HOTBOX

Sporting News, The, August 16, 1999

Although being an athlete in the '90s has its perks (mucho dinero and the adulation of thousands springs to mind), there is a downside athletes of the past never had to address: What does one do when body piercing hole(s) close(s) up? If you answered get something else pierced, then click your tongue stud against your molars three times and read on. Seems the NCAA is worried about its policy on piercing in regard to its athletes. As Robyn Norwood of the Los Angeles Times writes: "Jewelry--rings, necklaces and earrings--has long been banned in most NCAA competition because of the risk of injury. But what of tongue studs, navel rings, eyebrow loops, toe rings and nipple rings? The unofficial policy as reported in the NCAA News: Don't ask, don't tell. It's a matter of enforcing the obvious without conducting a search for hidden piercings, says Cliff McCrath, secretary-rules editor for the NCAA soccer rules committee. `We're not going to make a rule that says everyone has to stick their tongues out,' he says. `In fact, we have a rule now that says if you do that, you get a red card.'"

A LEAGUE OF HER OWN: Sometimes an Oscar just isn't enough and you have to develop the skills to go "William Tell" on someone's posterior. Such is the case with Geena Davis, who earned a gold statue for The Accidental Tourist--a film which is cross-referenced in the dictionary under "odd" and "dull"--and is trying to qualify for the U.S. Olympic archery team. Davis was one of 300 women competing last month in Oxford, Ohio, for a semifinal berth. Outside of the competitors, apparently no one noticed the Thelma & Louise star advanced through the ranks of Olympic hopefuls. The August 22-24 finals in Bloomfield, N.J., will determine three berths, plus an alternate, on the U.S. Olympic team. Davis reportedly began to take lessons about two years ago and practices about five hours a day.

IT MUST BE THE SHOES: Under the "They don't call athletic shoes `sneakers' for nothing," is the following tidbit from the at times shady relationship between shoe companies and high school athletes. Gregg Doyel of the Charlotte Observerwrites: "Sneaker company influence on recruiting sunk ever lower when two Alabama high school stars together announced their college choice. The joint news conference, at a Birmingham hotel, was arranged by adidas. The shoe company e-mailed more than 100 media members about the news conference of 6-7 guard Gerald Wallace and 6-9 center Marlo Austin, who have attended adidas-sponsored camps all summer. (Both committed to Alabama.)" At least at Alabama the fellas won't have to worry about wearing adidas shoes. You see, the Crimson Tide wear Nikes. Come back, Chuck Taylor. Come back. ... Although the toy makers at Hasbro recently re-upped with driver Jeff Gordon, it's unlikely you'll see the following items added to Hasbro's Gordon toys line: the "Never smiles Brooke Gordon doll," a sulking, life-size doll called "Never wins Jeff Gordon" or the not in stores by Christmas but probably should be 1/8-scale model depiction of July's Jeff Gordon/Dale Jarrett post-race discussion called, simply, "Mini-confrontation."