The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 22

2C FITNESS SECTION 4CMAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 6C BASKETBALL TheTENNESSEAN FRIDAY, JUNE 15,1990 ons blitz LARRY WOODY i mi Sports Wfiter Fist ii mazers, 4 I SD 4 4 oeai nuie ieat JLL PbitlsnA Pb'ont wins 4-1 Came Detroit 105. Portland 99 Cam 2: Portland 106, Detroit 105, OT Cam 3: Detroit 121, Portland 106 Gam Detroit 1 12, Portland 109 Uet night Detroit 92, Portland 90 Series MVP; Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons. Box score, Page 6C. 'v V. 4 I MIKE LOPREST1 Gannett News Service PORTLAND, Ore.

Now the Detroit Pistons belong to history. Ending a legendary season with a legendary comeback, the Pistons took a leap to true greatness last night, coming from seven points back in the last two minutes to beat Portland 92-90 on Vinnie Johnson's off-balance 15-foot jumper with 0.7 seconds left to win their second straight NBA championship 4-1. It was the only way this team could properly finish. An improbable rally. A difficult shot by one of its magnificent guards.

Overcoming losing series Most Valuable Player Isiah Thomas for five critical minutes in the fourth period to a nearly broken nose. A third straight road victory in Memorial Coliseum. A record fifth straight raod victory in the Finals, going back to last year. Success stacked upon success. The Pistons join Los Angeles and Boston as the only franchises ever to repeat.

"We can't control how people will judge us," said Pistons center Bill Laimbeer, who not only had 17 rebounds but one great prediction; telling Johnson at halftime he would make the winning basket "All we can do is win as many games as we can. And as many championships as we can. "It's the satisfaction because we Chicken plans to fly even higher The Famous Chicken doesn't want to sound, well, cocky, but after 16 years he continues to scratch out a pretty good living. "The scary thing is, I haven't reached my peak," said Tim Gian-noulas, the face behind the feathers, prior to last night's Greer Stadium appearance. "My bookings go up every year," said Gannoulas, who this year will do his Chicken routine at some 250 baseball, basketball and football games, grand openings, parades and trade shows.

The man who bills himself as "faster than a speeding pullet" has also had offerings abroad. OGDEN NASH might say he's a rooster the fans never get uster. "The fans never seem to tire of it" said the Prince of Poultry. "I think one reason is, I'm constantly changing my act working new things in. "Here in Nashville, for example, I'm going to try out a couple of brand-new ideas, including a rap act New ideas seem to come to me easily." Giannoulas is a 35-year-old son of a Greek emigrant carpenter.

He didn't grow up wanting to be a chicken. As a youngster in San Diego, he had planned to become a journalist. Giannoulas was a runnerup for the 1972 Grantland Rice Scholarship to Vanderbilt. Having missed his scholarship shot at Vandy, Giannoulas returned home and attended San Diego State as a journalism major. He was going to school and working part-time at a local radio station when a volunteer was sought to wear a chicken suit for a promotion.

Tim, being the plucky little guy he is, stepped forward. And the rest as they say, is hen house history. Giannoulas was subsequently hired to perform at San Diego baseball games and during his fledgling years was known as the San Diego Chicken. Sluman 66 shares record at Medinah know we accomplished something we were supposed to do. "I don't think anybody can touch us right now." The Blazers will not argue.

"Not in my wildest guard Terry Porter said, "did I think anyone could come in here and beat us three in a row." Added coach Rick Adelman, "I don't think it was as wide as 4-1. But you've got to give them credit They hit every shot they had to make." Especially the last one. With 20 seconds left and the scored tied at 90, the Blazers turned the ball over when Porter's pass to Jerome Kersey went out of bounds. It was the killing turnover. So the Pistons had time enough to win.

Thomas was the logical prospect He had scored 20 points in the first Turn to PAGE 6C, Column 5 the way. Of the three, only Scott Simpson made a bogey. Tim Simpson, a 34-year-old PGA Tour journeyman, did not miss a green. He hit all the narrow, tree-lined fairways. And he didn't even come close to going over par on a hole.

