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

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

Larry Bowa charged with changing a culture.
March 1, 2001... Byline: Rich Hofmann CLEARWATER, Fla. _ The single greatest attitude-adjustment training camp in recent memory, in any sport, was the Eagles' camp of 1986; James David Ryan, proprietor. It was the summer when Buddy kicked butt and took...

Trade clears path for a Sixers NBA Finals berth.
March 1, 2001... Byline: John Smallwood PHILADELPHIA _ Technically, before Wednesday night's game with the 76ers, Miami Heat coach Pat Riley tried to remove the foot he had shoved down his throat. Backtracking from his statements about the Sixers...

John Ruiz meets Evander Holyfield in long-awaited rematch.
March 1, 2001... Byline: Bernard Fernandez LAS VEGAS _ John Ruiz's nickname is "The Quiet Man," which has nothing to do with the old John Wayne movie. "I was training in Lake Placid, N.Y., with the USA national (amateur) team," Ruiz said when asked how...

Earnhardt Inc. is 2-for-2.
March 1, 2001... Byline: Bill Fleischman Michael Waltrip wins the Daytona 500. Steve Park wins the rain-delayed race at Rockingham, N.C. Waltrip and Park drive for Dale Earnhardt Inc., making Earnhardt-owned cars 2-for-2 in the new Winston Cup season....

Is there a Temple of Doom for football.
March 1, 2001... Byline: Mike Kern PHILADELPHIA _ The long-awaited hammer finally could be ready to fall on Temple football. The Big East presidents have voted to oust Temple for its inability to fulfill certain conference-imposed criteria, a...

Time is ripe for injuries for Flyers.
March 1, 2001... Byline: Les Bowen PHILADELPHIA _ The Flyers are scrambling now, trying to patch their lineup with call-ups from the Phantoms, trying to get back the emotional edge they had a few weeks ago. The situation darkened considerably Saturday...

Offer sheet out there for Maple Leafs, Lindros.
March 1, 2001... Byline: Les Bowen PHILADELPHIA _ Gord Kirke, adviser to former Flyers captain Eric Lindros, said Toronto has given no indication it would consider signing Lindros to a free-agent offer sheet. Lindros has said he wouldn't sign an offer...

New season offers glimpses of why `Sopranos' shouldn't go forever.
March 1, 2001... Byline: Ellen Gray How far can an original piece of art be stretched before it's neither original nor art? If we're talking about HBO's "The Sopranos," which begins its third season Sunday, I'm afraid the answer may be: not much...

Five tools in store for Phillies this time?
March 2, 2001... Byline: Bill Conlin CLEARWATER, Fla. _ Larry Bowa leaned on the batting cage and watched Travis Lee launch bomb after bomb. "Windblown," the Phillies' designated lightning rod cracked after Lee sent one toward the Clearwater Country Club....

Phillies coming out cheaper.
March 2, 2001... Byline: Paul Hagen CLEARWATER, Fla. _ The Phillies expect to have an $80 million payroll . . . in 2004. In the meantime, they will have to make do with about half that. According to figures compiled by the Philadelphia Daily News, a...

Scott Rolen faces more situations.
March 2, 2001... Byline: Paul Hagen CLEARWATER, Fla. _ Two situations that could impact Scott Rolen's future are beginning to be addressed. The third baseman didn't like the old artificial turf at Veterans Stadium. Disliked it so much, in fact, that he...

Drexel readying for conference tournament.
March 2, 2001... Byline: Mike Kern PHILADELPHIA _ In hindsight, it might have been the best thing that ever happened to Stephen Starks, even though it seemed like a bad dream at the time. The 6-5 guard came to Drexel four years ago from Fort Wayne,...

What if Pat Croce leaves the Sixers, and other notes.
March 2, 2001... Byline: Phil Jasner PHILADELPHIA _ Got a minute? Write Pat Croce a letter. Leave him a voice mail. Send him an e-mail. Do people still send telegrams? Do that, too. I know the 76ers president constantly needs new challenges, that he...

