The Star-Democrat from Easton, Maryland • Page 17

LANDOVER (AP) Michael Jordan destroyed NBA team many times at the Capital Centre. On Monday, he signed the papers that will lead to the demolition of the building itself. Acting in his role as part-owner of the Washington parent company, Jordan and local officials unveiled plans to tear down the 27-year-old arena and replace it with a modern retail and entertainment complex. had some great games in the Capital said Jordan, who joined the Wizards front office this year after winning six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. obviously going to a better use, now that the MCI Center is The Capital Centre, which cost $18 million, was ahead of its time when Wizards majority owner Abe Pollin opened it for his NBA and NHL teams on Dec.

2, 1973. It was the first arena with luxury sky boxes and featured the now-popular four-sided replay screen suspended above the middle of the court. Video entertainment during timeouts came into vogue. But its saddle-shape, dark ceiling, out- of-the-way suburban location and, ironically, its insufficient number of moneymaking sky boxes made the Cap Centre feel antiquated in the 1990s. In 1997, Pollin opened the $200 million MCI Center in downtown Washington and moved the Wizards and Capitals there.

Pollin want to leave behind an empty white elephant, but he admits to feeling an emotional twinge about the destruction. decided it would really make a much-improved project if the Capital Centre were to come Pollin said. sure who was going to call Pollin and ask him how he feels about it. They did call me and I said, know, bricks and mortar. If it will really make for a much better project, prepared to take it In its heyday, the Capital Centre was a major sports and entertainment stop on the East Coast.

The NBA and NHL All-Star games were held there, along with the World Professional Figure Skating Championships, the Atlantic Coast Conference basketball tournament, numerous concerts and two presidential galas. The building was renamed the US- Air Arena when its naming rights were sold in 1993. The arena and surrounding land will reclaim the name and be transformed into a 70-acre modern main street. The $85 million development will be privately funded by Pollin and the Baltimore-based Cordish Company and promises to bring an economic boon to the area. Work is scheduled to begin later this year, but no date has been set for the demolition.

The anchor of the project will be a multi-screen cinema leased by Magic Johnson Theatres, a joint partnership between Loews Cineplex and the former NBA star and Jordan rival. have a problem doing business with Jordan said. know I can beat him, and I There may be another sports tie-in. The Washington new stadium is just across the Beltway, and the NFL team is considering moving its practice facilities and training camp to the area. The agreement signed Monday includes a five-year window for the Redskins to build a complex on a part of the area now designated for parking, although there would be room only for the practice facility and not for the player housing required for camp.

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) More than a year from his 30th birthday, Jeff Gordon already sounds like his best seasons are behind him. He knows it will be difficult, if not impossible, to dominate Winston Cup like he once did. Still, to watch him weaving through traffic like some crazed freeway driver, or nipping at the edge of the infield grass to make a pass, or somehow keeping control of his fishtailing car at more than 190 mph, clear still Wonder Boy. Gordon ended his worst slump in five years Sunday with a thrilling victory in DieHard 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, proving the three- time series champion is hardly washed up at 28.

was very said Gordon, who went 13 races without a victory after winning Oct. 11 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. you heard me on the radio, I was screaming and This the guy who once seemed to win with ease, capturing his first Winston Cup title at 24 and a staggering 33 victories during a three-year period. At Talladega, Gordon scratched and clawed his way to the front after starting 36th in the 43-car field, the victim of a poor qualifying run. Maybe why he ready to proclaim himself all the way back in the post-Ray Evernham era.

are still steps that need to be said Gordon, whose team went into a tailspin after losing its longtime crew chief. really coming together, but not 100 percent. A lot of it has to do with learning the new (Chevrolet) Monte Carlo. It also has do with getting people to jell. All these personalities are working together while getting to know one Gordon won his first two races after Evernham moved to Dodge, then failed to finish higher than 10th in the last five events of 1999.

His sixth-place finish in the season standings was the lowest for the Rainbow Warriors since 1993. This year, with Robbie Loomis taking over as crew chief, Gordon had only one top-five finish in the first eight races, coming to Talladega a dismal 12th in the overall standings. He leapfrogged to seventh with his DieHard victory, but is still 221 points behind leader Mark Martin. still a ways off from being a championship Gordon said. not saying we be.

But got some things got to do. got to be a consistent top-10, top- five car every weekend. If you do that enough times, you win Loomis, a part of three victories during his tenure at Petty Enterprises, was clearly relieved to get to victory lane for the first time with Gordon. been through a said Loomis, who seemed a bit out of practice during the celebration, spraying champagne in eyes. got to tell you, this felt just like that first one for me.

There were a lot of Gordon went to the lead for the first time on lap 103 of the 188-lap event, making a brilliant pass on the 33-degree banking. Trailing Jeff Burton in the outside groove but seemingly cut off on the inside by Rusty Wallace, Gordon found a glimmer of daylight between the two cars and slipped his Monte Carlo through the opening. On lap 183, Gordon dived to the inside coming out of turn 4, clipping the infield grass to get past Martin. Mike Skinner fell in line behind Gordon and tried furiously to pull out his first Cup victory. But Gordon would not be denied.

