The Sporting News articles from July 2000

The Sporting News archives from July 2000

Voice of the Fan.
July 3, 2000... Choice voice `Golf is not a sport, hence golfers are not athletes. Golf is a silly game.' --Bill Knight Muncie, Ind. Crossing a line I have read THE SPORTING NEWS since 1095 and have enjoyed it thoroughly. The quality I value most...

Caught on the Fly.(sports briefs)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... FROM THE VALLEY OF THE SUN TO THE CITY OF THE BIG SHOULDERS: If Swann joins the Bears, they want a stacker of running backs and quarterbacks, not a stacker of wheat. Hey, didn't you used to be a first-round draft kick? * One veteran...

Bob Hille's Starting Five.
July 3, 2000... 1 The Braves in New York. The trip will be punctuated by chants of "Rock-er sucks! Rock-er sucks!"... unless, of course, Bobby Cox can get Leo Mazzone to pipe down. 2 NFL training camps. Before you know it, the players will be back with...

DUSTBIN.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... July 5,1968 A year after Wilt Chamberlain helped them win an NBA title, the 76ers shipped him to Laker land for C Darrell Imhoff, G Archie Clark, F Jerry Chambers and cash. Clark had several good seasons with the 76ers. Imhoff played two...

THEY MEET AGAIN.(Mike Jones, Kevin Dyson - review last play of Super Bowl 2000)(Interview)
July 3, 2000... Mike Jones and Kevin Dyson get together to replay and relive. The Tackle--the most fantastic finish in Super Bowl history Shhhh. Come on in and have a seat. Sorry the light is dim, but your eyes will adjust. See those two guys sitting...

Smaller receivers catching on again thanks to Rams.
July 3, 2000... Just when you thought every last superlative regarding the Super Bowl champion Rams had been exhausted, we're going to recognize one final impression this team made. Although the memories and records are undoubtedly special, the St. Louis...

AFC.(American Football Conference)
July 3, 2000... Baltimore LOOKING GOOD: Trent Dilfer was impressive during a recent voluntary minicamp, his second of the offseason. Dilfer is slated as the No. 2 quarterback behind Tony Banks, but the team would like for him to push Banks heading into...

NFC.
July 3, 2000... Tennessee COMING HOME? The Titans are the leading option for DE Reggie White, who is looking to return to football. White is a Chattanooga native, a former Vol, likes Jeff Fisher and could easily be a situational pass rusher in the Titans'...

Say it ain't so: UCLA, Kapono benefit from an NCAA policy.(Jason Kapono returns to UCLA)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... One fine moment, he was the best shooter in the draft. The next, he once again was the best shooter in the college game. It only took a few minutes for Jason Kapono to write the letter that removed his name from the NBA's early entry draft list...

THE EXCITABLE WAYS OF THE A's.(Oakland A's)
July 3, 2000... Oakland's youngsters are starting to have as much fun on the field as they've been having off it In the middle of the daily stretching routine he leads, Bob Alejo stopped near Jason Giambi and yelled, "OK, guys--guys, who am I?" The...

Don't knock Knoblauch until you've played the field.(Chuck Knoblauch)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... Yankees second baseman Chuck Knoblauch has lost control of a few baseballs over the past few weeks. Yet, he has kept control of himself. Except for one helmet tossed away in Fenway Park, where he had to deal with hordes of numskulls yelling at...

The book on ... Craig Counsell.
July 3, 2000... Diamondbacks IF, 6-0/175, 4th year Craig Counsell didn't have a job midway through spring training when he was released by the Dodgers. But an old connection with Arizona--Counsell's father coached general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. on the...

The ball game.(how fans can catch foul balls)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... The average major league baseball stays in play for six pitches, with more than two dozen balls lost in the stands during a typical game. That doesn't include batting practice. Here's how to improve your chances of getting a ball: Arrive...

Yankees look to trade their way back to the top.(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... As last week ended, the Yankees' trade situation remained clouded. Detroit's Juan Gonzalez hadn't decided if he wanted to join the defending World Champions; the Cubs' were asking too much for Sammy Sosa (and possibly Ismael Valdes); and...

