The Sporting News articles from April 2001

The Sporting News archives from April 2001

Hear a different game.(THE SPORTING NEWS Radio Network)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Taylor Spink, the crusty publisher of THE SPORTING NEWS for nearly five decades, apparently didn't think highly of a newfangled form of communication called radio. "Mr. Radio is going to butt into the business of telling the world all about the...

Caught on the Fly.(sports)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Hey, didn't you used to be K.C.'s new QB? * Sure, Fly's comparin' apples and grapefruits, but at last check, the spring ERA for Atlanta hitting tee Kevin Millwood was hovering between legal voting and drinking ages. Not good news, with...

Bob Hille's Starting Five.(sports)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... 1 The Final Four. Minneapolis plays host to the men's college basketball championship. Just by way of explanation, Vikings fans, a championship is what happens when you advance through the postseason. 2 Opening Day. Major League Baseball...

DUSTBIN.(baseball teams)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... March 31, 1998 The Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays both lost their debuts as major league baseball teams. The Diamondbacks finished their inaugural season 05-07; the Devil Rays were 63-99. The Diamondbacks have been quite...

Face it, folks: He is not coming back.(Michael Jordan)(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... I am 100 percent certain Michael Jordan is speaking to me, on the record, explaining why he's not returning to basketball. This isn't the third cousin of a pal of Jordan's sprinkler repairman, convinced he's preparing a comeback. Nor is it...

Voice of the fan.(Letter to the Editor)
April 2, 2001... Choice voice `Is it just me, or does it seem the "major/power/elite" conferences have better marketing teams than they have basketball teams?' --R.B. Malnory, Dallas A different look I found your recent article on Dennis...

Baseball's pitch: There's never enough.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Too much baseball on TV, right? You can tell because the Nielsens have been on a slope as slippery as the XFL's for years; Fox Family Channel might show divisional playoffs, and the Brewers will be televised 129 times this season (even Bud...

STATIC.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... * Correction: On the Record With Bob Costas is not long-winded (Remote Patrol, March 7). It started with Show 4, when HBO followed the likes of Jerry Lewis and Dick Cavett with Bruce Springsteen, George Clooney, Bobby Knight and Vince McMahon...

The start of something BIG.
April 2, 2001... Tempered by a pressure-filled 2000, young A's Tim Hudson, Barry Zito and Mark Mulder give Oakland its most premising rotation in years Barry Zito strolled into the A's clubhouse last July, not long after receiving word he was needed in...

Marlins' future looks great ... if they stay standing.
April 2, 2001... On March 16, a reporter asked Marlins manager John Boles if he was "gravely" concerned about the sorry performance of projected No. 5 starter Jesus Sanchez. "No, I'm grayly concerned," Boles replied. "And getting grayer by the minute." ...

AMERICAN LEAGUE.
April 2, 2001... Anaheim OFF INTO THE SUNSET: Baseball lost an eloquent player and fiery competitor when RHP pitcher Tim Belcher retired after a 14-year career that began with the Dodgers and a Word Series title in 1988 and ended with two frustrating,...

NATIONAL LEAGUE.
April 2, 2001... Arizona DO THE MATH: As spring training wound down, the team was a long way from picking its 25-man roster. One task was finding a fifth starter after it became clear RHP Todd Stottlemyre's weakened shoulder would create a hole in the...

The wait is over.
April 2, 2001... After four seasons, 131 wins and numerous awards, Duke's SHANE BATTIER is about to fill that one last hole in his resume--winning an NCAA title Shane Battier remembers the moment. Of course he does. It was a moment that suggested...

The final analysis.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... So we missed a few calls in our NCAA Tournament preview package two weeks ago. Who didn't? We should have stuck with the instincts that guided us last summer, when we projected our top five teams for this season to be 1. Duke; 2. Arizona; 3....

