The Sporting News articles from June 2002

The Sporting News archives from June 2002

Go global. (Sportingnews.com).
June 3, 2002... Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and the rest of the world's best soccer players are ready to take center stage. Catch up on the latest World Cup news at SportingNews.com, and be sure to sign up for Global Soccer Challenge, your chance to build and...

Let's play two. (Sportingnews.com).
June 3, 2002... If you're still looking to join a fantasy baseball league or want to add another, don't miss out on Ultimate Fantasy Baseball Midseason or Basic Fantasy Baseball Season 2. They both give you a second chance to get in the game. Go to:...

Get on the basepaths. (Sporting News Radio).
June 3, 2002... Looking for a way to show off your baseball knowledge and win prizes? Tune in to The Tim Brando Show weekdays from 2-6 p.m. ET on Sporting News Radio, and play "Beat Timmy B. Around the Bases." The rules: Predict who will have the most hits,...

`Hey, didn't you used to only catch touchdowns?' (Caught On The Fly).
June 3, 2002... * Welcome to COTF, where "out" is not a double-entendre. * Fly's Top Five, or, "These guys (and gal) could taste test Kobe's cheeseburgers for food poisoning 'cuz they ain't doing anything else right now:" 1. T-(Big)Mac 2. Mark DQban 3....

On Mike Cameron and Shawn Green each hitting four home runs in a game this season. (Sound Bites).
June 3, 2002... On Mike Cameron and Shawn Green each hitting four home runs in a game this season: "You gotta question the pitching coach. Why pitch to the guy after he hits two home runs? You gotta pitch around him. You gotta knock him down once. You...

On Kings forward Chris Webber. (Sound Bites).
June 3, 2002... On Kings forward Chris Webber: "He has tremendous hands and quickness. He swings that hook and makes remarkable passes for a big man. He can shoot. I think Chris has been badgered by the timeout he called in college that cost Michigan a...

On what the NBA finals would be like without the Lakers. (Sound Bites).
June 3, 2002... On what the NBA finals would be like without the Lakers: "The Finals potentially could have New Jersey and Sacramento. Not exactly Must See TV. I would rather watch reruns of the best game-show moments. You have to be a true fan to watch a...

Bob Hille's starting 5. (TSN Sights).
June 3, 2002... (1) Gay major leaguers. If you go by the percentages, there would be at least 25. Of course. this is a sport with two very strong arguments against assumptions based on percentages: the Cube and the Red Sox. (2) The NHL playoffs....

The NFL needs L.A. (Remote Patrol).
June 3, 2002... Some of my best friends live in Los Angeles. None of them is clamoring for the NFL to return. I'm trying to find support for their cause, maybe stats showing how transferring a franchise to the second-largest swap meet is bad for business, or...

What a longgggg, strange trip ... (Static).
June 3, 2002... What a longgggg, strange trip...: Bill Walton's Love It Live tour of 32 playoff games in 30 days did Jerry Garcia proud. Walton burned up four cell phones, lived on three hours' sleep and grabbed family time in East Rutherford, N.J., and...

FYI. (Static).
June 3, 2002... FYI: Technically, Carolina's NHL team is the Hurricanes, but SportsCenter anchors--still sore that their local heroes bolted Hartford--persist in calling them the Whalers. FRITZ QUINDT/REMOTE PATROL fquindt@sportingnews.com

Commercialism. (Static).
June 3, 2002... Commercialism: ABC packaged Team USA's pre-World Cup matches as the Nike Road to Korea (no relation to similar titles for Bob Hope movies or to exploiting workers overseas). FRITZ QUINDT/REMOTE PATROL fquindt@sportingnews.com

Soundbitten. (Static).
June 3, 2002... Soundbitten: "Reason to hope for a Nets-Kings final."--Don Imus, after his producer said NBC Sports czar Dick Ebersol "would shoot his brains out" over that matchup. FRITZ QUINDT/REMOTE PATROL fquindt@sportingnews.com

Voice of the fan. (TSN Sights).
June 3, 2002... Choice voice `If the 76ers give up on Allen Iverson, it will be the worst decision in team history--even worse than drafting Shawn Bradley with the No. 2 pick in 1993.--George Smith, Leavenworth, Fan. No sympathy It's a shame to hear...

