The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 21

GolfD3 BaseballD4-5 TennisD6 Auto RacingD8-10 Scoreboard011 NFLD11-12 ports The Indianapolis Star lndyStar.comsports Monday, July 28, 2003 Section InfoUne: 624-INFO (4636) Body identified as Patrick Dennehy's. D2 Tom Watson captures Senior British Open. D3 urn hi in aw. mil in mu iiim American has the talent to live up to the hype his cool Roddick Keeping pays for Bob Kravitz "You need to meet my daughter, Andy!" A female tennis fan, to Andy Roddick after the RCA Championships presentation ceremony. Andy Roddick smiled.

How many mothers' daughters has he heard from this week? How many shrill cries has he heard from teeny-boppers who just can't believe he'd date Mandy Moore instead of them? There is a special madness that swirls around Roddick now, especially after his breakout performances in the Australian Open and Wimbledon before winning the tournament here Sunday. The rock-star buzz. The swooning adulation. The inflated but flattering expectations. Even a growing cult of personality.

He captures 8th career ATP Tour title. By Mark Ambrogi mark.ambrogiifindystar.com For a brief spell, Andy Roddick turned in his best John McEnroe impression in the first set of the RCA Championships final on Sunday afternoon. Upset that Paradorn Sricha-phan's serve wasn't called for being wide, he had a few choice words for the chair umpire who refused to overrule. In Sricha-phan's previous service game, a gust of wind knocked a sign over and a point had to be replayed. That cost Roddick a break-point attempt.

RCA sag CHAMPIONSHIPS But unlike McEnroe, who would sometimes let those distractions affect him, Roddick was able to keep his cool the rest of the way. "I just took a couple of extra seconds before the next service game (to calm down)," he said. "I was' able to win the next game at love and played pretty well in the (tiebreaker)." The top-seeded Roddick's serve was dominating from that point as he posted a 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 See Roddick, Page D6 So how does he deal with all of this oversized and distorted unreality? He smiles. Just smiles. And he lets it happen.

Because more than anything, Roddick is the rare bird who understands this kind of hype is too unwieldy to be managed. He knows the insatiable media beast has its appetites. Especially now, when American men's tennis is See Kravitz, Page D6 Stem Healey The Star Puppy love: Top-seeded Andy Roddick gets a kiss from RCA mascot Chipper after defeating Paradorn Srichaphan in the final. NASCAR WINSTON CUP PENNSYLVANIA 500 '4 4 Kelly Wilkinson The Star Signing day: Edgerrin James, who arrived on a chartered bus with dozens of kids and Reggie Wayne, autographs a jersey. Top 3 picks don't report for the Colts Clark, Doss, Strickland aren't signed as players report to camp in Terre Haute.

By Mike Chappell mike.chappellindystar.com TERRE HAUTE, Ind. On the first day of training camp at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian made it clear he has issued his last contract offer to two of the team's three unsigned draft picks. IP Matt Detrteh The Star Teamwork: Crew members celebrate after Ryan Newman's victory at Pocono Raceway. Newman dominated the weekend, also taking the pole in qualifying. Newman heads to Indy after trip to victory lane The only players who did not report by Sunday's mandatory 2 p.m.

deadline were the team's top three picks: tight end Dallas Clark, the 24th overall pick; safety Mike Doss, the team's second-round pick; and cornerback Donald Strickland, a third-rounder. Polian indicated negotiations are ongoing with Neil Cornrich, the agent for Clark. Cornrich could not be reached for comment. "I'm not optimistic anything will get done (Sunday night) or (today)," Polian said. "But we're try Notes: Edgerrin James takes a group of kids to training camp.

D12 Next race Friday: IROC practices, 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m.; NASCAR practice, 2 p.m.; IROC practice, 4:05 p.m. Saturday: NASCAR qualifying, 10:05 IROC race, 1 p.m.; NASCAR practices, 2 p.m., 3:45 p.m. Sunday: Brickyard 400, 1:30 p.m. more to pit strategy and luck than driving acumen. Three late cautions allowed Newman to save enough fuel to get to the end.

Not that he didn't do his part. Newman dominated early after starting his Penske Racing Dodge on the pole and dominated late when it mattered most "I knew we needed some caution laps, so I was doing the best I could to conserve a little fuel and stay out front," he said. "That's two things kind of contradictory to do. "(The team) gave me the go-ahead on fuel on that last restart (with 12 laps to go). I did the best job I could, which apparently was good enough." Serious-minded as usual, the 25-year-old See Newman, Page D8 By Steve Ballard steve.ballardindystar.com LONG POND, Pa.

If recent NASCAR form holds, the Brickyard 400 will be won by the driver who gets the right breaks at the right times to get to the front, then extends his fuel mileage to stay there. And that driver will be Indiana's own Ryan Newman. The South Bend native paved the way for what should be a rousing homecoming next weekend by making Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 his second win in three weeks and series-leading fourth of the Winston Cup seasoa Newman made his final tank of fuel last 46 laps around the 22-mile Pocono Raceway. He held off Kurt Busch over the closing laps in another NASCAR race that came down Hoosier hot streak: Ryan Newman's Pocono win gives him two in three races. IRL FIRESTONE INDY 400 ing.

We're still talking." The talking, though, is finished with representatives for Doss and Strickland, as far as Polian is concerned. Asked if the team has presented take-it-or-, leave-it offers, Polian replied, "You can use that. "That's what it is, whether it's today or next month." Polian said the Colts have offered Doss and Strickland contracts exactly in line or slotted with those players selected immediately See Colts, Page D12 TOUR DE FRANCE Yellow is definitely his color Barron squeezes out win in photo finish Next race What: Emerson Indy 250, Gateway International Raceway, Madison, III. When: 2 p.m. Aug.

10 Radio: WIBC-1070 AM, WXLW-950 AM Cosworth. It appears to be the savior for the Detroit manufacturer. The combination was clearly the favorite of the crowd estimated at 30,000. Hornish led a race-high 126 laps for his first competitive run of the season. "I'm about as happy as I could be right now outside of winning," said Hornish, who See Finish, Page D10 nal few feet of the Firestone Indy 400 gave the Americans their proudest day of the season.

Barron won his second career IRL race by 0.0121 seconds, the fourth-closest in series history. Barron's average speed of 180.917 mph made it the fastest race in IRL history. Foreign drivers have won six of 10 races this season. Hornish's drive was powered by the new Chevrolet engine, designed by Ford-owned By Curt Cavin curtcavinndystar.com BROOKLYN, Mich. The United States contingent came roaring back to life Sunday in the Indy Racing League.

In the blink of an eye, it was Californian Alex Barron who swiped a stunning victory from Ohio's Sam Hornish Jr. at Michigan International Speedway. Barron's outside pass of Hornish in the fi 12 Overcoming crashes, illness, hard-charging rivals and some bad luck, Lance Armstrong rode into cycling history in what proved to be the most difficult of his five Tour de France titles. The Texan completed his 20-stage journey Sunday in Paris, then immediately began talking about going for -1- UMifi itnrr 1 1 Just that close: Alex Barron (21) lifts his arm as he approaches the finish line just ahead of Sam Hornish Jr. to win at Michigan International Speedway.

Barron's margin of victory 0.0121 seconds was the fourth-closest in the IRL's history. NO. 6. Story, D7. fstor Dejong Associated Press Carlos Osorle Associated Press.