Fulfillment--at last.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Maryland, its reputation tattered and torn, found the courage it had lacked Standing at the intersection of "We're Doomed" and "This Sucks" after a loss at home to lowly Florida State back on February 14, Byron Mouton went incognito on the...

Open shots, open doors.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... Jason Williams, who's firing at will and piling up the points, pledged during the season that he would not leave early for the NBA, but his tournament success might lead to a change of heart Jason Williams' eyes bugged. Shane Battier's...

Making the grade.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... The Wildcats have only one taskmaster--aspiring teacher Eugene Edgerson. But even he admits the team's clowning has kept Arizona from drowning in its sorrows. Eugene Edgerson took last year off from basketball to student-teach at a Tucson...

Role call: MSU's back.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... The rugged Spartans have lots of star power, but they win big because of how well they play together. Soon, another title could be theirs. The first thought that came to Jason Richardson after he helped cut down the nets Sunday in the...

Louisville seizes the prize in this round of star search.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... If we did not see it coming on that Sunday in September, when football season was kicking and Bob Knight was booted from the Indiana campus, we should have known when Rick Pitino declared himself America's most eligible coach four months later....

Can he last?
April 2, 2001... At 6-0, 160 pounds, Allen Iverson is a small but inviting target for enemies of the 76ers. With the playoffs approaching, Philadelphia is counting on him to withstand the beating he's about to take. We might think of Ray Allen as a...

Presenting the season's biggest underachievers.
April 2, 2001... This column is dedicated to Isaiah Rider, who never let us down. And to Derrick Coleman, who is a veritable Gibraltar--the dimensions are comparable, anyway--in a sea of uncertainty. And finally to Vin Baker, as constant as the North Star....

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... WHO'S HOT Celtics SF Paul Pierce is serious about getting his team into the playoffs. Pierce entered last weekend on one of the most torrid five-game stretches of any player this season. He led Boston to three wins by averaging 35.8 points...

NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... WHO'S HOT Suns PG Jason Kidd never scored 30 or more points in back-to-back games before last week. Then he dropped 31 on the Celtics, 32 on the Mavericks and 36 on the Wizards in successive games. In seven games going into last weekend,...

EASTERN CONFERENCE.
April 2, 2001... Atlanta SICK OF LOSING: The worst thing that can happen to a bad team continues to happen to the Hawks. Injuries and illnesses have ravaged the club, preventing coach Lon Kruger from having a full roster to deploy against superior...

WESTERN CONFERENCE.
April 2, 2001... Dallas TOUGH CHOICE: There was concern after PG Stave Nash (groin) logged only 13 minutes against the Timberwolves last week. Nash already is dealing with a sore left hamstring. Coach Don Nelson limited Nash's minutes against the...

The tough club.
April 2, 2001... The 30 most fearsome players the game has known A player doesn't have to sharpen his knuckles on sandpaper or punch an opponent into next year to be considered tough. He doesn't have to be a bully or the big man on campus. Real toughness is...

Without scoring depth, playoff hopes are shallow.
April 2, 2001... Steve Heinze's four goals in his first four games with Buffalo show that out of the 57 or so ways a player can help get his team ready for the playoffs, one ranks above all. And that's to provide scoring depth--because one-line teams...

NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... WHO'S HOT OK, fair is fair. Last week, we pointed out how awful Brett Hull had played offensively. The ink had barely dried on that one when Hull fired in four goals in one game, finishing the week with eight goals, 10 points and a plus-7...

NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... WHO'S HOT The Devils pride themselves on putting the team first and say they have no superstars. Duh, it's easy to say that when you have a team full of superstars. The club's 13-game winning streak through last Saturday was helped greatly...

Ernie II is the best car never to take the green flag.
April 2, 2001... Mike Skinner got more than a Darlington stripe two weeks ago. It might have been much worse had emergency help not arrived quickly. As Skinner and Rusty Wallace battled for position on lap 283, Skinner was squeezed into the wall going into the...