TEAM STATISTICS.(basebakk pitching and hitting statistics, by team)(Illustration)
July 3, 2000... N.L. HITTING AVG AB R H 2B Colorado .298 2365 436 700 136 San Francisco .293 2455 440 719 131 Atlanta .275 2502 383 688 124 St. Louis .274...

INSIDE THE A.L. EAST.(baseball's American League East: players, teams, statistics)
July 3, 2000... Who's HOT Boston SS Nomar Garciaparra. Hitting .347 through May, Garciaparra was just getting warmed up. His numbers for June, through 20 games: a .473 average, 11 doubles, 17 RBIs. Overall this year he is batting .457 against LHPs and...

INSIDE THE A.L. CENTRAL.(baseball's American League Central: players, teams, statistics)
July 3, 2000... Who's HOT Entering the week, White Sox RHP Cal Eldred had won his last seven decisions, posting a 2.65 ERA during that time. The wins were not over weak teams, either. He beat the indians three times, the Yankees twice and the Reds and...

INSIDE THE A.L. WEST.(baseball's American League West: players, teams, statistics)
July 3, 2000... Who's HOT Anaheim 2B Adam Kennedy is showing the trademark inconsistency of a rookie. After hitting .318 in April and just .192 in May, he was hitting .406 in June through Saturday, He had multihit games in nine of the 19 games; the team...

A.L. LEAGUE LEADERS STATS.(baseball's American League hitting and pitching leaders: statistics)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
July 3, 2000... AVERAGE Garciaparra, Bos 392 Erstad, Ana 368 Rodriguez, Tex 366 Martinez, Sea 363 Delgado, Tor 359 A. Rodriguez, Sea 353...

INSIDE THE N.L. EAST.(baseball's National League East: players, teams, statistics)
July 3, 2000... Who's HOT Braves CF Andruw Jones' 20 homers and 46 RBIs (through Saturday) put him on a pace for career highs, He has been more patient at the plate, and his defense has been stellar. He has committed just one error and should be in line...

INSIDE THE N.L. CENTRAL.(baseball's National League Central: players, teams, statistics)
July 3, 2000... Who's HOT RHP Jamey Wright, a disappointment for the Rockies, is starting to fulfill his promise in Milwaukee. Wright has spent time on the D.L this season but is 4-1 with a 3.02 ERA in seven starts. He was 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA in his last...

INSIDE THE N.L. WEST.(baseball's National League West: players, teams, statistics)
July 3, 2000... Who's HOT 3B Gary Sheffield has lifted the Dodgers on his shoulders. He was 25-for-50 (.500) with eight HRs in a 13-game hitting streak that ended last Saturday vs. St. Louis. Sheffield was delivering in the clutch, including a...

N.L. LEAGUE LEADERS STATS.(baseball's National League leaders: hitting and pitching statistics)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
July 3, 2000... AVERAGE Helton, Col 380 Vidro, Men 368 Castillo, Fla 363 V. Guerrero, Men 362 Piazza, NY 358 Sheffield, LA 353 Kent, SF 344 Owens, SD 343...

A change of pace.(Ronald Curry recovering)(Brief Article)
July 3, 2000... North Carolina's RONALD CURRY is playing basketball to prepare for football season. How quickly he bounces back from a serious heel injury and learns to run a new offense are the keys to the Tar Heels' season. THE TEMPO OF a mid-June...

Spread offense will ensure Texas Tech goes bowling.(football)
July 3, 2000... The balls are flying around Mike Leach's head, but he's used to it. In fact, he wouldn't have it any other way. Leach, conducting his first football camps in his new post as Texas Tech coach, is a practitioner of the trendy spread offense that...

First things first, DiPietro really could be the one.(Rick DiPietro; NHL draft 2000)
July 3, 2000... The list is loaded with players who were big shots in junior hockey and good enough to be No. 1 picks in the NHL draft--only to become average pros: Billy Hams, Greg Joly, Rick Green, Doug Wickenheiser, Gord Kluzak, Brian Lawton, Joe Murphy,...

