The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 23

Media. 2C (T Wrestling 2C (I Scoreboard 7C Predators Arbitration will soon determine deals for Mike Dunham, Cale Hulse 3C SPORTS SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 2001 Turnovers key stat for Kats Younger players to get close look it Kats vs. San Jose When: Today, 12:30 p.m. TV, Radio: Titans vs. Bears When Today, 7 pm TYRadaWKRN-2, Tiarenotebcok, more foetal on 6C WKRN-2, 99.7-FM Turnover margins Go into semifinals as league's leaders By CHIP CIRILL0 Staff Writer There are two teams in the Arena Football League who are way in front of everyone else when it comes to turnovers.

Not surprisingly, both of those teams are in the semifinals. The Nashville Kats boast the best turnover margin at plus 22, followed by Indiana at plus 20. There is a big gap between second and third, with Carolina at plus 10. 'Turnovers are a big part of our defense," Kats Coach Pat Sperduto said. "Our defense is Game plan vs.

Bears won't be wide-open By JIM WYATT Sta ff Writer For at least a game, they looked more like the Rams than the Titans. Ball-control offense was replaced with a more wide-open attack, and the Titans threw the football all over the field. It was last year's preseason finale at Chicago, the Titans' final tune-up before the start of the 2000 seasoa By game's end the Titans racked up 399 yards of passing offense, 479 in all. At one point in the contest Steve McNair completed 13 consecutive 22 20 10 9 9 7 Nashville Indiana Carolina Arizona San Jose New Jersey GEORGE WALKER IV STAFF Offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, center, talks with QB Steve McNair, left. Starters will play the first quarter plus one series tonight passes and the four Titan quarterbacks that played in the game completed passes to 11 different receivers in a 34-28 Tennessee victory.

"I think passing-wise, that was probably the best preseason game we've played since I've been here," said McNair, who was 16-of-22 for 262 yards in the first half. "That's the way I'd like to play every night." It was the type of offense fantasy football owners dream of, but a sign throw for more than 300 yards in the regular seasoa Four times they threw for less than 125. Tonight, when the Titans open up their preseason schedule against the Please see TITANS, 6C of things to come it was not. The following week the Titans returned their focus to running back Eddie George, who piled up a career-high in rushing yards for the season, and relied on their No. l-ranked defense.

Only once did the Titans CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES! FEDERATED AUTO PARTS 200 -Udd plays smart, and they're not going to stop playing until the whistle blows." How important is the turnover margin? Ten of the top 11 teams in that statistical category made the AFL playoffs. But there are always exceptions, such as top-seeded Grand Rapids (12-3), which ranks 15th out of 19 teams with aminussevea "The turnover margin is a huge factor," Kats defensive specialist Ron Carpenter said. "Whether if this league, the NFL, the World League, you look at the turnover margin as an indicator of how well your team is doing. The fact that we're way up there shows we're very opportunistic, we're not turning the ball over on offense, and we're taking every opportunity to take the ball away on defense." Nashville has made just 15 turnovers, second only to 12 by Indiana The Kats rank last among AFL teams in passing offense at 203.6 yards per game, but they make so few mistakes it hasn't hurt them. "We've won some games because of turnovers," wide receiverlinebacker Darryl Hammond said.

"We've been fortunate with turnovers and I think that makes the difference, more than anything." sometimes patient We 11 let you nickel and dime us, and all of a sudden we make a play. A great example was the Toronto game. "The first drive they nickled and dimed us, and got to our 5-yard line. But Cliff Green stripped the ball and we recovered Thaf what we do best We try to make you put the football on the ground and try to make you throw the football to our guys." Nashville came up with an AFL-high 37 turnovers, including 20 interceptions and 17 fumble recoveries. The Kats hope to force a few more when San Jose visits Gaylord Entertainment Center today for an AFL semifinal between powerhouses with 11-4 records.

San Jose tied Arizona, a quarterfinalist for fourth with a plus nine turnover margin during the regular seasoa 'Turnovers are what separate the good teams from the bad teams," SaberCats Coach Darren Arbet said. "If you take the ball away from someone and stop them two or three times, that wins it Nashville JUCN BRADLY J. BONER STAFF Scott Riggs, left, celebrates as pit crew member Doug Schaub plays the guitar Riggs received as winner of the Federated Auto Parts 200. More racing on 5C Heat, asthma send two to the hospital From start, his truck's easily fastest By LARRY WOODY Staff Writer GLADEVILLE Two words and an exclamation mark are all thaf required to sum up last nighf Federated Auto Parts 200 at Nashville Superspeedway: Great Scott! Scott Riggs started on the pole, led 131 of the 150 laps in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race including the final 48 lapping all but two competitors in a virtually uncontested romp. "We'd heard all the horror stories about this track that it was too slick, too dangerous," Riggs said.

"But the track was in great shape. It had a lot of grip and texture." With approximately 23,000 fans looking oa Riggs sailed his Dodge across the finish line L103 seconds ahead of Ultra Motor-sports teammate Ted Musgrave. Riggs and Musgrave are tied for most wins of the seasoa with four each. 'Td have liked to have put a tire mark on him but I just couldn't do it," Musgrave said. "A couple of guys who were a lap down got to running side by side there toward the end that held me up.

