DATE: Friday, May 23, 1997                  TAG: 9705230907

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Column 

SOURCE: Bob Molinaro 

                                            LENGTH:   58 lines

NO WONDER GRISSOM IS BUILT FOR SPEED

Name game: The father of Indians centerfielder Marquis Grissom, the 14th of 15 children, worked at a Ford plant in Atlanta. He was building a Mercury Marquis when his son was born. Good thing he wasn't employed at a Yugo factory.

Run for the money: Only nine days until Michael Johnson and Donovan Bailey meet in the Toronto SkyDome for their 150-meter match race. Don't all shrug at once.

Sound and fury: Anyone who remembers when the Indianapolis 500 was a must-watch national spectacle, show us your mood rings.

Psyche out: You think the other PGA pros aren't just a little tired of hearing Tiger Woods announce at press conferences that he's beating them with his ``C-plus game?'' I think this is what's called rubbing it in.

Dollars and sense: It recently came to light that Nebraska lost $890,000 on its Orange Bowl appearance. Too bad for the Huskers. That's money that could have gone to lawyers fees.

The way it was: Bones McKinney, the former Wake Forest basketball coach who died last week at 78, was an excitable fellow who once, in an effort to stay out of trouble with the officials, used a seat belt to keep himself attached to the bench. Makes you wonder why restraining devices for coaches shouldn't be mandatory equipment.

Gone Hollywood: Can all 7-feet-7 of Gheorghe Muresan fit on the silver screen? The world will find out when the Washington Wizards' center appears in the Billy Crystal movie, ``My Giant,'' which begins filming next month.

The image thing: Houston Rockets veteran Eddie Johnson complains that fans and media overlook clever Jazz guard John Stockton's reputation for ``taking cheap shots.'' Johnson says, ``People notice what Dennis Rodman does and ignore what Stockton does.'' Now that wouldn't have anything to do with Rodman head-butting an official and kicking a photographer, would it?

The creator: Stockton, a one-man clinic on how to see the entire court, routinely makes passes no player since Magic Johnson even dreams about.

Oops: Conspiracy theorists must have been sorely disappointed when the San Antonio Spurs, not the Boston Celtics, won the Tim Duncan lottery drawing. So much for Eastern bias in the NBA.

Pitching a fit: Toronto's Roger Clemens, who George Steinbrenner wanted badly last winter, and Jimmy Key, who left the Yankees for the Orioles, are both 8-0 with earned run averages below 2.00. Think this bothers George? We can hope.

Using his brain: If there's any question that Peyton Manning was too smart to allow himself to be drafted by the New York Jets, college football's top quarterback just graduated from Tennessee cum laude after only three years.

Trouble times two: Attendance and scoring in Major League Soccer are down, a dubious daily double.

Heads up: Will anyone believe the recently released Finnish report concluding that heading a soccer ball may cause more brain damage than boxing? Not unless Muhammad Ali's name is on it.

Futurewatch: The Baltimore Orioles are cruising along, but now comes an interesting stretch: 11 games in the next 13 days against the Indians and Yankees.

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