Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 22

2C WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1998 30clroU ifrcc tcss best bets Leetch beats buzzer; UJ1 WINGS CORNER Horn games shaded in gray Rangers win in OT Sun. Won. Tue. Wed. 1 Thu.

I FriT" Sat. 0et4 Col. SJ LA Sj 9:00 10:30 10:30 CTV CTV CTV Chi. Edm. Car.

7:30 7:30 7:00 TV TV CTV (QU, Don't forget to vote for Tank McNamara's Sports Jerk of the Year. Polls close Dec. 31, and you can vote via postcard to Universal Press Syndicate, 4520 Main, Kansas City, Mo. 6411, or via the Internet at www.uexpress.com Sagging Avs faced wilh mountain to climb NATIONWORLD DICK MAYERDRAWN TO SPORTS O's gain 2 but lose Palmeiro Free Press News Services NEW YORK Brian Leetch tied the game with one second left, in regulation, and Adam Graves scored his second goal of the night at 2:10 of overtime Tuesday night as the Rangers defeated Florida, 5-4. Ieetch scored from the lower left circle at 19:59 after Wayne Gretzky shot the puck into a group of players and it bounced out to the Rangers defenseman.

Leetch had an open net to shoot at with fff Panthers goalie Sean Burke tak-lU en out of the play. NHL "It's hard to believe that something like that can happen in hockey," Burke said of the Panthers, who had a one-goal lead and were on the power play with 1:45 left in regulation. But Florida lost its man advantage when Robert Svehla was called for hooking. And with the teams skating four aside, leetch tied the game at 4 from just outside the crease. Graves, who earlier tied the game at 3, scored his 10th with a one-timer from the lower left circle on a pass from behind the net by Todd Harvey.

The Rangers, inching toward after an 0-4 start, are 3-1-2 in their past six games and 7-9-7 overall. New Jersey 4, Washington The visiting Devils scored two goals on their first five shots, and Martin Brodeur made 22 saves for his second shutout of the season. The Capitals had allowed goals in the first three minutes five times in the past six games, but New Jersey's Jason Arnott didn't score until 5:29. Jay Pandolfo made it 2-0 at 7:39. Pittsburgh 4, Anaheim 4: Martin Straka's 14th goal midway through the third period salvaged a tie for the host Penguins.

Jaromir Jagr scored twice to end a 10-game goal drought, his longest since a 17-gamer as a rookie. Teemu Selanne tied his career high with four assists for the Mighty Ducks. Boston 1, Vancouver 1: Sergei Samsonov tied it with 29 seconds left in the second period as the Bruins extended their unbeaten streak to six games. The Canucks, who had taken the lead on a first-period goal by Mark Messier, snapped a five-game losing streak. Ottawa 3, Nashville 1: Daniel Alfredsson, who has missed 13 games with knee and eye injuries, had his first multi-point game of the year with a goal and an assist as the-visiting Senators won for the fifth time in six games.

NOTEBOOK: Buffalo right wing Rob Ray's suspension for kicking Florida forward Alex Hicks' feet out from under him from behind during a 6-2 loss Saturday, has been set at four games. Hicks left the game with a right knee injury. Ray will forfeit $15,625 based on his $750,000 salary for the slew-footing incident, said Colin Campbell, NHL senior vice president and director of hockey operations. Ray, who also was fined $1,000, sat out Sunday's game against Tampa Bay pending Campbell's review. The Sabres signed holdout defenseman Mike Wilson to a three-year deal.

Right wing Donald Audette is still holding out. Philadelphia center Eric Lindros is the player of the month after leading all scorers with five goals and 22 points in 12 games. He also leads the season scoring race with 12 goals and 33 points, and is a league-high plus-18. THANKSGIVING IS BEHIND US, wk BUT THOSE TURKEys WEARING THE fW NFL STRIPED SHIRTS AR STILL. Xa WORKING THEIR WAi TO THC TOP OF THE- ENDANGERED jPECIES LIST.

ym METROSTATE TSk aseball's hot stove league was 1J sizzling Tuesday, and the Bal-timore Orioles were firmly on If the front burner. The Orioles announced their five-year, $65-niillion deal with slugger Albert Belle; lost free-agent first baseman Rafael Palmeiro to the Texas Rangers; and acquired catcher Charles Johnson in a three-team deal. The New York Mets started it by sending catcher Todd Hundley and minor league pitcher Arnold Gooch to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Johnson and outfielder Roger Cedeno. Then they traded Johnson to Baltimore for reliever Armando Benitez. The Mets also reached an agreement with Chicago White Sox free-agent third baseman Robin Ventura on a four-year, $32-million deal.

