THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 10, 1996 TAG: 9605100680
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB MOLINARO
LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
No more tales from the crypt: Fox, the network aimed at 14-year-olds, intends to carry the youth movement over to its coverage of baseball's Game of the Week. Fox sports president David Hill is quoted as having told employees, ``If anybody talks about dead guys during a broadcast, I'll sack 'em. Whenever I turn on baseball, all I hear about is dead guys.''
Speaking of dead guys: A few days ago, it was reported (facetiously, perhaps) that Tigers sumo-slugger Cecil Fielder was on pace for a 60-home-run, 6-steal season. For what it's worth, in 1927, Babe Ruth stole 7 bases to go along with his 60 blasts.
Whatever works: Atlanta is now ranked first in violent crime based on FBI statistics. That's one way to keep terrorists away from the Olympics - scare them.
Double drivel: Jeff McInnis is leaving North Carolina for the NBA after his junior season for unspecified ``personal'' reasons. Translation: Coach wants to know how fast you can get out of town.
Ego overload: Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke has renamed a little slice of Landover, Md., the site of his monument to himself, Raljon, after his two sons, Ralph and John. Guess there's no chance he would have named the stadium location after his wives. It wouldn't have fit on the Beltway exit sign.
Talent search: It's harder to take the ACC seriously as a football conference after only 16 of its players were selected during the recent NFL draft. Penn State, all by itself, accounted for 10 draftees. This means, I suppose, that Wake Forest wouldn't make Joe Paterno's travel squad.
Shoe business: Chicago Bulls guard Steve Kerr says the black sneakers his team wears during the playoffs make him appear slow: ``I look like pause on the VCR.''
The bottom line: Unlike their fans, management of the Bulls may not want Jordan and Co. to sweep its way to the championship, seeing as how the club cleans up to the tune of $875,000 in ticket revenue for each home playoff game.
Mr. Congeniality: The Chicago Tribune reports that in a poll of more than 300 NBA coaches, players and team executives, Dennis Rodman was named the league's dirtiest player. It's just one more thing for Rodman to brag about.
Idle thought: Wonder if Davey Johnson's reputation as a brilliant manager will survive May.
In a hurry: Another outstanding high school athlete has rejected the campus experience for the pros, only this time it's a soccer player who acted on his impatience. Grover Gibson of Fredericksburg just turned down U.Va. for a German professional club.
Red, white and green: Wonder why Charles Barkley agreed to play on the U.S. Olympic team after first saying no? When Michael Jordan rejected pleas to represent Nike in Atlanta, the swoosh went back to Barkley with a million or more reasons for why he should change his mind. The moral of the story? Patriotism is spelled M-O-N-E-Y.
Generation gap: Magic Johnson probably understands now that his young Lakers teammates weren't all that happy to have him around, and won't be broken up if he leaves.
The spectrum of greed: Assessing the Baltimore Ravens' new uniform colors, you assume that gold represents the fortune Art Modell will make, purple the bruises left on the NFL's image, and black the mood in Cleveland. by CNB