Temple women preparing for Atlantic 10.
March 2, 2001... Byline: John Smallwood PHILADELPHIA _ First-year Temple women's basketball coach Dawn Staley knows what her team's remarkable 180-degree turnaround looks like to those observing from the outside. They see a program that after nine...

Holyfield meets Ruiz.
March 2, 2001... Byline: Bernard Fernandez LAS VEGAS _ Evander Holyfield laughs when he hears John Ruiz complain about the hardships of being the underdog. "Everybody said I wouldn't last one round," Ruiz said of his first confrontation with the only...

Mike Tyson says he's ready to fight.
March 2, 2001... Byline: Bernard Fernandez LAS VEGAS _ Claiming to be more at peace with himself than at any time during his turbulent career, two-time former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson declared himself fit, focused and eager to fight. "I'm not...

Bush wins legitimacy and some standing ovations for a budget that works ... to a point.
March 2, 2001... The following editorial appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News on Thursday, 3-1: X X X This was a pretty good week for George W. Bush. On Monday came news from the Miami Herald that, after an exhaustive look at disputed ballots...

Temple facing uphill battle.
March 2, 2001... Byline: Sam Donnellon PHILADELPHIA _ He was the essence of calm. At a time when some men he never has met threw his life into disarray, St. Joseph's Prep quarterback Mike McGann had his big feet propped up on a cafeteria chair and his...

Temple trying valiantly to maintain football ties in Big East.
March 2, 2001... Byline: Mike Kern PHILADELPHIA _ If the Temple football program is going down, it isn't going without a fight. And that fight could get messy. On Wednesday, Big East senior associate commissioner Tom McElroy told an Associated...

Temple facing stadium issues.
March 2, 2001... Byline: Edward Moran PHILADELPHIA _ Temple University never was meant to be a major factor in the Eagles' overall financing plans for their new stadium. But that doesn't mean the Eagles are not disappointed at the prospect of losing...

Torrance Small is history in Philly.
March 2, 2001... Byline: Marcus Hayes PHILADELPHIA _ You could see this one coming. Six weeks ago, Eagles coach Andy Reid told the Philadelphia Daily News that starting wide receiver Torrance Small might be cut. After all, though he led the Eagles in...

This free agency period may be less busy than the past.
March 2, 2001... Byline: Paul Domowitch Yet another NFL free-agency signing period is upon us. But this one could be considerably more restrained than many in the past. While the Eagles head into free agency with gobs and gobs of cap room, many of the...

Theo Fleury's drug news catches peers by surprise.
March 2, 2001... Byline: Les Bowen PHILADELPHIA _ Much of the league was surprised when New York Rangers winger Theo Fleury, the league's No. 4 scorer this season, voluntarily entered the NHL's Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health program. Fleury...

Flyers blank Sabres.
March 2, 2001... Byline: Les Bowen PHILADELPHIA _ After the eighth shutout of his amazing first NHL season, Roman Cechmanek was asked if he knew who Bernie Parent was. "No," Cechmanek replied. When someone pointed to Parent's photo on the...

John Street's capital moment.
March 2, 2001... Byline: Elmer Smith John Street was walking to his car when the limo eased to a stop beside him. George Bush stepped out and greeted him warmly. The newly elected mayor had met the then-Republican presidential candidate's flight into...

Philadelphia Daily News Business Buzz Column.
March 5, 2001... Byline: Harriet Lessy Mar. 2--A baby step was taken yesterday that really does get Philly closer to Mayor Street's goal of making this a world-class city. New York developer Marty Schiffman of Carl Marks & Co. unveiled his plans for a...

The top 15 heading to conference tournament action.
March 5, 2001... Byline: Dick Jerardi 1. STANFORD (27-1): Avenged only loss with brilliantly played, 85-79 win at UCLA. Each team shot better than 50 percent. 2. MICHIGAN STATE (24-3): Clinched share of fourth consecutive Big Ten regular-season title...

Ruiz says he hopes Holyfield hangs it up.
March 5, 2001... Byline: Bernard Fernandez LAS VEGAS _ Newly crowned WBA heavyweight champion John Ruiz, both eyes black-and-blue and nearly swollen shut, is among those who would like nothing better than to see Evander Holyfield accept his gold watch,...