Sluman, a one-time Tennessee Tech golfer whose only tour victory was the 1988 PGA, took a different route to his 6-under-par effort. He one-putted for par six times. Scott Simpson, the 1 987 Open champion, bogeyed the first from a bunker but "just kept persevering," birdied four of six at one stretch over the back and even joked about Medinah's vulnerability. "It's nice to be back playing these easy courses," he said. It was that kind of day.

Steve Jones, a three-time winner last season, and Mike Donald, the first-round leader in the Masters earlier this year, were a stroke off the lead with 67s, five under par. Mark Brooks did not make a bogey and was tied with John Huston at 68. Two-time U.S. Open winner Hale Irwin, former PGA champion Bob I Turn to PAGE 6C, Column 1 Rex Kerry Stall with home plate umpire Larry Vanover during last night's Sounds tumble Sounds 10-5 MEDINAH, 111. (AP) Mother Nature took care of Medinah and the golfers took care of par in record fashion in the U.S.

Open. Overnight rains slowed and softened the slick, sloping greens of the course reputed to be one of the most difficult ever used in an American national championship. Jeff Sluman and the unrelated Simpsons, Scott and Tim, took full advantage, shooting course-record 66s and leading a record assault on par in yesterday's first round. "I was hoping the greens would be softened up a little," Tim Simpson said. Then, with the hint of a smile flirting with the corner of his mouth, he added "I knew the USGA wouldn't do it So God did." The gap in Medinah's defenses en-." abled a record horde of 39 men ex-; actly one-quarter of the field to break par in the most prolific scoring day in Open history.

That compares with the old record of 24 sub-par scores in the second round of the 1 985 Open at Oakland The Famous Chicken clowns game at Greer Stadium. Redbirds LARRY WOODY Sports Writer Not even the Famous Chicken could egg the Nashville Sounds on to victory last night The Sounds opened a four-game series with Louisville by dropping a 10-5 decision to the Redbirds before an announced Greer Stadium crowd of 8,826. The Chicken-night crowd probably was kept down by showers which delayed the start of the game by 16 minutes. With the win Louisville nosed within a half-game of Nashville's second-place perch in the American Association East standings. Buffalo continues to pace the division.

The Sounds lost despite matching Louisville blow-for-blow each had 1 1 hits. Nashville had six help from their hosts. With two outs, Roy Silver reached base on a throwing error, then came home on a Geronimo Pena double. Nashville got two of the runs back in its half of the fifth when Hal Morris smacked a two-run homer. The blast to left centerfield was Morris' first home run of the season.

Louisville tacked on three more runs in the eighth. Ray Stephens singled in Silver, then Bien Figueroa scored on a wild pitch by Sounds reliever Charlie Mitchell. Stephens came home on a bloop single by Bernard The Sounds didn't go quietly. Keith Lockhardt led off the bottom of the eighth with a double and scored on a Leo Garcia single. Scott then drove in Garcia.

ON 5C; Sounds update. doubles, a triple and a home run; Louisville had only one extra-base hit, a double. Louisville took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, roughing up Sounds starting pitcher Rob Lopez for four quick singles. Nashville had the bases packed with one out in the bottom of the inning but came away empty. The Sounds picked up a run in the second inning when Donnie Scott and Freddie Benevides put together back-to-back doubles.

Louisville erupted for four runs in the fourth, two of which came on a throwing error from Lopez to third base. The visitors stretched their lead to 7-1 in the fifth, again with some sv.wii stops tonight in Mostwim, Tenru, about 40 miles) south of Bristol Knt TMvliStaH HEN HE DECIDED to fly the West Coast coop and expand his horizons, the ball club claimed dibbs on his name. Giannoulas squawked awhile, but finally agreed to drop the name. He then had to decide what a famous chicken should be called. That how the Famous Chicken was hatched.