Mardi brawl.
April 2, 2001... Quarterbacks JEFF BLAKE and AARON BROOKS will engage in a fierce competition for the starting job in Hew Orleans Fourteen months ago, the Saints had no quarterback, no head coach, a relatively obscure general manager and no future. Now,...

In judging defensive ends, burst means more than bulk.
April 2, 2001... Because California defensive end Andre Carter is thin enough to hide behind a light pole, some people wonder if he's big enough to be an every-down defensive end in the NFL. But playing defensive end is not about rattling the earth. It's about...

Free agency is a handy tool when used by a craftsman.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... The best way to think of free agency is not as a system, but as a tool. When free agency began in 1993, personnel men did one thing: They spent money. General managers went nuts with their new tool. Holes were patched and fixtures were added,...

AFC.
April 2, 2001... Baltimore EXPENDABLE: SS Kim Herring became the first starter lost off the league's best defense, but he won't be missed that much. Herring, who signed a five-year deal with the Rams, put up career numbers with the Ravens last season, but...

NFC.
April 2, 2001... Arizona GOOD RIDDANCE: The defensive line is the most glaring weakness, but no one is shedding tears over E Simeon Rice's departure. For five years, he was the team's best pass rusher, but he never played the run well, and the club was...

Henson's decision to leave Michigan makes little sense.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... I have one question for Drew Henson: Why now? Then again, this is a world that's in a big rush to have people grow up. There is no time to savor things. Just punch the accelerator toward tomorrow. So Henson's decision to take the Yankees'...

In a bluegrass state of mind.(Brief Article)
April 2, 2001... In 1944, the University of Louisville hired the young man Peck Hickman for what he called "the worst job in America." He would coach the school's basketball team. The previous six seasons, Louisville had won a total of 25 games. It lost twice...

DUSTBIN.(1967 game between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... April 11, 1967 Boston's eight-year nm of NBA championships ended when the Celtics lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, 140-116, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The 76ers--led by Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer--set a...

DEFT SHOT.(quote from coach Jeff Fisher of the Tennessee Titans)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... "I could probably play corner for us this year now that we've got Kevin (Carter) there. This is really a big step for us." --Titans coach Jeff Fisher on the trade for Carter, a defensive end

Selig's cheer has a hollow ring.(Bud Selig; baseball seems headed for another strike in 2001)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... Other than the fact that franchises are dying, ticket prices are up 13 percent, kids don't care, adults are nauseous over salaries, another labor war looms, the same teams win every year and the sacred American holiday known as Opening Day was...

Anyway you slice it, the Masters is worth watching.(television coverage of the 2001 Masters golf tournament)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... I know, I know. Stories about golf rarely appear in THE SPORTING NEWS. But one tournament--the myth, the legend, the piano in the background--qualifies as must-see TV. Herewith: the Masters On TV For Dummies, starring your host, Jim Nantz. ...

STATIC.(television and sports: a personal view)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... * No-brainer: Fox Sports Net's new schedule is the best counter-programming possible. Regional Sports Report airs at 10 p.m. ET, following local games (dub). A half-hour National Sports Report is at 10:30, 30 minutes earlier than SportsCenter....

THIS WEEK ONLINE.(sports information online)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... * Dominate your league with TSN Last season, the Marlins' Ryan Dempster came out of nowhere to pitch his way onto the All-Star team and into the hearts of fantasy baseball owners. Who will be this season's Dempster? The Fantasy Source...

Voice of the fan.
April 9, 2001... Here we go again. It's back to the "inverted rectangle" strike zone, as spelled out in the rule book. I wonder how soon it will be horizontal again. If it sticks, what will poor Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux do?' --Richard Honig, Fort Wayne, Ind....

FREE TO BE THE BEST.(Duke wins the NCAA basketball championships)
April 9, 2001... Forget plays, just play. Mike Krzyzewski's coaching mantra carried Duke to its third national title in 11 seasons. The bus to the national championship game would be leaving in a few minutes, and the Duke players were hustling themselves...