Whopper stoppers: the Kings' physical play and flopping defense are taking a toll on Shaquille O'Neal, who is feeling the weight of his ultimate blessing.
June 3, 2002... Perhaps the lasting legacy of Shaquille O'Neal will be so simple that we will forget all the highfalutin' bravado, lowbrow mewling and general nonsense that seems to come before, during and after every Lakers game. Maybe, when the purple and...

Leapin' leprechauns: a record-setting Game 3 rally against the Nets is the latest evidence the Celtics' fortunes have turned around. (NBA).
June 3, 2002... The leprechaun has a new dancing partner. At approximately 8:30 last Saturday night, Jim O'Brien, a man usually calm in even the most unsettling of situations, sprinted to the portrait of the Celtics' mascot in the center of the FleetCenter's...

Q&A with Robert Horry. (Playoffs insider: NBA).
June 3, 2002... This season marks the 10th time in his 10 years in the league that the Lakers' Robert Horry has played in the postseason. He has been part of four championship teams, two with the Rockets and two with the Lakers. With the Lakers weakened at...

Yao is tempting, but Rockets should deal. (Insider: NBA).
June 3, 2002... Carroll Dawson tried to make it like any other Sunday. He got up in the morning, put on his Sunday best and went over to church. Not that he makes it to church every week, but he goes when he can. And on this Sunday, he was determined to be...

Party crasher: Peter Forsberg's stunning comeback after missing the regular season with injuries proves that fresh legs can make you the life of the playoffs. (NHL).
June 3, 2002... You've perfected the recipe for the local chili cook-off, when in comes Paul Prudhomme with a last-minute entry. The lead part in the town production of Love Story is yours until Brad Pitt decides it might be fun to go back to his roots and...

Lord Stanley's Cup. (NHL).
June 3, 2002... The hardest pro sports trophy to win also leads the pack in history. Now that we have a better idea of where the Cup is going this season, it's time to see where it has been. 1 Purchased by Frederick Arthur, Lord Stanley of Preston, 16th...

The spy who came in from the cold. (Insider: NHL).
June 3, 2002... Joe Sakic still has to dazzle. Peter Forsberg still has to score key goals. Rob Blake and Adam Foote still have to rock opponents with board-loosening hits. Patrick Roy still has to be wonderful in goal. And Bob Hartley still has to have...

Eastern conference free-agent comings and goings. (NHL).
June 3, 2002... Atlantic Division NEW JERSEY DEVILS: C Bobby Holik has spurned several offers from G.M. Lou Lamoriello to re-sign. Holik wants a five-year deal worth at least $7.5 million a season, and Lamoriello is unlikely to ante up. Lamoriello wants...

Western conference. (NHL).
June 3, 2002... Central Division CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: G.M. Mike Smith wants to sign a few free agents, but he first needs to sign a contact himself (his deal expires June 30). Captain RW Tony Amonte is all but gone, but his departure would free up money to...

The sophomore thinks: the only thing faster than Alfonso Soriano's bat and feet is the way he absorbs information. Now absorb this: he soon might become the Yankees' best player. (Baseball).
June 3, 2002... The seeds of this debate barely have been planted inside the Yankees' clubhouse. Even among the circles of intense, demanding fans, you don't hear it discussed very often. But this issue is alive, for there has been too much seen in too short a...

Latin players could use more support. (Insider: baseball).
June 3, 2002... When Eddie Oropesa joined the Diamondbacks at the beginning of spring training, his teammates knew virtually nothing about him. The Cuban defector has not commanded the English language and simple pleasantries were about the only exchanges...

The rally monkey, Ozzy, racing bratwursts and dancin' the `YMCA'. (The Closer).
June 3, 2002... Have you been to a ballpark lately? Have you been to Detroit and rode the carousel and Ferris wheel? Have you been to St. Louis and tested your fastball and won a prize? What about Phoenix? They have sushi there. Have you been to Yankee...