Palmeiro signed a five-year, $45-million deal with the Rangers, the team he left after the 1993 season, even though Baltimore offered about $5 million more. "The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to be home," said Palmeiro, whose off-season home is in Texas. "Ist night, I basically had a deal done in Baltimore. I woke up this morning and wanted to see if we could make it possible in Texas." His signing seems to end the Texas career of former Mississippi State teammate Will Clark, who night be headed to Boston or, where else, Baltimore. And there was another homecoming: The Atlanta Braves signed Minnesota Twins outfielder Otis Nixon, 39, who played for them in 1991-93.

By helene St. James Free Pitss Sports WriU'i" Decimated by' injuries and impaired by a contract holdout, the Colorado Avalanche is approaching tonight's game against the Red Wings as a shot at salvaging the first quarter of its miserable season. The Avs want to send a message to the league, their fans and themselves that they are still a legitimate contender and nothing would accomplish that like beating the two-time champions. But Colorado plays Detroit in the first of four meetings right as the Wings are enjoying a revival that has generated 26 goals in five straight victories. The only Wing with a few jitters is Uwe Krupp, who played for the Colorado franchise the past four years.

"Maybe I want to win it a little more than your average road game," Krupp said. "There are a lot of special feelings." He would hardly recognize his old team, just two years removed from its championship season. The former darlings of Denver (8-11-2) have lost three of their past four games and would miss the playoffs if they were to begin today. The Avs have been shut out five times one short of the franchise record. Holdout Sandis Ozolinsh has left a huge gap on defense and special teams, and general manager Pierre Lacroix didn't impress when he traded Keith Jones to Philadelphia for Shjon Podein.

Jones had 11 points in six games; Podein has done nothing. Fans have been vocal in their disgust, but salvation could come tonight. "Every time you play Detroit it's a big game," goalie Patrick Roy told the Rocky Mountain News. "It's obviously been a tough start for us, but sometimes a win against a team, like Detroit could help you regroup." To aid that endeavor, rookie coach Bob Hartley has called up Scott Parker, a fighter who last season tore up the Western Hockey league, adding him to the mix of tough guys Jeff Odgers, Wade Belak and Warren Rychel. 'ITie Wings want no part of such a strategy.

"We won't fight Parker," associate coach Barry Smith said. "He can drop his gloves all he wants we're nol a goon team. You start fighting guys like that, then all of a sudden your belter players aren't on the ice." The Avs' best defensemen are in sick bay, which has left Aaron Miller and Sylvain Iefebvre as the top pair. They're a combined minus-20. On offense, Colorado is saved by Peter Fbrsberg and Joe Sakic.

Though the teams remain rivals, Colorado's lamentable stale drains some of the fun from previous seasons, and the Wings have fresher rivals in Dallas and Phoenix. But 2Vi years later, Claude Lemicux's hit on Kris Draper retains a pulse. "That incident is still with both teams," defense-man Nick Lidstrom said. "It's almost like a playoff-mentality game." To leave a message for Helene St. James, call 1-313-222-2295 or E-mail Hstjamesaol.com TonightAvalanche FACE-OFF: Red Wings at Colorado, 9 p.m., McNichols Arena, Denver.

TVRADIO: Fox Sports Detroit; WJR-AM (760). INJURIES: Detroit Kirk Maltby (abdomen), out; Chris Osgood (hip flexor), probable. Colorado Alexei Gusarov (broken finger), Jon Klemm (knee), Eric Messier (fractured elbow), out; Adam Foote (tricep), Stephane Yelle (wrist), questionable. Tigers' Cruz wks on ankle ligers shortstop Deivi Cruz will make his second trip to Detroit from the Dominican Republic this month to continue rehabilitation on his left ankle. TODAY TV HIGHLIGHTS for quite some time," Smith said.

Smith said the Tigers might pursue a modestly priced free agent or two this winter, but not before Tuesday. That's the day they can sign a free agent not offered arbitration without risking a draft pick. By Gene Guidi TVRADIO: Tigers and Michigan football announcer Frank Beckmann is joining Paul W. Smith's morning show as the new sports anchor on WJR-AM (760). Beckmann will do two live sports reports every hour and also serve as a fill-in host for Mitch Albom in the afternoon.

