Hey Richmond, we still have Triple-A baseball in Norfolk

Divided highway: Since it's unlikely Richmond will have a baseball team next spring, fans in the capital city can drive to Norfolk for Triple-A entertainment at Triple-A prices. Or they can head up I-95 to where the Washington Nationals play, and pay big-league prices to watch a Triple-A team.

Them again As if we needed more reminders of what divas NFL wide receivers are, Plaxico Burress and Terrell Owens created the most off-field static the last two weeks. In order to be a big-name receiver, you've got to be a big head case. Or so it seems.

Damages Jay Glazer of FoxSports, the go-to-guy for NFL scoops, has reported that Burress' one-game suspension was the culmination of multiple violations involving tardiness, missed physical treatments and blown-off meetings. According to Glazer, Virginia Beach's Burress has been fined "between 40 and 50 times" since he has been a Giant, including about 10 times this year.

TV timeout Were you as disappointed as I was with the Cubs' effort Thursday night? They dropped the ball, made far too many lame pitches and went down swinging time after time. Wait. Come to think of it, that wasn't the Cubs game, it was the vice-presidential debate.

In passing It's good of TBS to slip in a little baseball between those "Frank TV" promos.

Bottom line As you probably know if you've been watching the playoffs, Frank Caliendo is an impressionist. Right about now would be a good time for the Cubs to start impersonating the team that had the National League's best record.

Bad karma The impact of a baseball manager is overrated, especially in a short series. The boss bench jockey is almost powerless to do anything when his pitchers aren't throwing strikes, his batters aren't hitting and his infielders are all thumbs. That's my closing argument in defense of Lou Piniella.

Still on the hook Unless the Cubs can turn this thing around, I guess it means another year in hiding for poor Steve Bartman.

Long shots Before the season, you could have gotten 75-1 odds in Vegas on the Tampa Bay Rays winning the American League pennant.

Barely in view Tonight will be Virginia's fourth consecutive football game on ESPNU, the TV equivalent of the Federal Witness Protection Program.

Small victory Did you hear? U.Va. fans can bring banners and signs into Scott Stadium again. Signs are nice, but signs of progress on the field would be better.

Wondering Why were ACC officials used last Saturday for Virginia Tech's game at Nebraska? For inter-regional games, it is common practice to bring in zebras from the visiting team's conference. But why? What does it say for our perception of officiating integrity that a neutral team of striped shirts or even a crew from the Big 12 couldn't be trusted to give Tech a fair shake in a hostile environment?

Silver screen They aren't at the top of his list of accomplishments, but Paul Newman will be remembered for roles in sports movies: as Reggie Dunlop in "Slap Shot," as "Fast Eddie" Felson in "The Hustler," and years later, "The Color of Money," and early in his career, as Rocky Graziano in the boxing biopic "Somebody Up There Likes Me."

Not sold Don't believe everything you read - unless it appears in this column. I was surprised by a story in Sports Illustrated this week that touted the ACC as one of the nation's strongest top-to-bottom football conferences. That's not what my eyes tell me.

Bob Molinaro, (757) 446-2373 or bob.molinaro@pilotonline.com