THE LATEST LINE: SURE, RODMAN IS A CASE, BUT CAMERMAN DIDN'T DO BAD

Considering all the antics Dennis Rodman has pulled over the years, should anybody have really been surprised when the Chicago Bulls' wild and crazy rebounding machine recently kicked a cameraman?

But even by Dennis the Menace's standards, this was stooping pretty low.

Just to refresh everybody's memory, Rodman was battling for a rebound during a game in Minneapolis when he stumbled out of bounds and fell on top of a photographer seated next to cameraman Eugene Amos.

Amos turned his camera on Rodman, who responded by kicking Amos somewhere around the area of his left thigh.

Evidently, Rodman was angered either because Amos had his camera pointed too close to Rodman or because Amos and the other photographers and cameramen were simply seated too close to the action.

Either way, Rodman -- as a professional athlete -- should be used to that. Every game features cameramen and photographers shooting and filming extremely close to the play. Nobody else ever goes off like that in similar situations.

Anyway, after Rodman's kick, you've got to credit Amos with some really quick thinking. Television replays indicated that Amos hesitated for a few moments before all of a sudden beginning to writhe in apparent pain. He was carried off on a stretcher and treated briefly at a hospital.

Now, nobody can say for sure just exactly what Amos was feeling or thinking, but let me offer a quick opinion.

The kick probably didn't hurt him much at all, so he at first probably didn't think it was a big deal. But then he got to thinking. Hey, this incident is going to be shown on virtually every network across the nation later tonight. Why shouldn't I take advantage?

Whatever Amos' thinking, he didn't come out of the entire deal looking too bad. Just a few days ago, Rodman agreed to pay Amos $200,000.

I don't know about you, but if Dennis the Menace is looking to administer any more kicks at $200,000 a pop, please let him look me up.

* Although I haven't really given it all that much thought, how about Green Bay 35, New England 17 in today's Super Bowl.

The official line is Green Bay minus 14, so that means the Packers would cover the spread.

But don't go betting the house on it. I've been wrong before -- plenty -- although the NFC does have a recent history of romping in the Super Bowl.

* The Rams' hiring of Dick Vermeil as head coach raised a lot of eyebrows, but I personally like the move.

I've always been impressed with Vermeil and, even though he's been away from coaching for quite a while, I think he's got as good a chance as anybody at building the Rams into winners.

* SEMO's nationally-ranked gymnastics team will open its home schedule Monday night with a highly attractive four-team meet featuring Nebraska, Texas Women's and Western Michigan.

Action is slated to begin at 7 o'clock at the Show Me Center.

~Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian