The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 26

2C Thursday, October 8 1998 THE TENNESSEAN 3 SPORTS: PAGE 2 Rutherford land owners place stop sign by new track Not in my back yard. That's the mindset of a lot of folks anytime someone suggests building a racetrack anywhere near their neighborhood. We saw it in Robertson County years ago when a citizens group helped to derail a racetrack plan in that area. Now we're seeing it again in Rutherford County, where part of a proposed new superspeedway is to be located. The first serious ripples of resistance have begun.

A citizens group called CRASH County Residents Against Speedway Havoc is concerned about noise, traffic and the effect on their quality of rural life. Chamber of Commerce once told me the benefits of Charlotte Motor Speedway outweighed the NFL's Carolina Panthers and NBA's Charlotte Hornets. Combined. Last week the Charlotte track announced it will package its Indy Racing League event in May with the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600. Track president Humpy Wheeler is predicting 600,000 race tickets will be sold that month.

He said the economic impact on the Charlotte area will be $100 million. That's for one month of racing. The Middle Tennessee track, even if it doesnt land a premier Winston Cup race, still could generate millions of dollars annually. While the Tennessee Oilers are struggling to sell out a stadium, Bristol (Tenn.) Speedway has over 80,000 fans on a waiting list for race tickets. Bristol routinely sells out its track for both annual Winston Cup races.

In August it also drew over 100,000 fans for its Busch Series race undercard. Those same races would draw as well or probably even better at a Nashville-area track. What about racing's riff-raff factor? The bad element stock car racing is supposed to attract? That might have been a concern with a racing crowd several years ago, but no more. NASCAR has worked hard to turn the sport into a family affair, and it has succeeded. I see more fan rowdyism at the average college football game than I do at the average NASCAR race.

Last Sunday at Charlotte the governor of North was on hand. Earlier at i iOl, Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist and Sen. Bill Frist were in attendance. Sen.

Fred Thompson was there last year. Ronald Reagan was at Daytona for Richard Petty's 200th win. Jimmy Carter hosted a NASCAR dinner at the White House. Wouldn't want that kind of element in your neighborhood, right? The riff-raff concerns are absurd, just as the economic benefits are undeniable. But complaints and concerns, about a racetrack's effect on a rural area's tranquil quality of life is -1 There is no denying that the peace ful, pastoral countryside will never be the same if big-league racing' moves in.

Proponents say that's just the'' price of progress. Opponents say it's too high a price, and question the! definition of "progress." That is the emotion-charged bate on which the speedway's and future dangles. 'f, rf Larry Woody Is a Tennessean sports wriU' er and columnist. He can be reached at 259-8019. Larry Woody Commentary It vows to fight the project tooth and nail.

Overcoming that opposition could represent the biggest hurdle facing the proposed $150 million track between Lebanon and Murfreesboro. The economic stakes are enormous. A member of the Charlotte, N.C., MEDIA WATCH SPORTS A.M. i Compiled from staff and wire reports bylvanAronin MMMmm Player scores 3 goals, dies Former NHL player Stephane Morin died of an Honors for Vandy goalie Vanderbilt goalkeeper Lauren Whitt has been named national player of the week by College Soccer Weekly. She is the first Commodore to receive the honor.

The freshman from Birmingham stopped No. 10 Virginia in a 4-0 Vanderbilt win and held top-ranked North Carolina to one goal with 11 saves in a 1-0 loss. Whitt has allowed just nine goals this year. The Commodores (8-3) are ranked 17th in the nation and have a 3-1 record in Southeastern Conference games. The next home game for Vanderbilt is tomorrow at 6 p.m.

against Marquette. BELMONT SHUT OUT Memphis scored with 2:08 remaining in the game to beat visiting Belmont 1-0 last night. The Bruins are 2-7-0. parent heart attack during a German league game Tuesday night Morin, who had been playing for the Berlin Capi- tals, collapsed and died shortly after scoring three goals. Morin, 29, played for the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks in the NHL.

After his first-period hat trick, he left the ice early i in the second period complaining that he wasnt feeling well. Morin lost consciousness shortly afterward on the bench. Doctors failed to revive him and he was pronounced dead at a hospital. News from T', radio, print journalism and the Internet Yankees rout hurts NBC Game 1 ratings The New York Yankees' dominance put a temporary end to baseball's ratings growth. New York jumped out to a 5-0 lead after one inning in Tuesday night's opening game of the American League Championship Series, dampening NBC's rating.

