THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 26, 1996 TAG: 9604260646
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Bob Molinaro
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Looking back: It's impossible not to wonder if Aaron Sparrow would be a more attractive pro prospect today had he resisted the security of the Norfolk State nest and done whatever it took - prep school, red-shirting, holding a clipboard for a year or more - to play at one of the major universities, such as U.Va., that wanted him.
Add Sparrow: In his final season at Wilson High, Sparrow was rated on a par with Heath Shuler and Eric Zeier, who jumped from big-time college programs to starting assignments in the NFL. That's not to say Sparrow could have done the same. But while wide receivers, linemen and linebackers frequently make the leap from Division II to the NFL, the same is almost never true of quarterbacks.
The road less traveled: Sparrow's best chance of fulfilling his dream is to play two or three seasons in Canada and hope to impress an NFL team.
Arms crisis: How many more weak quarterback drafts can the NFL absorb before teams return to the single wing? The average age of the 30 starting QBs last season was 30.2 years.
Just asking: Whatever happened to Uwe Blab?
Not so old: At 33, Michael Jordan was the only Chicago Bull to play in every game this season.
The Shootist: Making allowances for age, Jordan has worked at becoming a better outside shot. This season, he connected on 43 percent of his 3-pointers. In his first four NBA seasons, he was down around 20 percent.
In passing: Lately, Monica Seles' return to tennis has started to feel like a rumor again.
Greek to him: The shocking victory by Joe Namath's Jets in Super Bowl III was a turning point for pro football. But Jimmy the Greek deserves some of the credit, too. He's the bookie who made the Jets 17-point underdogs.
Nosebleed seats: The upper deck at the new Comisky Park is so steep and far from the field that White Sox fans refer to it as Mount Shafted.
Spring fling: Nebraska's recent intrasquad football game was watched by 48,659. Who says there's nothing to do in the Cornhusker state?
Kickoff: The opening game for the Major League Soccer New York/New Jersey MetroStars played at the Meadowlands outdrew the New York Mets game at Shea Stadium the same night, 46,826 to 20,847.
Idle thought: In lieu of recent events in Dallas, maybe we should dust off the nickname the Cowboys carried for a time in the '80s - Colombia's Team.
Inside information: That little cottage industry, Arena Football, begins its 10th season this weekend. Remarkable. But I bet you can't name one city in the league.
Sarcasm ahead: Now that an Ohio probation officer has ordered him to stay out of bars and strip clubs, Mike Tyson might discover that he has more time for symphonies and art galleries.
Dollars and sense: Minnesota taxpayers are footing the bill for a $400,000 tarp the Twins use to cover unsold seats beyond the centerfield fence in the Metrodome. And they say politicians don't know the value of other people's money.
Quick learner: Minnesota Timberwolves 19-year-old rookie Kevin Garnett is linked with Moses Malone as the only other player to jump from high school to the pros and average double figures in scoring.
'Nuff said: The first time Garnett played against Magic Johnson, he was asked if he remembered watching Magic as a kid. Answered Garnett, ``I'm still a kid.'' by CNB