THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 25, 1994 TAG: 9411250122
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Bob Molinaro
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
A hard road: The schedule for Jeff Capel's Old Dominion team may have gotten even harder, judging by scores coming out of the Maui Classic. The Monarchs must play Tulane, which hammered Indiana, and Arizona State, which toppled Michigan and Maryland.
Two of a kind: Listening to Mike Ditka and Buddy Ryan publicly snipe at one another, it's easy to see that they're cut from the same cloth.
The minor league: You're only guessing if you think you know who will be the AFC representative in the Super Bowl. None of the contenders look strong enough to make it through the playoffs.
Political football: If Newt Gingrich were a football player, he'd play on the special teams.
Quick hit: Off Virginia's first two basketball games, it looks like Cory Alexander is trying to make up for all those shots he couldn't take last season while recuperating from an injury.
Tall story: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar isn't expected to get the coaching job at Southern Cal. Some people have trouble picturing Jabbar as a coach. Must be those goggles.
Numbers game: The statistic is fairly meaningless, but two former Old Dominion players top the NBA in field goal percentage. Chris Gatling is No. 1; Mark West No. 2.
Just checking: Does anybody still care who starts at quarterback for the Redskins? Didn't think so.
The bottom line: Former Southern Cal basketball coach George Raveling, upon his retirement, said: ``Being a kid's coach is almost irrelevant anymore. What these kids need is direction, a sense of values in their lives. Unfortunately, you're not going to be rewarded for those things. You'll only be rewarded if you win.''
Same old story: Just a reminder of the hypocrisy of college athletics. When Gary Gibbs was forced to step down as Oklahoma football coach, the Sooners had the highest graduation rate in their conference.
More of the same: John Calipari, coach of the highly rated Massachusetts basketball team, modestly says, ``I can get guys to play hard, to compete, to battle.'' Apparently, he can't get them to class. Three UMass starters were on academic probation this fall.
Dumbing down: After April 1, a 700 SAT score may not be the magic number for incoming jocks hoping to attain Division I eligibility. The College Board, the group that administers the SATs, is changing the way entrance tests are tabulated in order to adjust to the declining ability of the average student. The Japanese have nothing to fear from us.
Spoofing the NBA: Actor Bill Murray really does love this game. The creator and star of the clever new TV ad campaign for pro basketball is doing it all for free.
A good racket: Andre Agassi says that tennis ``fills up a place inside of me that is relaxing and therapeutic.'' It pays well, too.
This year's model: Against Croatia the other day, Georgetown freshman Allen Iverson scored 39 points in 33 minutes. He also took 27 shots.
Fan Club: Maryland sophomore Joe Smith says of Iverson, ``Allen can have a better-than-Joe-Smith year. I think his freshman year is going to be much more outstanding than mine.''
Coming attraction: Smith will be featured in one of the most hyped nonconference college basketball games of the season - UMass vs. Maryland, Dec. 10 at the Baltimore Arena. It's made for, and by, TV, of course. by CNB