Beckmann replaces Chuck Swirsky, who is leaving to take a job as play-by-play announcer for the Toronto Raptors. Beckmann will continue to do Michigan football for WJR, but he said negotiations about a possible shift from Tigers radio to TV are not complete. "The baseball still has to be ironed out," said Beckmann, who likely would trade places with Tigers TV voice Ernie Harwell. "And those talks haven't really even reached the serious stage yet. "I think everyone wants that to work out, but it's certainly not a done deal." BASEBALL: Tryouts will be Thursday at various locations for a 10-under team to compete in AAU nationals in Orlando, Fla.

Call 1-313-562-4667. HOCKEY: Danville Wings captain Jason Durbin (Trenton) and Craig Kowalski (Clinton Township) of the Compuware Ambassadors are the North American Hockey League's player and goaltender of the month, respectively. He fractured the ankle playing winter ball a year ago and missed the first month of the season. When he returned, Cruz didn't have the same range and mobility he had shown in 1997, his rookie season. He's been working with trainer Russ Miller and conditioning coach Brad Andress in the off-season.

"Deivi was here for about three weeks the first time," general manager Randy Smith said. "Both Russ and Brad were happy with the results." Smith left it up to Cruz whether he wanted to play winter ball again, but he decided not to, preferring to concentrate on his rehabilitation. Smith and team president John McHale are going to Chicago on Thursday for a meeting of baseball executives called by commissioner Bud Selig. Some have characterized the meeting as a response to the flurry of big free-agent contracts being handed out, but Smith said Selig scheduled it before the signings took place. "We're going to deal with the issue of competitive balance, something that has been bothering a number of teams the Tigers included 9:30 Basketball: Michigan State vs.

Duke, WXYT-AM (1270). AREA EVENT 7:30 p.m. Basketball: Michigan vs. Bradley, Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor. 1-734-764-0247.

HORSE RACING DRC: Intertrack starting at 12:25 p.m. 1-734 525-7300. Hazel Park: Intertrack, 12:25 p.m. 1-248-398-1000. Jackson Harness Raceway: Intertrack, 12:30 p.m.

1- 517-788-4500. Northville Downs: Intertrack, 12:15 p.m. 1-248-349-1000. Saginaw Harness Raceway: Intertrack, 12:30 p.m. 1- 517-755-3451.

Sports Creek Raceway: 10 races, 7 p.m.; intertrack, 12:30 p.m. 1-810-635-3333. Toledo Raceway Park: Intertrack, 12:25 p.m. 1- 419-476-7751. Windsor Raceway: 11 races and intertrack, 12:30 p.m.

1- 313-961-9545. 7:30 p.m. (MJjffi Basketball: Utah vs. Rhode Island. 8:00 (ME Golf: Australian Open, first round.

9:00 CUD (BED Red Wings: Detroit at Colorado (ESPN2 subject to blackout in some areas). 9:30 (EM) Basketball: Michigan State vs. Duke. RADIO HIGHLIGHTS 7:00 p.m. Vipers: Detroit at Indianapolis, WDFN-AM (1130).

7:00 Motor City Motor Sports: Vito LoPiccolo with Mike Millenbach, president, and Denise Taylor, vice-president, of Unlimited-Detroit, a support group for unlimited hydroplane racing, WLQV-AM (1500). 7:30 p.m. Basketball: Michigan vs. Bradley, CKLW-AM (800), WTKA-AM (1050). 7:30 Basketball: Eastern Michigan at Akron, WEMU-FM (89.1).

9:00 Red Wings: Detroit at Colorado, WJR-AM (760). nhl Standings Bobsledder drives to make sport Olympic event NFL: Chicago placed quarterback Erik Kramer on injured reserve and signed former Michigan State star Jim Miller, who was cut by the Lions in training camp. Kramer is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery on his throwing shoulder today. NBA: Ix)cked-out players lost their second payday, but the sides agreed to resume collective bargaining talks Thursday in New York. Commissioner David Stern and union director Billy Hunter spoke by telephone and agreed to their first full negotiating session since Nov.

20. Taking the stand as his trial got under way in Upper Marlboro, Sacramento Kings forward Chris Webber denied using marijuana before he was arrested on his way to a Washington Wizards practice in January. "I had to go to work. It's not the time or place," he said. "Not that anytime is the lime or place." Webber is charged with second-degree assault, resisting arrest, disobeying an officer, marijuana possession, and several traffic offenses stemming from a stop for speeding.

