THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 11, 1995 TAG: 9508110037
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB MOLINARO
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
No sentiment to spare: Strictly from a football standpoint, you can understand Virginia coach George Welsh's decision to strip senior Symmion Willis of his quarterback assignment. On a human level, it's a shame that someone who contributed as much as Willis has to the Cavalier program was treated so, well, cavalierly.
Road warriors: After Virginia gets through with its regular-season travel plans - to Michigan, Texas, North Carolina, Clemson and N.C. State - the Cavaliers may be staying home for the bowl season.
Doubletalk: Mere hours after complaining at his Hall of Fame induction that greed is hurting baseball, Mike Schmidt appeared on a home shopping network to hawk signed and dated baseballs for $82 apiece. Maybe Schmidt deserved all that booing he received in Philly, after all.
The gray bar prep school: By ushering in wide receiver Randy Moss from a jail cell, Florida State is simply reversing the process that takes place at some football factories.
Go figure: Germany has a strange system of justice. Peter Graf, Steffi's dad, goes to prison for suspicion of tax evasion, while the fruitcake who stabbed Monica Seles goes free.
Futurewatch: If Seles, overweight and match soft, advances deep into the draw at the U.S. Open, it will be another slap at women's tennis.
Long range: Assuming a new NBA season ever gets under way, Golden State Warriors rookie Joe Smith makes his one and only appearance at the USAir Arena against the Washington Bullets on Dec. 27.
Business as usual: If P.T. Barnum were alive today, he wouldn't be surprised to hear that crowds pay top dollar for NFL exhibition games in which the marquee players appear for only a few minutes or not at all.
Charade: What is the NFL preseason worth? A year ago, the San Diego Chargers were 1-4 in exhibitions, then won their first six regular-season games.
Accident waiting to happen: When the Cleveland Browns signed Jim McMahon, one presumes they sent out for another X-ray machine.
One or the other: Ryder Cup captain Lanny Wadkins gets to pick two at-large players for the U.S. team. Apparently, he favors Curtis Strange over Long John Daly, but he won't pick them both. Strange and Daly do not get invited to the same parties.
Overrated: Not counting the other majors, there are at least three tournaments more interesting than the PGA Championship currently being played in Los Angeles.
Hot subject: When the temperature in Atlanta on the one-year-to-go anniversary of the Summer Games reached 98 degrees, International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch was asked if he was concerned about the conditions for 1996. ``Maybe,'' he said, ``we won't wear ties.''
Not so hot: America's honest apathy for the World Track and Field Championships in Sweden will be replaced next summer by feigned interest in the Olympic meet.
Cupcakes: With opponents that include Northwestern, Vanderbilt and the three service academies, you can see Lou Holtz's fingerprints all over Notre Dame's football schedule.
Paying the bills: O.J. Simpson's arthritis isn't so bad that he can't spend two hours each week in jail signing memorabilia.
Splitting the uprights: It may sound like whining to some, but ex-Redskin kicker Chip Lohmiller spoke for a lot of NFL critics when he said that free agency has had a chilling effect on team camaraderie. by CNB