Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 26

Vf NHL 2D MONDAY. SEPTEMBER 28, 1998 VVV Lfljj Detroit 4frce Stress nwrn eg Wings cut Klima, 26 othen from regular-season roster A BEST BETS Taste and fed of pigskin: Hey, Lions fans those of you 21 and over, that is Coors has the ideal beer for football games. Football fans can get Coors and Coors Light in limited-edition pigskin bottles and cans. The bottle, right, not only has the football on the front, but laces on the back, for better grip, of course. The cans are the color of a football.

Bottles and cans available through mid-October. eg i wo Kwan, Eldredge start season in winning form ichelle Kwan and Todd Eldredge picked up the first skating titles of the new I II season at the Grand Slam of Skating on fj Saturday night in North Charleston, S.C. ii Kwan and Eldredge, gold medalists in SL Clair Shores Figure Skating Club, took third at the Mexico Cup earlier this month. "Her spins have really improved," said Diana Ronayne, Ag-geler's coach. "A lot of the judges in Mexico said they were among the best." The event was the second ISU Junior Grand Prix series competition of the season.

In the third event, Camie Doyle of the Detroit SC placed ninth at the Sofia Cup on Sept 20. The touring schedule for Stars on Ice, which recently added 1998 Olympic champion Tara Lipinski of the Detroit SC, will stop at the Palace on Feb. 6. Ticket information is not yet available. By Jo-Ann Barnas.

To leave a message, call skated flawlessly in her final, beating Russian Maria Butyrskaya in the championship round. Kwan received straight 5.8 scores for technique and all 5.9s for presentation from the ISU judges. In the men's head-to-head semifinal matchup, Eldredge advanced after defeating Russian Evgeni Plushenko. Nicole Bobek of the Detroit SC finished fifth; Yuka Sato, who recently moved to the Detroit area with former U.S. pairs champion Jason Dungjen, advanced to the semifinal round.

Kwan and Eldredge picked up $40,000 first-place prizes. LOCAL SUnNC UPDATE: Andrea Aggeler. 17, of the July's Goodwill Games, led their divisions through all three Grand Slam segments at the North Charleston Coliseum. The event was sanctioned by the International Skating Union. Eldredge, who trains at the Detroit Skating Club, beat 1998 Olympic gold medalist Ilia Kulik in the finals, receiving all 5.8s for technique and 5.9s for presentation.

Kwan, who graduated with honors from high school two weeks ago in Lake Arrowhead, CaliL, NATIONWORLD FOOTBALL ing is you have a chance to skate," associate coach Barry Smith said. "It forces you to get down the ice a little more and freewheel without the puck. I think Brendan has done a good job with that "I think he's really trying to work on that role and make sure he has a chance to be a penalty killer. We have a lot of penalty killers, and our philosophy is to use as many guys as possible. So he's got a chance, definitely." ILTS GET PHYSICAL Darren McCarty thrives on physical contact It gets him into the game, brings more out of him, enhances his overall play.

Leveling a player on an early shift can have a lasting effect on his performance the rest of the game. McCarty has displayed that passion for contact in the pre-season. He isn't taking it easy in the exhibition games, rather trying to mix it up whenever possible, taking each contest like the result matters. He racked up a league-high 40 penalty minutes in his first two exhibition games and was a wrecking ball in both encounters with the Carolina Hurricanes last week. Last Tuesday, McCarty was involved in three altercations including a game-ending fight with former teammate Keith Pri-meau.

"Well, I'm trying to be involved," McCarty said. "It's the exhibition season, and I'm trying to get it going. You prepare yourself, and it's an emotional game, and it's easy to get up for those games. You get caught up in it and do some things and get yourself going. You just want to keep getting better until the season comes.

"You know, you just gotta do what you gotta do to get ready. But you've got to remember, I don't go looking for it it always comes and finds me." OK, Darren. To leave a message for Jason La Canfora, call 1-313-222-6052. EDMONTON: The Oilers agreed to terms on a three-year contract with Janni Niinimaa, 23, who joined the team March 24 in a trade with Philadelphia. Terms were not disclosed.

Niinimaa, who earned $850,000 last season, had a goal and eight assists in 11 games with the Oilers. Free Press news services contributed. it i A. 1- I STEVE HELBERAssociaieo Press Ricky Rudd is pulled from his car exhausted from the heat after winning the NAPA 500 at Martinsville, Va. Rudd overcomes heat, Gordon for victory BYJASONLACA.VFORA Frw Prn SporU Writn- The Red Wings' experiment with Petr Klima is over.