THE LAKE SHOW PART II.(Los Angeles Lakers)
July 3, 2000... Can the Lakers produce a worthy sequel next season (something like The Godfather Part II of an NBA season comes to mind)? Here's what the Lakers must do to capture back-to-back titles--`It's not personal, Reggie, it's business'--and which teams...

Finding a spot.
July 3, 2000... Not every player fits a specific position. Some players are 'tweeners, guys who must mold their games and fold their size into a role that will allow them to survive and thrive in the NBA. When the Detroit Pistons selected guard Joe Dumars...

New Pacers coach will face a daunting task.
July 3, 2000... Larry Bird left the game again last Thursday, reiterating that three years is long enough for any coach, and we all sat there nodding sagely, utterly clueless. Some exit, though. The guy brings a team back from lotteryland, shepherds its...

EASTERN CONFERENCE.(National Basketball Association)
July 3, 2000... Atlanta STARTING OVER: The team re started its search for a No. 1 assistant after former Pistons head coach Alvin Gentry turned down the job. Gentry wanted to join the Hawks, but his wife, who was pregnant at the time, did not want to...

WESTERN CONFERENCE.
July 3, 2000... Dallas BE AGGRESSIVE: Since he purchased the Mavericks, owner Mark Cuban has operated with an aggressive attitude. Cuban's approach is being channeled to the U.S. Olympic basketball team as it tries to fill the spot vacated by SF Grant...

A Cubs fan needs heroes, too.
July 3, 2000... To understand why Sammy Sosa is on his way out of Chicago, we first must understand the awesome incompetence of "those ultimate empty suits" who run the Cubs. These men, general manager Ed Lynch and team president Andy MacPhail, have mounted "a...

Voice of the Fan.
July 10, 2000... Choice voice `This whole attack on Sammy Sosa is because the Cubs are cheap. It is time for Cubs fans, after all these patient years, to revolt.' --Bill Nelson Hedgesville, W.Va. Tap the tradition The comments regarding the appeal...

Caught on the Fly.(sports talk)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2000... Hey, didn't you used to be JaRon Rush/Chris Carrawell/Michael Redd? * The Seahawks' formula for an improved passing plan continues to be addition by subtraction. First, Joey Galloway and Sean Dawkins were shipped for being too me, me, and...

DEFT SHOT.
July 10, 2000... "People assume that every organization is trying to win, and there's just no excuse for what the Clippers have been doing." Charles Barkley, on the Clippers' propensity for losing.

Bob Hille's Starting Five.(Brief Article)
July 10, 2000... 1 All-Star voting. Baseball fans' decisions were a jumble because, hey, who has ever seen so many qualified candidates on one ballot in an election year? 2 The NBA draft. Note to Bearcats fans: That was not "Pomp and Circumstance" playing...

DUSTBIN.(swapping NFL franchises)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2000... July 13,1972 Trades are an integral part of sports, but team owners Robert Irsay and Carroll Rosenbloom pulled the ultimate deal, swapping NFL franchises. Irsay picked up the Los Angeles Rams for $19 million, then traded his ownership of...

SEVERAL CUTS ABOVE.(selecting 50 best baseball players)
July 10, 2000... Despite a slew of supposedly defining statistics, TSN's quest to select baseball's 50 best players proves a daunting task. Who glitters most among the gems, according to the game's insiders? Read on. Baseball is the game best suited to...

G.M., Valentine can agree on this: Mets are scary good.(New York Mets baseball team)
July 10, 2000... The Mets can overpower you. The Mets can overwhelm you. The Mets can wow you. During the hottest part of one of their hot streaks, one National League scout said, "The Mets are the best team on Earth." The Mets can scare you. Whether you...

Blister control.(pitcher Ismael Valdes)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2000... Cubs righthander Ismael Valdes began his comeback last Saturday, but there were no bold predictions before his first start since June 17. "The only thing I know is that I'll give it my best effort," Valdes said. He didn't get the win...

Prospect watch: catcher.(Angel Pena)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2000... Angel Pena is one of the players considered the future of the Dodgers organization. The strong-armed catcher has all the tools to become a star in the majors--the only question is his desire. Pena infuriated team officials last season with...

