The Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, PA) articles from December 2002

The Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, PA) archives from December 2002

Coming this month: New from Mariah Carey, Phish, NAS.
December 1, 2002... Byline: Jonathan Takiff After the huge crush of new releases in September, October and November, the music industry slows the pace for December. Still, gift shoppers will find last-minute releases from the likes of Mariah Carey, Phish, NAS...

Coming this month: New from Mariah Carey, Phish, NAS.
December 2, 2002... Byline: Jonathan Takiff After the huge crush of new releases in September, October and November, the music industry slows the pace for December. Still, gift shoppers will find last-minute releases from the likes of Mariah Carey, Phish, NAS...

Delaware County, Pa., Pharmacist Admits He Sold Painkillers to Drug Dealers.
December 3, 2002... Byline: Jim Smith Dec. 3--A former Delaware County pharmacist publicly admitted yesterday that he had tried to get rich quick by selling more than 275,000 individual doses of potent painkillers to known drug traffickers. Antonio J....

Pennsylvania's Governor-Elect Lays out Malpractice Insurance Reform Plan.
December 4, 2002... Byline: Michael Hinkelman Dec. 4--Gov.-elect Ed Rendell gave his medical malpractice task force a prescription for reform yesterday, laying out a list of short-term goals he wants it to focus on quickly. One goal: Putting up $25...

There're no plums in plum pudding.
December 4, 2002... Byline: Jim Coleman and Candace Hagan Q: Christmas will soon be here. While watching "Scrooge," I noticed that they talk about plum pudding. What is it and how is it made? I have had the packaged brand, but I would assume it's not the same...

Some Philadelphia police boycotting Sixers-sponsored event because of Iverson.
December 4, 2002... Byline: Catherine Lucey PHILADELPHIA _ Hey, Allen! Cops are Sixers fans too, you know. Well, maybe not any more. Some Philly cops are boycotting a Sixers-sponsored law-enforcement night because they are angry with Allen Iverson for...

Cavatelli With Tomato Sauce; Capellini With Shrimp and Roasted Garlic Sauce; Porcini-Flavored Garganelli With Mushroom Sauce and Goat Cheese.
December 4, 2002... Here are the recipes for each pasta, from dough to accompanying sauce, from pasta chef Roberta Adamo and executive chef Ed Vadden of Penne restaurant in Philadelphia. Adamo's No. 1 trick to making pasta dough is to "never overwork the dough....

Celebrating tradition with pasta for the holidays.
December 4, 2002... Byline: April Adamson To Italians, homemade pasta is a requirement for holiday dinners, a tradition as basic as trimming a tree or lighting a menorah. But clever old Italian grandmothers don't bounce gleefully around the kitchen,...

`Live From Baghdad' evokes CNN's glory days.
December 4, 2002... Byline: Ellen Gray Where were you when the Gulf War finally broke out? I don't recall my exact location on Jan. 16, 1991, but like many people I remember where Bernard Shaw and Peter Arnett were _ holed up in Room 906 of Baghdad's...

`The Sopranos' is ending its season with plenty of loose ends.
December 4, 2002... Byline: Ellen Gray Bad enough that December's arctic blasts have swept in the usual post-sweeps reruns, but now Tony Soprano is deserting us, too. Yes, folks, the fourth season of HBO's "The Sopranos" wraps up this weekend with a...

Philadelphia Daily News John M. Baer Column.
December 5, 2002... Byline: John M. Baer Dec. 5--Outgoing Gov. Schweiker today is expected to be tapped to head Philly's Chamber of Commerce and maybe even a new combo of the chamber and Greater Philadelphia First. The gig pays probably $300,000 plus...

Regal memories of Dave McNally.
December 5, 2002... Byline: Bill Conlin When I'm King of the World . . . Agents with major league baseball clients will observe a moment of silence every Dec. 2 . . . On the day Jim Thome decided to accept the Phillies' $85 million offer, an...

Iverson backtracks on harsh comments directed toward Philadelphia police officers.
December 5, 2002... Byline: William Bunch PHILADELPHIA _ Being Allen Iverson apparently means never having to say you're sorry. But it does mean that, every once in a while, you have to explain just what the heck you were trying to say. That's what...

Hasselbecks gather for Eagles-Seahawks game.
December 5, 2002... Byline: Mark Kram PHILADELPHIA _ Don Hasslebeck has a dilemma. When the Eagles play the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Hasselbeck is in the unique position of having sons on either side. And both are quarterbacks. Matt Hasselbeck is...

