Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service articles from November 1999, page 4

Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service archives from November 1999

In the wake of the week ...
November 22, 1999... SAN JOSE _ Every 25 years, the Big Game really is. -- Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for Latrell Sprewell. -- Take a shark out of its tank for two weeks, you've got to figure it's going to struggle some. -- Hey, why not John...

PHIL JACKSON'S URGENT MESSAGE.
November 22, 1999... Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service KRT Sports Budget for Saturday, November 20, 1999 KRT News Desk: 202-383-6080, news(AT)krtinfo.com KRT Sports Desk: 202-383-6091, gclay(AT)krtinfo.com KRT Photo Service: 202-383-6099,...

Religious attachments should remain private in sports.
November 22, 1999... CHICAGO _ He is merely one of the latest members of an ever-growing fraternity, which makes Alonzo Spellman neither unusual nor insincere. If finding God, as he told the Dallas Morning News last week, gets him through the night, or even...

For Bears, being in the game in fourth quarter counts a lot.
November 22, 1999... CHICAGO _ It's not exactly the NBA, but the NFL is showing tendencies that make waiting for the fourth quarter to tune into games a worthwhile idea. The Bears, who have had nine of their 10 games decided by seven points or fewer, are...

Injuries are undermining Stars' prowess.
November 22, 1999... PHILADELPHIA _ Ken Hitchcock was trying to convince himself that things were going to get better quickly. ``We get two or three guys back next week, and I'm thinking it's [Jere] Lehtinen, [Brian] Skrudland and [Richard] Matvichuk,'' the...

Black NBA players need to show black coaches more respect, more courtesy.
November 22, 1999... PHILADELPHIA _ Every now and then, beyond the scope of fanatical fans, NBA players can depress some folks. Never was that more evident than Tuesday night in Washington, when the Wizards were bull-rushed by the 76ers at the MCI Center. ...

For Eagles, gusto and energy are as meaningful as statistics.
November 22, 1999... PHILADELPHIA _ Even though it had become a dead issue, the Eagles trotted out their blueprints and architects' renderings for a dazzling new playpen last week. It struck you that they were trying to perform CPR on a corpse. The...

Issues that got attention of Congress, media did not resonate with the public.
November 22, 1999... WASHINGTON _ For more than a year now, President Clinton and the Republican-controlled Congress have faced each other in a state of mutual dislike and distrust, deadlocked over a host of major issues. As a result, when the 106th Congress...

Bum Phillips' heart is in Houston, not Tennessee.
November 22, 1999... DALLAS _ Since an NFL expansion team is en route to Houston and its former team in Tennessee has a 7-2 record, idle thoughts turned to this question. Where was Bum Phillips? Bum coached the Houston Oilers during their Love 'Ya Blue era,...

NBA attendance needs to pick up, but scoring is on a roll.
November 22, 1999... DALLAS _ There has been plenty to like about the NBA this season. Scoring is way up. League-wide parity has never been more obvious. Several young stars are slowly but surely emerging to fill the void created by Michael Jordan's...

Around the Western Conference.
November 22, 1999... WEST NOT A SMART MOVE DALLAS _ Somewhere, Mike D'Antoni must be laughing. D'Antoni, abruptly fired by Dan Issel as coach of the Denver Nuggets after just one season, probably isn't the only one amused by Issel's suddenly murky...

Around the Eastern Conference.
November 22, 1999... EAST BUCKS ON A ROLL DALLAS _ Former Mavericks point guard Sam Cassell is healthy for a change, and so are the fortunes of the Milwaukee Bucks. There is a definite connection. Rudderless without the injured Cassell at the end of...

Weekly NBA rankings.
November 22, 1999... RANKINGS Rank, team Prv. Comment 1. Portland, 3, Grant's return adds to riches 2. San Antonio, 1, Scoring struggle for champs 3. Miami, 4, Mourning off to MVP start 4. Seattle, 5, Sonics back among the living 5....

Of tidbits, quotes and numbers.
November 22, 1999... THE WEEK AHEAD DALLAS _ _Toronto at LA Lakers, Sunday: The surging Raptors haven't lost in three road games, so don't be surprised if they make it a perfect 4-0. The Lakers are winning, but not impressively, and they don't have...

