These Two Guys Shouldn’t Be on the Bridal Path

Here comes the . . . uh . . .

Now’s the time to really be concerned if your son looks to a star athlete as a role model, or apparently a model, period.

Dennis Rodman had his day in a wedding dress, and now Ricky Williams of the New Orleans Saints is a drag-ster on the cover of ESPN magazine. It’s gotten so big that two Dallas Morning News writers--sports department, not fashion--debated which was more attractive.

Todd Davis, backing Rodman: “While some question Rodman’s chemical makeup, it’s hard to argue with his use of makeup. Not gaudy, but just enough to make both genders feel uncomfortable. You know, kind of like Bugs Bunny when he was a transvestite in certain cartoons. Rodman’s neckline is less revealing (and I’d like to thank him for that), and he did it as a publicity stunt. Name a better reason to throw on a bridal gown than that.”

Bill Campbell, on the pro-Williams side: “The only thing we don’t know about Williams’ wedding attire is the wedding ring, as his hands are not visible in ESPN’s photo.

“Then again, we Texans know if Ricky got a ring, it’s probably screwed into his tongue.”

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Trivia time: Which major leaguer got hits for two teams in two cities on the same day?

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Expanding debate: From Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News: “Bob McNair has on the table the best expansion package the NFL has ever seen. Memo to the NFL. Forget Los Angeles. Instead of putting a fourth team in California, put a second team in Texas. Houston fans want a team [unlike L.A.] and the city deserves one [unlike L.A.].”

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Career on the brink: Damon Bailey, the one-time Indiana schoolboy legend, the one-time Indiana University shooter, continues to pursue the NBA dream, having most recently played for the United States in the Pan American Games after spending the previous four seasons in the Continental Basketball Assn.

In Winnipeg, Canada, for the international competition, someone asked about his college coach, Bob Knight.

“Would I go back?” Bailey said. “I don’t know. That’s a very difficult question. I am happy that I did [go to Indiana in the first place]. I guess it’s kind of like the Army. Everybody says they are glad they did it, but they may not do it again. When my time to graduate was up, I was glad to go. I think you go there to become a better player and play for a national championship and I fulfilled those goals.”

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Trivia answer: Joel Youngblood. On Aug. 4, 1982, his hit during a matinee at Wrigley Field drove in the winning run for the New York Mets. He was traded to Montreal after the game, flew to Philadelphia, where the Expos were playing a night game, entered the game in the fourth inning and later got a single.

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And finally: An assistant coach on a Little League team in Ashland, Ore., has been caught handing out $5 bills to his 11- and 12-year-old players for getting hits in a recent all-star tournament, a violation of the rules.

The head coach said he knew nothing of the exchanges, even though it happened outside his dugout. That’s bad enough. But just wait until the players want arbitration.