Coming this month: New from Eric Clapton, Eve, Aerosmith.
March 5, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Takiff er Newspapers The winter doldrums officially end in March with a rush of new albums by Eric Clapton, Semisonic, Eve, Aerosmith, Lionel Richie, and the ghost of 2Pac. MARCH 6: Pam Tillis shares "Thunder...

Hunt and peck or bunt and pick?
March 6, 2001... Byline: Bill Conlin CLEARWATER, Fla. _ On Aug.5, the National Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame will welcome the Class of 2001. There will be two guys named Newhan at the ceremony. One a player, one a baseball writer. David Newhan, the...

For basketball's little guys, a time to shine.
March 6, 2001... Byline: John Smallwood PHILADELPHIA - It's the best week of the college basketball season. It's when hopes and dreams can be achieved or shattered by a friendly kiss from the rim or a bad bounce. Sunday's official announcements of the...

Tyson still `extreme'.
March 6, 2001... Byline: Bernard Fernandez PHILADELPHIA _ Like the Skipper on "Gilligan's Island," Mike Tyson has a little buddy. But if you're a world-rated fighter of 200-plus pounds and hope to exchange pleasantries with the two-time former heavyweight...

Gym gives boxers a fighting shot.
March 6, 2001... Byline: Bernard Fernandez PHILADELPHIA _ Even the proprietor's wife calls the place the "convict gym." Percy "Buster" Custus, who runs the auto-detailing shop on the ground floor as well as the gym upstairs, doesn't object. How could...

Check out eBooks for your eLibrary.
March 6, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Takiff THE GIZMO: RCA brand Gemstar eBook REB1100, $299. Info at www.thomson-multimedia.com. WHY WE CARE: For years, we've been hearing about the looming "death" of print publications that the new age of electronic...

Francona finds the background.
March 7, 2001... Byline: Paul Hagen WINTER HAVEN, Fla. _ A former Phillies manager, Jim Fregosi, and an ex-general manager, Lee Thomas, sat together in the scouts section at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium the other day. Fregosi works for the Braves, Thomas...

St. Joseph's a hit at A-10 awards.
March 7, 2001... Byline: Mike Kern PHILADELPHIA - To the victor go the spoils. As expected, regular-season Atlantic 10 champion St.Joseph's took home a lot of hardware from Tuesday night's annual awards night. In voting by the league's coaches, Phil...

Princeton defeats Penn.
March 7, 2001... Byline: Bernard Fernandez PRINCETON, N.J. _ Nate Walton had just carved up Penn with seven assists, several on beautifully executed backdoor cuts, which begged the question: Is Princeton's 6-7 senior center a great high-post passer because...

St. Joseph's starts at the top of Atlantic 10.
March 7, 2001... Byline: Dick Jerardi PHILADELPHIA _ The score seemed wrong somehow. It was a Friday night in mid-November, and St.Joseph's had just opened its season in something called the America's Youth Classic against some team named Western...

Villanova meets West Virginia.
March 7, 2001... Byline: Dick Jerardi PHILADELPHIA _ When Villanova was 8-1 at Christmas, it was clear that the Wildcats were an NCAA Tournament team. Their only loss had been at Duke. And they had played well enough that night to beat 98 percent of the...

McKie hurting but will play.
March 7, 2001... Byline: Phil Jasner PHILADELPHIA _ It sounds as if Aaron McKie will play Wednesday night for the 76ers. But it also sounds as if he might need a cortisone injection in his aching right shoulder. McKie, a key man off the bench now...

Eagles' new training facility a big plus.
March 7, 2001... Byline: Edward Moran PHILADELPHIA _ Jeff Lurie can't help talking about the windows. In nearly every room of the Eagles' new NovaCare Complex, there is something artistic, something eye-popping, something fancy and high-tech. But...

Maybe Barber is too intense for Flyers.
March 7, 2001... Byline: Sam Donnellon PHILADELPHIA _ The honeymoon is over. The lovers have settled down into their day-to-day routine, and the inevitable little disagreements are turning into little border wars. "I'm going to kill every one of you at...