Jerry Greene's peerless picks for Sunday.
November 22, 1999... ORLANDO _ Football fans and football media. Hypocrites and big, fat hypocrites. Fans and media types can't tell us often enough how much they deplore bad sportsmanship in today's game. Too much violence, too much hate, yada, yada,...

PHIL JACKSON'S URGENT MESSAGE.
November 22, 1999... Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service KRT Sports Budget for Saturday, November 20, 1999 KRT News Desk: 202-383-6080, news(AT)krtinfo.com KRT Sports Desk: 202-383-6091, gclay(AT)krtinfo.com KRT Photo Service: 202-383-6099,...

Anatomy of the Minnesota investigation -- from money costs to the process.
November 22, 1999... ST. PAUL _ Some witnesses lied. Others refused to talk. A few vanished. And some changed their story at the last minute. In the end, it took eight months of sleuthing and more than 250 interviews to nail down the truth: There had been...

Media played complex role in Minnesota scandal; reaction to newspapers' role in scandal mixed; some disagreed with story's timing.
November 22, 1999... ST. PAUL _ The stories these past eight months haven't been popular. Readers agonized about the allegations, and many turned their anger against the newspapers that published them, rather than those accused of wrongdoing. Even Gov....

Clinton wraps up tense visit to Greece.
November 22, 1999... ATHENS, Greece _ Wrapping up a tense visit marred by violence and threats, President Clinton on Saturday sought to soothe one of the sources of virulent anti-American sentiment here by saying that the United States failed its obligation to...

Virginia Tech moves to 10-0 with rout over Temple.
November 22, 1999... PHILADELPHIA _ Letdown, huh? Not this particular Virginia Tech team, and not when the Hokies are this close to history. The second-ranked Hokies did the expected, blasting nearly helpless Temple, 62-7, on Saturday in front of an announced...

Minnesota's Mark Yudof agonized over how to handle cheating scandal; president says decision to let Boston, Dienhart go was hard.
November 22, 1999... ST. PAUL _ Mark Yudof needed the answer to one question to decide if he had to clean house in the men's athletic department. Could the department's top officials have stopped the cheating, but didn't? The answer was ``yes,'' and the...

Slowly, accused ex-Gopher is reclaiming his life.
November 22, 1999... ST. PAUL, Minn. _ Eight months after the University of Minnesota academic scandal made news, Jason Stanford describes it as if it were a hurricane: He lost things he held dear, he feels betrayed and he recognizes that in survival lies...

Mariucci looks up from the depths of five-game skid.
November 22, 1999... When the San Francisco 49ers hired Steve Mariucci as coach in 1997, then-President Carmen Policy warned him about the future. ``You're in for the ride of your life,'' Policy said. Only now does Mariucci know what he meant. After...

Bonfire tragedy highlights Aggies' special bond.
November 22, 1999... COLLEGE STATION, Texas _ Each fall, Texas A&M students stand while their team is on the field. They yell with one voice against their football foes. Last week, freshman students and graduates from decades past wept as one over the deaths...

LEAVING THE LIMELIGHT: After eight months in the glare of the spotlight, Jan Gangelhoff is trying to return to life as she once knew it _ without media, lawyers and the public's scrutiny.
November 22, 1999... ST. PAUL _ On the day after, Jan Gangelhoff drove home to Danbury, Wis., and worked an eight-hour shift at a convenience store. She took money for gas and rang up the cost of candy and beer. At closing time, she mopped the floor and cleaned...

Donahue says she felt relief, sadness after report released.
November 22, 1999... ST. PAUL, Minn. _ Elayne Donahue didn't want to talk to her. She was in the same hotel Friday as Jan Gangelhoff, but as she has said throughout the academic fraud scandal, she didn't want to be associated with her former employee and the...

Hingis rolls past Venus Williams, will face Davenport in final.
November 22, 1999... NEW YORK _ Father knows best. Venus Williams didn't listen when she was warned that if she was aching, she should skip Saturday's morning practice. Hurting she was, Williams figured that her insatiable desire to beat her nemesis,...

SOME AT UNIVERSITY HAD BEEN EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT SAFTEY FOR YEARS.
November 22, 1999... Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service News Budget for papers of Saturday, November 20, 1999 KRT News Desk: 202-383-6080, news(AT)krtinfo.com Sunday news supervisor: Yasmine Bahrani, 202-383-6094, ybahrani(AT)krtinfo.com KRT...