The network got a 9.2 rating for the game, down 12 from its coverage last year of the NL championship series opener between Atlanta and Florida. A ratings point represents 994,000 households. Judge to review Albert case: More than a year after Marv Albert pleaded guilty to assault and battery in connection with a sexual encounter, his case goes back tomorrow to a judge who will probably dismiss it. Prosecutors wanted Arlington Circuit Court Judge Benjamin N.A. Kendrick to impose a jail sentence for the misdemeanor, but he refused and said the conviction would be dismissed if Albert received counseling and stayed out of trouble for a year.

Albert's lawyer, Peter Greenspun, said Albert has met the judge's conditions. NBC fired Albert from his job as the network's lead NBA play-by-play announcer the day he pleaded guilty, and he quit his other job with the Madison Square Garden Network. He has since married, accepted a job doing radio play-by-play for the Knicks and anchoring a sports talk show. TENNESSEAN NEWS SERVICES mm I 1 AP Providence drops 3 sports Providence College will drop men's baseball, golf and tennis at the end of the school year to ensure it meets federal requirements demanding an equal mix of male and female athletes. Providence ruled out other options, such as creating more women's teams.

Tyson to block test release Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson peti- tioned the Nevada Supreme Court on Wednesday in an effort to keep results of recent psychological tests hidden from the public. Tyson's emergency petition asks for a stay of a lower court's refusal on Monday to reconsider an or-, der allowing the records to be made public upon their release to the Nevada Athletic Commission. The documents are from a team of psychiatrists that examined Tyson for five days last month. Commission members ordered the tests following a Sept. 19 hearing on Tyson's request to replace a license revoked for biting Evander Holyfield's ears during their heavyweight title fight Tyson lawyer Jim Jimmerson said it was clear the records should be kept under wraps "when consider ing the harm likely to be suffered by Tyson as op-H Pippig fails drug test Uta Pippig, a three-time Boston Marathon winner, was suspended yesterday by German track officials after tests found abnormally high levels of testosterone in her body.

Pippig was tested during training on April 23, said Theo Rous, vice president of the German Athletics Federation. Pippig will be banned from running for two years if the federation's legal committee finds she was guilty of doping, Rous said. Pippig told the lab she took some medicine to battle a viral infection. poseu 10 ine leeumg irenzy oi me meaia ana ine mouths of the hungry public." Tyson lawyer Jim Jimmerson also said that Tyson is in poor financial shape and "needs to box again to ON THE AIR Television and radio listings TODAY Time Event Station 3 p.m. Go! PGA Michelob Championships ESPN 7 p.m.

Baseball: San Diego at Atlanta Fox Also on 145Q-AM 7 p.m. College football: Virginia Tech at Boston College ESPN 7 p.m. College call-ine: Boots Donnelly Show 560-AM 6 p.m. College call-int: Woody Widenhofer Show 650-AM TOMORROW Time Event Station Noon GoH: PGA Michelob Championships ESPN 2 p.m. Golf: Senior Transamerica ESPN 3 p.m.

Auto racing: NASCAR qualifying ESPN2 4:30 p.m. Auto racing: NHRA qualifying ESPN2 6:30 p.m. NHL: Philadelphia at New York Rangers ESPN 7 p.m. Baseball: New York at Cleveland, Game 3 WSMV-4 7 p.m. Boning: Tate vs.

Tetesco, It. heavyweights ESPN2 AROUND TOWN A 'disappointed' Pete Sampras, the world's top-ranked player, leaves the court after losing in the first round ol the Swiss Indoors tournament. Sampras, Rafter lose quickly Pete Sampras, and Patrick Rafter the world's best players were upset yesterday in the opening round of $1 million Swiss Indoors tournament. Sampras, a winner of three titles this season including Wimbledon, was toppled by Wayne Ferreira 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 only hours after Rafter was eliminated by Czech Daniel Vacek 7-6 (9-7), 7-5. "I'm very disappointed," said Sampras, who accepted a wild card in an effort to finish atop the rankings this year.

"It cant get much worse than this. "I'm sitting here trying to regroup and wondering, hey, what happened? I only arrived two days ago, and now I'm going home tomorrow." Another top attraction, wild card Boris Becker, also made an early exit, losing 6-3, 6-2 yesterday to Sweden's Thomas Johansson. HINGIS STILL NO. 1 Martina Hingis, hobbled by a sore ankle and hindered by losing her contact lenses, held onto the top ranking in women's tennis yesterday with a come-from-behind victory over Anna Kournikova at the Porsche Grand Prix at Fild-erstadt, Germany. Helped by 13 double faults by Kournikova, Hingis reached the third round with a 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory to keep her 80-week streak as No.