The former Wings star was attempting a comeback with the Stanley Cup champs but was one of 27 players either released or re-assigned Sunday. Twenty-four players are headed to the A-Wings, an option the Wings also gave Klima, though it doesn't seem likely hell take it "He said he was going to go home and talk to is wife about it and he'd get back to me," Wings general manager Ken Holland said. "That's about all I know." The 33-year-old was far from spectacular in the pre-season, but he may have done enough to get a shot from a lesser NHL team. Klima was drafted by the Wings in 1983 and was in Detroit two years later, when the Wings snuck him out of Czechoslovakia. He was a fan favorite and 30-goal scorer with the Wings but struggled with personal problems and was dealt to Edmonton in 1989.

Klima spent last season playing in Germany but hoped to revitalize his career in Detroit where he said he most enjoyed his playing career. The Wings' roster is almost set for the regular season, but they're still carrying a few extra bodies for the remaining four exhibition games. Goalie Ryan Bach, defenseman Maxim Kuznetsov and forwards Stacy Roest and Darryl Laplante are with the Wings but will begin the season in Adirondack. Future Penalty Killer? Brendan Shanahan has many goals this season. His wishes on offense to improve from a sub-par, 28-goal season, to continue to score clutch goals, to reach the 40-goal plateau again are well documented.

But Shanahan has goals on defense, too. He would love to join the penalty-killing units this season, something he's done sparingly for the Red Wings. In St Louis, he and Brett Hull killed penalties and were dangerous at both ends of the ice, among the league leaders in shorthanded goals. He's been killing penalties throughout the pre-season and has a good shot to continue the practice in the regular season. The one thing about penalty kill- TODAY TV HIGHLIGHTS Complete TV schedule, Pages 4-5C.

8.07 bjh. XfES Baseball: San Francisco at Chicago Cubs. 8:20 31 Lions: Tampa Bay at Detroit. RADIO HIGHLIGHT Lions Tampa Bay at Detroit, WXYT-AM (1270). WAAM-AM (1600).

WKRK-FM (97.1). AREA EVENT Lions Detroit vs. Tampa Bay, 8:20 p.m., Silverdome, sold out. 1-248-335-4151. HORSE RACING DRC: Intertrack at 12:30 p.m.

1-734-525-7300. Hazel Park Raceway: 11 races, 7:45 p.m., plus intertrack at 12:30 p.m. 1-248-398-1000. Northville Downs: Intertrack at 12:30 p.m. l-8ia349-1000.

Saginaw Raceway Park: Intertrack at 12:30 p.m., 1-517-7553451. Sports Creek Raceway: Intertrack at 12:30 p.m., 1-81C6353333. Toledo Raceway Park: Intertrack at 12:30 p.m., 1-419-476-7751. Windsor Raceway: Intertrack at 12:55 p.m. 1 313-961-9545.

(armnjttross abau For home delivery, call 313-222-6500. www.frvep.com LASER TREATMENT t.i FOR HAIR LOSS jf nnlawo(itstiniKitiilttiigfowtt! "-ttfc ClllOW(mWwnunfnsnKiaiin()lu(imon TTEHJ Former Lion, college star Doak Walker dies at 71 Poak Walker, the 1948 Heis-man Trophy winner who starred on two NFL championship teams with the Detroit Lions and was paralyzed in a skiing accident earlier this year, died Sunday at 71. Walker died at Routt Hospital in Steamboat Springs, the ski resort about 100 miles from Denver where he had lived. The cause of death was complications from his paralysis, the hospital said. Walker was injured Jan.

30 when he hit a change of terrain, soared about 25 feet and tumbled another 75 feet after slamming to the ground. The injury made it difficult for him even to talk and at first he relied on eye and face movements to communicate with relatives and friends. He had regained some of his ability to talk through rehabilitation, during which he had received thousands of letters and faxes from well-wishers worldwide. "His eyes would come alive, his expression was wonderful, he was able to talk in short phrases," said Rod Hanna, a family spokesman. The accident that robbed him of the use of his arms and legs was especially tragic for a Hall of Fame football player known for his breathtaking scoring runs.