Students, parents prepare for church services; officials promise investigation.
November 22, 1999... COLLEGE STATION, Texas _ As the first of a dozen funerals unfolded, the extended Texas A&M family on Saturday continued its slow march toward healing and answers. Students, parents and preachers prepared for weekend church services while...

Florida State holds off Florida for shot at national title next.
November 22, 1999... GAINESVILLE, Fla. _ Bobby Bowden thinks it is a sign. After all, on their way to Bowden's only national championship season, the Florida State Seminoles defeated Florida in this scary place called the Swamp. It happened again on...

Devils' Gomez makes early push for NHL rookie awards.
November 22, 1999... EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. _ Nineteen games into Scott Gomez' career and his teammates are running out of things to say. Almost every game he has done something impressive. Somehow he has found his way into every big spot. ``It's amazing,''...

Penn State's rally comes up short against Michigan State.
November 22, 1999... EAST LANSING, Mich. _ Penn State won't be remembered as the national champion this season, but the 1999 team also won't be remembered as a group that let adversity kill its willingness to compete. Down by 21 points at halftime on...

Temple crushed by Virginia Tech.
November 22, 1999... PHILADELPHIA _ Temple went 80 yards for a touchdown on the first possession of the game on Saturday against Virginia Tech, the undefeated, No. 2-ranked team in the country. Then Hokies quarterback Michael Vick took over. The...

Detroit's Steve Yzerman is getting more from less.
November 22, 1999... Steve Yzerman was an amazing offensive player. Lots of razzle. Plenty of dazzle. For a six-season span, from 1987-93, he produced Gretzky-like numbers of 331 goals and 732 points. Then a man named Scotty Bowman arrived in Detroit and...

Penn loses to Cornell.
November 22, 1999... PHILADELPHIA _ After Cornell's quarterback was sacked twice, the Big Red were out of field-goal range, and on fourth down, they had exactly a quarter of the football field to go for a first down. The Penn Quakers, trailing by a point, had...

Villanova defeats Delaware in overtime.
November 22, 1999... PHILADELPHIA _ Ducarmel Augustin sprinted 25 yards for the winning touchdown, redemption and the chance to serve as guest of honor at the celebratory mob scene on Saturday in the southwest corner of Villanova Stadium. In a game that will...

Dienhart was respected, but some officials say aloofness was a weakness.
November 22, 1999... MINNEAPOLIS _ When Mark Dienhart walked into a conference room Friday to resign as the University of Minnesota men's athletics director, coaches and staff members applauded in a show of support, respect and appreciation. Talk to...

Faculty asked to keep athletes eligible; instructor recalls being pressured by Alonzo Newby.
November 22, 1999... ST. PAUL _ Of all the sordid stories in the investigators' report on academic fraud released Friday, the recounting of pressure on faculty to keep basketball players eligible to play is among the most blatant examples of heavy-handedness by...

Defense is the key for Jaguars.
November 22, 1999... When the season began, Jacksonville's defense set a goal of holding its opponents to under 17 points each game. That seemed like a lofty aim for a defense that had given up 21.1 points per game last season and had ranked 25th overall based on...

Despite rout, Virginia Tech could use some help.
November 22, 1999... Virginia Tech looked every bit like a national championship contender Saturday. Two problems: Computers don't have eyes, and computers could deny the Hokies the opportunity to compete for the title against Florida State in the Sugar Bowl. ...

A quizzical look at the Angels.
November 22, 1999... ANAHEIM, Calif. _ Bill Stoneman, the new Anaheim Angels general manager, was talking about old pitcher Chuck Finley last week when he unleashed a comment that was as revealing as a Saran Wrap jock strap. As unpleasant, too. ``I have...

Kansas defeats Iowa State.
November 22, 1999... LAWRENCE, Kan. _ Carl Nesmith doesn't always know where he's going or why, but Kansas' junior safety has a knack for being in the right place. And he was again Saturday afternoon. He blocked a 34-yard field goal attempt in the final...