Michael Knisley's LINE DRIVES.(baseball players)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2000... * Take a position-by-position took at next Tuesday's All-Star starters. The National League clearly tops the American League on paper. Maybe twice do you like an American League starter--Robbie Alomar at second and either Alex Rodriguez or...

World traveler finally gets his shot at the big leagues.(pitcher Alex Cabrera)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2000... After nine years of professional baseball--in such places as Peoria, III.; Bakersfield, Calif.; Mexico City; and Chiayi City, Taiwan--Alex Cabrera was willing to try one more time. Cabrera's attitude last winter was, "If I don't make the...

TEAM STATISTICS.(professional baseball)(Statistical Data Included)
July 10, 2000... N.L. HITTING AVG AB R H 2B Colorado .301(a) 2608 497(a) 784 157 San Francisco .295 2706 485 799(a) 152 St. Louis .276 2694 465 743 127...

Indy greats.(Frontier League)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2000... Independent league success stories have dotted the big leagues in recent years, but the independent Frontier League has been missing from the hoopla. This year, however, the league finally has major league alumni to brag of--San Diego...

Yankees bolster lineup by `settling' for Justice.(David Justice)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2000... Speculation that the Yankees were going to bolster their lineup with big-time sluggers Juan Gonzalez and Sammy Sosa ended last week when the team wasn't willing to pay the money for Gonzalez or the talent (and money) for Sosa, instead settling...

INSIDE THE A.L. EAST.
July 10, 2000... Who's HOT RHP Frank Castillo, who has given the Blue Jays' rotation (12th in the A.L. in ERA) a big lift. Castillo, who spent '99 in the minors and overcame shoulder problems, has won his last four starts and helped establish Toronto as a...

INSIDE THE A.L. CENTRAL.
July 10, 2000... Who's HOT After a one-month stint on the D.L., Detroit 1B Tony Clark is back on track. He has been going with the pitch more and has been using a heavier bat. Clark hit eight of his total 12 homers and drove in 21 of his 28 RBIs in June....

INSIDE THE A.L. WEST.
July 10, 2000... Who's HOT Oakland's top four hitters--Terrence Long, Randy Velarde, Jason Giambi and Ben Grieve--provided the punch for the team's recent 20-4 streak that ended last week. The four hit .337 (120-for-356), and the team averaged 6.7 runs a...

A.L. LEAGUE LEADERS STATS.(Brief Article)
July 10, 2000... AVERAGE Garciaparra, Bos 394 Erstad, Ana 370 Rodriguez, Tex 361 Sweeney, KC 359 Martinez, Sea 353 Delgado, Tor 353 A. Rodriguez, Sea 345 Stewart, Tor 340 Ja....

INSIDE THE N.L. EAST.(baseball)
July 10, 2000... Who's HOT Mets C Mike Piazza had a 19-game hitting streak and at least one RBI in 14 consecutive games through last Saturday. Piazza's offense (.364 average, 22 homers and 68 RBIs) has made up for some holes in the lineup and is a big...

INSIDE THE N.L. CENTRAL.
July 10, 2000... Who's HOT The Reds split four games with the Cards last week but won the battle of the sluggers. Ken Griffey Jr., a bust so far, had four homers and seven RBIs vs. St. Louis. Could this be the start of his resurgence? If so, look for him...

INSIDE THE N.L. WEST.
July 10, 2000... Who's HOT How's this for a Rocky Mountain high? After going 11 -for- 15 against the Giants last week at Coors Field, Rockies 3B Jeff Cirillo was batting .447 at Coors, .238 in real ballparks. In the series against the Giants, Cirillo had...

N.L. LEAGUE LEADERS STATS.
July 10, 2000... AVERAGE Helton, Col 390 Vidro, Mon 371 V. Guerrero, Mon 364 Piazza, NY 361 Castillo, Fla 357 Cirillo, Col 351 Kent, SF 350 Edmonds, StL 344 Alfonzo, NY 339...

Big unit.(Carolina Panthers)
July 10, 2000... The Panthers are a dark-horse contender in the NFC largely because of their tall, strong receiving corps--arguably the best in the league Natrone Means was just being honest. He didn't get to see the Carolina Panthers, his new employer,...

