THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 23, 1994 TAG: 9412230647
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Bob Molinaro
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
Just asking: If trends traditionally start in California and move east, do the attendance problems of the Rams and Raiders say something about the future popularity of the NFL?
In need of relief: The rule that limits chucking, plus the eagerness of officials to call pass interference have made NFL cornerbacks the season's most harassed players.
Last chance: For all his recent progress, Heath Shuler goes into Anaheim as the only one of three Redskins starting pitchers who hasn't won a game.
Go figure: How is it that Redskins' punter Reggie Roby was voted to the Pro Bowl, and kick returner extraordinaire Brian Mitchell wasn't? Maybe it's because Roby has been on the field more often this season.
Future watch: The Redskins can look at the Chicago Bears, a team of castoffs that might win 10 games, and see hope for themselves in 1995.
The way they were: As prolific as this year's San Francisco 49ers are, they must score 51 points in their final regular-season game to better the point production of the 1983 Super Bowl Redskins.
The bottom line: In the opinion of some TV football pundits, the Cowboys and 49ers have a moral obligation to struggling wildcard contenders to risk injury to their best players in meaningless regular-season finales. What nonsense. A team's first responsibility is to its own selfish interests. Now, if you want to argue that the 'Boys and Niners owe the paying customers the best show for their money, that's another story.
The image game: Upon his retirement from tennis this week, Ivan Lendl said, ``They started to root for me when I started losing.'' Lendl isn't the first athlete to discover that affection follows failure. The public prefers vulnerability to cold efficiency.
On the rise: For Kendrick Warren of Virginia Commonwealth University and Derrick Phelps of North Carolina, apprenticeship in the Continental Basketball Association isn't expected to last much longer. The NBA talent scouts like what they see.
Scrooged: If there is a Santa Claus, Bud Selig and Donald Fehr will each find a lump of coal in his stocking.
Coaching roulette: It's hard to believe that after coveting Joe Gibbs, the Carolina Panthers could be serious about Rich Kotite. That's like a movie director putting out a call for Anthony Hopkins and settling for Tony Danza.
The Big Three: When Charles Barkley cites Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and Anfernee Hardaway as the NBA's best players, it's a sign that he's suffering from an attack of modesty.
The right choice: The Bullets' happiness with Chris Webber cannot compare with the joy the Orlando Magic feel for having the foresight to swap Webber for Hardaway on draft day.
Limping along: The most impressive coaching performance in the NBA has been turned in by the Cleveland Cavaliers Mike Fratello, who is finding a way to win without injured starters Gerald Wilkins and Brad Daugherty.
For sissies: Larry Bird, joining the chorus of pros who dislike the NBA's shorter 3-point shot, says, ``It never should have been moved, but if they were going to move it, they should have moved it back instead of forward.''
Slow going: With the recent hiring of Tyrone Willingham by Stanford and Bob Simmons at Oklahoma State, there are now five black Division I-A head football coaches out of 107. Hold your applause. by CNB