Fantasy source. (TSNumber 104).
June 3, 2002... For those of you still salivating over the insertion of mega-prospect Mark Prior into the Cubs' rotation, I have two words: rookie pitcher--as in, don't overrate him. Though rookie starters, especially power pitchers, can be every bit as...

A.L. (Baseball).
June 3, 2002... Anaheim Angels www.sportingnews.com/baseball/teams/angels 28-18 2nd in West BOUNCING BACK: Since returning from a concussion suffered in mid-April, CF Darrin Erstad was hitting .347 and had raised his season average to .307....

N.L. (Baseball).
June 3, 2002... Arizona Diamondbacks www.sportingnews.com/baseball/teams/diamondbacks 30-18 1st in West RIGHT ONE: After initially saying he would mix-and-match Jose Guillen, Quinton McCracken and Danny Dellucci in right field to replace Danny...

Chief concern: long hours and a jam-packed schedule make burnout a problem for Winston Cup crew chiefs. (NASCAR).
June 3, 2002... Speed always has cost money. Now, it appears to be costing much more. It is costing some crew chiefs their love for their jobs and, ultimately, small pieces of their sanity. In the last few years, many Winston Cup crew chiefs have...

Supply of loyalty is running on empty. (Insider: NASCAR).
June 3, 2002... Silly Season--that time of year when drivers, crew chiefs and sponsors make plans to move from team to team--has turned into an entire Silly Year. Not long ago the inevitable ride swapping and sponsor switching that takes place every year...

Driver report. (NASCAR).
June 3, 2002... Exclusive NASCAR team reports are written by Lee Spencer. They appear in the first issues of each month and give you the lowdown on TSN's to five title contenders, plus a report on a team to watch. Sterling Marlin 40 HOW TO RUN THE...

Making, and missing, the mark in Europe. (Insider).
June 3, 2002... Our entire War Room staff spent two weeks in Tampa in late March scouting NFL Europe training camp. After watching several practices and four scrimmages, it became clear who were NFL-caliber players and who weren't. We followed up that...

AFC. (NFL).
June 3, 2002... Baltimore Ravens www.sportingnews.com/nfl/teams/ravens BACK TO BASICS: The team is contemplating a return to a 4-3 defense. It has been trying a 3-4 during the offseason, but coach Brian Billick wasn't impressed with the scheme in...

NFC. (NFL).
June 3, 2002... Arizona Cardinals www.sportingnews.com/nfl/teams/cardinals READY TO GO: The club wasn't caught unprepared by Pat Tillman's decision to join the Army. Adrian Wilson was expected to beat Tillman out for the strong safety job, anyway. But...

Paterno won't coast into retirement. (Insider: college football).
June 3, 2002... Joe Paterno has fallen. The nation is waiting to see whether he'll get up. Paterno has stood tall--very tall--for most of his 36 years as head coach of Penn State. There are the national championships in 1982 and '86, the five undefeated...

Arkansas' transition game. (Insider: college basketball).
June 3, 2002... For weeks after Start Heath completed his sprint from major college assistant to power program head coach--Michael Johnson wishes he moved that fast--he was asked by reporters whether they might observe a few of his Razorbacks' offseason...

Everything evolves, even the word `babe'.
June 3, 2002... Here's why it's OK to be gay in baseball: It's a new world every day. To be 35 years old today is to have been born in a time long, long ago. Now we have Will & Grace. We have MTV. We recognize, enjoy, learn from and profit by association with...

Real fun. (Arena Football Insider).
June 3, 2002... Imagine human pinball. America's favorite sport at its fastest pace... 8-against-8, on a hockey rink with turf... Only 50 yards from end to end... Padded barriers make it tough to head for the sideline... Rebound nets...

Real close. (Arena Football Insider).
June 3, 2002... It's close enough, that you feel as if the game were taking place in your living room. For the fans, of course, the close quarters of Arena Football provide a different feeling from the outdoor experience. It makes you feel like you're...

Real football. (Arena Football Insider).
June 3, 2002... Think Bronko Nagurski meets Deion Sanders meets Kurt Warner. No, it's not a strange Hollywood project, rather the essence of America's hottest sport. It's Arena Football, Ironman-style, an updated version of the old fashioned game. ...