Ohio State QB Steve Bellisari plays like erratic fastball pitcher.
November 22, 1999... ANN ARBOR, Mich. _ Ohio State coach John Cooper looked into the eyes of his beleaguered quarterback Steve Bellisari, then sent him back onto the slippery turf at Michigan Stadium. There were no more encouraging words to offer. There was...

Comeback lifts Texas Tech over Oklahoma as Spike Dykes goes out a winner.
November 22, 1999... LUBBOCK, Texas _ Texas Tech's 38-28 victory over Oklahoma in Spike Dykes' last game as the Red Raiders' head coach was apropos of a career of success against the odds. ``That was a great win,'' said Dykes, who told his players of his...

Buckeyes battle, lose war.
November 22, 1999... ANN ARBOR, Mich. _ The end result was similar to previous Ohio State-Michigan games, which given the Buckeyes' troubled season season was an upset in its own right. Their pride wounded by an uncharacteristically poor season, the Buckeyes...

For Cowboys, Sunday in Tempe is about staying in playoff race.
November 22, 1999... FORT WORTH _ Stuff happens. Things change. The late summer NFL forecast was mighty wrong. The Arizona Cardinals are not the ``in'' team. Jake Plummer is not the ``in'' quarterback. Jake can't be in, because he's been out forever. ...

Baylor ends season with another loss.
November 22, 1999... WACO, Texas _ When the announcement drifted over the public address system late in the second quarter, it seemed a perfectly logical _ if desperate _ cry for assistance: ``Will all former letter-winners please report to the Baylor...

Have Browns learned their lesson? We'll see.
November 22, 1999... CLEVELAND _ After their first victory, the Browns chased their ``Hail Mary'' with a Bloody Mary. A heart-stopping triumph on the final play of the game in New Orleans was followed by a disastrous 41-9 home loss to Baltimore. Cleveland...

Browns celebrated win No. 1 too long. Carolina the test of win No.2.
November 22, 1999... CLEVELAND _ After their first victory, the Cleveland Browns chased their ``Hail Mary'' with a Bloody Mary. A heart-stopping triumph on the final play of the game in New Orleans was followed by a disastrous 41-9 home loss to Baltimore....

Another chapter in the Bears mystery.
November 22, 1999... SAN DIEGO _ Now beneath the tropical sun we'll find out. Are these fog-shrouded 4-6 Chicago Bears paradise lost or found? If they're as good as they keep saying, they should win this game against the dead-battery Chargers, who have lost four...

Sharks getting rave reviews back East.
November 22, 1999... CONTRA COSTA, Calif. _ Even when the San Jose Sharks were struggling at the outset of their season-high, seven-game road trip that concluded Saturday night in St. Louis, they drew rave reviews. The NHL's East Coast- and Canadian-based...

LaDainian Tomlinson runs for NCAA record 406 yards, scores six touchdowns as TCU whips UTEP, 52-24.
November 22, 1999... FORT WORTH _ After committing three turnovers to blow a 17-point lead in the first half, TCU knew it had to do something to keep its bowl and conference title hopes alive. That something was to give the ball to tailback LaDainian...

Wildcats come live with 35-point first quarter, rip Mizzou 66-0.
November 22, 1999... MANHATTAN, Kan. _ The Kansas State Wildcats struggled. Progress was slow. The physical contact was taking its toll. But eventually, all the Kansas State seniors made it around the field and said their good-byes to the fans. That was...

Michigan pulls out 24-17 win over Ohio State.
November 22, 1999... ANN ARBOR, Mich. _ If Ohio State were to upset Michigan, this is how it figured to unfold. Get a few key turnovers, make defensive stands when necessary and overcome a gap in total yards. Well, all that happened, but it happened for...

Finding Dykes' replacement won't be easy job.
November 22, 1999... LUBBOCK, Texas _ There is a scenic route to Temple University in the heart of Philadelphia. There also is, to put it mildly, a less-than-cenic route. The latter, Owls basketball coach John Chaney used to say, was the one his old...

Bulls are road weary.
November 22, 1999... DENVER _ A few of the Bulls felt sick and all of them were tired. But coach Tim Floyd was not in the mood to hear excuses before his team took the floor for its fourth game in five nights Saturday against the Denver Nuggets. ``I think...