BOXING: Mike Tyson pleaded no contest to two counts of misdemeanor assault in connection with an altercation after an August traffic accident in Maryland. He faces up to 20 years in prison 10 on each count and a possible effect on his parole from a 1992 rape conviction in Indiana. College Football: Oklahoma named Florida defensive coordinator Bob Stoops, 38, to replace fired coach John Blake. Mississippi reportedly will name Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe to replace Tommy Tuberville, who left for Auburn. Tommy Bowden will become head coach at Clemson and might not coach Tulane (1 1-0) in the Liberty Bowl, the (Columbia, S.C.) State reported.

Clemson fired Tommy West after a 3-8 season. Southern Cal (8-4) accepted a bid to play in the Sun Bowl, Dec. 31 in El Paso, Texas, probably against Purdue (8-4). Missouri (7-4) likely will be invited to play West Virginia (8-3) in the Insight.com Bowl, Dec. 26 in Tucson, Ariz.

Kansas State's Michael Bishop, Kentucky's Tim Couch and UCLA's Cade McNown are finalists for the Davey O'Brien Quarterback Award. TRACK FIELD: Sprinterlong jumper Marion Jones and shot putterdiscus throwor John Godina won Jesse Owens Memorial Awards. Western Conference CENTRAL I PT3 OP L8T 10 GF-GA AWAY Detroit 13 8 0 26 21 7-3-0 73-50 6-5-0 St. Louis 9 6 5 23 20 4-3-3 57-47 3-4-3 Nashville 9 13 1 19 23 4-6-0 54-71 3-8-1 Chicago 6 14 3 15 23 2-7-1 48-82 3-9-1 NORTHWEST PT8 OP L8T 10 GF-GA AWAY Edmonton 12 9 1 25 22 5-4-1 68-55 7-4-1 Vancouver 9 13 2 20 24 2-7-1 67-72 4-9-1 Colorado 8 11 2 18 21 54-1 53-62 4-5-2 Calgary 8 13 2 18 23 3-7-0 63-70 4-7-0 PACIFIC PT8 GP 1ST 10 GF-GA AWAY Phoenix 14 2 2 30 18 9-0-1 53-26 6-1-1 Dallas 12 4 3 27 19 6-3-1 53-39 3-2-2 Anaheim 8 10 5 21 23 7-2-1 54-57 2-7-3 Los Angeles 6 14 3 15 23 2-8-0 50-66 4-7-1 San Jose 5 11 5 15 21 3-5-2 49-56 1-6-3 Eastern Conference ATLANTIC PT8 OP L8T 10 Gf-GA AWAY New Jersey 14 7 1 29 22 7-2-1 58-49 8-4-0 Philadelphia 11 7 4 26 22 6-3-1 62-48 5-4-2 Pittsburgh 10 6 6 26 22 5-3-2 67-59 7-4-1 NY Rangers .7 9 7 21 23 4-3-3 61-63 2-5-5 NY Islanders 10 13 0 20 23 4-6-0 59-64 4-7-0 NORTHEAST PT8 GP 1ST 10 GF-GA AWAY Toronto 13 9 2 28 24 7-3-0 74-68 50 Boston 10 7 6 26 23 5-1-4 61-44 6-5-2 Ottawa 11 7 3 25 21 5-2-3 64-51 5-3-2 Buffalo 10 5 4 24 19 6-2-2 57-40 5-4-2 Montreal 8 12 2 18 22 3-7-0 52-65 1-5-2 SOUTHEAST PT8 GPL8T10 GF-GA AWAY Carolina 11 10 3 25 24 5-5-0 62-57 6-5-0 Florida 8 9 5 21 22 4-4-2 54-60 4-4-4 Washington 7 12 3 17 22 40 49-66 4-5-1 Tampa Bay 6 14 2 14 22 1-8-1 48-84 2-6-1 TUESDAY'S RESULTS BOSTON 1, Vancouver 1 Anaheim 4, PITTSBURGH 4 New Jersey 4, WASH. 0 Ottawa 3, NASHVILLE 1 NY RAN.

