Big Daddy

The secret of Adam Sandler's success is still obscure in "Big Daddy," a lackluster but sweet-natured comedy in which the comic phenomenon plays a would-be foster father. The setup is funny, and Sandler is ably supported by one of the cutest moppets to hit screens since Jonathan Lipnicki stole "Jerry Maguire," but why this unexceptional performer is the comic sensation of the year remains a mystery.Sandler plays Sonny Koufax, a law-school graduate who is leading the life of a committed slacker.

New York Giants running back Frank Gifford remembers - and writes about - the key play that gave the Colts another chance to tie the score and ultimately win in his book, The Glory Game, from HarperCollins. Four more yards, and we'd have it locked up. We huddled. And I changed the play in the huddle. And Charlie [Conerly] called my sweep: "Brown right, over, 49 sweep. OK? On three. Break." The play came off as well as could be expected. It was designed for me to take it wide around the right side or, depending on what we needed for the first, cut it hard back upfield.

When Dan Wilkinson became the first player selected in the 1994 NFL draft, he was long on potential and expectations and short on experience.A 6-foot-5, 310-pound defensive lineman, he had just turned 21 and had played only two years at Ohio State when the Cincinnati Bengals made the player nicknamed "Big Daddy" a big part of their future.Not surprisingly, Wilkinson, now just 24 as he enters his fourth season, struggled at times as he made the adjustment to the NFL.Wilkinson, though, says youth and inexperience were not his only obstacles.

Cranberry sauce wrestling The lowdown -- Watch female wrestlers duke it out in a pool of cranberry sauce tomorrow night at the Ottobar's annual Nightmare Before Thanksgiving Party. The competing teams in this year's tournament include Afro-Sheen, the Junkettes, Mama's Dirty Girls, and the Germinators. Black Sabbath cover band Snowblind, DJ Matt Walter, Joyce DeSalvo and the Telemarketers and Wayne Mutant and Meat Vegan will perform. If you go -- Doors open at 9 p.m. and the 18 and older show starts at 10 p.m. Tickets are $10. The Ottobar is at 2549 N. Howard St. Call 410-662-0069 or go to theottobar.

Sometimes, sponsorships are less than meet the eye.Going into this season, Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce had signed $6 million in contracts with race teams. But just three months later, two of those teams have severed the agreements because of Big Daddy's failure to make payments and a third is working diligently to preserve the relationship.Dan Lloyd, the owner of Big Daddy's BBQ, feels caught in the middle.Sitting in his Oklahoma City office, suffering with a massive headache and pneumonia, Lloyd, 54, explained why he has not met his obligations.

It isn't Mary Stuart Masterson's portrayal of the title character - Maggie, "the cat" - that heats up the Kennedy Center's simmering production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It's George Grizzard's unwaveringly powerful depiction of Big Daddy. And yet, one of the most revelatory aspects of this latest offering in the "Tennessee Williams Explored" festival is the strong, underlying similarity between this seemingly dissimilar father and daughter-in-law. Director Mark Lamos' insightful production leaves no doubt about why Maggie and Big Daddy admire each other.

Cranberry sauce wrestling The lowdown -- Watch female wrestlers duke it out in a pool of cranberry sauce tomorrow night at the Ottobar's annual Nightmare Before Thanksgiving Party. The competing teams in this year's tournament include Afro-Sheen, the Junkettes, Mama's Dirty Girls, and the Germinators. Black Sabbath cover band Snowblind, DJ Matt Walter, Joyce DeSalvo and the Telemarketers and Wayne Mutant and Meat Vegan will perform. If you go -- Doors open at 9 p.m. and the 18 and older show starts at 10 p.m. Tickets are $10. The Ottobar is at 2549 N. Howard St. Call 410-662-0069 or go to theottobar.

In her production of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," director Molly Smith has attempted to adhere to Tennessee Williams' intentions, staging his rarely produced original ending. It's a bold and admirable effort with many illuminating moments.The production marks Smith's debut as artistic director of Washington's Arena Stage, and for the most part, this is a "Cat" that purrs.But while the playwright's intent may be clearer -- in that the characters seem more consistent and unbending -- two disappointing lead performances mute the overall effect.

Tennessee Williams always objected to the original Broadway production of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," in which director Elia Kazan injected a note of hope into the third act.In his 1955 published script, the playwright explained that he felt the "moral paralysis" of Brick, the male lead, "was a root thing in his tragedy," unlikely to undergo a sudden change of heart.With that in mind, one of the most impressive aspects of the powerful production at Everyman Theatre is that director Vincent Lancisi has managed to have it both ways.

Thousands of people poured into the Baltimore Convention Center yesterday afternoon for a day-before-Thanksgiving feast that for some might be their only taste of holiday turkey. Goodwill Industries held its 46th annual dinner, with 275 volunteers serving turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans and sweet potato pie to an estimated 3,000 people. Besides the dinner, Goodwill held a job fair with representatives from more than 20 local service agencies and employers, including Maryland Job Service, Bon Secours Family Support Center and Wackenhut Security.