Walker, born and raised in Dallas, ended his football career in 1956 after a legendary four years at SMU and six years with the Detroit Lions. He is immortalized by the annual Doak Walker Award, which honors the nation's top college running back. He remains the only SMU player to win the Heisman. Walker carried his greatness onto the NFL, where he was an All-Pro four times and helped Detroit win two NFL championships. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and also is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

After leaving SMU, many people doubted whether Walker could make it in the NFL At 5-foot-ll and 173 pounds, he was either too small or too slow. He quickly proved the crit- Associated Press Doak Walker poses in 1 990 with the bronze likeness that bears his name, the Doak Walker Award. Walker, 71 died Sunday near Denver. ics wrong, excelling in every facet of the game. As a pro, he ran for 1,520 yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry; caught 152 passes for 2,359 yards and 21 touchdowns; averaged 39.1 yards on punts, 15.8 yards on punt returns and 25.5 yards on kickoff returns.

What he did best was score, tallying 534 points on 34 touchdowns, 183 extra points and 49 field goals. He retired with the third most points in NFL history. Walker's NFL career reunited him with boyhood friend Bobby Layne, the Lions quarterback. The two played together at Highland Park high school in Dallas. Layne called Walker "the greatest clutch player I have ever seen." In the 1952 NFL title game against Cleveland, Walker had a 67-yard touchdown run to give the Lions a 14-0 lead in the third quarter.

Detroit won the game, 17-7. In the 1953 championship game, also against Cleveland, Walker scored a touchdown, kicked one field goal and two extra points in the Lions' 17-16 victory. Walker abruptly ended his career after the 1955 season to concentrate on his business interests that could make him more money than an NFL career. "No, I don't have any regrets about quitting football when I did," Walker once said. "I'm not sorry because I've got all my teeth, both knees and most of my faculties." Walker is survived by his wife, four children and four grandchildren.

Valley (3-5). Hillsdale is 0-7-1. Gannon topped host Northwood, 2-1. Angela Vaquera scored for Northwood (5-3, 0-3 Great Lakes). FIELD HOCKEY: No.

8-ranked Michigan (8-2) defeated Louisville, 6-1, in Ann Arbor. Sophomore Tamra Geryk scored four goals for U-M. Freshman Mai leen Tulp had two goals as Michigan State (4-5) defeated Miami of Ohio, 6-2. TENNIS: Michigan State's women closed out the Spartan Classic with a singles victory and two doubles victories in East Lansing. Sophomore Natasha Skogerboe defeated Eastern Michigan's Anne Kalervo, 6-2, 6-4, and Skogerboe and junior Brooke Townsend beat EMU's Agnietzka Niemezyk and Man-uela Todorova, 8-3.

Also in doubles, seniors Isabella Oelze and Brooke West topped EMU's Jean Kansuthi and Simone Duhme, 9-7. Senior Mark Jacobson and junior Francisco Trinidad of Michigan State won the doubles championship at the Ball State Fall Classic. The duo topped Western Michigan's Mohamed Dakki and Pekka Mik-konen, 8-6. Northwood women defeated visiting Northern Michigan, 8-1. Northwood is 6-3.

The championship will be decided in the final race Nov. 1. Hakkinen can finish second and still win his first Formula One championship. GOLF: Hal Sutton won a three-way battle on the back nine of the Texas Open in San Antonio for his first PGA Tour victory since 1995 after Justin Leonard lost the lead by bogeying the final two holes. Sutton, who led by one stroke entering the final round, had six birdies and two bogeys in a 4-under-par 68.

He held on to par the final two holes and finish with an 270 total, one stroke ahead of Leonard, who crumbled, and Jay Haas, who couldn't make a birdie. Leonard and Haas each shot a 68. The victory was Sutton's first since the B.C. Open in 1995 and his ninth on the PGA Tour. He won $306,000, the largest check of his career.

Larry Nelson won the Boone Valley Senior Classic by two strokes, withstanding a charge in which Graham Marsh eagled two of the last five holes at Augusta, Mo. Nelson closed with a 7-under-par 65 and won for the third time this year, his first full season on the tour. Nelson earned $195,000 the largest prize of his career to raise his season winnings to $1.36 million, third on the money list Colin Montgomerie sank a 6-foot par putt at the 18th hole for a 5-under 67 and a one-shot victory in the German Masters in Cologne. The Scotsman also became Europe's leading money-winner. Montgomerie finished at 22-under 266 while Robert Karisson and Vijay Singh finished at 267.

