The Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, PA) articles from July 2001

The Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, PA) archives from July 2001

Big dreams for Bochetto.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Bernard Fernandez PHILADELPHIA _ During the NBA Finals, Pat Croce climbed atop the Walt Whitman Bridge to hang a huge banner urging Philadelphians to support their 76ers. George Bochetto didn't go quite as far as the...

Knowing something we shouldn't know about Mike Tyson.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Rich Hofmann PHILADELPHIA _ As it turns out, the long road to irrelevancy has taken a familiar turn for Mike Tyson. Ten years after he met Desiree Washington at that beauty pageant in Indianapolis, almost 10 years to the day,...

Eagles wary of complacency.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Marcus Hayes BETHLEHEM, Pa. _ The need for competition used to be so much greater for the Eagles. Going 11-5 after 3-13 and 5-11 seasons somewhat dampens that need. The players are playing well, so why mess with it? Why...

Rams look to rise from the wreckage.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Paul Domowitch St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz surveyed the wreckage of his defense in January and saw very little worth keeping. Despite a score-at-will offense that racked up an NFL-high 540 points and 67 touchdowns, the...

Philadelphia Officials Get a Chance to Land Thousands of Conventions.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Marc Meltzer Jul. 31--Most conventioneers come to Philly, see the Bell, eat a cheesesteak and go home. The 6,000 people arriving here Saturday will do all that -- and then could bring a million or so friends back for a second...

Jacksonville, Fla.-Based HealthScreen Offers Fast Health Tests for a Price.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Rose DeWolf Jul. 31--Here's the offer: You can obtain almost any medical test or scan that screens for possible health problems without a doctor's referral or an insurer's approval. And at a single convenient location. ...

Philadelphia Daily News Plugged In Column.
July 31, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Takiff Jul. 31--Arbitron's PPM: It knows what you're doing THE GIZMOS: Personal Portable Meter ratings device, from Arbitron, Inc. Info at www.arbitron.com. Plus -- new services from XM Radio, CBS and DISH Network....

Phillies fall to Mets.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Paul Hagen NEW YORK _ Baseball can be capricious, baseball can be fickle. Baseball can take best intentions and twist them into a pretzel on a whim. Baseball can be devilish and unpredictable, inscrutable and maddening. Baseball...

Former Phillies face former team.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Paul Hagen NEW YORK _ The Phillies and Mets made two trades involving six players in the last week, so there was naturally a lot of talk about facing old teammates this weekend at Shea Stadium. Desi Relaford, who made an...

Old captain must be careful.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Sam Donnellon PHILADELPHIA _ The clock is ticking. Ed Snider has won his battle for control of Comcast-Spectacor's Philadelphia sports entities. Not only has he protected his turf as first and only overseer of the Flyers, he now...

Bobby Labonte wins Penn 500.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Bill Fleischman LONG POND, Pa. _ The tunnel turn at Pocono Raceway is one of the most treacherous places on the Winston Cup circuit. Racers enter the narrow 60-foot wide second turn on the 2.5-mile trioval at about 180 mph, then...

Armstrong a survivor, striver and champion.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Rich Hofmann PHILADELPHIA _ It was too hard to decipher the newspaper headlines early last week, given that they were written in French and all, but you could tell that they were about Lance Armstrong and it was obvious that they...

Eagles working it out.
July 29, 2001... Byline: Marcus Hayes BETHLEHEM, Pa. _ With hell on the horizon, the mood was downright jovial. Double sessions of full-squad, full-contact practices begin Tuesday and run through Thursday, an annual exercise in masochism the veterans...

Trade deadlines steep in wisdom, fool's gold.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Bill Conlin PHILADELPHIA _ Great trade deadline deals are like beachfront property. There is never much available, and what little is on the market is outrageously overpriced. General managers fortunate enough to be in...

Croce, Snider play patch up.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Edward Moran PHILADELPHIA _ In the beginning, when Ed Snider and Pat Croce stood together at a podium at the CoreStates Spectrum, it was hard not to see them as unique friends who had shared a common experience. Croce had...

Larry Brown ready for battles again.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Phil Jasner PHILADELPHIA _ In the end, Rudy Tomjanovich knew from experience Larry Brown had to face his demons, honestly assess his well-being and decide whether he could continue to face the job at hand. Tomjanovich, the...

Pat Croce a man on the rebound.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Phil Jasner PHILADELPHIA _ John Gabriel says he isn't sure what it takes to run Comcast-Spectacor, but he knows Pat Croce can lead people. "Any people," said Gabriel, the Orlando Magic general manager. "A lot of people. ...