Get ready to rumble. (Sportingnews.com).
June 10, 2002... Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis finally are set to step in the ring. Be sure to check SportingNews.com for the latest coverage, and put your boxing knowledge to the test by making predictions in TSN's Heavyweight Challenge. Enter to play at:...

Ring around the radio. (Sporting News Radio).
June 10, 2002... James Brown takes his show on the road to highlight the biggest boxing event of the year. JB broadcasts live from Memphis with pre-fight coverage of the Tyson-Lewis bout Saturday. Don't miss exclusive interviews with the fighters, trainers,...

Entering the paddocks. (Sporting News Radio).
June 10, 2002... Papa Joe Chevalier heads to the Big Apple for the 134th running of the Belmont Stakes. Live coverage runs 6-10 p.m. ET Thursday and continues from Belmont Park with pre-race coverage Saturday as War Emblem tries to win the Triple Crown.

`Hey, didn't you used to be clutch in game 7s? (Caught On The Fly).
June 10, 2002... Welcome to COTF, which this week stands for: Countdown's Over, The Finals! * That hand-wringin' up Toronto way is being caused by the prospects of losing a big-dog flee (wink, wink) agent. On one hand, the guy's irreplaceable. "Cujo's...

On reported steroid use by baseball players. (Sound Bites).
June 10, 2002... "It's amazing to me the number of players that are alleged to be using steroids in the major leagues. I'm certainly not trying to play the part of some pious guy who has not made mistakes in his life. I've never used steroids, but, hey, look,...

On crowd reaction at Staples Center. (Sound Bites).
June 10, 2002... "When the fans booed us in Game 3 after the third quarter, it was a 12-point quarter.... Really, that is something that I value, the fact that the fans are willing to boo their home team. I don't like them being mean or vicious or caustic...

Bob Hille's starting 5.
June 10, 2002... (1) Steroids in baseball. What's the big surprise? It has been Bud Selig's dirty little secret for years that the bratwurst is juiced and the sausage race is a sham. (2) The World Cup. Billions around the globe will tune in at all...

Voice of the fan, (TSNSights).
June 10, 2002... Choice voice `The fact that MLB does not test players for performance-enhancing drugs seems ludicrous. I have about had it with baseball and its obvious ineptitude. I wonder what the Babe would have thought about baseball in 2002.'--Aaro,...

No pay-per-coup. (Remote Patrol).
June 10, 2002... Remain calm: There is no new intelligence indicating pay-per-view is more than an irritant to America, land of free TV and home of the brave who watch Celebrity Boxing. Still, the Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis fight, at a suggested retail of $54.95,...

Let's go to the videotape. (Static).
June 10, 2002... Let's go to the videotope: Color David Stern pro-replay. "I am ready to support a rational system that really gets the referees off the hook," says the NBA ruler, now advocating TV help in end-of-half/end-of-game, shot-vs.-clock situations...

The buzz. (Static).
June 10, 2002... The buzz: Jon Miller, currently a voice of the Giants, is being coveted by the Red Sox, a former employer. He'll continue as ESPN's lead baseball announcer regardless.

Vital stats. (Static).
June 10, 2002... Vital stats: Avs-Red Wings, a.k.a. Best Puck Playoffs No One Watched, did a 2.2 Nielsen, up 29 percent over the 2001 conference finals. But it was out-rated by a Busch race on Fox.

FYI. (Static).
June 10, 2002... FYI: Ken Venturi's 35-year run as CBS golf analyst ended at the Kemper Open...

FYI 2. (Static).
June 10, 2002... * FYI 2:... four days after Phil Simms premiered as host of CBS' Miss Universe Pageant.--F.Q.

Point well taken: the Eastern Conference champion Nets went from terrible to terrific this season. Why? Because Jason Kidd told them they could. (NBA).
June 10, 2002... There is an old story, perhaps apocryphal, about Red Holzman watching the Celtics' lineup being introduced during Boston's halcyon days of the 1960s. The legendary Knicks coach sat stoically as the first four guys came out, one by one, before...