1 alive. No. 2 Lindsay Davenport can take over the top spot this week. The U.S. Open champion, who trails Hingis by 26 points, beat Mary Pierce 6-1, 6-3.

mm support himself and his family." ALI TO HAVE LOUISVILLE MUSEUM Muhammad Ali brought the torch he used to light the Olympic flame at the Atlanta Games, and offered it yesterday to be exhibited at a museum proposed to honor him. From schoolchildren to politicians, people flocked around the three-time heavyweight champion whose life journey would be on display at the Muhammad Ali Center. The Ali Center would include a museum, a research center, an auditorium and a garden. It would be built downtown near the Ohio River. Organizers want to raise $80 million for the long-anticipated project $60 million to design and build the center, plus $20 million for an endowment to pay for its operation.

Organizers hope to open the center on Jan. 17, 2001, Ali's 59th birthday. Larry Townsend, who heads the Ali Center board, said afterwards that construction wouldn't begin until all the money is raised. Home runs scare neighbors Bryan Sanchez has broken his high school's home run record, and residents of the upstate New York community of Canandaigua, N.Y., worry he's going to start breaking windows. The school district is considering making the fence 20 feet taller around Evans Field.

Sanchez's home runs have already sailed into flower beds and tool sheds. One homeowner says a ball hit his house. Sanchez is entering his senior year with a school record of 11 career home runs. His biggest shot came during an American Legion game in 1996 when he hit the ball over a twe-story house. Community sports bajpeniiifis UPCOMING TENMS: The Virginia Slim Uganda Tour will have its event at Centennial Sportsplex on Saturday and Sunday.

Scheduled to compete are Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Zina Garrison and Tracy Austin. Matches begin at 1:30 p.m. Tickets (reserved seats $22; weekend series $40; box seats $65) are available at TicketMaster. AUTO RACING: Highland Rim Speedway will have Fall Classic 400 and racing in six divisions Saturday at 6 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults; free for children 11-under.

Call 643-8725. PRO FOOTBALL: Temrnm Oilere season and single-game tickets are on sale. Season tickets range from or $36 and $48 per game. The next home game is Oct. 18 vs.

Cincinnati at noon at Vanderbilt Stadium. The Nov. 15 game against Pittsburgh is sold out. Call 341-7627. Jordan gives Bulls fans reason to hope Williams returns to defensive line Tennessee State will have a little more firepower on defense Saturday when Its visits Eastern Kentucky.

Linebacker Armand Williams is expected to play. He has missed the last three GUEST SPEAKER: Lady Volt assistant coach Mickie DeMott will Bpeak at the Gallatin Business and Professional Women Club's banquet on Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. at Volunteer State Community College. Cost is $15 per person or $25 per couple.

There will also be a silent auction. Call 824-1049 for reservations by Oct. 9. i BASKETBALL: The Vine Gill Celebrity Game and Concert will be hekf Nov. 2 at Belmont's Striplin Gym.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 460-VINC. LUNCHEON: Tennessee radio announcer John Ward will be honored on Nov. 7 at Thompson-Boling Arena at 11 a.m. CST. Tickets are $60 for table seating or $10 for arena seating.

Call (423) 974-1218 for table seats or (423) 656-1200 tor arena seats. PRO BASKETBALL- The Nashville Noise ABL team has season tickets, ranging from $770 to $198 for the 22-game schedule. First game is Nov. 7 against Columbus at Municipal Auditorium. Call 862-6392.

HOCKEY: The Nashville Predators have single-game tickets for the first half of the season and fun-season tickets on sale. Season tickets range from $2,340 (tower level) to $585 (upper level). First game Saturday is sold out. CaB 770-7825. CompiM by van Aronin.

Ctll 2584292 to mclud into. games following a knee injury suffered during the first game of the season against Middle Tennessee State. "He's not going to be NEXT FOR TSU I At Eastern Kentucky, Saturday, 6 p.m. Radio: 1470-AM Chicago Tribune CHICAGO The caller ID said "anonymous." The caller was anything but The return call was from Michael Jordan, who yesterday gave his first extended interview since playing in the Ameritech Senior pro-am golf tournament on July 16. That evening, with speculation growing that Tim Floyd would be the new Bulls coach, Jordan stunned an overflow press conference by saying he was retired.