Florida-bound All-Americans bring Final Four buzz.(McDonald's All-American game, 2001)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium was a natural choice as the site for the 2001 McDonald's All-American game. After all, seven of this year's Blue Devils played in the game as high school seniors. But as it turned out, this year's version...

AFC.(players, teams, and coaches of the American Football Conference's Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... Seattle GOING HOME: Chris Gray's move to left guard is not simply a stop-gap measure after the loss of Pete Kendall. Gray was signed in 1998 to play guard, his natural position, but started at center because of other players' injuries. At...

NFC.(National Football Conference pre-draft team analyses)
April 9, 2001... Arizona CASH UP FRONT: Team officials think they solidified the offensive line by signing free-agent G Pete Kendall to a five-year, $18 million deal. But the contract counts $3.75 million toward this year's cap, leaving the club only...

A rookie again.(Buck Martinez, Toronto Blue Jays manager)(Interview)
April 9, 2001... After 31 years as a player and broadcaster, Buck Martinez is starting over in the big leagues. His first lesson as Blue Jays manager: You can play only one third baseman at a time. It's the eighth inning of the opener in San Juan, Puerto...

They know the deal: Losing eventually trickles up.(baseball - marginal major league general managers)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... Heaven knows the job isn't easy. Even the best general managers make mistakes. Even the smartest can look dumb, especially when operating on a limited budget. There's a long list of G.M.s who will draw intense scrutiny in 2001, though not every...

Every spring must change.(pitchers - change-ups)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... Many players use spring training to hone their skills. Pitchers, especially, like to try out new weapons--pitches they haven't used before, a new delivery. How does Randy Johnson with a changeup grab you? Could be worse, though. Babe Ruth...

AMERICAN LEAGUE.(baseball - team analyses)
April 9, 2001... Anaheim HILL GETS NOD: In releasing DH Jose Canseco, general manager Bill Stoneman said he believed that OF Glenallen Hill, acquired from the Yankees for minor leaguer Darren Blakely, was a better fit and would be more productive than...

NATIONAL LEAGUE.(baseball - team analyses)
April 9, 2001... Arizona IN AT THE WIRE: The team kept both RHPs Bobby Witt and Miguel Batista. A roster spot opened when RF Reggie Sanders went on the D.L., and a rotation spot could open because LHP Brian Anderson took a liner off his left hand in last...

A dance without his partner.(Bobbi Russell and Lute Olson)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... It was 1951, the North Dakota plains, high school days, when Bobbi Russell first saw the new boy in town. He'd moved from Maryville to Grand Forks, coming off the farm. His father had died, leaving the boys to do the farming, leaving his wife...

Bob Hille's Starting Five.(Humor)(Column)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... 1 Baseball 2001, Enjoy your season, fans. Projected battery for Opening Day 2002: Don Fehr and Bud Selig. 2 'Zo and Hakeem, Two of the NBA's noble warriors returned from life- and career-threatening health problems on the same day. How...

Caught on the Fly.(Humor)(Brief Article)(Column)
April 9, 2001... Hey didn't you used to drive for Jack Roush? * Folks in Joisey have come to expect little help from doctors, referees and Lady Luck when it comes to their beloved Nits. So coach Byron Scott tried to get help from higher powers, bringing in...

Caught on the Fly.(humorous sports observations)(Brief Article)(Column)
April 9, 2001... Hey didn't you used to drive for Jack Roush? * Folks in Joisey have come to expect little help from doctors, referees and Lady Luck when it comes to their beloved Nits. So coach Byron Scott tried to get help from higher powers, bringing in...