Since then he has become the undisputed Chicken a la King of sports mascots. Giannoulas insists he always shows up at the ball park in a fowl mood. "I get pumped every time I take the field," he said. "I really enjoy what I'm doing, and I'm like any professional entertainer I want to please my audience everytime I go out "I look on every night as a one-man stage play in the theater of sports." Baseball is Giannoulas' first love, "because that's where I got started. I also enjoy working basketball games because of the intimacy of the crowd.

I can do a lot more subtle things." In baseball, Giannoulas considers the entire ball park fowl territory. He hen-pecks the umps, teases the opponents and eggs on the home team. UNDERSTAND, Tim's not working for chicken feed. Nobody will say for sure, but the Famous Chicken is believed to peck up around $6,000 a show. Giannoulas considers himself a fair fowl.

For example, if a game is rained out as appeared the case for awhile last night the promoter doesn't have to pay the full fee. In case of a rainout the promoter pays only my expenses," said Giannoulas. "If the game is played, I pick up expenses. I consider that a fair ar-rangment for everybody." The Famous Chicken buses to approximately 80 of his engagements. "I've got a customized bus, just like the country music entertainers," said Giannoulas.

"I've found its more convenient than flying." Even though his popularity continues to soar, he loves his work and the money's good, Gainnoulas figures to work only five or six more years. "It's not something I'll do forever," he said. "At some point I'll get on with the rest of my life. But not yet. I'm having too much fun." In other words, The Famous Chicken is not ready to roost on his laurels.

THE TORCH RELAY The Tennessee Sportsfest Torch Relay, a cross-state run that arrives in Nashville Friday, June 22, will be run In two segments. The eastern leg goes from Bristol to Nashville; the western leg from Memphis to Nashville. The torches will meet at Centennial Park for the opening ceremonies. Total mileage: 617. TODAY'S ROUTE The eastern leg begins today at 8 a.m.

on the Tennessee-Virginia state line on State Street in Bristol. Former state Sen. Carl Henry will help light the torch. State Rep. Jim Holcomb will be the first runner.

ON SUNDAY The western leg begins Sunday at 12:30 p.m. in Tom Lee Park In Memphis. Dave Wottle, who won a gold medal In the 800-meter run in Hills. The previous record for sub-par scores in a first round was 21 last year at Oak Hill. The two Simpsons and Sluman led Horses can wear chains, says court ANTHONY COLEMAN Sports Writer A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C, ruled yesterday Tennessee Walking Horses can wear six-ounce chains to accentuate their high step through the 1 990 show season, according to an industry official.

Buddy Payne, executive director of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association, said the appeals court issued an emergency stay of a ruling last Friday by U.S. District Judge Oliver Gasch. Gasch's ruling had struck down temporary rules adopted by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Clayton Yeutter to allow use of the chains. "We felt all along that once we got by Judge Gasch's court we would win, because the law is on our side," said Payne.

"We're the most highly-regulated and closely scrutinized equine industry, but we had the Department of Agriculture working with us in this case because we're doing the right thing." The American Horse Protection Association had filed suit to stop use of the chains around the horses ankles, which it claims causes horses to Turn to PAGE 5C, Column 1 Schmittou's expansion bid filed LARRY WOODY Sports Writer Major league baseball owners yesterday told cities Interested in an expansion team to have their application requests in by Aug. 1 "I put mine in the mail yesterday afternoon and it should be on National League president Bill White's desk this morning," said Larry Schmittou, president of the Nashville Sounds. Schmittou is convinced Music City has a good shot at one of the two National League expansion teams. "At least the ball is finally rolling," said Schmittou following yesterday's owners meeting in Cleveland, Ohio. Once all the formal applications are submitted, Schmittou expects the league to review the cities and come up with a "short list" by the end of the year.

"I'd guess there will be four or five cities on that list" said Schmittou, "and I expect Nashville to be one of them." The National League expansion committee will began an in-depth review of the short-list cities. According to Schmittou they will likely announce their two final choices no later than next June's owners meeting. I Turn to PAGE 5C Column 1 Tennessee SPORTSFEST the 1 972 Olympics, will be the first runner. 1 1 I Cy1 ''ITIjiiiii'iiiiti Him 'i''" it "in.