Brian Bosworth was a forgettable flop on the field, although he did OK for himself in a series of films. And who can forget Alex Karras, who not only starred in "Webster'' but appeared in numerous films, including "Blazing Saddles'' where he played Mongo, the horse-slugging ogre with a surprisingly sensitive side.

"Mongo only pawn in game of life,'' a philosophical Mongo said.

Most of the time, though, it's best to leave the acting to real actors. Muhammad Ali had the most photogenic and recognizable face of his time, but his career in pictures didn't last long beyond his role as a slave in 1979's "Freedom Road.''

Sometimes it works both ways. Will Smith played The Greatest in "Ali,'' but it turned out he wasn't so great at it.

And anyone who ever saw Sandy Koufax playing himself on "Mister Ed'' or Don Drysdale teaching Greg Brady how to throw a pitch on the "Brady Bunch'' will forever be grateful that the two never made it to the big screen in "Winning Shot,'' a film that starred David Janssen and also featured the likes of Carroll O'Connor and Joan Collins.

Like Taylor, the two were in a dispute with their team, holding out in 1966 for new contracts with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers had just won the World Series for the second time in three years, Koufax and Drysdale had won 49 games between them, and they decided to hold out together for three-year contracts worth $500,000 each.

The Dodgers, of course, weren't about to pay such an exorbitant sum, even when Koufax and Drysdale said they would become actors. They were pictured in director's chairs on the set, and filming was to begin April 11, not coincidentally the day before opening day.

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"Let's wish the boys well,'' general manager Buzzie Bavasi said. "They've been darn good Dodgers and we can't blame them if they can improve their future, even if it takes them out of baseball. There is no sense in negotiating further.''

Fortunately for Dodger fans, Koufax and Drysdale realized their future was in baseball, not acting. On the eve of the season, Koufax signed a one-year contract for $125,000, Drysdale got $110,000, and the Dodgers went on to another World Series.

The money's a lot bigger now. But strained relations between teams and athletes haven't changed much.

Neither, though, has the acting ability of most athletes.

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