Bob Hille's Starting Five.(Brief Article)(Column)
April 9, 2001... 1 Baseball 2001, Enjoy your season, fans. Projected battery for Opening Day 2002: Don Fehr and Bud Selig. 2 'Zo and Hakeem, Two of the NBA's noble warriors returned from life- and career-threatening health problems on the same day. How...

DUSTBIN.(sports trivia)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... April 11, 1967 Boston's eight-year nm of NBA championships ended when the Celtics lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, 140-116, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The 76ers--led by Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer--set a...

DEFT SHOT.(quotes from athletes and coaches)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... "I could probably play corner for us this year now that we've got Kevin (Carter) there. This is really a big step for us." --Titans coach Jeff Fisher on the trade for Carter, a defensive end

Selig's cheer has a hollow ring.(Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... Other than the fact that franchises are dying, ticket prices are up 13 percent, kids don't care, adults are nauseous over salaries, another labor war looms, the same teams win every year and the sacred American holiday known as Opening Day was...

Anyway you slice it, the Masters is worth watching.(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... I know, I know. Stories about golf rarely appear in THE SPORTING NEWS. But one tournament--the myth, the legend, the piano in the background--qualifies as must-see TV. Herewith: the Masters On TV For Dummies, starring your host, Jim Nantz. ...

STATIC.(television sports coverage)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... * No-brainer: Fox Sports Net's new schedule is the best counter-programming possible. Regional Sports Report airs at 10 p.m. ET, following local games (dub). A half-hour National Sports Report is at 10:30, 30 minutes earlier than SportsCenter....

THIS WEEK ONLINE.(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... * Dominate your league with TSN Last season, the Marlins' Ryan Dempster came out of nowhere to pitch his way onto the All-Star team and into the hearts of fantasy baseball owners. Who will be this season's Dempster? The Fantasy Source...

Voice of the fan.(Letter to the Editor)
April 9, 2001... Here we go again. It's back to the "inverted rectangle" strike zone, as spelled out in the rule book. I wonder how soon it will be horizontal again. If it sticks, what will poor Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux do?' --Richard Honig, Fort Wayne, Ind....

FREE TO BE THE BEST.(Duke University basketball)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... Forget plays, just play. Mike Krzyzewski's coaching mantra carried Duke to its third national title in 11 seasons. The bus to the national championship game would be leaving in a few minutes, and the Duke players were hustling themselves...

Florida-bound All-Americans bring Final Four buzz.(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium was a natural choice as the site for the 2001 McDonald's All-American game. After all, seven of this year's Blue Devils played in the game as high school seniors. But as it turned out, this year's version...

No guarantees.(Alonzo Mourning and his ongoing battle with kidney disease)
April 9, 2001... Nothing is certain about the return of ALONZO MOURNING--not his health, not his future. But he has decided that playing now is the right move, despite the fears. Put the on-court issues aside. This is not about sport, not about baskets...

With Mourning back, Heat must make space for Mase.(Alonzo Mourning, Anthony Mason; Miami Heat)
April 9, 2001... Alonzo Mourning's return to the court has all the makings of a compelling story of the competitive spirit and its triumph over a devastating affliction, and it is a pursuit that is applauded from every corner of the NBA universe excluding...

EASTERN CONFERENCE.(impressive rookie season for Richard Hamilton of the Washington Wizards)(this and other items are discussed)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... WHO'S HOT If Michael Jordan plays for the Wizards next season, he might find himself battling SG Richard Hamilton for a starting job. Hamilton, who averaged 9 points as a rookie, is shining in his second season now that Juwan Howard and...

WESTERN CONFERENCE.(Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs has emerged as a legitimate candidate for Most Valuable Player)(this and other items are discussed)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... WHO'S HOT Spurs PF Tim Duncan is pulling alongside Sixers SG Allen Iverson and Kings PF Chris Webber in the MVP race. Iverson and Webber have missed extended stretches with injuries, but Duncan played through his early-season knee...