Freddie Mitchell talks of love of the game.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Sam Donnellon PHILADELPHIA _ The apartment wasn't his. The car he drove wasn't, either. The big-screen television, on which a half-dozen of Freddie Mitchell's most impressive trophies sat with about as much ceremony as...

Freddie Mitchell in the Eagles' fold.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Marcus Hayes BETHLEHEM, Pa. _ He wanted to be in training camp on time, but Freddie Mitchell hedged his bet. The Eagles' first-round receiver visited quarterback Donovan McNabb in Arizona late last week, then, on Monday,...

Flyers still Snider's love.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Les Bowen PHILADELPHIA _ In sports fans' eyes, the buttoned-down style of the Flyers under general manager Bob Clarke often has contrasted vividly with the upbeat, vibrant atmosphere surrounding the 76ers under Pat Croce. It...

Where's Eric Lindros going.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Les Bowen PHILADELPHIA _ Eric Lindros granted a broadcast interview this week in which he said he didn't understand why he hadn't yet been traded. "It's because his dad keeps turning down offers," Flyers general manager Bob...

Arbitron's PPM: It knows what you're doing.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Takiff THE GIZMOS: Personal Portable Meter ratings device, from Arbitron, Inc. Info at www.arbitron.com. Plus _ new services from XM Radio, CBS and DISH Network. LITTLE BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU: As small and discrete...

Say Florida Sandy favored in Philadelphia Park.
July 27, 2001... Byline: Dick Jerardi PHILADELPHIA _ Back in another time, before horses were ushered off to the breeding shed after winning a few major races, the best horses ran often enough that everybody knew who they were and what they were about....

Chef's table: Buying watermelon; summer salad; wood smoking.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Jim Coleman and Candace Q: Watermelons are a great price right now, but I never know if I'm getting a good one. Any secrets for buying the perfect watermelon? _ Judy G. A: Judy, my childhood memories of buying this ultimate...

Black music compilation a 10-year labor of love for Belafonte.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Takiff PHILADELPHIA _ Can Harry Belafonte change the face of popular culture, again? And can the artist do it with a treasure trove of historic black music he started to gather and produce for album release four...

Roberts wishes Pat Croce had stayed.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Sam Donnellon PHILADELPHIA _ Brian Roberts tried very hard to stay out of the fray. The official part of the news conference ended, his involvement limited to one question, he headed for the white doors of the Hall of Fame Room...

Phil Ford may be on Sixers' rumor mill.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Phil Jasner PHILADELPHIA _ The 76ers are internally contemplating adding former North Carolina star and assistant coach Phil Ford to their coaching staff. A source within the organization said that coach Larry Brown was...

Sixers should maintain success.
July 26, 2001... Byline: John Smallwood PHILADELPHIA _ I'm beginning to understand that Cinderella is actually a Philadelphia sports fable - except for the fact that we rarely get the "lived happily ever after." Wednesday, during the brightest...

Dale Jr. receives hearty welcome.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Bill Fleischman PHILADELPHIA _ A minor accident and rain brought a halt to the annual youth auto race at Fairmount Park on Thursday. A 15-year-old boy from Wilmington, Del., was slightly injured when his miniature race car...

A heavy load for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Bill Fleischman PHILADELPHIA - Ever since Dale Earnhardt Jr. made his Winston Cup debut in 1999, he has been in the spotlight. Enter racing with a name that carries the pedigree of the Earnhardt name and your every move is...

Coker, Miami looking for bigger and better.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Mike Kern EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. _ Larry Coker is the fifth football coach at Miami since 1979. All but one of his predecessors won at least one national championship. His immediate predecessor, Butch Davis, almost joined the club...

Temple could be entering last Big East season.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Mike Kern EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. _ The Big East held its 11th annual football mediafest Thursday at Giants Stadium. For Temple, it might be the last. The Owls have been voted out by the other seven school presidents, effective...

25 questions for the Eagles.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Marcus Hayes X X X 1. What about Donovan? The Franchise, as Donovan McNabb is known around the locker room, is leaner, stronger and better prepared than ever. The quarterback's second offseason should prove to be time...

Question-and-answer with Eagles coach Andy Reid.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Marcus Hayes PHILADELPHIA _ When he sat down for an interview Wednesday, Andy Reid was two days removed from his Hawaiian vacation and one day from presiding over his third training camp as the Eagles' head coach, his first as...

McNabb on the endorsement trail.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Marcus Hayes BETHLEHEM, Pa. _ The familiarity of the sponsor helped cushion the blow. While a quarterback at Syracuse University, Donovan McNabb shopped at the Wegmans super-grocery store in the suburb of DeWitt, N.Y. ...

