’s joy, whisking us away from a steroids epidemic and daily sports turbulence on a sentimental ride that lands upon a fabled frozen tundra. It’s beyond any storybook to think Favre, 10 years removed from his last Super Bowl, could return to the grand stage after a decade of family tragedy, a Vicodin addiction, reckless performances and calls for his retirement. Considering he might do so in a wind chill of 15-below zero Sunday night, it’s a story that America not only adores but needs for its emotional health.”

MEGAPHONE

“I’ve now scored 40 points on the highest stage you can ever score. It was definitely a special night. I will remember this night for the rest of my life.”

Former Mizzou star Linas Kleiza, after scoring 41 points for the Denver Nuggets.