Tipsheet’s favorite former St. Louis Spirit was Gus Gerard, owing to his later stint with the Kansas City-Omaha (and St. Louis) Kings. Tipsheet even attended the unforgettable “Gus Gerard Appreciation Night” roast in Kansas City.

Cotton Fitzsimmons loved the Double G.

But many St. Louisans insist that Austin Peay gunner Fly Williams was, in fact, the Most Colorful Spirit Ever. The legendary streetballer and former NCAA scoring star was as flamboyant off the court as he was on the court.

His running mate was Marvin “Bad News” Barnes, which explains everything.

Down in Clarksville, Tenn., this week, Austin Peay honored Williams by retiring his number. The ceremony coincided with the release of a new book on his life.

Fans got to reprise the old chant: “Fly’s open, let’s go Peay.”

Here are a few highlights from the Fly Williams Adventure, from his official website:

• Fly was one of many New York City playground legends who prepped for college basketball by attending Glen Springs Academy in Watkins Glen, N.Y.
• Leonard Hamilton, then a graduate assistant at Austin Peay, was instrumental in getting Fly to Tennessee in 1972.
• Williams led the Governors to a NCAA Tournament showdown against Kentucky. The Wildcats prevailed in overtime.
• Fly lasted two years, until the Ohio Valley Conference became concerned about his entrance exam. With ineligibility looming, he jumped to the ABA in 1974.
• After his pro career ended prematurely, Williams fell into a life of crime and drug abuse. “Cops had a going bet,” Fly says. “When’s Fly gonna get killed?” That nearly came in 1987, when he was shot in the back.
• After a couple of stints behind bars, Fly got a handle on his addictions and became a fixture at the Brownsville Recreation Center, working with kids.
• During an earlier return to Clarksville, he and coach Dave Loos pulled up to the Dunn Center in a limousine. “They say this is the house that Fly built,” Loos said to Williams. “If that’s true,” Fly said, “why is it named after somebody else?”

THEN AGAIN, IT’S JUST HOCKEY

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored his 200th goal Thursday night. Too bad he is playing in the NHL.

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while wondering when the New York Knicks will tighten up their defense:

• Now that Todd Haley is headed to Kansas City to coach the Chiefs, will he try to bring his buddy Anquan Boldin with him?
• Who could have possibly guessed Ben Sheets would face elbow surgery before the season even started?
• Are we to believe the Cardinals suddenly have no money to spend on potential free-agent bargains like Braden Looper?

URBAN WARFARE

It didn’t take new Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin long to run afoul of Florida coach Urban Meyer.

At a signing day celebration, he falsely accused Meyer of cheating while recruiting Nu’Keese Richardson.

“I’m gonna turn Florida in right here in front of you,” Kiffin said, according to WVLT-TV. “While Nu’Keese was on campus, his phone kept ringing. One of the coaches says, ‘who’s that?’ And he said, ‘Urban Meyer.’

“I love the fact that Urban had to cheat and still didn’t get him.”

Trouble is, those calls were, in fact, permissible. Also, SEC rules prohibit coaches from blasting each other in public.

“His allegations are inappropriate, out of line and, most importantly, totally false,” Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said in the statement. “It is completely unfair to Urban Meyer, our coaching staff, our football program and our institution. The appropriate action at this time in my opinion is for Coach Kiffin to make a public apology.”

Kiffin later issued that apology.

TOMMY LASORDA IS NO SCIENTIST

He doesn’t know what an Isotope is, as we can see from this news conference announcing Tim Wallace’s hiring as manager of the Dodgers’ Class AAA affiliate.

COACHING DETONATION OF WEEK

South Alabama coach Ronnie Arrow became irritable when officials couldn’t review a dramatic last-second shot at Louisana-Lafayette.

Let’s go to the highlights:

Welcome to life at the mid-major level, Ronnie.

QUIPS ‘R US

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

Jennifer Floyd Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram.com, after Dan Reeves bailed on this Cowboys: “Not so dumb, this Reeves. It took him all of 48 hours to figure out what Bill Parcells needed four seasons to learn — Valley Ranch is not conducive to serious football people, not as presently operated.”

Steve Rosenbloom, ChicagoTribune.com: “The judge presiding over Barry Bonds‘ perjury case unsealed some of the evidence gathered by prosecutors in the case. Among other things, documents show Bonds tested positive for three types of steroids. The defense contends that unsealing the records could influence Bonds’ ability to get a fair trial. Quick, someone tell the defense that Bonds lost his chance to get a fair trial when his head grew seven sizes in 20 minutes. I mean, Bonds took so many ‘roids that even Sammy Sosa’s head grew five sizes.”

Greg Cote, Miami Herald.com: “For me National Signing Day is the most overblown day in sports, turned into an ‘event’ by the Internet, by the myriad of sad websites that heap a premature national spotlight (and un-do) pressure on teenagers. This begins the entitlement cycle that convinces athletes they are extraordinarily special and should be treated as such.”

MEGAPHONE

“Everyone who has been involved in athletics knows every once in a while it may take a couple of generations you get to see something very unique and very special. It’s probably not ever going to happen again, at least not in your lifetime. This is one of those moments.”

Former coach Billie Moore, after Pat Summitt won her 1,000th college basketball game at Tennessee.