Army, Navy gear up for annual clash.
December 5, 2002... Byline: Bill Fleischman PHILADELPHIA - Navy has won just two football games the past three seasons. The Midshipmen are 1-10 this season. Last year, they finished 0-10. In 2000, they were 1-10. Go 2-30 in three seasons and it gets...

Sixers should keep Coleman in reserve, and other notes.
December 6, 2002... Byline: Phil Jasner (ital) Some early-season observations from anything but an ivory tower . . . (end ital) X X X I mean this in only the most positive sense, but keep Derrick Coleman _ at least for the foreseeable future _ out of...

Tony Stewart shows a different side of Tony Stewart.
December 6, 2002... Byline: Bill Fleischman NEW YORK _ Tony Stewart is splendidly passing his first test as the new NASCAR Winston Cup champion. Get ready for a 2003 documentary titled "Charming the City." Easily annoyed in interviews during the racing...

Fantasy Leaguers face tough questions.
December 6, 2002... Byline: Ed Barkowitz PHILADELPHIA _ Santa isn't the only one getting bunches of mail this time of year. With the playoffs at hand in most leagues, the fantasy football mailbag also is quite full. Please note, recommendations do not...

De-emphasis on kicking game hurting Jones, Cowboys, and other notes.
December 6, 2002... Byline: Paul Domowitch PHILADELPHIA _ Cowboys owner Jerry Jones never has been afraid to spend money on players. No team in the league has shelled out more dough for signing bonuses the last decade than the Cowboys. Jones will give it...

Flyers defeat Rangers on rare penalty shot in overtime.
December 6, 2002... Byline: Edward Moran PHILADELPHIA _ Michal Handzus needed some advice. With the Flyers and Rangers locked in a 2-2 tie and just 36.7 seconds left in overtime, Handzus was going to the net alone when he was taken down from behind by New...

New audio formats are music to your ears.
December 6, 2002... Byline: Jonathan Takiff THE GIZMO: Universal DVD/CD players from Onkyo and Marantz, $999 and $1,599. WE'VE GOT YOU SURROUNDED: It's hard to enjoy a DVD with just the TV speakers blaring, after you've enjoyed the extra thrills and...

Obstruction rules drove blueliner from Flyers to Sharks.
December 9, 2002... Byline: Edward Moran Dan McGillis inability to adjust to the new league obstruction rules was the driving force in the defenseman's trade to San Jose, according to Philadelphia Flyers president and general manager Bob Clarke. While...

Philadelphia Daily News Plugged In Column.
December 10, 2002... Byline: Jonathan Takiff Dec. 10--THE GIZMO: Universal DVD/CD players from Onkyo and Marantz, $999 and $1,599. WE'VE GOT YOU SURROUNDED: It's hard to enjoy a DVD with just the TV speakers blaring, after you've enjoyed the extra thrills...

Philly police say Iverson investigator did nothing wrong.
December 10, 2002... Byline: Joseph R. Daughen PHILADELPHIA _ Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson said Tuesday that Lt. Michael Chitwood did nothing wrong during his investigation of Allen Iverson and, as far as he's concerned, the case is history. "The...

Witness: Investigator toasted Iverson's `next felony,' cop denies it.
December 10, 2002... Byline: Joseph R. Daughen and Barbara Laker PHILADELPHIA _ A former security guard told Allen Iverson's lawyers in July that he had seen and heard the lead investigator in Iverson's weapons case offer a toast to the Sixers star's "next...

HEADLINE HERE.
December 10, 2002... Byline: Bernard Fernandez PHILADELPHIA _ The New York State Athletic Commission has been rocked by scandal and tragedy in recent years, the result of knowledgeable boxing people being replaced by too many guys whose primary qualification...

When it comes to butter, she's right, you're wrong.
December 11, 2002... Byline: Jim Coleman and Candace Hagan Q: My wife and I were discussing the fact that some recipes call for unsalted butter and others call for salted butter. She asked why, and I said it's strictly a matter of the amount of salt in the...

Baseball could gain a great salesman . . .
December 11, 2002

Ohio prep player gets national stage Thursday night.
December 11, 2002... Byline: Dick Jerardi PHILADELPHIA _ The Most Likely to Succeed honor does not figure to create much debate at St. Vincent-St. Mary High in Akron, Ohio, this spring. LeBron James would appear to be a lock. James is the nation's best...

