The Sporting News articles from August 2000

The Sporting News archives from August 2000

Cup chronicles.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... There are few givens in sports, but I know this: No trophy has the history, character and mileage of the Stanley Cup. Because of the unique tradition that allows each member of the winning team to have the Cup for a day, managing editor Paul...

Voice of the Fan.
August 7, 2000... Choice voice `The DH allows headhunters like Roger Clemens to get away with attempted murder. If there were no DH in the A.L., Clemens never would have the guts to bean Mike Piazza simply because he would know what comes next.' --John T....

Caught on the Fly.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Hey, didn't you used to be an A.L. West contender? * Yep, you bet, the strangers can finish dead-fanny last with or without MVPudge, but Fly hears the team's kid pitchers're relieved they'll hear Billy Haselman's hands-on approach instead...

DEFT SHOT.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... `We met the band and had a few beers with them backstage. They all travel in rough ol' buses and sleep in bunks, one on top of the other, going from gig to gig every night. The Cup schedule is tough, but after seeing that, I'm not sure I'd...

Bob Hille's Starting Five.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... 1 The Curt Schilling trade. To its credit, the Phillies front office refused to sit by and do nothing--unlike the players in roughly six of every 10 games. 2 The Pro Football Hall of Fame. The players, all of whom had ties to the Raiders...

DUSTBIN.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... August 8, 1992 With the greatest collection of basketball talent ever assembled, the United States waxed Croatia, 117-85, for the men's basketball gold medal at the 1992 Olympics. For the first t/me, the U.S. men's team featured NBA...

Three and out?
August 7, 2000... After a few seasons, closers have to make adjustments--or start looking for a new job They shoot up from the minors like rockets, blowing fastballs by dazzled batters in pressure situations. As the saves add up and opponents adjust, most...

Schilling deal may play part in two division races.
August 7, 2000... Late last Friday afternoon in the visiting clubhouse at Pro Player Stadium, Curt Schilling watches a game, a Phillies' game, on a laptop computer propped open on a stool next to his locker. He pays particular attention to the pitcher in...

The book on ... Jason Marquis.
August 7, 2000... Braves RHP, 6-1/185, Rookie Jason Marquis hoped for a September call-up from Class AA Greenville, but his first trip to the majors arrived well ahead of schedule. With the Braves' bullpen hampered by injuries and John Rocker unable to...

Looking for a jump.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... David Cone can't sleep. It's easy to imagine a ghastly vision of a parade of opposing batters crossing the plate like demonic sheep, keeping him up at night. The nightmare is rooted in reality. The once-dominant Yankee is in the worst...

MICHAEL KNISLEY'S LINE DRIVES.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... * The Rockies ought to insist on a contract clause for all their pitchers: No dissing Coors Field when they leave. Stan Belinda hammered another nail in the coffin of Colorado's hopes of ever attracting arms last week. On his release, Belinda...

Suspend now--appeal later.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... The punishment probably fit the crime, even though plenty of fans would have liked to have seen Carl Everett get an extended midsummer vacation for his belligerent outburst at plate umpire Ron Kulpa after their batter's box dispute July 15...

INSIDE THE A.L. EAST.
August 7, 2000... Who's HOT Toronto 1B Carlos Delgado. So what else is new? Through last Saturday, he was batting .390 for the month of July, with five home runs and 21 RBIs. He batted .411 in June with nine homers, .340 in May with 10 homers and .319 in...

INSIDE THE A.L. CENTRAL.
August 7, 2000... Who's HOT Through last Saturday, Twins 1B David Ortiz was hitting .500 (20-for-40) in his last 11 games. Ortiz, who long has been considered one of the team's top prospects, finally is starting to produce as expected. His homer total is...

INSIDE THE A.L. WEST.
August 7, 2000... Who's HOT Rangers OF Gabe Kapler entered the week with a .369 average since the All-Star break. He had a double Saturday, extending his hitting streak to 13. He also homered and had two hits in four consecutive games during July 24-27. ...