5, Florida 4 (OT) MONDAY'S RESULT MONTREAL 3, Los Angeles 1 TODATSGAMES Detroit at Colorado, 9:00 NY Rangers at Islanders, 7:30 Florida at Buffalo, 7:00 Phoenix at Edmonton, 9:00 Montreal at Carolina, 7:00 Dallas at San Jose, 10:30 Los Angeles at Toronto, 7:30 THURSDAY'S GAMES pete only in the pairs bobsled. "We're all very glad we're finally getting so much attention," Racine said. "It's what we need to make sure we get in (the Olympics). We need the public support, people saying they want to see women's bobsled. And why not? There's men's bobsled, and we're just as skilled and love the sport just as much." Bobsled was among the sports at the first Winter Olympic Gaines in 1924.

Women always have been excluded at the Olympics, but they haven't always been such outsiders. In the early 1900s in Europe, racing rules stipulated that when a sled carried five people, two members had to be women. And in 1 938, Katherine Dewey was the driver of the four-man team that won the U.S. national championship. Shortly thereafter, women were banned from competing.

Only four years ago, the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Eederation, in conjunction with several other nations from the International Federation of Bobsled and Tobogganing, began staging races for women. Elaherly has been among the sport's most vocal supporters active in not only making bobsled an Olympic event for women, but in building the U.S. program. Flaherty, a financial adviser from Columbus, Ohio, became interested in the sport four years ago after following the progress of some local athletes.

He quickly learned what the women didn't have which was almost everything. The team had been renting equipment, so the first thing Flaherty did was purchase a sled he saw in a Lake Placid, N.Y., museum for $7,000. Then, when he heard a family from Michigan had won a bobsled in a soft-drink contesttie bought that or" Bobsled, from Page 1 bobsled team, said: "I give it more of a 70-30 chance that we'll be in. Gender equity is not a hot button (in Europe). But this announcement being delayed was a killer.

The USOC was ready to put more money into it." Playing the waiting game won't deter Racine, who hopes that she and her teammates will be more than an inspiration for every nine-to-fiver who dreams of Olympic glory. "I have committed myself to becoming one of the first women bobsledders in the Olympics," Racine said. "Not only that, but I'm going to be on the podium, too. I'm not going to go there and not win. I've committed my life to it.

From what I heard, SLOC is planning for us and that's all I need to hear." In just her third bobsled season, Racine has a lot to be excited about. Once a nervous young rookie, Racine is still young only 20 but she is now the top-ranked women's driver in the United States. Racine will enter this weekend's first World Cup race of the season piloting the USA 1 sled with brakeman Jennifer Davidson of Ixtyton, Utah. Racine became the No. 1 driver by overtaking Jill Bakken of Kirkland, in the point standings lale last season.

Bakken, with brakeman Meg Henderson of Houston, will command the second U.S. sled at the World Cup race Saturday and Sunday at the Utah Winter Sports Park the 2002 Olympic track in Park City. Other countries competing on the women's circuit this year are Hungary, Poland, Canada, Great Britain and Switzerland. Japan, Jamaica, HoEfand and Norway also might enter some rates. Women com "When I got involved, only a few nations were sliding, and the U.S.

was one of them," Flaherty said. "But there had been a couple of crashes, and the attitude was that there was no way women were going to make the Olympics." There have been other problems. Flaherty said the international federation has not been totally committed to the women's event. Many European nations, including Austria and Italy, don't participate. Also, some countries are more interested in seeing men's and women's skeleton added to the 2002 Salt Lake Games.

Skeleton is a sport similar to luge, except competitors slide down the course head first. As a result, since the federation represents bobsled and skeleton, conflict persists. But the women bobsledders say that unlike their skeleton cousins, they are not adding a new sport just making an existing one equal. The U.S. Olympic Committee has lent its support.

A few weeks ago, it issued grants totaling $40,000 to members of the women's bobsled team to help pay for training and expenses. That was terrific news for Racine and her family, who have suffered hardships the past few years. Racine's youngest sister, lOyear-old Jessica, was diagnosed with lupus a few years ago; her mother, Cathy Racine, suffers from scleroderma, a skin disease. "They're my inspiration," said Jean Racine, adding that Jessica's lupus is in remission. "I owe everything to my mother.

She kept me involved. She used to tell me, Try everything and find what you "Every year I've been gelling better and better. I'd like to think we've all come a long way." To leave a message for Jo-Ann Barnas, call 1-313-222-2037. Tampa Bay at Calgary, 9:00 Los Angeles at Ottawa, 7:30 Anaheim at Chicago, 8:30 In CAPITALS) (Home teams.