John LeClair cleared to practice.
March 7, 2001... Byline: Les Bowen PHILADELPHIA _ The Flyers, in desperate need of good medical news, got some Tuesday night. Winger John LeClair has been cleared to practice Wednesday, seven weeks after beginning a course of intravenous antibiotics to...

Flyers not quite ready for Stanley Cup run.
March 7, 2001... Byline: Les Bowen PHILADELPHIA _ I still think the Flyers can get a defenseman who will at least upgrade them at their fifth or sixth spot, before the NHL trade deadline arrives in six days. I even think they'll take one more decent...

The Browns: a brotherhood of coaches.
March 8, 2001... Byline: Mark Kram PHILADELPHIA _ It feels like old times for Herb Brown, before the careers and personalities of he and brother Larry carried them in different directions. Four-and-a-half years older than his only sibling, Herb, 64,...

Showing another side of Allen Iverson.
March 8, 2001... Byline: Stan Hochman PHILADELPHIA _ They handed him the Most Valuable Player bauble after the NBA All-Star Game and Allen Iverson had that trembling-chin, little-child-lost look, eyes blinking back tears of joy, tears of pain. "Where's...

Al-Frazier was a symbol of the time.
March 8, 2001... Byline: Sam Donnellon PHILADELPHIA _ My dad still doesn't quite get it. Maybe yours doesn't either. Or maybe it's your son, your younger brother, anyone who is 35 years old or younger, who really doesn't get it, too. Heck, even Joe...

NASCAR cars too rigid? The debate goes on.
March 8, 2001... Byline: Bill Fleischman PHILADELPHIA _ Crushability is one of the latest buzzwords in NASCAR. Safety-conscious people are urging more crushability in the 3,500-pound Winston Cup cars following the deaths of four drivers in the last 10...

Eagles' fans won't have Troy Aikman to push around anymore.
March 8, 2001... Byline: Rich Hofmann PHILADELPHIA _ Hating Troy Aikman used to be such a healthy exercise for Philadelphians - before he pretty much became Trent Dilfer with headaches, that is. It's been too easy lately. It hasn't been nearly as much fun....

John LeClair out with a rash this time.
March 8, 2001... Byline: Les Bowen PHILADELPHIA _ For the Flyers, even good injury news has a way of turning bad. The story Wednesday was supposed to be the return to practice of winger John LeClair, seven weeks into treatment for a postsurgical staph...

Eric Lindros trade talks start up again.
March 8, 2001... Byline: Les Bowen PHILADELPHIA _ Here we go again? Out at the NHL general managers' meeting in La Quinta, Calif., Flyers GM Bob Clarke again has been discussing an Eric Lindros trade, sources close to the situation said Wednesday. The...

Temple, St. Joseph's about surviving.
March 9, 2001... Byline: Rich Hofmann PHILADELPHIA _ This is how backward the world is right now: The guy who's the late-night basketball-watching insomniac (St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli) had the noon game, while the guy who drags his team out of bed...

St. Joseph's defeats LaSalle.
March 9, 2001... Byline: Dana Pennett O'Neil PHILADELPHIA _ He could have made a ton of excuses. They were certainly readily available to him. His grandfather was ailing. His nephew was in the hospital, fighting dehydration. Understandably, his family...

Temple defeats Dayton.
March 9, 2001... Byline: Mike Kern PHILADELPHIA _ Temple's basketball team has played 31 games. It's won 19. If the Owls are to get John Chaney into the NCAA Tournament for the 12th consecutive season, conventional wisdom suggests they need to reach 20....

How about Final Four mentality in NBA.
March 9, 2001... Byline: Phil Jasner PHILADELPHIA _ Tournament time in the NBA? My guess is, it'll never happen, but it's Milwaukee coach George Karl's innovative idea to breathe fresh life into All-Star weekend. These are the basics: Stop...

St. Joseph's harassment meeting postponed.
March 9, 2001... Byline: Edward Moran A conference with an officer of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission on the sexual-harassment complaint filed against St. Joseph's University that was scheduled for Monday has been postponed at the school's...

