THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 2, 1994 TAG: 9412020720
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB MOLINARO
LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
Corrupting Santa: Dennis Rodman's Christmas sneaker commercial is cynical, crass and irresponsible. I'm sure it will be a great success.
Just asking: Is it mere coincidence that more Redskin passes are being aimed at Desmond Howard? Or is management showcasing him for a trade?
Quick hit: We've seen enough of the Redskins to question whether the the team is not only bad, but badly coached.
Weird science: It is not possible to read about the suspension of Redskins' fullback Frank Wycheck without wondering how NFL linemen manage to pass their steroid tests.
Noticed at courtside: Old Dominion is a much better basketball team when senior forward Petey Sessoms does more than shoot the ball.
The Big One: Unless your team is playing for the national title, you'll never convince me that the best bowl every year isn't the Aloha. Coaches say bowl trips are rewards for the players. Flying to Jacksonville or Shreveport, La., is a change of scenery. But spending a week in Hawaii; now that's a reward.
Bowl blather: Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer showed he has a good sense of humor when he said Gator Bowl opponent Tennessee ``may be the best team in the SEC.'' Better than Alabama, Auburn and Florida? Even Mississippi State, which beat the Volunteers, has a superior record and higher ranking than Tennessee. Nice try, Frank.
No Fun League: The NFL should be very happy with itself this week. Eight teams are 6-6.
A different world: It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Students had left campus. Even so, Oliver Purnell's first home basketball game at Dayton, against ho-hum Howard, drew 12,800.
Coming soon: The early reviews on ``Cobb'' are excellent. The movie about Ty Cobb is written and directed by Ron Shelton, who brought us ``Bull Durham.'' Like Cobb himself, the flick is said to be tough and unsentimental.
Retirement fund: The NBA's highest paid (former) player this season is Magic Johnson, who is receiving $13.9 million from the Lakers.
Lookalikes: Pete Rose and sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer.
Idle thought: Riddick Bowe is a heavyweight everywhere but between the ears.
Roof-less people: When they had to practice in windy, freezing conditions this week after being chased from the Silverdome by a Rolling Stones concert, it was the Detroit Lions who were singing ``Gimme shelter.''
Reject it: The NCAA should do away with the rule that penalizes a basketball player by counting a technical foul as a personal foul. It's yet another way for officials to decide the outcome of games that should belong to the players.
Listen up: While squawk radio and newspapers cry for a college football playoff, members of an Alabama team that would benefit most this year from a tournament are against the idea. They say they don't need the additional pressure.
A milestone: For the first time in the Atlantic Coast Conference's 42-year history, five football teams won eight games or more. We now return to our regularly scheduled basketball season.
Gift idea: The perfect stocking stuffer for any college basketball fan would be a clapper that turned off Dick Vitale. by CNB