TSN's Power Poll.(National Basketball Association, statistics and comments)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... TSN's Power Poll Rk. Team W-L 1. San Antonio 51-22 2. Philadelphia 50-22 3. Sacramento 49-22 4. Utah 48-24 5. L.A. Lakers 48-25 6. Portland 47-25 7....

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE.(players, teams, and coaches of the National Basketball Association's Eastern Conference)
April 9, 2001... Atlanta STAYING PUT: Ideas of trading SF Toni Kukoc in the offseason have been all but quashed. The Hawks certainly would listen to inquiries, but his play and leadership in his short stint with the Hawks have persuaded the team to keep...

NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE.(players, teams and coaches of the National Basketball Association's Western Conference)
April 9, 2001... Dallas BEEFING UP: PF Juwan Howard and C Calvin Booth put the team in better shape for the playoffs against opponents with imposing frontlines. Howard, Booth and C Shawn Bradley gave the Mavericks the muscle they needed to win games at...

Benson is on track to be the next first-time winner.(NASCAR's Johnny Benson)(Statistical Data Included)
April 9, 2001... Lost in this season of debates about autopsy photos, seat belts, HANS devices, rules that don't work and NASCAR's failure to join the 21st century has been some pretty good racing. April should be even better--if everyone makes it out of...

OVAL OFFICE INTERVIEWS.(top NASCAR drivers)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... Are you ever scared when you're in the race car? Johnny Benson: I don't know if scared is the right word. There (are) tense moments, I guess you could say. Steve Park: All the time. I'm a scaredy cat! Michael Waltrip: Never....

Just another day on the EDGE.(Bruins coach Mike Keenan)
April 9, 2001... Go inside the Bruins for three days with Mike Keenan as the team fights for its playoff life By Ray Slover It's 10:30 p.m. after the game, and as one cycle of NHL life ends, another begins for Bruins coach Mike Keenan. With a 3-2...

Kovalev's emergence adds to Penguins' star power.(Alexei Kovalev, hockey player)
April 9, 2001... Sometimes it simply is time to throw up your arms and say, "I've had it. I can't take it anymore." That feeling of frustration descends on coaches quickly when dealing with certain prospects. However, there are some players, such as...

NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE.(National Hockey League)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... WHO'S HOT Of course, the Cat is helping the Kings chase the Dogs for the final playoff spot in the West. Felix Potvin is the main reason his new club is within a whisker of the playoffs. Last week, The Cat had three shutouts in four games...

NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE.(National Hockey League)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... WHO'S HOT Johan Hedberg was a throw-in in a deal with the Sharks, but it looks like the goalie is recyclable. The best Hedberg since Anders has posted a 5-1-1 record in his new uni and might have won himself the starting role in the Marlo...

FIVE-HOLE.(hockey news and humor)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... 1. The peacemaker. Watch any NHL game these days, and you're sure to see linesman Kevin Collins jumping in to stop a fight before it gets going. Bucking for the Nobel Peace Prize there, Kevin? 2. YOU squirt. Tie Domi is one tough cookie--so...

Risky move might pay off for Indiana and Randle El.(college football player Antwaan Randle El)(Brief Article)
April 9, 2001... See Antwaan Randle El. See Antwaan Randle El run. See Antwaan Randle El pass. See Antwaan Randle El run and pass. See Indiana lose. That was the elementary story line for Hoosiers football the past three years with Randle El at quarterback. The...

He listens--and he hears.(Michael Vick, football player)
April 9, 2001... MICHAEL VICK has much to learn about life and being a quarterback in the NFL, but he is ahead in the game because he knows how and when to pay attention They grew up together, these second cousins named Aaron and Ookie. Aaron was older,...

Giving coaches more say has become the rule today.(football teams)
April 9, 2001... Bill Parcells once said if he were expected to prepare the meal, he should be allowed to shop for the groceries. Don't look now, but the checkout lanes are jammed with guys wearing whistles around their necks. More team owners are giving...