Have you heard how an Inuit language fascinates sociologists by having 15 words for "snow?" Well, whoop-de-do. Shaquille "Diesel" O'Neal, also known as "Shaq Fu," "Shaq Daddy," "Superman," "Most Dominant Ever," "Super-Shaq," "Last Center Left," "Shaq-Diesel," "Planet Shaq," "Almighty Conceitedness," "Jon Bon Shaq," "Dr. Shaq," "Agent Double-Double 34," "The Millennium Goliath," and, on certain Halloweens, "Shaquanda," has 15 names right there just to...

The case for democracy is "self-evident," as someone once put it. The case for the world's most powerful democracy to take as its mission the spreading of democracy around the world is pretty self-evident, too: What's good for us is good for others. Those others will be grateful. A world full of democracies created or protected with our help ought to be more peaceful and prosperous and favorably disposed toward us. There is no valid case against democracy. You used to hear a lot that democracy is not suitable for some classes of foreigners: simply incompatible with the cultures of East Asia (because deference to authority is too ingrained there)

Hometown: Baltimore Current members: Nicky O'Steen, guitar; "Money" Mark Bobrow, drums; Jim Viner, base guitar; Michael Belt, rhythm guitar, vocals. Founded in: 2000 Style: Rock Influenced by: Sick of It All, Social Distortion, Johnny Cash, '70s rock, old punk Notable: Before joining Big Daddy Chrome, guitarist Nicky O'Steen was in a band called Impaler. That band inadvertently played a role in music history when their CD cover art attracted the attention of Tipper Gore. She showed it to her husband's colleagues on the Senate Commerce Committee.

It isn't Mary Stuart Masterson's portrayal of the title character - Maggie, "the cat" - that heats up the Kennedy Center's simmering production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It's George Grizzard's unwaveringly powerful depiction of Big Daddy. And yet, one of the most revelatory aspects of this latest offering in the "Tennessee Williams Explored" festival is the strong, underlying similarity between this seemingly dissimilar father and daughter-in-law. Director Mark Lamos' insightful production leaves no doubt about why Maggie and Big Daddy admire each other.

For more on the nightlife scene, go to www.SunSpot.net/nightlifeIf you're not at the Sidebar Tavern this weekend, you may be missing out on one of the best free local music showcases this summer has to offer. Twenty-two bands and a handful of disc jockeys will throw down their creative product at the event Saturday and Sunday. But Sidebar manager Megan Bradford said she doesn't expect the show to turn into a contest that will prove who's the most punk, the coolest or the most unaffected artistic force in Baltimore.

Thousands of people poured into the Baltimore Convention Center yesterday afternoon for a day-before-Thanksgiving feast that for some might be their only taste of holiday turkey. Goodwill Industries held its 46th annual dinner, with 275 volunteers serving turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans and sweet potato pie to an estimated 3,000 people. Besides the dinner, Goodwill held a job fair with representatives from more than 20 local service agencies and employers, including Maryland Job Service, Bon Secours Family Support Center and Wackenhut Security.

Back in 1989, when John Cougar Mellencamp released "Big Daddy," he announced that he wouldn't tour behind the album or engage in the usual range of rock industry promotions. In fact, he called "Big Daddy" his farewell to rock and roll; once that album ran its course, Mellencamp claimed, he would forsake making music and spend his time painting.Promises, promises.As it turns out, the only thing he really gave up was his "Cougar" nickname, as his new album, "Whenever We Wanted" (Mercury 314 510 151)

Sid FernandezBorn in Hawaii and still resides there in the off-season. Is of Portuguese descent. . . . Wears No. 50, as in 50th state. . . . On the quiet side but does flash a sense of humor at times. Showed that side in spring training when he signed some autographs "Don Ho." . . . Enjoys scuba diving and used to be a surfer. Gave up the latter hobby after a close call with a wave. . . . Had nickname "El Sid" during years with Mets.Rafael PalmeiroGrew up near Miami Stadium and watched Orioles spring training workouts.

SALT LAKE CITY - Stinkless watchbands, solar-powered ovens, zipperless backpacks. These were a few of my favorite things at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2000. The trade show, in its 19th year, gave store buyers, gear heads and folks like me a chance to gawk at the products that are, or soon will be, on retail shelves. The big dogs - Columbia, Timberland, The North Face - carved out huge chunks of the cavernous Salt Palace convention hall to display their wares. They gathered crowds like flies on old fruit.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Gonzaga did it again. No, this isn't a reference to its 82-76 win yesterday over No. 2 seed St. John's, supposedly an upset because of the Bulldogs' No. 10 seeding in the West Regional. Nor is this a reference to another appearance by Gonzaga in the Sweet 16. Gonzaga made it to the West Regional final a year ago, and except for a loss against eventual national champion Connecticut, the team is perfect against "superior" teams in the past two years of the NCAA tournament.