INSIDE THE N.L. EAST.
August 7, 2000... Who's HOT In his first three starts with Atlanta, Andy Ashby fit right into the star-studded rotation, His three victories included complete games against the Orioles and Mets. Ashby has helped the Braves' pitching staff compile a 3.30 ERA...

INSIDE THE N.L. CENTRAL.
August 7, 2000... Who's HOT Reds 1B Sean Casey started the season on the D.L. and then hit only .213 in his first 127 at-bats. But his .404 average since the break signals that he's back on the path to stardom. He entered the week on a 20-game hitting...

INSIDE THE N.L. WEST.
August 7, 2000... Who's HOT RHP Robb Nen has been Mr. Automatic in the ninth inning for the Giants. Through last Saturday, Nen had picked up 13 saves and two wins in July. In his first 15 innings of the month, Nen allowed one run and four hits while...

A.L. LEAGUE LEADERS STATS.
August 7, 2000... AVERAGE Garciaparra, Bos 394 Erstad, Ana 369 Delgado, Tor 364 Martinez, Sea 350 RUNS ...

N.L. LEAGUE LEADERS STATS.(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... AVERAGE Helton, Col 374 Hammonds, Col 373 Castillo, Fla 364 Piazza, NY 350 RUNS ...

Southern comfort.(Ricky Williams of the New Orleans Saints)(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... After an injury-marred rookie season, Ricky Williams is finding the Saints a better fit this time around Midway through a recent Saints practice, running back Ricky Williams approached coach Jim Haslett for a chat. For most players, that...

Carolina won't ask White, Swann to play leading roles.(Reggie White and Eric Swann)(this and other football items are discussed)
August 7, 2000... What did the Panthers get by signing Reggie White and Eric Swann? The same thing a movie producer would get by hiring Marlon Brando and Charlton Heston for bit parts--two once great, now dusty performers whose name value creates wild...

Panthers follow Bucs in catching a defensive wave.(Carolina Panthers emphasize defense)(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... They may not bully and intimidate opponents like Pittsburgh's Steel Curtain or thoroughly dominate foes like Buddy Ryan's 1985 Bears, but the Panthers feel the finishing touches they recently put on their defense will be enough to put them in...

AFC.(players and teams of football's American Football Conference)
August 7, 2000... Baltimore TOUGH BREAK: Starting WR Patrick Johnson is out for six weeks after he broke his right clavicle when he slammed to the ground untouched as he made a deep catch. It's hard to tell what kind of impact his absence will have on the...

NFC.(players and teams of the National Football Conference)
August 7, 2000... Arizona EASY DOES IT: In a change from previous years, the team has backed off on the hitting in training camp. Way off. The Cardinals had seven days of practices before last Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage, and in those seven days there...

Henson's juggling act will hurt him again this fall.(Drew Henson attempts to excel in both baseball and football)
August 7, 2000... Here comes the bus carrying the Chattanooga Lookouts. It's 4 1/2 hours before they will meet the Huntsville Stars. Except for a few concessionaires pushing carts through the concourse and an autograph seeker, there's no one around as the...

Bama recruit solidly defines today's soft commitment.(Maurice Williams gives a tentative commitment to the University of Alabama)(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Maurice Williams is better than most at making passes, not so adept at making declarations. In early June, this superb point guard prospect from Jackson, Miss., announced he would begin his college career in the fall of 2001 at Alabama. He...

TOP 20 overall.(rating of top college basketball prospects)(Illustration)
August 7, 2000... Just think back to the 1984 NBA draft, when two big men were drafted before a guard named Michael Jordan. This year's recruiting class is much the same, with big men Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry attracting most of the attention now, but wing...

TOP 10 summer surprises.(basketball prospects)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
August 7, 2000... A couple of bad showings at the July camps and tournaments can send a player's reputation tumbling. Conversely, a strong stretch can send the opinions of a player skyward. Recruiting analyst Stephen Wacaser lists 10 players who have helped...

