DATE: Friday, April 18, 1997                TAG: 9704180886
SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Column 

SOURCE: Bob Molinaro 

                                            LENGTH:   56 lines

IS WARRIORS' SMITH TURNING INTO ANOTHER ORDINARY JOE?

Dubious achievement: The current issue of Sports Illustrated bestows upon Norfolk's Joe Smith the NBA's ``Sophomore Slump Award.'' Though his point production is up slightly over his rookie year, Smith apparently has stopped improving, an assessment Joe does not reject. ``Sometimes,'' the Golden State forward is quoted as saying, ``I get so frustrated with myself that I want to take myself out of the game.''

In passing: Somebody tell the Chicago Cubs that it's too late for them to be included in the Tim Duncan lottery.

A new audience: A caller to the office this week said that his mother, watching Tiger Woods win the Masters, commented, ``He plays that well, that young and all he gets is a green jacket? I could've made him a green jacket.'' Maybe what Woods needs is for someone to make him a large closet for all the green jackets still to come.

Jolley good: Former Kempsville High and William and Mary College star Steve Jolley started his first game last Saturday, as a defender, for the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer.

Exceptional: Has the wife of a famous athlete ever made a more favorable impression than Rachel Robinson? Her dignity and eloquence are breathtaking.

Different strokes: The style of trailblazing has changed for the black athlete over 50 years. Jackie Robinson's barrier-breaking experience included eating on buses when restaurants would not serve him. Tiger Woods, 21, gets around in his own jet.

All but forgotten: While celebrating the breaking of baseball's color line, neither the game nor many in the media appear interested in the recollections of 72-year-old Larry Doby. This is strange, since the Hall of Famer reached the big leagues with the Cleveland Indians just 11 weeks after Robinson's arrival in Brooklyn, and suffered many of the same hardships.

Whatever, whenever: The public uproar over the postponement of the Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield fight isn't enough to startle a librarian.

Slick like ice: The new turf at Toronto's SkyDome is so slippery players are using two pairs of shoes, one for hitting, one for fielding. What, nobody can find a decent pair of skates in Canada?

To be continued: In this tug-o-war between the Saints and Redskins over Heath Shuler, never have so many dickered so long over a quarterback who has done so little.

Turning up the Heat: He is insufferably smug and probably believes he invented basketball. Nevertheless, Pat Riley wouldn't be a bad choice as NBA coach of the year.

The way it is: Forward Karl Malone is a marvel, a power forward who runs the court, pounds the glass and scores from everywhere while leading the Utah Jazz to the NBA's second-best record. But MVP? Not as long as Michael Jordan still rules.

TV timeout: Larry Holmes soon will be fighting again on the USA Network. You've been warned.

Punch line: ``Musician Randy Newman, asked by National Public Radio how he would speed up baseball: ``I'd lower Denver.''

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