25 questions for NFL 2001.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Paul Domowitch X X X 1. Are the Baltimore Ravens going to win the Super Bowl again? Well, chances are they'll probably make it there again. The only player they've lost from that dominating defensive unit that allowed a...

Philadelphia Car Owners Stuck with Glueless Registration Stickers.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Rose DeWolf Jul. 26--Some state programs are called clueless. This one seems to be glueless. When Philadelphians call the Pennsylvania Bureau of Motor Vehicles to complain that their rear window auto-registration sticker has...

Interim President of Philadelphia Gas Works Resigns.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Mark McDonald Jul. 26--After serving 16 turbulent months at the helm of the nearly broke Philadelphia Gas Works, Kumar Kishinchand has resigned as interim president and will return to the Water Department in his old job as water...

Lucent Layoffs May Affect Philadelphia Employees.
July 26, 2001... Byline: Michael Hinkelman Jul. 26--Those 15,000 to 20,000 layoffs that Lucent Technologies announced yesterday soon could ripple through the local economy. The struggling telecommunications equipment giant, which is based in Murray...

Show Sales Up in Anticipation of New Philadelphia Arts Center Opening.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Tom Di Nardo Jul. 25--If you want seats at the city's new performing arts center, you better get in line -- or know somebody in the box office. Full houses are virtually guaranteed in the Kimmel Center for the Performing...

Tips Help Philadelphia Cable Subscribers Deal with Comcast.
July 25, 2001... Jul. 25--Need help with cable problems? In Philadelphia, 51 percent of homes subscribe to a cable-TV service. For almost 80 percent of them, plus many cable subscribers in surrounding Pennsylvania counties and South Jersey, that service...

Comcast Rates Below Average in Customer Satisfaction.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Michael Hinkelman Jul. 25--Comcast wants to be the biggest cable company in the nation. But it isn't doing a very good job satisfying the customers it has now, says a well-respected report. And if its proposed mega-merger...

Scott Rolen not on the hit list.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Sam Donnellon PHILADELPHIA _ This is what you are told when you get a job as a pro athlete in Philadelphia: Bust your butt, give it your all every day, and the fans will love you. Don't, and they will boo your fanny. ...

Phillies rout the Expos.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Paul Hagen PHILADELPHIA _ Johnny Podres, the legendary former Phillies pitching coach, was once asked how he handled pitching in the World Series for the Brooklyn Dodgers at the tender age of 20. Pods answered by relating a story...

Phillies try something else.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Paul Hagen PHILADELPHIA _ It's like taking the same route to work every day, Larry Bowa was saying, and hitting the same red light every damn time. Eventually, you'll try a new route. And that, the Phillies manager said, is...

Eagles face bigger obstacles this time around.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Marcus Hayes PHILADELPHIA _ Andy Reid landed in Philadelphia in 1999 without the traditional pedigree that accompanies a first-time head coach. He proceeded to insist that his way was best, that all would be well if he...

Four Flyers to participate in Team Canada orientation.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Les Bowen PHILADELPHIA _ The Flyers' Mark Recchi, Keith Primeau, Simon Gagne and Eric Desjardins will join former teammate Eric Lindros when Team Canada holds a pre-Olympic "orientation" for 34 players Sept.4 to 7 in Calgary. ...

Manchester United a merchandising bonanza.
July 25, 2001... Byline: Rich Hofmann LONDON _ The National Football League's worst nightmare is a soccer team. And, no, it isn't because Americans are suddenly going to start watching soccer, not in person, not on television. Its worst nightmare is...

Jones bout faces possible `Roycott' by skeptics.
July 24, 2001... Byline: Bernard Fernandez PHILADELPHIA _ You are a cook in the galley of a Navy ship. Terrorists take over the ship and disarm the crew, and, for the next two hours, you evade the bad guys and kick their butts one-by-one. Hey, Steven...

For McNabb, the sky's the limit.
July 24, 2001... Byline: Marcus Hayes PHILADELPHIA _ A year ago, we asked you to embrace Donovan McNabb. We assured you that, in a town that wallows in disappointments, he would deliver in only his second season as a professional and his first full...

Sifford honored for breakthrough career.
July 24, 2001... Byline: Mike Kern PHILADELPHIA _ When Tiger Woods won his first major at the 1997 Masters, one of the first things he did was thank trailblazers such as Charlie Sifford, men of color who couldn't play at Augusta National, or a lot of...

Here's the book on cricket.
July 24, 2001... Byline: Rich Hofmann MANCHESTER, England _ I sat in the hotel and watched the first four hours of the cricket match on television while I wrote a column, read a magazine, made a phone call, took a shower and switched around the channels...