Forecast for November is stellar at these schools.(college basketball)(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... The list of schools off to the best start in collecting talent from the 2001-02 freshman classes includes the usual suspects--Arizona, Florida, North Carolina--but some fresh faces, and even some forgotten teams, are there, too. An...

CATCHING UP WITH THE CUP.
August 7, 2000... BECAUSE THE STANLEY CUP CAN'T TALK, TSN FOLLOWED HOCKEY'S HOLY GRAIL AROUND FOR FOUR DAYS. AND YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED AT WHAT WE SAW. For a few mind-numbing moments, the quiet, tree-lined street of 1950s-era bungalows brought to life a...

The Blackhawks owe their fans an apology, but not from Smith.
August 7, 2000... For a moment last week, Mike Smith, the new director of player personnel for the Blackhawks, must have thought he was back in Winnipeg the way fans were attacking him at a town hall meeting. Chicago fans have a right to be angry. But not with...

Cap room could pay off for Bulls in September.(Chicago Bulls)(this and other basketball items are discussed)
August 7, 2000... Lately, we have all been subjected to a modified and tedious source of aggravation, and by this I am not referring to the Republican Party platform, but the persecution complex that has entombed the average Chicago Bulls fan. Once upon a...

EASTERN CONFERENCE.(teams and players of the NBA Eastern Conference)
August 7, 2000... Atlanta GETTING BETTER: The Hawks have been pleased with the development of SG Dion Glover. He has committed the offseason to getting stronger and becoming a better perimeter shooter, and it has shown. Glover did not post big numbers in...

WESTERN CONFERENCE.(teams and players of the NBA Western Conference)
August 7, 2000... Dallas ALL THE RIGHT MOVES: Second-round pick Eduardo Najera's hustle and smarts are giving the summer league coaches all the reason they need for him to win a roster spot. The scrappy forward was among college leaders in diving for loose...

Root, hog or die.(movement to share revenues in baseball)(Brief Article)
August 7, 2000... Across the land is now heard poor-mouth whimpering from fans of bad baseball teams. Their voices lifted in pouting unison, they cry out, "Oh, the competitive imbalance." Such is the epidemic of despair that should a window be raised, one hears...

Our town.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... Let's get this out of the way right here at the top: This is not a homer call, no Big Mac reference intended. If you've followed our annual Best Sports City issue from its inception in 1993 and expansion four years ago, then you know it's...

Voice of the Fan.(Letters)
August 14, 2000... Choice voice `It appears the Steelers' "Slash" is turning to "Slush."' --M.A. Quest, Kiheia, Hawaii Let go of Ott angst The recognition of Mel Ott hitting home run 500 on August 1, 1945 (TSN, July 31) exhumes a constant criticism...

Caught on the Fly.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... Hey, didn't you used to be the Knicks' G.M.? (Oh, you still are?) * Fly hears bottom-rung Pinstripe bushers were whistlin' B.P. line drives through the box last week during Dave Cone's remedial pitching class in Tampa. Yeah, coaches were...

DEFT SHOT.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... `The angle looked a little low. I think it's the new Cup Cam.' Dennis Miller, on the new Umpire Cam, which ABC used during Hall of Fame game.

Bob Hille's Starting Five.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... 1 NBA free agency. David Stern beats Las Vegas to the punch on this family-friendly concept: no-limit musical chairs for the kiddies. 2 Stadium giveaways. A toddler's lead poisoning may be linked to one of 40,000 Rockies key chains given...

DUSTBIN.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... August 19, 1951 Eddie Gaedel's stay in the majors was brief but memorable. As part of a promotion dreamed up by owner Bill Veeck, the St. Louis Browns sent Gaedel, all 3-7 of him, to the plate in the second game of a doubleheader against...