Controversy Continues over Pennsylvania Convention Center.
December 12, 2002... Byline: Paul D. Davies Dec. 12--As the controversy heated up earlier this year at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the board in charge of solving the problems became divided, secretive and rudderless, according to several members...

Some Telemarketers Haven't Yet Seen Pennsylvania's Do-Not-Call List.
December 12, 2002... Byline: Rose Dewolf Dec. 12--You say telemarketers are still phoning you with sales pitches even though Pennsylvania's do-not-call list has been in effect for more than five weeks? Not surprising. Here are the 10 top reasons why: ...

White House has gone to the dogs.
December 12, 2002... Byline: John Baer I'm sniffing a cover-up. At the highest levels. With a low-level camera. The White House Web site (www.whitehouse.gov) Thursday unveiled "Barney Cam," a 4 {-minute, dog's-eye video romp of the presidential...

Baseball's big swap meet should be some show.
December 12, 2002... Byline: Bill Conlin Nashville's Opryland Resort is where the Phillies lost future American League MVP George Bell in the 1980 Rule 5 draft, a date that will live in organizational infamy. The low-rise palace sprawls over so many acres...

It's slump time for the Sixers.
December 12, 2002... Byline: John Smallwood PHILADELPHIA _ The problem hasn't changed since the beginning of the season. It's just that with the Sixers jumping out to 15-4 start and being undefeated in 10 games at the First Union Center, it was easy to...

Penn State's Johnson irked by negative Heisman campaigning.
December 12, 2002... Byline: Dick Jerardi STATE COLLEGE, Pa. _ Larry Johnson really would like to enjoy this whole Heisman Trophy thing. Instead, he has found himself in the middle of a negative campaign that seems more suited for politics than college...

Sixers walking wounded again, and other notes.
December 13, 2002... Byline: Phil Jasner PHILADELPHIA _ Somebody call a body shop. The wheels have fallen off the 76ers. Not just the wheels; the fenders, the hood, the windshield wipers, the hubcaps. Somebody call the nearest diagnostic center. Some of...

Making tough calls at season's end a Fantasy.
December 13, 2002... Byline: Ed Barkowitz PHILADELPHIA _ The quickest way to improve your vision is to become a sports writer. Although you'll be able to look only in hindsight, your eyes will be 20/20 forever. We knew Donovan McNabb needed X-rays at...

Randall Cunningham feels David Carr's pain, and other notes.
December 13, 2002... Byline: Paul Domowitch PHILADELPHIA _ For the last 16 years, Randall Cunningham has owned an NFL record he never wanted. In 1986, the Eagles gave up an astounding 104 sacks. Cunningham was the victim of 72 of them. The first number is...

A DVDelightful holiday to all.
December 13, 2002... Byline: Jonathan Takiff THE GIZMO: DVDs for holiday giving. Consumers are embracing DVDs in droves this holiday season, in large measure because the discs are really a new form of electronic "toy." For starters, a well-made...

Latest `I'm sorry' didn't do a Lott of good.
December 16, 2002... Byline: John Baer Lott's gotta go. Any reasonable person with an ounce of savvy seeing his performance on BET on Monday night saw it for exactly what it was: a last-ditch effort to save his Southern hide. And it didn't work. ...

Philadelphia Daily News Plugged In Column.
December 17, 2002... Byline: Jonathan Takiff Dec. 17--THE GIZMO: DVDs for holiday giving. Consumers are embracing DVDs in droves this holiday season, in large measure because the discs are really a new form of electronic "toy." For starters, a...

CBS' `Amazing Race' turns out to be worth the journey.
December 17, 2002... Byline: Ellen Gray CBS' "The Amazing Race 3" wraps up Wednesday in a tense two-hour finale that's left me feeling a bit like Rosie Ruiz. The disqualified Boston Marathon winner was accused of hopping a subway on her way to the finish...

The Chef's Table: Southern Ladies' Collard Greens.
December 18, 2002... Byline: Jim Coleman and Candace Hagan Q: I would like a recipe for collard greens, the authentic way Southern ladies would prepare it. _ Joanne F. A: Y'all should know that a true Southern lady would only prepare herself for dinner,...

Year-End Tip Lists Don't Have to Be a Mile Long.
December 19, 2002... Byline: Rose Dewolf Dec. 19--How much for the hairdresser? Are you supposed to tip the mail carrier? How long does a holiday tipping list have to be? Sometimes it seems that Santa Claus is the only helpful soul who doesn't expect you...