Will Smith Runs into Trouble in Effort to Create Philadelphia Arts Studio.
July 24, 2001... Byline: Ramona Smith Jul. 24--Where there's a Will, there may not always be a way -- not even for the savvy Fresh Prince. Rapper, actor and Philly native Will Smith has apparently run into problems bringing a much-touted sound stage...

Rising Ice Cream Prices Sour Philadelphia-Area Buyers' Sweet Tooth.
July 24, 2001... Byline: John F. Morrison Jul. 24--It wasn't enough that those galloping gasoline prices put a crimp in our summer travel plans. Now soaring ice cream prices are, too, messing with our summer. It's to a point where some people have...

Republican Officials Take Over Philadelphia Parking Authority.
July 24, 2001... Byline: Dave Davies Jul. 24--At the patronage-rich Philadelphia Parking Authority, the elephants have landed. Republicans appointed by state GOP officials took the helm of the authority at a disputed board meeting yesterday, naming...

Philadelphia Daily News Plugged In Column.
July 24, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Takiff Jul. 24--Samsung's ML-1210 laser printer -- big performer, small price THE GIZMO: Samsung ML-1210 laser printer, $199 from Samsung USA. Available at CompUSA, BJ's Wholesale Club, and other retailers. More...

Philadelphia-Area Woman Goes After SUVs.
July 24, 2001... Byline: Jose Antonio Vargas Jul. 24--Are you a proud owner of a Ford Expedition, a GMC Yukon Denali, a Cadillac Escalade, or any other monster sport-utility vehicle? Watch out -- Suzanne Cloud is out to get your bumper. Cloud,...

An ordinary showing by an extraordinary player.
July 23, 2001... Byline: Rich Hofmann LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England _ After witnessing the most special of young American golfers and the excellence he displayed at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, a gentleman from the London Observer could not contain his...

Icelanders find a home in the WUSA.
July 23, 2001... Byline: John Smallwood PHILADELPHIA _ When Margret Olafsdottir finally got the last-minute invitation to come to the United States and become a founding member of the Women's United Soccer Association, she was excited. But once she...

Philadelphia to Pay Investment Banking Firm to Study Future of Gas Works.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Mark McDonald Jul. 20--The Street administration will pay the investment banker Lehman Brothers $200,000 to study the feasibility of selling or restructuring the Philadelphia Gas Works. Lehman Brothers was chosen after the...

Philadelphia Transit Authority Knew Locks Didn't Work Before Boy's Death.
July 20, 2001... Jul. 20--SEPTA has known for two years that kids riding the Broad Street Subway have been picking locks on the motorman booths. Stick just about anything sharp in the lock and turn. But it took the agency until yesterday, one week...

Money hasn't changed Alex Rodriguez on perspective, history.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Mark Kram BALTIMORE _ Only someone with a profound appreciation for the history of his sport could have done what Texas shortstop Alex Rodriguez did for Cal Ripken Jr. at the All-Star Game in Seattle. By offering to switch...

Iassogna doesn't pass the smell test.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Bill Conlin PHILADELPHIA _ It was back to business as usual for Dangerous Dan Iassogna. The Triple A vacation temp who scored his 15 minutes of fame Saturday was behind the plate Wednesday night in Pittsburgh. Iassogna...

Pat Burrell could be benched.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Edward Moran MONTREAL _ Never mind. A day after taking Pat Burrell out of the lineup and making it clear that he was concerned about his lack of production at the plate, Phillies manager Larry Bowa played Burrell Thursday and...

Phillies fall to Expos.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Edward Moran MONTREAL _ When it was the New York Yankees, it was easy not to make to big a deal about the Phillies' inability to get hits and score runs when they needed them the most. It becomes a lot harder to look the...

Canadian sports commentators apologize to Vukovich.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Edward Moran MONTREAL _ An off-color remark by a commentator for Canadian sports channel TSN about third-base coach John Vukovich angered the Phillies and resulted in a personal apology to Vukovich by the nework's president. ...

MacCulloch wowed by Nets' deal.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Phil Jasner PHILADELPHIA _ This was even better than Todd MacCulloch thought. When the 76ers restricted free agent signed an offer sheet with the New Jersey Nets, he was told the total value of the six-year average salary...

Mutombo signs four-year deal with Sixers.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Phil Jasner PHILADELPHIA _ The word had leaked out that Dikembe Mutombo had agreed to the terms of a new contract with the 76ers. "Just say I am happy coming back to the Sixers," Mutombo said more than a week ago, on the...