TENNIS: Italy completed a 4-1 victory over the United States in the Davis Cup world group semifinals in Milwaukee. The teams split the reverse singles, both dead rubbers, as Gian-luca Pozzi beat American Justin Gi-melstob, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, and American Jan-Michael Gambill beat Davide Sanguinetti, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. The Italians swept both singles matches Friday and the doubles tie on Saturday, clinching the first home final match for Italy in its 69-year tournament history. U.S. Open champion Patrick Rafter won a Davis Cup match in Townsville, Austria, but said he would skip this week's Grand Slam Cup in Hanover, Germany.

After beating Uzbekistan's Dmitri Toma-shevich, 6-2, 64, helping Australia to a 5-0 victory, Rafter's sore left knee flared up Monica Seles defeated Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario for the third year in a row in the Toyota Princess Cup final. Seles won, 4-6, asked for standby relief with about 300 laps to go. His a cooling system wasn't work-I I ing at all. But with a car he I knew he could win in Ricky Rudd wasn't giving up the car, for anyone. "If our car wasn't so darn good, I know I would have given the steering wheel over to Hut (Stricklin)," a somewhat revived Rudd said Sunday after winning the NAPA AutoCare 500 in sizzling heat at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

"I could taste Victory Lane today. I knew I was getting close." The gutsy triumph extended Rudd's streak of seasons with a victory to 16. And it came despite conditions that were dangerous, with temperatures in the 90s outside and around 150 inside the cars, and then got worse. During a pit stop, Rudd's team handed him a glass of water. "I said, 'Man, I need more than a glass of water.

I need a garden Rudd said. They used the cool down machine, which is basically ice water, but I guess they weren't paying attention and the hose was laying in the hot sun, so it was about 150 degrees and it just about cooked me." After being helped from his Ford after the race, Rudd lay prone for several minutes before he was able to celebrate the hard-earned victory. Several drivers were relieved because of exhaustion during the race, and most who finished immediately sought refuge in their air-conditioned trailers or the infield care center, where they were pumped with fluids and oxygen. It was the Chesapeake, native's 20th career victory and third on the oval, Winston Cup's oldest and shortest track. The other two came in 1983 and 1986, and Rudd hadn't finished in the top three here since.

Series points leader Jeff Gordon followed Rudd into turn one out of the 11th and final caution with 51 laps remaining, but never made a serious bid for the lead and wound up second, his 14th consecutive top-five. Mark Martin finished third and fell another five points behind Gordon in the championship race. Martin trails by 199 points with six races left Rich Bickle finished fourth, the best showing of his career, followed by defending champion Jeff Burton, Terry Labonte and Bill Elliott More Auto mm Hakkinen took the lead in the Formula One championship, beating Michael Schumacher by 2.2 seconds in the Luxembourg Grand Prix at JOHN DOBBS PLATINUM Came of the Year John Oobttt IK. Birmimrum, Ml 18 ft. or older wv Mot, Comp, Gam, Conmut I FOR MEN ONLY Men, you don't have to second class citizens when It comes to your kids, home or property.

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A Parsons' record at OU is 250-69-33. Paul Snape scored for Oakland (4-3). Mike Skolnik (Livonia Churchill) recorded his fourth shutout MORE SOCCER: Detroit Mercy (1-5-1) notched its first victory, defeating host Western Michigan, 2-0. Jonathan Schack (Birmingham Detroit Country Day) and Jorge Ferreira scored for the Titans. WOMEN'S SOCCER: No.

7-ranked Penn State (SO-1) topped Michigan State, 1-0, in East Lansing. The Spartans are 2 5-1, 0-4 Big Ten. Michigan got its first Big Ten victory, beating host Ohio State, 2-0. Jessica Umauro (Troy) scored both goals for U-M (6-2-1, 1-2-1). Odia JahuraJty scored as Toledo (5-5, 3-1 Mid-American Conference) topped Western Michigan, 1-0, in Kalamazoo.

WMU is 2-5-1, 0-3. Grand Valley State defeated visiting Hillsdale, 5 0. Kristen Pietraa (Utica Eisenhower) scored a career-high three goals for Grand cosmetic Surgery International Cosmetic Surgery International's surgeons have performed over 8,000 procedures since 1990. Cosmetic Surgery International consists of the most experienced surgeons in the world when It comes to penile enlargement surgeries. JA iLAV RUiii sMJ a.