Looney Tunes Up His Look
Hall-of-Fame left-hander Whitey Ford of the New York Yankees used to say that the way to show up at the beginning of spring training is with a good tan because it makes you look 10 pounds lighter.
Sophomore guard Joe Looney of Wake Forest found another way to make a favorable impression in the early days of the Deacons’ preseason camp. He cut his hair. He no longer wears his long and flying dredlocks, reminiscent of Sideshow Bob in one of my favorite television programs, the Simpsons. Instead he looks as clean-cut, if not moreso, as most of his teammates.
“Doesn’t he look good?’’ noted Coach Jim Grobe this morning at Media Day at BB&T Field. “Joe is down 15 pounds with that haircut. He’s trying to eat more now, to get his weight back up.
“That’s amazing to see guys grow up. They realize `It’s more about how I perform than how I look.’ The girls love that kind of hair-do I guess, but it doesn’t feel very good under a helmet and it certainly doesn’t look very good.’‘
Looney held his own last year when pushed into action as a first-year freshman, but emerged from spring drills listed as second-team behind redshirt senior Barrett McMillin at left guard. But when the Deacons scrimmaged for the first time Friday, Looney was spotted running with the first team and McMillin was with the second.
Grobe said it’s a competition that will likely be waged throughout August.
“He and Barrett are going to battle over there,’’ Grobe said. “Right at the end of spring we felt Joe was playing with more energy and enthusiasm. But I’ll tell you what, Barrett McMillin is a different guy right now. He’s become a leader. He’s really working hard’‘