They won't be Kurt Warner, but they will contribute.(Brief Article)
July 10, 2000... Every spring, a behind-the-scenes tug of war takes place within the hierarchy of NFL franchises. In most cases, front-office personnel and coaching staffs work well together, but that simply isn't the case when it comes time to allocate players...

AFC.
July 10, 2000... Baltimore ON THE SPOT: After playing most of last season with a restrictive harness on his right arm, OLB Peter Boulware handicapped himself further in the offseason when he delayed shoulder surgery an extra month in order to play in the...

NFC.
July 10, 2000... Arizona BACK ON BOARD: Some saw the re-signing of DT Mark Smith (one year, $1.027 million tender offer) as the final chapter in the Eric Swann saga. But Swann is still on the roster, and the club appears in no hurry to release him. With...

Change in coordinators often means big changes.(Brief Article)
July 10, 2000... Because of the cameras that bring us into coaching booths on Saturday afternoons in the fall, offensive and defensive coordinators no longer are anonymous. Still, the comings and goings of the guys we see whispering into microphones or burying...

The draft's winners, losers and its `what the ...' picks.
July 10, 2000... New rule around here: The next kid to climb onto the podium on draft night and pat David Stem on top of his fuzzy head is automatically christened the best NBA prospect ever, even if those cloying fellows on TNT say that about every third pick...

EASTERN CONFERENCE.
July 10, 2000... Atlanta FUTURE STAR: The Hawks made out nicely with the sixth pick in the draft. G/F DerMarr Johnson played just one year of college ball, but the team loves his ability to score from the perimeter and run the floor. Plus, because of his...

WESTERN CONFERENCE.
July 10, 2000... Dallas DOUBLE DEALING: The team needed interior defense badly, but owner Mark Cuban wanted a pick to help sell tickets. What to do with only one first-round pick? Two trades later, the team had its interior defender--PF Etan Thomas--and...

A midsummer night's nightmare.(Luke Recker and Kelly Craig)
July 10, 2000... The future seemed limitless for Luke Recker and his girlfriend, Kelly Craig, until a drunken driver wrecked the dream they shared. Now, a year later, they again hope and plan--Kelly from a wheelchair in Indiana, Luke back on the hardcourts,...

Williams could exorcise UNC's demons--and his own.(Roy Williams)
July 10, 2000... Courtesy of Roy Williams, America's longest-running and most tedious rumor got to live another few days. Since about the time Cats opened on Broadway, we've been hearing Williams would leave Kansas to assume his position as the logical...

Expect Leafs to make bid to bring Lindros home.(Eric Lindros)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2000... Blackhawks director of hockey operations Mike Smith rolls his eyes as a reporter asks him about his interest in Flyers center Eric Lindros. "Not me," Smith says. "That's out there on some galaxy I'm not tuned into." Considering the feud...

Call it `manifest destiny'.(Bo Jackson)(Brief Article)
July 10, 2000... The time, place and event no longer matter because what Bo Jackson did that day was so astonishing that details only obscure the real significance of the man's feat. All you need know here is that Jackson played left field and a fly ball was...

Voice of the Fan.(Brief Article)
July 17, 2000... Choice voice `It takes a sorry person to taunt someone during the national anthem. The next time that happens, go give him a uniform, glove and bat and see if he could do any better.' --Sy Banks Prattville, Ala. Good but not great ...

Caught on the Fly.(Brief Article)
July 17, 2000... Hey, didn't you used to be an All-Star? * Hey-yo, think it's an accident Eastern philosophy has teams/pseudosupe'stars reinventin' themselves this NBA offseason? Look around, O-rena-breath: Indiana? New York? Miami? Analog, one-n-all....

DEFT SHOT.(basketball humor)(Brief Article)
July 17, 2000... "If this guy comes to my country, he couldn't make my national team. He cannot make my under-22 team." SuperSonics rookie center Olumide Oyedeji, the club 's second-round pick from Nigeria, on Clippers rookie small forward Darius Miles,...

Bob Hille's Starting Five.(sports humor)(Brief Article)
July 17, 2000... 1 Baseball at the break. The White Sox had the best record, and the Yankees were barely over .500. You've got to ask yourself: "OK, what does Lola want?" 2 Roy Williams. His two words--"I'm staying"--triggered a wild celebration among K.U....

