THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 7, 1997 TAG: 9702070085
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Bob Molinaro
LENGTH: 59 lines
Second chances: If Dick Vermeil and Mike Ditka can come back to coaching, it's too early to rule out a return by Joe Gibbs, who could teach them both a thing or two about football and winning.
Numb-ers game: Were it not for its two stunning upsets of Old Dominion, the William and Mary men's basketball team would have only five victories so far this season. Even now, the Tribe may not win 10. Unless it can figure out a way to schedule more games with ODU.
Strange sport: The same South Carolina basketball team that rocked Kentucky this week to go 10-0 in the SEC lost in December to Charleston Southern and UNC-Asheville. Maybe Jeff Capel's Monarchs can find some solace in this.
He's No. 1: In a recent Internet poll, Florida football coach Steve Spurrier was named Whiner of the Year.
Fit to be Thai-ed: Tiger Woods has a great career to look forward to, but after he suffered heat exhaustion at the Asian Honda Classic, the line that comes to mind is: Tiger, Tiger burning out.
Request: Wake me when the Bill Parcells soap opera is over.
Mr. Happy: Albert Belle, spotted at a recent Chicago White Sox FanFest chatting affably with reporters, says he's put his hostility toward the media behind him. OK, but it's early.
Getting religion: After Indiana freshman guard Michael Lewis had 11 assists this week in a loss to Iowa, Bobby Knight said, ``We haven't had anyone get 11 assists since Christ held a revival in Omaha.'' I'm laughing, but I don't have the slightest idea what he's talking about.
More is less: The Washington Bullets would be a better team if their most talented members - Chris Webber and Juwan Howard - didn't play the same position.
Punch line: Charles Barkley, grizzled, mature veteran, on the newest crop of NBA kids: ``They're getting dumber. They run like deer, they jump like deer and they think like deer.''
Overmatched: Jermaine O'Neal, the Portland Trail Blazers' struggling high-school project, now admits that he should have tried college. ``There's a lot of other things other than basketball you have to deal with,'' says the teen. Day-to-day life, for instance.
Fashion statement: Major League players will wear commemorative patches on their uniforms this season in honor of the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color line.
Net gains: One month into the new tennis calendar, 16-year-old Swiss miss Martina Hingis has already amassed winnings of $737,740. That would pay for a lot of tennis lessons if she was still taking them instead of giving them.
Hot idea: The WNBA may be a fine concept, but who's going to desert the backyard barbecue to watch women's basketball in July and August?
Idle thought: I suppose O.J. Simpson continues to search for the real killers behind every bunker.
In passing: The return of Dennis Rodman could be a bad day for women's fashion.
Bull manure: Another Rodman book, his second, is due out in the spring. In it, he writes: ``The only bad press is an obit.''
Missing person: The college or pro team that was supposed to hire Lou Holtz must have misplaced his phone number.