Montgomerie makes home crowd proud in first round.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Rich Hofmann LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England _ Colin Montgomerie is a charter member of the best-player-never-to-win-a-major club. Not only that, but he is a man from Scotland who never has really gotten a sniff at the British Open....

Tiger battling himself, expectations.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Rich Hofmann LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England _ Two women were standing near the 17th green when Tiger Woods hit an approach shot that landed and stopped about 25 feet short of the hole. "A bit shy," said the one. "Quite," said...

Samsung's ML-1210 laser printer _ big performer, small price.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Takiff THE GIZMO: Samsung ML-1210 laser printer, $199 from Samsung USA. Available at CompUSA, BJ's Wholesale Club, and other retailers. More details at 877-388-2567 or www.samsungusa.com/printer. HIGH...

Big weekend for Delaware Park.
July 20, 2001... Byline: Dick Jerardi PHILADELPHIA _ Television ratings for the Triple Crown races were up dramatically. Laura Hillenbrand's wonderful book on 1930s sports icon Seabiscuit has been on best-seller lists for months. More than $15...

Phillies lose to Expos.
July 19, 2001... Byline: Edward Moran MONTREAL _ Phillies manager Larry Bowa was talking about Vladimir Guerrero before the game with the Montreal Expos even began. He was saying that Guerrero was one of the most dangerous hitters in the game, that...

Burrell is confused, big-time.
July 19, 2001... Byline: Edward Moran MONTREAL _ When the only offense in a 12-inning baseball game comes from a run scored on a wild pitch, there is bound to be some kind of fallout coming out of the manager's office. Wednesday, that fallout landed...

Pat Croce-Ed Snider a clear power struggle.
July 19, 2001... Byline: Sam Donnellon PHILADELPHIA _ You're the big boss man. I am the employee. I come to you one day to plead my case for a promotion, a job with more power, more prestige, more respect from the other big boss men. I tell you I...

Aaron McKie lands seven-year deal with Sixers.
July 19, 2001... Byline: Phil Jasner PHILADELPHIA _ Dec. 18, 1997, wasn't the happiest day in Aaron McKie's NBA career. He wasn't convinced that playing in his hometown was the best idea. John Chaney, his coach at Temple, was even less convinced. ...

Pat Croce mum on the situation.
July 19, 2001... Byline: Phil Jasner PHILADELPHIA _ Even as he emerged from the Rittenhouse Hotel after a meeting that will have a major effect on his future with the 76ers and Comcast-Spectacor, Pat Croce seemed characteristically upbeat. But,...

Ed Snider losing public-relations battle.
July 19, 2001... Byline: John Smallwood PHILADELPHIA _ In the court of public opinion, Ed Snider already has lost. If Sixers president Pat Croce walks away because he couldn't come to an agreement with the grand pooh-bahs of Comcast Corp. and...

Mitchell is willing, if not able.
July 19, 2001... Byline: Marcus Hayes PHILADELPHIA _ Due to circumstances not entirely in his control, Freddie Mitchell might hold out. Freddie Mitchell realizes this is bad. "I definitely want to be there early. I want to prove myself," Mitchell...

In England? Want to bet!
July 19, 2001... Byline: Rich Hofmann MANCHESTER, England _ The reminders from home are everywhere, of course, a Gap on this corner, a KFC in that food court. And then there was the picture when you walked into the betting shop, the one that jumped off...

Philadelphia Daily News Consumer Column.
July 19, 2001... Byline: By Jul. 19--A FEW MILES AWAY, GAS IS MUCH CHEAPER: Not to make you feel bad, but if you lived in Leesport, Pa. -- which is just north of Reading, in Berks County -- you could be buying gas for $1.16 a gallon. By comparison,...

Philadelphia-Based HMO to Lose Status as Medicaid Insurer.
July 19, 2001... Byline: Jim Smith Jul. 19--OakTree Health Plans, the HMO headquartered in Center City, will be removed next month from the state's list of approved Medicaid insurers, state welfare officials say. The action means that OakTree will...

Philadelphia Daily News Consumer Column.
July 18, 2001... Byline: By Frank Dougherty Jul. 18--NO QUESTION about it, state Treasurer Barbara Hafer's decision to use eBay, the online auction site, to sell thousands of items of unclaimed property is a great deal for Pennsylvania taxpayers. In...

Retailers Seek Customers by Offering to Cash Their Tax Rebates.
July 18, 2001... Byline: Michael Hinkelman Jul. 18--The checks aren't even in the mail, and already big retailers are hoping to cash in on the Bush tax cut. Tax rebates expected to arrive starting next week will put about $300 in the pockets of most...