THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 30, 1996 TAG: 9608300731
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C01 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Bob Molinaro
LENGTH: 59 lines
TV timeout: Dennis Rodman's appearance as a Martian on ``3rd Rock from the Sun'' makes perfect sense. In Hollywood, it's called typecasting.
Age gauge: I thought Paul Molitor hitting .330 at age 40 was a terrific feat until I read that Tony Randall, 76, is an expectant father. They need to move back the fences for Tony.
Kid's stuff: Alex Rodriguez, the Seattle Mariners' 20-year-old MVP candidate, makes the game of baseball look too easy.
Go figure: Michael Johnson? Dan O'Brien? Kerri Strug? Four weeks after the Atlanta Games, the most compelling Olympic celebrity is Richard Jewell.
Dollars and sense: Just a hunch, but I don't think Tiger Woods is quite as marketable playing golf under his given name - Eldrick.
Futurewatch: One day, perhaps an enterprising businessman will build a Tiger Woods housing development next to the Cherokee Parks camp ground.
Local boy: Pittsburgh's trade of lefthanded pitcher Denny Neagle to the Braves may open the door to the Pirates' rotation next spring for lefty Jimmy Anderson of Western Branch High.
The mind boggles: George Steinbrenner has challenged his faltering Yankees to show him what they're made of. Be careful what you ask for, George. I don't think the world is ready to see what Cecil Fielder is made of.
In passing: You can call it the World Cup. You can play it in America, Canada, Europe or on Planet Reebok. But there is no excuse for ice hockey in August.
Much ado: Until the Republican and Democratic conventions, the media hadn't made so much fuss over so little substance since the last Super Bowl Week.
Leprechaun crossing: One college football game in 1996 will not be played on Bermuda, fescue or artificial turf, but on the Old Sod of Dublin. That's where Notre Dame meets Navy.
Size matters: Redskin washout Desmond Howard and Raiders reject Rocket Ismail may be proof that miniature wide receivers, no matter how fast, are losing out to bigger targets.
Net results: Since last year's U.S. Open, the rivalry between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi has been harder to find than an empty cab during a New York rush hour.
Idle thought: If he weren't already dead, news that the American League's winningest pitcher, Yankee Andy Pettitte, has an ERA over 4 would kill Cy Young.
Think about it: Swedish tennis player Stefan Edberg, in his final U.S. Open, says, ``People notice you when you're young and when you're old. And in between ...'' Speaks for all of us, don't you think?
Dead league walking: Don't mean to rub it in to those who thought the Canadian Football League actually would work in Norfolk, but the Ottawa Rough Riders and the British Columbia Lions are the latest teams that can't pay their bills.
Dancing fool: The first NFL player who does the Macarena after scoring a touchdown Sunday should be turned over to Mike Ditka for disciplinary action.
Politically incorrect: It's reassuring to know that the people who run pro boxing remain as subtle and sensitive as ever. A recent fight between Vinny Pazienza and Dana Rosenblatt was billed as ``The Italian vs. The Jew.'' Wasn't that the title of one of those Rocky flicks? by CNB