THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 25, 1994 TAG: 9409250212
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C15 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB MOLINARO
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
Semipros: Lately, it seems that the only sports celebrities not complaining about their working conditions are the very ones who should - big-time college athletes.
Musical chairs: Bringing Virginia Tech, VCU, UNC-Charlotte and South Florida into the Colonial Athletic Association would raise the league's basketball stature. At the same time, it would make life tougher for Old Dominion.
Tube talk: News that figure skating has become the No. 2 sports-related attraction on TV after the NFL shows it is women, after all, who rule the remote control.
Patriot games: Nobody ever thought they'd see the day when a Bill Parcells-coached team would be leading the NFL in points scored, or be next to last in points allowed.
Historical perspective: ``Salaries must come down or the interest of the public must be increased in some way. If one or the other does not happen, bankruptcy stares every team in the face.'' A.G. Spalding said that about major league baseball. He said it in 1881.
Miffed: You'd think Indiana Pacers gunner Reggie Miller would welcome the NBA's shorter 3-point shot. Not so. Miller complains that the new rule opens the door to riff-raff who don't belong in the elite 3-Point Club.
Heisman handicapping: Because of injuries to the front-runners, Nebraska quarterback Tommy Frazier is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.
On the nose: Penn State coach Joe Paterno says, ``My feeling has always been you can take the polls and shove them. The only poll that matters is at the end of the year.''
May surprise you: According to Money magazine, the best buy in the NFL, NBA or major league baseball is a ticket to a Dallas Cowboys game at Texas Stadium. The worst buy, says the mag, is a ticket to a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden. Sure, if you're sitting next to Madonna.
Bad timing: If there's a 1995 major-league baseball season, the American League schedule has Cal Ripken Jr. surpassing Lou Gehrig's iron-man record on Aug. 18 in Oakland. The Birds are trying to get that changed so that Cal's 2,131st consecutive game can be played in Baltimore. You'd think that not even major-league baseball can fail to see the public relations value in that.
Old folks: Now that the daughter of new Charlotte backup center Robert Parish has had a baby, the Hornets have a Grandpa to go with Larry Johnson's Grandmama.
War on defense: The NFL's chuck rule, forbidding defensive backs to get too physical with receivers, is allowing journeymen quarterbacks to ring up all-pro passing numbers.
Add numbers: It's about time somebody came up with another criterion for NFL running backs besides the 1,000-yard rushing season. There's nothing magical about 1,000 yards anymore. Over 16 weeks, it works out to 63 per game.
Battering Barry: Even if you think Cowboys coach Barry Switzer is in over his head, you have to feel a little sorry for the guy. In Dallas, owner Jerry Jones pollutes the mainstream media through his TV show and newspaper column, while bitter Jimmy Johnson gets to throw cheap shots in a column of his own. And Barry thought the NCAA was a tough bunch to deal with.
In passing: Forget the media coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial. If only Judge Lance Ito could slap a gag order on Bud Selig and Donald Fehr.
End of an era: Chuck Bednarik, center and linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the early '60s, is the last NFLer to play both ways. ``No NFL player could do it today,'' he says. ``These guys play three or four plays and come off sucking air. And they are making millions of dollars. It makes me sick.''
Dullsville: ESPN is hardly worth watching most nights since the baseball strike began. Without ball games, the 7-Eleven of the sports cable industry has been assaulting us with more beach volleyball, body building, drag racing and aerobic beauty contests. It's enough to make you want to pick up a book. by CNB