He blocked Skinner time and time again on the backstretch of the 2.66-mile track, briefly fishtailing at one point before regaining control and maintaining the lead as the two cars went nose- to-tail. did a great Skinner said. obviously had a lot more experience on that last lap making that bumper as wide as he Gordon looks back on his best years with disbelief, still wondering how he managed to win 13 races in a season. The series is much more competitive these days, with nine different winners in as many races. a lot of said Gordon, who became only the 11th driver to win 50 races in a career.

matter what we do from here on out, going to be hard to stack up to what we did in the This is a start. Page 6B Tuesday, April 18, 2000 SPORTS Briefly 1908 Tommy Burns knocks out Jewey Smith in the fifth round in Paris to retain the world heavyweight title. 1959 The Montreal Canadiens wins their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup with a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth game. 1962 Boston's Bill Russell scores 30 points and grabs 40 rebounds to lead the Celtics to a 110-107 overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers and their fourth consecutive NBA title. 1987 Philadelphia's Mike Schmidt hits his 500th home run with two out in the ninth to rally the Phillies to an 8-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium.

1994 West India's Brian Lara completes a world record single-innings cricket score of 375, beating the 365 hit by countryman Sir Gary Sobers 36 years ago. 1996 Dennis Scott makes an NBA- record 11 3-pointers to lead the Orlando Magic to a 119-104 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Scott, who hit 11 of 17 3s, finishes with 35 points. sports history Dulin leads way for Fire Department Kemp hurls no-hitter in 35-0 win Caroline Country Club ladies post results Ball-Mouly tandem claims scramble event Long whiffs 12 Talbot Bank batters CORDOVA Webby Dulin went 3-for-4 including his first home run to lead the Cordova Fire Department squad over St. Michaels Rotary 14-9 in Home Run Baker action Saturday.

Dulin, whose three-run homer in the top of the sixth put Cordova ahead to stay, also gave up only four hits for the win. Chirstopher Rodgers was 3-for- 3, including a double. Michael Gleason and Steve Strannahan both went 2-for-4. Arty Foster, Justin Wright and Adam Fluharty also sprayed hits for Cordova. Bryan Hickman was the losing pitcher of record for Rotary.

Offensively for St. Michaels, Tom Hanna had two hits. EASTON Sam Kemp came within one pitch of a perfect game as he gave up a walk to A.J. Wharton during the final inning of play in Coldwell 35-0 romp over Peninsula Construction. Kemp was 6-for-7 with two triples and a double.

Bryan Hollingsworth went 4-for-5 with two doubles and a triple and Cory Siegmann was 3-for-4. Patrick Retallack contributed two hits while Tom Nizolek, David Larmore and Michael Taylor each had one. DENTON On April 6, the 18- hole ladies group played an April Surprise Scramble with Marion Phillips, Linda Fontana, Daisy Haglund, Sally Hefleblower, Sandy Logan, Lois Lewes, Joyce Hastings, Ginny Kitchen and Linda Agreen all posting the best scores. The nine-hole ladies group winner was Mikey Hayes, who tied for putts and also notched a chip-in. Last Thursday, the Caroline C.C.

18-hole ladies group played a Beat the Club Champion event. The current club champion is Jeanne Saulsbury. Winners were Vi Schmick, Sarah Jane Davidson, Carol Evans, Nancy Matthews, Betty Ann Geary, Judy Straub, Chips Irwin, Marti Nier and Teresa Leonard. Straub and Geary also had chip-ins. EASTON The tandem of Brad Mouly and Dr.

Robert Ball, Jr. scored a round of 66 to win the first-ever Easton Club two-person scramble tournament last Saturday. Buck Buchanan and Al Boswell were second with a 72. The third- place team was Jon Files and Larry Bathgate. The Wimp Simpkins-Ken McFadden was fourth carding a 74.

Dr. Stanley Bysshe won closest-to-the-pin honors. The next tournament is on June 4th. Richie Long struck out 12 and helped his pitching cause with two triples among three hits from the plate to lead the Elks to a 12-5 victory over Talbot Bank in Easton Little League action on Sunday. Marcus Felton, Michael Foster (double) and John Hedl (home run) each added two hits for the Elks, and Nick Vita doubled.

Felton, Joe Slaughter and Aaron Jordan each had their first Little League base hits in the win. Losing pitcher Matt Koomtz (double) and Mark Lewis each had two hits for Talbot Bank. Auto Racing AP LASERPHOTO Jeff Gordon celebrates his win in the DieHard 500 at the Talladega Super- speedway in Talladega, on Sunday. still knows how to win Cap Centre goes in favor of mall.