Oh well, at least my teammate woa" Rick Crawford was third and Brentwood's Joe Ruttman fourth, one lap dowa "At the start IVe never fired off with everything going that bad," Ruttman said. "I was falling back like crazy. I don't know how the Brentwood's Joe Ruttman took the Crartsman Truck Series unof ficial points lead after a fourth-place finish last night. Federated Auto Parts 200 notebook Race results By MAURICE PATTON Staff Writer A week after an NFL player died of heat stroke and a college player died of an asthma attack, two Tennessee State freshman football players were taken from the practice field yesterday in ambulances one suffering from heat exhaustion and one after an asthma attack. Chase Porter, a tight end from Louisville, Ky, and Narado Stoker, a linebacker from Dallas, were transported to Centennial Medical Center.

Porter was released last night, but Stoker, an asthmatic, was kept overnight for observatioa "I've had people with asthma attacks and people with heat exhaustion but not at the same time," TSU head trainer Monroe Abram said. Both players became ill after the afternoon session of two-a-days on the first day of combined varsityfreshman practices. The freshmen had been working out since Monday. Porter reached the field house, looked lethargic and complained of numbness in his hands, according to Abrara Abram, cognizant of the heat complications that killed Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Korey Stringer on Aug. 1 and having dealt with heat concerns at a previous stop, quickly decided to call in emergency Please see TSU, 7C crew corrected it" Crawford said he wasn't surprised at Riggs' power-packed performance.

"In Thursday's happy hour final practice session he was in a time zone of his owa" said Crawford, who started 13th. "I was greatly disappointed that we weren't in the hunt for the pole. It kinda destroyed our momentum for awhile." Ruttman took over the series points lead, with Riggs nosing up Please see RIGGS, 5C fit, wk JEANNE REISEL STAFF Scott Riggs takes his victory lap after winning the Federated Auto Parts 200. NASCAR could be facing black flag in Earnhardt probe Tn the vears that have fol- FT-Ov I merely negotiates a new TV faced that indicate NASCAR's Earnhardt fans, some of NASCAR's first and only Callous disregard for In the years that have fol merely negotiates a new TV Callous disregard for the findings will not blame Earn deal If baseball faces another lockout or strike, NASCAR scapegoat The cost of that unfortunate and incorrect J) OpW Opinion David Climer truth? Here's the copy of NASCAR's announcement that a broken seat belt had been found in Earnhardt's car and a statement by a physician employed by Daytona International Speedway theorizing that a broken belt was to blame for Earnhardt's fatal injury. Sounds to me like the kind of case even Marcia Clark could wial rrTTj David Climer is a senior a writer and columnist for The Tennessean.

He can be reached at 259-8020 or dclirnertennessean.com. whom held him directly responsible for their hero's death. Simpson is the former head of Simpson Performance Products, the company that manufactured the seat belt used by Earnhardt in the fateful Daytona 500 on Feb. la Last month, Simpson resigned as head of the company, citing stress related to the ongoing controversy about the role the belt might have played in Earnhardt's death. Clearly, the damage already has been done.

He was lowed its birth as a backwoods pastime to its current status as a hot property in the international sports marketplace, NASCAR has lived in fear of just one thing. Not death on the track. Not a drivers' unioa Not even an IRS audit No, the only thing for NASCAR to fear besides fear itself is litigation. Everything else can be managed, controlled or spua But the mere possibility of a facing a lawsuit with real merit is a black flag- This absence from the hardt's death on a torn or failed seat belt. Instead, it concurs with the earlier findings of a medical expert who concluded that Earnhardt died of a violent forward whip of his head, causing basilar skull fracture.

This is vindication for Bill Simpson and a call to arms for NASCAR's legal team As makeup calls go, this is too little, too late. Through NASCAR's previous actions and statements, Simpson has been left to twist in the wind in front of angry, anguished label may be up to the courts to decide. So far, Simpson has not indicated he is considering legal actioa But in a litigious world where people sue for everything from hot coffee at a drive-thru to paper cuts at a fax machine, Simpson is holding all the legal cards. Financial damages? Check the decrease in company business. Pain and suffering? Just take a look at the death threats in these letters and e-mails.

will keep on racing. Frankly, it is one of the things that some of us find refreshing about NASCAR. While other sports spend half their time filing motions in the pits, NASCAR keeps dropping the green flag. But don't be surprised if we are now headed down that long straightaway to litigation as NASCAR puts the finishing touches on its investigation into the death of racing icon Dale Earnhardt Various reports have sur courtroom is one of the things that has separated NASCAR from other sports. NASCAR does not have to negotiate with an entity like the NFL Players' Association on everything from salary caps to safety issues.

When the NBA worries about mushrooming player salaries, NASCAR Jarrett on Global pofe mm I HliHIl I Assistant Managing EditorSports: Bill Bradley, 259-8022 bbradleytennessean.com Deputy Sports Editor. Michael H. Jones, 259-801 3- Assistant Sports Editor Kevin Procter, 259-8014 v. Assistant Sports Editor: Bob McCtel Ian, 259-8299 Write ua tnsportstennessean.com Maturity puts fandyRB on brink of breakout Lew Thomas' maturity level has finally caught up to his athletic ability and he may be close to having success on the field. UT: Kelley Washington will juggle backup quarterback duties with a role as a receiver.

On 6C Royals' Sweeney ejected after tight The Royals' Mark Sweeney was ejected after he charged the mound and threw Detroit pitcher Jeff Weaver to the ground in the sixth inning. The Royals beat the Tigers 7-3. On AC. Dale Jarrett, second in the point standings, won the pole at Watkins Glen for tomorrow's Global Crossing. On3C.

i Team merchandise for saleatTennesseen.com, Cffck on Sports. Kansas City's Mike Sweeney, top, tackles Detroit pitcher Jeff Weaver. JARRETT.