DUSTBIN.(Ty Cobb's hitting record)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 17, 2000... July 19, 1927 Ty Cobb was one of baseball's most colorful, mean and productive players. With a double against the Tigers, Cobb, who Was playing for the Philadelphia Athletics after 22 seasons with the Tigers, collected his 4,000th hit. The...

A helping hand, not a handout.(former basketball player Clifford Moller graduates from University of Nebraska under degree-completion program)(Brief Article)
July 17, 2000... Stick-to-itiveness and a degree-completion program enable a proud man to finish a journey he started in 1967. Now, there are more goals to achieve. There are always heart-warming stories when students move from college life into the work...

CAMP CONCERNS?(professional football training camp issues)
July 17, 2000... Can Jamal Anderson be a dominant runner again? Will Kerry Collins silence his critics? Questions abound as NFL training camps open. Injuries always play a major role in how an NFL season unfolds; healthy (and talented) teams win, and those...

Expect these three rookies to play prominent roles.(Ron Dayne, Brian Urlacher and Plaxico Burress)
July 17, 2000... A Giants running back miscast as the workhorse of the week because of injuries.... Lead-footed Bears linebackers getting beat to the outside, repeatedly, on passes to Rams running back Marshall Faulk.... The Steelers' Kordell Stewart passing to...

NFC.(professional football)
July 17, 2000... Arizona PRESEASON PRIORITY: QB Jake Plummer was beaten up and beaten down in 1999. Now, his thumb and other ailments are healed. Just as important, he seems to have regained much of his confidence. Plummer has worked with the offensive...

AFC.(professional football)
July 17, 2000... Baltimore PRESEASON PRIORITY: The Ravens averaged 25.4 points and 322.6 yards in the last nine games of 1999, and their main goal is to sustain that momentum because most of the players return from their defense, which ranked No. 2 last...

STACKING THE DECK.
July 17, 2000... Adding Jim Edmonds and Fernando Vina and revamping the batting order have helped the Cardinals to a healthy lead in the N.L. Central When the topic is the St. Louis Cardinals, the discussion usually emphasizes their slugging first baseman...

Even the Phillies have a role in second-half predictions.
July 17, 2000... Got nothin' else going? Me, either. What do you say we kill a few minutes together musing about the season's second half. Team closest to going off the deep end: The Indians. Dave Justice probably was right. The window probably is closing....

Hitting basics.(Brief Article)
July 17, 2000... Hitting a baseball is one of the most challenging skills in sports--an art in which a 30 percent success rate is considered above average. First, hitters have to deal with the ball and bat being round objects, a mess to begin with. They...

MICHAEL KNISLEY'S LINE DRIVES.(Brief Article)
July 17, 2000... * Will the hottest lefty, in the desert please step forward? Not so fast Randy Johnson. Your teammates, Brian Anderson (8-3, 4-31), is on on a null of his own. Going into the break, he'd given up five earned runs in his last four starts. His...

Prospect Watch: Five-tool prospects.(Brief Article)
July 17, 2000... A quick review: The five tools are fielding, throwing, running speed, hitting for average and hitting for power. A player who is granted five-tool status is considered above-average in all five areas. Many players are labeled five-tool...

Calling 'em as I see 'em.(Brief Article)
July 17, 2000... After Dwight Gooden landed in New York last Friday, he drove past Shea Stadium on the way to dinner. The Yankees and Mets were getting ready to play the first game of their much-anticipated interleague Subway Series. "I could kind of look...

TEAM STATISTICS.
July 17, 2000... N.L. HITTING AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR TB San Francisco .295 2932 519 866 167 24 127 1462 Colorado .292 2869 517 838 167 41 85 1342 St. Louis .277 2911...

INSIDE THE A.L. EAST.
July 17, 2000... Who's HOT Yankees CF Bernie Williams, who still fails to get his due. Entering the weekend, he had a .333 average, a .386 mark with runners in scoring position and two out, 79 RBIs in 79 games and seven hits (six for extra bases) in nine...