Primeau pulls a hat trick the fast way.
March 9, 2001... Byline: Sam Donnellon PHILADELPHIA _ On the car rides back from all those cold rinks as a kid, Keith Primeau was a captive audience to Mike Primeau's philosophies on hockey. One that annoyed him, he recalled the other day, was his...

Flyers defeat Flames.
March 9, 2001... Byline: Les Bowen PHILADELPHIA _ The way they selflessly worked the puck up the ice to him with the Calgary net empty, Keith Primeau figured his teammates knew he'd never scored an NHL hat trick. Actually, most of them said they had no...

Twelve-year-old cited as hero after he reported cop's forgotten gun.
March 10, 2001... Byline: Nicole Weisensee Egan PHILADELPHIA _ For years, Kennett Square Police Chief Albert McCarthy had taught Corey Medina and his classmates to stay away from guns. But he never dreamed he'd be the one to put Medina to the test. ...

Presidents of Philadelphia-Area Colleges Meet To Discuss Economic Growth.
March 11, 2001... Byline: Earni Young Mar. 9--For the first time, the presidents of as many as 18 Philadelphia-area colleges and universities are meeting as a group, talking over issues of common interest such as economic growth in the region. The...

Philadelphia's Stadium Negotiations Require Dozes of Lawyers.
March 11, 2001... Byline: Dave Davies Mar. 9--The city's yearlong effort to negotiate stadium deals in Philadelphia wound from Chinatown to South Philadelphia, through the mayor's office's and City Council, testing the stamina of team owners, sports fans,...

Philadelphia-Area Transit Agency, Union Negotiations Stall on Key Issues.
March 11, 2001... Byline: Chris Brennan Mar. 9--Negotiations between SEPTA and its largest labor union have bogged down on two key issues with less than a week to go before the contract expires. Health care and prescription drug costs have dominated the...

Report Gives Downtown Philadelphia High Marks for Tech Sector.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Earni Young Mar. 7--Center City scored a B-plus to A-minus in the Center City District's annual report card on the nation's third-largest residential downtown. The tech sector got particularly good grades, said Paul Levy, the...

Banks Oppose Philadelphia's Proposed Rules against Subprime Lending.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Paul D. Davies Mar. 2--Banks, subprime lenders and lobbyists met privately this week with City Councilwoman Marian Tasco's predatory-lending task force to again voice their opposition to a bill designed to clamp down on high-cost...

Philadelphia Daily News Plugged In Column.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Takiff Mar. 6--THE GIZMO: RCA brand Gemstar eBook REB1100, $299. Info at www.thomson-multimedia.com. WHY WE CARE: For years, we've been hearing about the looming "death" of print publications that the new age of...

St. Joseph's defies odds, logic.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Rich Hofmann PHILADELPHIA _ St. Joseph's basketball coach Phil Martelli does it all, imitating Johnny Carson on his television show and Ed McMahon in person, warming up the crowd at the fieldhouse Sunday, offering this analogy. ...

Danger lurks in this NCAA Tournament field.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Dick Jerardi PHILADELPHIA _ There are 65 teams in this NCAA Tournament. Fifty have no chance. Fifteen have some chance. Six of those 15 have the best chance. To flesh out those six, you must first sift through the six power...

Bracket time: NCAA Tournament field is set.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Dick Jerardi PHILADELPHIA _ The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, a k a the folks who can find an answer to fit any question, have spoken. The 10 committee members have said that the No. 1 seeds are: Duke (East), defending...

Sixers defeat Celtics; Iverson hurt.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Phil Jasner BOSTON _ The 76ers clinched when they could have clutched. Allen Iverson, as indestructible as he might seem, was out the second half with a bruised left hip. Aaron McKie was out the last eight minutes, nine...

Women's basketball growing by leaps and bounds.
March 12, 2001... Byline: John Smallwood PHILADELPHIA _ Harry Perretta knows the landscape of women's collegiate basketball has changed dramatically since he last took his Villanova Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament in 1989. "Yeah, back then we were one...