GATEWAY TO THE BEST.
August 14, 2000... History shows that the road led out of town for some prominent St. Louisans, but today it appears all roads lead to the TWA Dome, Busch Stadium and Kiel Center--venues where the cheering never seems to stop NO SURPRISE that Fred Miller has...

CITYSCAPE.
August 14, 2000... TSN's annual Best Sports City rankings cannot live by victories and losses alone (see "The criteria"), but you can gauge just how competitive your city is year-round. In looking at cities 2 through 10, we calculated each's total won-lost record...

CRAZY (what else?) ABOUT SPECIAL TEAMS.
August 14, 2000... "There's an old saying in the special teams coaching profession. We have the best job in the league during the week because we work alone and set our own hours. On game day, it's the worst job in the league. When things go bad, there's no one...

Dolphins give Gailey more options to show creativity.
August 14, 2000... If Dolphins fans can't have Dan Marino, at least they want Thurman Thomas getting the snap from the tailback position. Oronde Gadsden lined up in the backfield. Rob Konrad filling more roles than Eddie Murphy in Nutty Professor II: The Klumps....

Packers' Wolf one of the few who push to make deals.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... Since Ron Wolf became the Packers' G.M. in late 1991, he has made the task of locating middle-round gems look routine. Aaron Brooks, a strong-armed quarterback with good size and even better athleticism, is one of his latest. Taken in the...

AFC.
August 14, 2000... Baltimore RECEIVERS NEEDED: The team might be in the market for a wide receiver, because it has only five left in training camp. The latest casualty was backup Marcus Nash, who suffered a fractured jaw when he landed face-first on the...

NFC.
August 14, 2000... Arizona HOT BIRDS: DT Mark Smith reported to the team two weeks into camp, and his holdout--along with that of RE Simeon Rice--could alter the chemistry of a team desperately trying to prove detractors wrong. Smith admitted he accomplished...

MR. EXPLOSIVE.
August 14, 2000... All-Star center fielder CARL EVERETT gives the Red Sox little reason to believe he can stay under control Being Carl Everett cannot be easy. He is blessed with all the talent any baseball player could ask for, yet cursed with enough...

Big Mac's bum knee puts the home run chase on ice.
August 14, 2000... That talk you've heard all season about overgrown home runs and what to do to prune the numbers? Forget it. Looks like natural selection is doing the work for us. This is a retro world we're entering here, this life without Mark McGwire and 60...

The dirt on sliding.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... Let's say a baseball player is barreling into third, and he knows he must slide. He has two decisions to make: * Bent leg or headfirst? That depends on the player and the situation. But according to Diamondbacks third base coach Brian...

Redraw the Mendoza Line.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... As Darin Ernstad and Nomar Garciaparra chase the ghosts of baseball's past, the dog days seem like an ideal time to go bottom feeding at the other end of the offensive spectrum and redefine the ultimate indicator of futility at the plate: the...

Former Orioles flying high.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... Talk about a good first impression. First baseman Will Clark accomplished in six days as a Cardinal what took him three months as an Oriole. Clark hit his fourth homer as an Oriole July 1--in his 171st at-bat. Clark hit his fourth homer as...

MICHAEL KNISLEY'S LINE DRIVES.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... * "We wuz robbed!" Not only do Phillies fans lose Curt Schilling, but now it appears they'll be deprived of the chance to cheer or boo him (your guess is as good as mine) early next week at the Vet. His spot in Arizona's rotation shouldn't come...

INSIDE THE A.L. EAST.(Baseball teams)
August 14, 2000... Who's HOT Red Sox RHP Pedro Martinez, who won four consecutive games after going winless in four straight outings. In starts against the Expos, White Sox, A's and Mariners, Martinez allowed only 20 hits and four earned runs in 33 innings....

INSIDE THE A.L. CENTRAL.(Baseball teams)
August 14, 2000... Who's HOT Royals LF Mark Quinn extended his hitting streak to 13 games last Saturday and is batting .364 (20-for-55) over that stretch. Quinn's hot bat hasn't translated into wins, though, as the Royals have dropped nine of those 13 games....