Peace on earth? No chance.
December 19, 2002... Byline: John Baer Those holiday sounds? They're not jingle bells. They're not Salvation Army bells. They're not the ba-rumpa, bump-bump of the little drummer boy. They're the drums of war. We're going. Question is are we...

Robert Johnson proves money is power.
December 19, 2002

Roenick suspended for two games following hit on Modano.
December 19, 2002... Byline: Edward Moran ATLANTA _ Mike Modano apparently is not the kind of guy to hold a grudge. After being knocked from Tuesday night's game with the Flyers by Jeremy Roenick, the Dallas star said he was putting the incident behind...

Flyers thrashed in Atlanta.
December 19, 2002... Byline: Edward Moran ATLANTA _ Only a few days ago, a game against the last-place Atlanta Thrashers looked like a light workday for the Flyers. Even if it was the Flyers' second game in 2 nights, the Thrashers had only eight wins. ...

Philadelphia-Area Life Insurer Settles Case Alleging Fraudulent Tactics.
December 20, 2002... Byline: Jim Smith Dec. 20--A suburban Philadelphia insurance company has agreed to pay more than $160 million to settle claims that it used deceptive and fraudulent tactics to sell life insurance to about 200,000 military personnel. ...

Sixers get the best of this deal, and other notes.
December 20, 2002... Byline: Phil Jasner PHILADELPHIA _ Give the 76ers this much: They saw what you and I saw, two guys at the end of the bench who seemingly had no roles and serious matchup problems against opposing small forwards. Goodbye, Mark Bryant...

There's computer games galore to buy.
December 20, 2002... Byline: Jonathan Takiff THE GIZMO: Video game picks from Santa Gizmo. Is there gift cash burning a hole in your pocket that you'd like to convert to entertainment software for a favorite gaming machine? Santa brought a brand new...

No Priest not good for Fantasy Leaguers.
December 20, 2002... Byline: Ed Barkowitz PHILADELPHIA _ Injuries are as much a part of real football as blitzes, flea-flickers and incompetent coaches. Same goes for fantasy football. If you play fantasy football and you have Priest Holmes, then you know...

NFL reportedly tells Bengals to hire a general manager.
December 20, 2002... Byline: Paul Domowitch PHILADELPHIA _ Enough is enough. The NFL, which has stood idly by while Cincinnati Bengals president Mike Brown has run his franchise into the ground, finally is pressuring Brown to get some help, sources have...

Year End: Best and worst from sports media of 2002.
December 20, 2002... Byline: Bill Fleischman PHILADELPHIA _ Take a break from holiday festivities and enjoy the annual Willies awards. We give `em the Willies for the good, bad and absurd in sports television this year. ENOUGH ALREADY AWARD: To all the TV...

A critic's wish list for TV shows.
December 22, 2002... Byline: Ellen Gray SO MANY very special Christmas episodes (and reruns), so little time. Not everyone's going to get what they want this year, but with one day left, here's what's still on my shopping list: _ For the cast of the...

Woman says injuries inflicted by Eagles' Mitchell cost her job.
December 23, 2002... Byline: Joseph R. Daughen PHILADELPHIA _ The woman who claims Eagles kick returner Brian Mitchell assaulted her when she tried to end an affair with him said she has lost her job as a Philadelphia police officer because of injuries...

Lawyer Sues, Says Philadelphia Bank Overcharged Him $40,000 in Loan Interest.
December 23, 2002

Philadelphia's Home Zone Flounders, Seeks Private Developer's Help.
December 24, 2002... Byline: Earni Young Dec. 24--Fed up with the tortoise pace of construction in the Cecil B. Moore Homeownership Zone, the Street administration is looking for a private developer to finish the project. Under the leadership of the...

Pennsylvania Doctors Are Overwhelmed by Insurance Premium Increases.
December 24, 2002... Byline: Michael Hinkelman Dec. 24--Two years ago, Dr. Michael J. Gratch found an insurance company willing to sell him medical-malpractice insurance, even though he's an orthopedist -- a specialty that often comes with a hefty insurance...

Philadelphia Daily News Plugged In Column.
December 24, 2002... Byline: Jonathan Takiff Dec. 24--THE GIZMO: Video game picks from Santa Gizmo. Is there gift cash burning a hole in your pocket that you'd like to convert to entertainment software for a favorite gaming machine? Santa brought a...