Lakers drained and pained but championship trained. (NBA).
June 10, 2002... The Lakers' itinerary for last Saturday called for a practice at the team facility in El Segundo, Calif., followed by a flight to Sacramento for the decisive Game 7 in the Western Conference finals. The flight was a brief chance to allow some...

Mission impossible: beating the Lakers; nets can win if ... if ... if ... (NBA).
June 10, 2002... How's this for a little unwanted pressure: After the Nets finished off the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, Boston coach Jim O'Brien told reporters, unsolicited, "I think they will bring the NBA championship back East.... I think the...

One on one with ... Pat Riley.
June 10, 2002... For the first time in his 20 seasons as an NBA coach, the Heat's Pat Riley found himself on the outside looking in at the start of this year's playoffs. He also finds himself with a lottery pick for the first time, the No. 10 spot in the June...

`Baby' steps: Maybyner `Nene' Hilario of Brazil is climbing on NBA draft boards. (Draft Insider).
June 10, 2002... Big changes are coming for Maybyner "Nene" Hilario in the next few months. He will be among the first-round picks in the June draft. He will be moving to the U.S. from his native Brazil. He will end his teenage years when he turns 20 on...

Winds of change: underappreciated and overlooked, the Hurricanes easily have blown past their foes on the way to the Stanley Cup finals. (NHL).
June 10, 2002... It was midway through the Eastern Conference finals when the refrain was heard along press row in Toronto. With apologies to Bob Dylan and boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, it went something like this: "Here comes the story of the Hurricanes.......

Underdog overview.
June 10, 2002... The Hurricanes prepared themselves for their first Stanley Cup finals knowing they were huge underdogs. Throughout their Cup quest, the team hasn't been given much respect or much of a chance of success. But the Hurricanes are having the last...

Success doesn't spring from a revolving door. (Insider).
June 10, 2002... If there has been one lesson to be learned from this year's playoffs, it's that stability behind the bench pays off. The final four that battled it out in the conference finals were proof positive. Carolina's Paul Maurice is second in...

Eastern conference. (NHL).
June 10, 2002... CONFERENCE CONVERSATIONS: Maple Leafs G Curtis Joseph will be one of the most highly sought free agents this summer. He wants to stay in Toronto but the Maple Leafs must come up with a $9 million-a-season multiyear contract. If the Leafs fail...

Western conference. (NHL).
June 10, 2002... CONFERENCE CONVERSATIONS: Since the Avalanche moved to Denver in 1995, it hasn't signed a big-name unrestricted free agent in the offseason (other than its own). The Avs have acquired plenty of big names in recent years, but always through...

Hat trick. (NHL).
June 10, 2002... 1 Folded. The last two games of Patrick Roy's season will be remembered as nightmares. Mr. Money Goalie was flatter than a dollar bill when the Avalanche needed him. He even made Maple Leafs goat Curtis Joseph look good. 2 Cane do....

Leaders of the hack: batting in the No. 1 spot used to mean scratching out walks and stealing bases. Now, leadoff hitters use a variety of styles and aren't afraid to swing for the fences. (Baseball).
June 10, 2002... In the not-so-distant past, teams generally used speedy center fielders or nimble middle infielders to bat leadoff. But when the Diamondbacks met the Giants in a National League West showdown last week, each club led off with a third baseman...

It's a matter of doing the right thing. (Insider).
June 10, 2002... You can say that drug testing wouldn't be an effective deterrent to steroid use in major league baseball. You can say that testing is a complex issue that requires further study. You can even say that it is a violation of civil liberties. ...

The truth about steroids. (The Closer).
June 10, 2002... Baseball is a reflection of society. A story about steroid use in baseball came out last week. Fifteen years ago, there were reports of steroids in football. Every Olympics has some kind of drug scandal. In sports, there are people who will do...

Bottom feeding. (Insider: baseball).
June 10, 2002... As the gap between baseball's haves and have-nots continues to grow, statistical leaders in almost every major category are capitalizing on yet another edge: the unbalanced schedule. Their credo is simple: Give us your tired, your poor, your...

