ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 14, 1997 TAG: 9702140042
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: JACK BOGACZYK
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
The weekend buffet:
The nine-person search committee seeking a successor to ACC commissioner Gene Corrigan includes three athletic directors - and two obvious absences.
While Florida State's Dave Hart, Duke's Tom Butters and Georgia Tech's retiring Homer Rice are among the group, John Swofford of North Carolina and Terry Holland of Virginia are not - because they are considered candidates for the job, which Corrigan showed demands toughness with his decision and remarks on the officiating mistakes at the end of Tuesday's Duke-Virginia men's basketball game.
The committee hopes to have its choice made by the ACC's May meetings in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Swofford is considered the leading candidate, but some anti-Tar Heels elements in the league want Holland, who could go from a compromise to a consensus candidate. He has been non-committal about the job to date.
Meanwhile, Virginia Tech AD Dave Braine's name continues to be mentioned for the job at UNC, his alma mater, if Swofford is the ACC choice. Word in the league, however, is that Braine's profile has slipped somewhat because of the repeated arrests and suspensions in the Hokies' football program.
REAL ACE: This from an NBA Western Conference scout on Virginia Tech's Ace Custis, who should be the Atlantic 10 Conference's player of the year:
``I like him. I'm not sure he's an NBA player for everyone, but if he got on the floor with the right four guys he could be productive. He's improved his [shooting] range and he works hard. He's been well-coached, and he knows how to play. It could all come down to which team he ends up with as to his chances. I'd say he's a second-rounder, once [underclassmen] start coming out.''
'SKINS GAME: The Washington Redskins' priority this off-season is re-signing their five free agents - defensive lineman Sean Gilbert, quarterback Gus Frerotte, running back Terry Allen and cornerbacks Darrell Green and Tom Carter. Gilbert, a must-sign along with Frerotte, already has told the club he wants more than the $2.8 million annually he's been offered as the Redskins' designated ``franchise'' player.
Washington has $29 million committed in salary-cap dollars, with the cap rising by about $700,000 to $41.45 million in 1997. There will be more cuts, but the Redskins are going to have a difficult time making a big free agent from elsewhere fit.
The Redskins' general manager, Charley Casserly, said Wednesday the club wants to trade the No.17 pick in the first round and already has some offers. The club wants a player and later picks in return. If the 'Skins keep that pick, they likely will use that one and No.47 in the second round on defense.
With the Redskins' new stadium still under construction, Washington won't play any home preseason games, either. The Redskins will visit Tampa Bay, New England and Miami and play the Houston - perhaps Tennessee - Oilers in Nashville.
DO NOT PASS GO: If NASCAR officials aren't concerned about rules changes that have leveled the competition so much as to limit passing on the track, they should be. The recent competitiveness in Winston Cup has been a major part of NASCAR's growth. Last year, there were 19.3 lead changes per race in 31 Winston Cup events, up from 17.1 in 1995.
As for the Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt shouldn't feel so bad about his inability to win NASCAR's biggest event. Of the 43 drivers who will start Sunday's race, only seven have won it. Look for someone among the top 10 qualifiers to win. Since 1980, the only winner to start from farther back than the fifth row was Derrike Cope, who came from the 12th spot to take the checkered flag in 1990.
WOMEN'S ROOM: There is some sentiment in the ACC office about considering the Roanoke Civic Center as a future site for its women's basketball tournament. The event is scheduled at the Charlotte Coliseum from 1997-99. An ACC administrator said the 10,056-seat civic center is ``perfect'' for the event, and its proximity in relation to the league's biggest draw, Virginia, is another plus.
LENGTH: Medium: 75 linesby CNB