For 5-4 Cowboys, it's averaging out.
November 22, 1999... Want to be a football millionaire? Here's your question. Only thing is you have to pretend you were asked this in August. Q: Identify the following professional football team. (ital) Kurt Warner takes the snap and fakes a handoff to...

Florida offense sputters badly in loss.
November 22, 1999... GAINESVILLE, Fla. _ Florida tailback Earnest Graham dragged two Florida State defenders behind him and lunged for the goal line. He fell inches short. With Florida trailing FSU 13-6 in the third quarter Saturday, Graham's 19-yard gain...

People in the News.
November 22, 1999... UNINFLATED ASPIRATIONS Erstwhile Baywatch star Yasmine Bleeth (she was, she is quick to note, the one without the breast implants) is now doing time on ``Nash Bridges,'' on which she plays a detective who shares a bed with Don Johnson....

FSU tackle gets help taking on Alex Brown.
November 22, 1999... GAINESVILLE, Fla. _ Maybe Florida State offensive tackle Tarlos Thomas wasn't concerned about Florida's Alex Brown, but FSU offensive coordinator Mark Richt made it clear that stopping the Gators' rush end would be a key to the game. And it...

Baylor offense missing in final loss, 34-14.
November 22, 1999... WACO, Texas _ Longtime Baylor observers have waffled the past few weeks on whether the school has ever fielded a less-competitive football team than this year. Saturday might have clinched it. The Bears posed, to Oklahoma State, all the...

Dykes wins in final regular-season game at Texas Tech, 38-28.
November 22, 1999... LUBBOCK, Texas _ As he walked through the Jones Stadium tunnel for the final time, Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes couldn't help but smile as supporters offered simple appreciation for a simple man. Thanks. To the surprise of nobody,...

Minnesota wins season opener.
November 22, 1999... MINNEAPOLIS _ One day after University of Minnesota President Mark Yudof swept clean a dirty house, the Gophers' men's basketball team took the first steps of a new era and felt good enough to sing about it afterward. Led by Dusty...

Florida's special attention for Peter Warrick does not work.
November 22, 1999... GAINESVILLE, Fla. _ Florida spent all week trying to find some way to stop Florida State receiver Peter Warrick, but defensive coordinator Jon Hoke said the Gators forgot all the lessons they learned. In researching Warrick, Hoke enlisted...

SMU gives Tulsa some air in 28-14 win.
November 22, 1999... TULSA, Okla. _ Each time Josh McCown heads out for another series, his quarterback coach Greg Briner asks a simple question: ``Can you complete the next pass you throw?'' Of course, each time, McCown answers with a confident,...

Florida State can crow all it wants now.
November 22, 1999... GAINESVILLE, Fla. _ He was there, he saw the ball _- and the season _ in the air. But Reggie Durden is not really sure what happened next. ``All I was thinking, 'Somebody bat it to the ground,' `` the Florida State defensive back said....

A tough loss for Lions to digest.
November 22, 1999... EAST LANSING, Mich. _ At halftime, with the No. 13 Nittany Lions trailing 15th-ranked Michigan State 28-7, Penn State President Graham Spanier wandered into a press box conversation that predicted further doom and smiled. ``There's a lot...

Title makes NASCAR finale smooth ride for Jarrett.
November 22, 1999... In a good year, the NASCAR season finale at Atlanta Motor Speedway packs the same gripping drama as the Daytona 500. In a bad year, it has the feel of an NFL exhibition game. Sunday's NAPA 500 falls into the latter category. Dale Jarrett...

Clemson beats arch rival, qualifies for bowl game.
November 22, 1999... COLUMBIA, S.C. Clemson's players didn't get to dance on South Carolina's logo at midfield, but that didn't stop the party after beating their in-state rival. ``Too bad, so sad, Lou Holtz,'' Tiger receiver Brian Wofford chanted on his way...

Clemson victory a microcosm of a season for Gamecocks.
November 22, 1999... COLUMBIA, S.C. _ Ryan Brewer cut off blocks, swerved between tacklers and bolted 42 yards on a punt return. The big crowd stirred. South Carolina's Gamecocks used the big play for a springboard to a quick score, and Kenny Harney's...