Pay Phone Operator Charges Can Add Up Quickly.
December 27, 2002... Byline: Rose DeWolf Dec. 27--When Peggy Townsend, of Oxford Circle, used a pay phone in Atlantic City to make a "collect" call home not long ago, she thought she was dialing "O" for "Operator." Turns out the "O" stood for Outrageous....

Bill Frist's _ and GOP's _ abortion problem.
December 27, 2002... The following editorial appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News on Friday, Dec. 27: X X X If you want to know how convoluted Republicans have become, look at the party's new leader in the Senate, Bill Frist. Frist, a Tennessee...

Sixers should fare well on Western swing, and other notes.
December 27, 2002... Byline: Phil Jasner PHILADELPHIA _ On the road again . . . Can the 76ers' five-game trip that begins Saturday night in Utah have the same season-defining quality as the memorable 2000-01 sweep of the Jazz, Golden State and Sacramento?...

After losing to Colts, Eagles' defense turns around season.
December 27, 2002... Byline: Sam Donnellon PHILADELPHIA _ The Giants believe their season turned after their one-sided, Monday night loss to the Eagles here in late October. They scored three points then, 41 fewer than they scored Sunday in dismantling the...

True Fantasy heads study the game.
December 27, 2002... Byline: Ed Barkowitz PHILADELPHIA _ To succeed at fantasy football, you must let it get into your blood. You go to church early, so you don't miss a blink of ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown." You buy the papers. You spend hours on the...

Dave Campo deserves a more dignified exit, and other notes.
December 27, 2002... Byline: Paul Domowitch PHILADELPHIA _ Bill Parcells thinks he wants to coach again, and that's certainly his prerogative, even if he cross-my-heart-hope-to-die swore last January that he absolutely, positively wasn't coming back. "I'm...

Mortensen says Parcells didn't owe ESPN scoop; he calls CBS' Cowboys coup 'a fluke'.
December 27, 2002... Byline: Bill Fleischman PHILADELPHIA _ Television networks are not full of holiday cheer when a rival scoops them on a story, especially a story involving one of their employees. Between coaching jobs, Bill Parcells is working for...

Handicapping the lucky 12 who made NFL playoffs.
December 30, 2002... Byline: Paul Domowitch PHILADELPHIA _ The Eagles rolled a homefield seven the hard way, watching David Akers miss a potential game-winning kick one day, then watching old Eagle Herm Edwards' Jets make mincemeat of the Packers the next. ...

The losers of 2002.
December 30, 2002... Byline: Jonathan Takiff THE GIZMO: Our first Worst High-Tech Products/Trends of the Year Awards. Not every high-tech development we reported on in the past year came to pass. And sometimes human foibles, follies and subterfuge...

Philadelphia Group Hits Slow Pace on Blight Fight.
December 31, 2002... Byline: Earni Young Dec. 31--It's been six months since City Council gave Mayor Street authority to begin spending the first installment of the $300 million OK'd for his Neighborhood Transformation Initiative. Those who expected the...

New Pennsylvania Law Reduces Philadelphia's Control of Convention Center.
December 31, 2002... Byline: Mark McDonald Dec. 31--They were like the proverbial blind men touching different parts of the elephant -- in this case, a bulky bill covering everything from the Convention Center to oversight of city taxis -- passed without...

U.S. Embassy in China Blocks Chefs from Leaving for Philadelphia Banquets.
December 31, 2002... Byline: Rose DeWolf Dec. 31--Victoria Chang is so discouraged, she's ready to throw in her chopsticks. The American Embassy in Beijing has denied visas to four of the five chefs from China who were to prepare the 2003 New Year's...

Pennsylvania Governor-Elect Aims to Help Doctors with Malpractice Insurance.
December 31, 2002... Byline: Joseph R. Daughen Dec. 31--Health insurers would have to pay to help reduce crippling medical malpractice premiums for the hardest-hit doctors, under a plan proposed by Gov.-elect Ed Rendell. The one-year reduction, which...

Philadelphia Daily News Plugged In Column.
December 31, 2002... Byline: Jonathan Takiff Dec. 31--THE LOSERS OF 2002 THE GIZMO: Our first Worst High-Tech Products/Trends of the Year Awards. Not every high-tech development we reported on in the past year came to pass. And sometimes human...

Penn State faces final exam against Auburn.
December 31, 2002... Byline: Dick Jerardi ORLANDO, Fla. _ Bowl games are equal parts reward and examination. They are a reward for a successful season and a final exam on the meaning of that success. By any measure, No. 10 Penn State (9-3) had a successful...