Fantasy source. (NFL).
June 10, 2002... So, your rookie star is slumping. Now what? Let's take a look at some kids and their prognoses for the rest of the season. Hank Blalock, 3B, Rangers. He lost his job to Herbert Perry after 33 strikeouts in 100 big-league at-bats but is...

A.L. (Baseball).
June 10, 2002... Anaheim Angels www.sportingnews.com/baseball/teams/angels 30-22 2nd in West HE'S HOT: LHP Jarrod Washburn is on a roll again. He won eight consecutive decisions during one stretch last season and was on a five-game winning streak...

N.L. (Baseball).
June 10, 2002... Arizona Diamondbacks www.sportingnews.com/baseball/teams/diamondbacks 34-21 1st in West TIME HEALS: One day after 1B Erubiel Durazo (broken hand) came off the D.L., he had a three-homer game against the Phillies. But that power...

Body work: to remain competitive, today's driver must make sure he runs as well as his car. (NASCAR).
June 10, 2002... When the smoke from the fireworks cleared and the last of the play money and confetti had fallen, Mark Martin stood jubilantly in victory lane at Lowe's Motor Speedway, celebrating a long-awaited win. That Martin had just broken a 73-race...

Got a problem? Change crew chiefs. (Insider: NASCAR).
June 10, 2002... There are few driver/crew chief relationships with staying power in Winston Cup. Because crews work under such extreme pressure, partnerships are tested time and again during the course of a 36-race season. Add in the testing and...

Instead of moving the 3-point line, erase it. (Insider: college basketball).
June 10, 2002... Not all the games Oregon's Ernie Kent worked as a coach featured a 3-point line that was 19 feet, 9 inches removed from the goal. He spent seven years in Saudi Arabia, guided a U.S. team to the Jones Cup title in Japan and is preparing to serve...

Mr. Bill: Drew Bledsoe's arrival has engendered unbridled optimism in Buffalo. But Bills fans may be overlooking some red flags--such as Bledsoe's declining performance in recent years and the team's porous run defense. (NFL).
June 10, 2002... It is only a practice--a non-contact minicamp practice--but Eric Moulds couldn't hide his enthusiasm. As the Bills' wide receiver walks off the field after a series of passing drills at the team's training complex, his eyes are as big as...

The Chiefs must meet a quadruple quota. (Insider).
June 10, 2002... As head coach in Philadelphia (1976-82) and St. Louis (1997-99), Dick Vermeil proved he is capable of turning an organization around. Both of those franchises went to the Super Bowl during Vermeil's tenure. But Kansas City may be his most...

AFC. (NFL).
June 10, 2002... Baltimore Ravens www.sportingnews.com/nfl/teams/ravens SHOOTING FOR HARMONY: QB Chris Redman's performance improved in the team's second passing camp after he was erratic in the first one. Redman's arm strength and toughness always...

NFC. (NFL).
June 10, 2002... Arizona Cardinals www.sportingnews.com/nfl/teams/cardinals SPECIAL CONCERNS: The special teams have issues. It's uncertain how much Bill Gramatica, who is recovering from knee surgery, will be able to kick at training camp. His backup...

Victims of a no-class system. (Insider: college football).
June 10, 2002... The big velvet rope is about to come down on college football. And it's a bad thing. The NCAA Division I Board of Directors recently approved new criteria schools must meet by 2004 if they wish to join the Division I-A ranks from I-AA or...

Lightning in a bottle.
June 10, 2002... Bud Selig remembers the morning in August of 1998 when he read about Mark McGwire and androstenedione. "I was shocked" he says. Then, on his way to his office at Milwaukee's County Stadium, the baseball commissioner stopped to do a family...

All NFL, all the time. (Sportingnews.com).
June 17, 2002... Counting down the seconds before the 2002 NFL season kicks off? So are we. Sportingnews.com is whiling away the summer with our ultimate Preseason Countdown, anchored by expert insight from our 32 NFL correspondents, The War Room and TSN's...

Manage the all-time greats. (Sportingnews.com).
June 17, 2002... Step back in time and put together your own lineup with Strat-O-Matic Historical Baseball. Be the manager of the game's legendary players in the most complete online baseball simulation game. To play, go to:...