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Moore does Rodman impersonation
Posted: Sunday January 02, 2000 02:19 PM NEW ORLEANS - Whether or not he'll admit it, Virginia Tech All-America defensive end Corey Moore enjoys talking to the media and he plays off of the attention and bright lights in front of the camera. So one had to wonder what was up with the Rodmanesque act he put on at Sugar Bowl media day Friday. Less than 10 minutes into the session, Moore got up from his seat, spouting expletives at reporters, said he was done talking and walked away. But there he was five minutes later doing a few more interviews. When the crowd got a little larger, back came Moore's surly act. "I love my teammates and hate talking to y'all," Moore said. "As soon as you get all these cameras and microphones out of my face I can be with my teammates and get to practice." Moore was fine until a few teammates caught onto his fake tirade and formed a crowd around him. Then Moore was at it again auditioning for an Oscar. "All right, that's enough questions," he finally said. "I'm done talking." Moments later Moore was joking around with his teammates, taking pictures and having a grand old time. People laughed at this uncharacteristic outburst, even encouraged it, but the whole diatribe was laughable and embarrassing. Even more astonishing was the fact that not one Virginia Tech coach or official said anything to Moore about his behavior. There's no question that Moore is a terrific player who can dominate a game. But he's also immature and needs to be restrained at times. For Virginia Tech's sake, let's just hope someone is around to make sure Moore doesn't get out of control on game day.
Warrick deserves creditPeter Warrick has paid a large price for making a mistake. But before we go on and criticize athletes for being spoiled and irresponsible, let's give Warrick credit for the way he's handled himself since his arrest for purchasing largely reduced clothing from Dillard's department store. Dillardgate cost Warrick the Heisman Trophy and the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the nation's top receiver ("That one hurt even more," says Warrick. "I don't know how in the world I lost that") and though he paid a much stiffer penalty because of who he was, Warrick has gone on and had an All-America season without complaining. "Did he pay too high a price?" asked Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. "Probably not, because the lesson he learned will stick with him the rest of his life. It's much more valuable than any of the millions of dollars he will earn in his life." Maturation of KendraFlorida State fullback fullback Dan Kendra is a changed man. A year ago, he sat in the sidelines seething that he couldn't play (he missed last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee) and seemed to take out his frustrations on everyone around him. This season, Kendra moved from quarterback to the Seminoles' starting fullback and has a new outlook on life. "I look forward to playing every day and my life doesn't revolve around football," says Kendra. "It's been a tough couple of years for me but I can honestly say that I'm happy with the way things have turned out." Kendra used to be a wildly intense person who always looked like he was ready to tackle someone. Now, he always has a smile on his face and seems to enjoy life. It's a change for the better and something that hasn't gone unnoticed. "Anyone on this team will be the first to tell you," said FSU running back Travis Minor. "He's one of the funnest people to be around on this team." Dumb question of the dayQ: To both teams: What are you guys doing for fun?
A: Responding to the same question all week.
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