Fads, Fashion and Foolery for 1994

WHAT ABOUT ‘BOBS’? Anyone familiar with the German obsession for politics would think there is nothing that could have more news value in 1994 than the 19 national and regional elections planned for the Fatherland.

Nothing except “Bobs,” that is.

“Bobs” is the name this nation’s boulevard press has already given to the eagerly awaited first child of recently married tennis star Boris Becker and his German-American bride, Barbara Feltus.

In fact, the expectant parents have yet to choose a name for their baby--scheduled to arrive in mid-January. But that didn’t stop some clever headline writer who combined parts of the parents’ first names to come up with “Bobs.” When Barbara recently let slip she was expecting a girl, the German media simply added an “i” and continued gushing about “Bobsi”.

For the 26-year-old former Wimbledon champion, the birth will be a pleasant diversion from his tennis game, which has been in the doldrums for months.

“I’m only thinking baby, baby, baby,” admitted Becker recently after crashing out of the Grand Slam Cup in Munich in the first round.

“He’s playing as if he’s the one who’s pregnant,” quipped German Olympic swimmer Franziska van Almsick.