Countdown is on for Flyers trade, Eric Lindros.
March 12, 2001... Byline: Les Bowen PHILADELPHIA _ Bob Clarke was in his office, just in case, but he said his phone wasn't ringing Sunday. However, after Clarke spoke with reporters, he did have a phone conversation with St. Louis general manager Larry...

Philadelphia Activists Oppose Effort to Ease Billboard Zoning Rules.
March 13, 2001... Byline: Joseph R. Daughen Mar. 12--Three little words. That's what the billboard industry would like to delete from Philadelphia's 40-year-old Zoning Code. In the past two years, the three little words have enabled anti-billboard...

Philadelphia Daily News Plugged In Column.
March 13, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Takiff Mar. 13--The Gizmo: Ultimate TV from Microsoft and DirecTV, with hardware built by RCA and Sony. Receivers cost $399 to $449, basic Ultimate TV service is $9.95 a month, DirecTV programming packages start at $19.95...

As Deadline Nears, Philadelphia Transit Labor Talks Turn Less Civil.
March 13, 2001... Byline: Chris Brennan Mar. 13--Negotiations between SEPTA and its largest union, the Transport Workers Union, have seemed unusually cordial for weeks. That has some wondering if a city transit contract will be settled without a strike for...

Philadelphia Transit Workers Authorize Strike.
March 13, 2001... Byline: April Adamson Mar. 12--Transit workers return today to the bargaining table with SEPTA, armed with a strike vote as the clock ticks away on an expiring contract. Thousands of drivers and mechanics voted yesterday to authorize a...

For couch potatoes, the Ultimate has arrived.
March 13, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Takiff The Gizmo: Ultimate TV from Microsoft and DirecTV, with hardware built by RCA and Sony. Receivers cost $399 to $449, basic Ultimate TV service is $9.95 a month, DirecTV programming packages start at $19.95 a month....

Philadelphia Billboard Foe Grilled on Group's Donors.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Joseph R. Daughen Mar. 13--For most of a decade, Mary Tracy struggled to keep alive her anti-billboard organization, the Society Created to Reduce Urban Blight (SCRUB). Finally, she secured enough money last October to move...

Philadelphia Commuter Trains Can Expect More Traffic during Transit Strike.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Chris Brennan Mar. 13--If the Transport Workers Union, Local 234, goes on strike this week, SEPTA passengers may flock to Regional Rail trains and suburban bus routes. SEPTA's City Transit Division, which carries 875,000...

Web Site Seeks to Convince Graduates to Stay in Philadelphia.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Michael Hinkelman Mar. 13--City and local high-tech leaders said yesterday they planned to wage a multimedia marketing campaign aimed at convincing college students in the city to stay after graduation. More than 51,000 degrees...

Philadelphia Councilman Criticizes Jobs Program, Alleges Discrimination.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Dave Davies Mar. 14--Though Philadelphia is a city that is increasingly minority, tax dollars too often fund jobs for white suburbanites, a study by City Councilman Angel Ortiz has found. Ortiz unveiled his review of...

Philadelphia Transit Workers Mull Strike Possibility.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Chris Brennan Mar. 14--SEPTA and its largest union met for several hours of negotiations yesterday, but made little progress in drawing up a new contract to replace the labor pact that expires at midnight tonight. But the...

No day at the beach for Monmouth.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Sam Donnellon PHILADELPHIA _ He says it will be like a trip to France, and the jokes immediately pour into your brain. The French are mean. The French are rude. If you speak English, you usually leave France feeling unhappy,...

Tigers back at dance, draw another Goliath.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Dana Pennett O'Neil PRINCETON, N.J. _ As John Thompson III talked in the balcony seats at Jadwin Gym, detailing the peaks and valleys of this roller-coaster Princeton basketball season, he glanced down. Cutting across the gym...

HEADLINE HERE.
March 14, 2001... Byline: Dick Jerardi SAN DIEGO _ Phil Martelli thought about it during practice. He knew that, barring a run to the Final Four, Monday night's practice would be the last one at the Fieldhouse this season. He thought about mentioning it to...