NHL players taking ice game around the world, and other notes.
November 22, 1999... SAN JOSE _ Once again, the words of former NHL vice president Steve Solomon _ about this being a global world that is getting more global every day _ rang true last week. The Sharks announced a developmental affiliation with Espoo of the...

After last season's woes, Sonics find their winning ways.
November 22, 1999... SAN JOSE _ What's the forecast like in Seattle? Wait five minutes because it's bound to change. The Seattle SuperSonics missed the playoffs last season, just three years after reaching the NBA finals. Deposed Coach George Karl was...

Raiders' offensive line clicking in fine fashion.
November 22, 1999... ALAMEDA, Calif. _ Once, Lincoln Kennedy's career was in the tank. Now, it's in the tub. That tub is the oversized Jacuzzi at the Raiders' facility where Kennedy, the team's starting right tackle, soaks his battered body ``for most...

Torbush goes out with victory.
November 22, 1999... CHAPEL HILL, N.C. _ Before North Carolina's game against Duke Saturday, Tar Heels punter Brian Schmitz put Carl Torbush's initials on his helmet. After the Tar Heels' 38-0 victory, while Torbush was deftly avoiding the subject of his...

Hornaday fends off Gilchrist; truck series vet wins series debut.
November 22, 1999... HAMPTON, Ga. _ Not even a last-lap wreck developing in front of Ron Hornaday could deny him a victory in Saturday's Georgia Boot 400k at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Hornaday, a regular in NASCAR's Truck series, avoided a collision between...

Clemson snags 6th win, becomes eligible for bowl.
November 22, 1999... COLUMBIA, S.C. _ The play was no surprise. South Carolina has struggled to stop the long fade pass this season. So on fourth and 10 from the South Carolina 29, Clemson called the fade. The Tigers sent five receivers outside, and one of...

Florida burdened by penalties, mistakes.
November 22, 1999... GAINESVILLE, Fla. _ Rest assured that all the linen on the field during Florida State's 30-23 win against Florida on Saturday did not come from Dillard's. While Florida came into the game worried about incurring penalties for Gator fans...

Final race in 1992 saw a new era: Petty, Johnson exit; Gordon emerges.
November 22, 1999... HAMPTON, Ga._ Long before the Hooters 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Nov. 15, 1992, there was never a doubt the final weekend of that Winston Cup season would stand forever as a pivotal moment in stock-car racing history. Richard Petty...

Despite losing streak, South Carolina fans still hanging around.
November 22, 1999... COLUMBIA, S.C. _ After going to Williams-Brice Stadium to watch South Carolina play Clemson, there is one question any fair-minded man must ask. What will the Gamecocks get first? (A) Game-day traffic control. Or (B) A victory. ...

Spartans survive to beat Penn State, 35-28.
November 22, 1999... EAST LANSING, Mich. _ Consider Michigan State's streak of mediocrity ended. The Spartans pulled out a 35-28 win over Penn State on Saturday to punctuate a 9-2 season, a second-place finish in the Big Ten and a likely appearance in the...

Seminoles emerge from Swamp as winners.
November 22, 1999... GAINESVILLE, Fla. _ ``The Swamp'' began to shake as Florida took possession at its own 12, down by a touchdown with 59 seconds to play Saturday. Shouting over the din of a record Florida Field crowd of 85,747, Florida State's defenders...

Stanford wins Big Game, advances to Rose Bowl.
November 22, 1999... STANFORD, Calif. _ Stanford is going to the Rose Bowl. The words, said with an air of incredulity, were repeated over and over _ well into the night, probably to be repeated right up until the Jan. 1, 2000 kickoff _ among the players and...

Minnesota's loss of McKinley Boston and Clem Haskins leaves hole in black leadership; campus has been criticized for its lack of diversity.
November 22, 1999... ST. PAUL _ Two top black leaders have left the University of Minnesota as a result of the academic misconduct scandal, and the loss of that important link to the black community is keenly felt. Former coach Clem Haskins left in June with...

Gophers hold at end, stop Hawkeyes to finish 8-3.
November 22, 1999... IOWA CITY, Iowa _ His voice was heard booming off those legendary soft pink walls beneath the bleachers on the visitors' end of Kinnick Stadium. ``Not even these guys can make me unhappy now!'' yelled Glen Mason as the University of...