During yesterday's conversation, Jordan sounded anything but retired. In his most optimistic message yet, he indicated he still wants to play, that he hasnt ruled out playing for Floyd and that he isnt opposed to playing for an organiza son would return to coach him. "I haven't totally ruled that out," Jordan said, adding that he talks regularly with Jackson. "Phil just needed a break because of all the tension (with Krause). But he's still a great communicator and I'm comfortable that he will coach again at some point" Pressed, Jordan acknowledged that the odds of Jackson coaching the Bulls this season are extremely long "probably a million to one." But the good news for Floyd is Jordan didn't say anything bad about a coach he used to scoff at "I dont have any (negative feelings) toward Tim," Jordan said, sounding sympathetic.

"I dont fault him. I fault Jerry Krause. Tim's in a no-win situation." tion still run by a general manager he openly detests, Jerry Krause. "I played with Jerry there the last five or six seasons, and we've been successful," Jordan said, "I dont like it But that's not going to be my final deciding factor." Neither is health nor desire, the 35-year-old Jordan said. "I'm completely healthy, and the love I have for basketball, for the challenge of it, is still there for me.

What's most important right now is for me to see where the league is going (with a new collective bargaining agreement) then look deep inside myself and make a clear-cut decision. So for now I'm keeping my options open." In fact, Jordan said it's still a long-shot possibility that Phil Jack Sports tickets League official: 'We'll talk all night' at full strength but he's feeling a lot better," TSU coach L.C. Cole said. "We hope that he can help to make a difference." The Tigers (2-2) also will have the services of defensive back Eric Joyce and defensive tackle Curley Grayson. They have missed games this year due to injuries.

Joyce played some against Alabama last week after he suffered a dislocated elbow against MTSU. Tennessee State has played better defensively through the first four games of the season compared to last year, but still hasn't shut down opponents the way Cole had hoped. "We've got to get some production out of the defensive line," said Cole. "I can't tell you how disappointed I am about the way that they have played." NEW KICKER: Buck Billings will have the kicking responsibilities for the Tigers this weekend. Billings was perfect on eight extra point attempts last week and hit a 38-yard field goal.

Regular kicker Gabe DeLong is battling groin injuries. Seth Goodowens, who Is a backup kicker, is also banged up. "Buck did a good job last week," said special teams coach Fred Kaiss. "He's always been accurate. He got good height on his kicks." Kaiss' special teams units are on a tear, ranking second In Division l-AA in kickoff return yardage (36 yards per return).

"We're proud of the way the guys are playing togeth NFL Tennessee Oilers Atlanta Falcons Carolina Panthers Cincinnati Bengals Chicago Bears Jacksonville Jaguars Indianapolis Colts New Orleans Saints St Louis Rams COLLEGES Austin Peay Cumberland Middle Tennessee State Tennessee Tennessee State Tennessee Tech Vanderbilt Western Kentucky HOCKEY Nashville Predators Phone 888-313-8326 888-333-4406 704-358-7000 513-621-3550 847-615-2327 904-633-6000 317-297-2658 504-733-0255 800-246-7267 Phone 931-648-7761 444-2562 ext. 132 615-898-2103 1-800-332-VOLS 963-5841 931-372-3940 322-3544 1-800-5-BIG-RED Phone 770-7825 Associated Press NEW YORK Facing the possibility of the first shortened season in NBA history, owners and players resume labor talks today with few expectations of progress. "We're ready to sit there and talk all day and all night and maybe someone will come up with something," NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik said. "Often that's how it happens, but I have no reason to be optimistic." The bargaining session will be only the second since the lockout was imposed July 1. The owners and players have on ly a couple of days to come up with a deal that will save an 82-game season, and such a breakthrough seems unlikely with the sides far apart on the main economic issues.

"I hope it's going to be substantive," players union director Billy Hunter said. "I'm going to tell David Stern, the commissioner what we dont like about their last proposal, and then suggest that we really talk about something that's going to create some movement on both sides." The last time owners and players were together in the same room was Aug. 6, when the players made their most recent proposal, and the owners responded by walking out. Both sides expect the work stoppage to force the cancellation of games. The exhibition schedule has already been canceled, and the regular season is due to begin Nov.

3. Kings hire coaches: Sacramento Kings coach Rick Adelman hired NBA veteran Byron Scott and former Michigan coach Steve Fisher as assistant coaches yesterday. John Wetzel was appointed lead assistant and Pete Carrill, the longtime Princeton coach, was retained for the final year of his contract Terms of the individual deals were not released. er, saia Kaiss. Ana we re going to keep working to get even better." ANTHONY COLEMAN 1 I Mi.