INSIDE THE A.L. WEST.(Baseball teams)
August 14, 2000... Who's HOT Anaheim OF Tim Salmon stretched his hitting streak to 13 games with a home run last Saturday. Salmon is hitting .481 (25-for-52) during the streak, with six home runs and 18 RBIs. Salmon needs three more homers to break Brian...

A.L. LEAGUE LEADERS STATS.(Basball players)(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... AVERAGE Garciaparra, Bos 392 Erstad, Ana 365 Delgado, Tor 365 Rodriguez, Tex 347 Martinez, Sea 345 Segui, Cle 340 Sweeney, KC 340 A. Rodriguez, Sea 337 Thomas, Chi 333...

INSIDE THE N.L. EAST.(Baseball teams)
August 14, 2000... Who's HOT Mets closer Armando Benitez continues to impress. He already has passed his career high in saves with 27. As of last Saturday, he had gone six straight appearances without allowing a hit and had an ERA of zero since the All-Star...

INSIDE THE N.L. CENTRAL.(Baseball teams)
August 14, 2000... Who's HOT Brewers RHP Jeff D'Amico finished July with a perfect 5-0 record and a miniscule 0.76 ERA--the ninth-lowest ERA for a month since 1975. A key to his success is his tumbling curve that breaks from the shoulders to the knees. ...

INSIDE THE N.L. WEST.
August 14, 2000... Who's HOT RHP Curt Schilling, who started strongly for Arizona. Schilling won his first two starts after being traded by the Phillies. He allowed one run in 17 innings and held the Marlins and Braves to a combined .200 batting average. ...

N.L. LEAGUE LEADERS STATS.(Baseball players)(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... AVERAGE Helton, Col 379 Hammonds, Col 368 Castille, Fla 367 V. Guerrero, Mon 352 Vidro, Mon 345 Sheffield, LA 342 Piazza, NY 342 Kent, SF 335 Edmonds, StL ...

Notre Dame's schedule looks tougher than it is.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... If you haven't seen Notre Dame's schedule, you've certainly heard about it. Were it a gorilla, it would weigh 500 pounds. I can only imagine what Lou "Navy scares me to death" Holtz would say if he were still chewing grass along the Notre Dame...

Cincinnati needs Huggins, even if fans don't know it.(coach Bob Huggins)(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... When Roy Williams proclaimed he would resist the allure of Chapel Hill and remain at Kansas, Jayhawks fans thought it only natural to gather in a football stadium to applaud his decision at a combination news conference/revival. When...

The puck doesn't know what language you speak.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... I can see it now. Crucial game next season. Just over a minute left. In the heat of the action, the coach eagerly diagrams a play and talks his players through it. "But coach," says one player, puzzled. The coach looks up and sees a lot of...

Homeward-bound Jones produces a ripple effect.
August 14, 2000... Sometime by the end of the month, or certainly by the start of the season, we will be inundated with free-agency score-cards, endless analysis about the winners and losers of one of the most active offseasons in memory. When the accounting...

EASTERN CONFERENCE.
August 14, 2000... Atlanta NO DEAL: The team turned down a trade with the Lakers that would have brought it SF Glen Rice for PF Lorenzen Wright. The sticking point had to be money. Also, the Hawks are overloaded at that spot with Roshown McLeod, Chris...

WESTERN CONFERENCE.
August 14, 2000... Dallas KEEPERS: The team re-signed free agents SG Hubert Davis and PF Gary Trent, and planned on retaining PG Greg Buckner by matching an anticipated three-year, $2.5 million offer from the Grizzlies. Trent's new one-year, $2.4 million...

A pure baseball heart.(Brief Article)
August 14, 2000... Every old sportswriter is 82 going on 15. Bob Broeg is one such boy. The man born before the end of Word War I sits at dinner, his signature bow-tie askew, and before dessert he has spoken of Babe Ruth, Branch Rickey and Grover Cleveland...

The ol' college try.(Brief Article)
August 21, 2000... The college football season reveals itself one week at a time, beginning this year August 26 and continuing through the Orange Bowl. But if you'd like to see how it will unfold even before the first kickoff--including who wins the national...

Voice of the Fan.(letters)
August 21, 2000... Choice voice `What kind of intelligence is required to simply pay more for players than anyone else can afford? With a level playing field, no longer would the Yankees have the luxury of paying stiffs like David Cone more money than the entire...

Caught on the Fly.
August 21, 2000... Hey, didn't you used to be underpaid in Portland? * Yeah, yeah, the Reds're still smilin' on the outside about The Prodigal Slugger's homecoming, but a team worker bee says they're furrrious about Junior's 1) unwillingness to promote the...

Bob Hille's Starting Five.(Brief Article)
August 21, 2000... 1 The Kickoff Classic, It signals the rekindling of college football's grand fall traditions, like passing players' parole officers up and down the student section. 2 The PGA Championship, It's the least-known major in men's golf's Grand...

DUSTBIN.(Brief Article)
August 21, 2000... August 29, 1974 Moses Malone was the first basketball player to jump to the pros out of high school. The Utah Stars of the ABA drafted Malone in 1974, and he signed at the age of 19. The next year, Utah sold Malone's contract to the St....

Pocketful of hope.
August 21, 2000... The Ravens have added and should disrupt defenses with a two-tight end scheme, but their offense won't fly unless erratic TONY BALKS arrives as a consistently productive quarterback It was only the middle of June, and the humidity that...

`I'm behind the game'.(Brief Article)
August 21, 2000... When he was pancaked during his first day of training ramp, Redskins rookie LaVar Arrington became instantly aware that his NFL learning curve would be steep Even before the Redskins drafted Penn State linebacker LaVar Arrington with the...

Don't assume Sanders, Smith have nothing left.
August 21, 2000... Between them, Deion Sanders and Bruce Smith have been on teams that won six conference championship games and two Super Bowls. They have harassed quarterbacks unmercifully, sacking them 172 times and intercepting them 46 times. They have been...

Rookies face obstacles in battles for starting jobs.(Brief Article)
August 21, 2000... All NFL veterans ultimately are tested by kids with younger, fresher legs, and few go down without a fight. Aside from the Rams, who enjoyed the luxury of adding depth in the first round of the draft, every team in the league expects its top...

AFC.
August 21, 2000... Baltimore ON SECOND THOUGHT: The Ravens passed on FB Sam Gash two years ago when then-coach Ted Marchibroda signed Roosevelt Potts, who had played for him before. Gash went on to have two Pro Bowl seasons With the Bills while Potts failed...

NFC.
August 21, 2000... Arizona THE THIN CARD LINE: For the work the team is trying to do, it is losing offensive linemen at an alarming rate. C Mike Gruttadauria is out until at least the opener after knee surgery. G Matt Joyce has missed all but the first...

A-squad for now.
August 21, 2000... Buoyed by strong pitching and solid defense, the Mariners are thriving with a style suited for the National League, which may be where their superstar shortstop winds up next season It's a Friday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, and some...

Somehow, players manage to escape August's shadows.
August 21, 2000... Want to see baseball at its noblest? Go see how the other half lives. Not the better halt Not the Yankees. Not the Braves. Not the Mets nor the Red Sox, the Diamondbacks nor the Cardinals nor anybody else still focused on the grail of October....

The book on ... Carlos Febles.(Brief Article)
August 21, 2000... Royals 2B, 5-11/185, 2nd year Carlos Febles is the lesser-known of Kansas City's Dos Carlos tandem, a humble second baseman who stayed in the background last season while center fielder Carlos Beltran racked up Rookie of the Year numbers....