Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page 35

Classified ads Thcv fxgin on 7D ttxhn. Sxrt resume, on 16D with golf and Sportscopc. Sainlinc: 9879060. SECTION TV', SCOREBOARD 20 NHL, BASEBALL 3D PLAYBOOK 40 50 FOOTBALL 60 HIGH SCHOOLS 6D COLLEGES i FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1994 Democrat and (f bronirlt ROCHESTER, NEW YORK SPORTS n. Memories are cherished for a lifetime The only memento Warren O'Neil saved from his Negro League days is an old catcher's NHL season won't start until agreement is reached THE NEW YORK TIMES Another sports labor confrontation turned threatening yesterday when National Hockey League Commissioner HASEK Gary Bettman said LOWERS the start of the sea- HIS PRICE son would be post-30 poned unless the teams and the players settle on a new collective bargaining agreement "The absence of a collective bargaining agreement leaves us no choice," Bettman said, reading from prepared remarks during a conference telephone call with reporters.

Bettman said starting the season as scheduled on Oct 1 without a only from Bettman, who slashed their benefits on Aug. 1 as a tactic to force them to the bargaining table. Among the cutbacks were a one-man reduction in game rosters, reduction in pension and insurance contributions, elimination of salary arbitration and refusal to pay for players' transportation to training camp. "The owners' decision is to stop hockey," Goodenow said, referring to Bettman's announcement yesterday. "It is indeed unfortunate if hockey gets derailed.

Certainly, tension is there. Our intention is to compete as we normally would. of the NHL Players Associatioa But Bettman said, "You can't use a short-term fix" of increased exposure to boost a business that needs a long-term restructuring of the financial relationship between labor and management Among the contentious issues cited by Bettman and Goodenow are revenue-sharing plans, salary formulas for rookies, salary arbitration for veterans and free agency. But Goodenow said that the players worked last season without a new collective bargaining agreement and that the strongest motive for them to strike this time came 7 7 ill lit 7, I i Is I H' yr Mil' fs LSI -I" rU mm i i'Vi i' ii nl' 111 I if- r-i 4 The deep man Don Beebe has led REED HOFFMANN luff photographer unit back from the NFL's fourth-worst in 1993 to 1 1th this year. What commenced on Aug.

1 has not pleased the players at alL The unilateral implementation is on every- 1 ones nuna. He called the cutbacks of Aug. 1 "an attack on the players" and said yesterday's threat was "strictly a pressure play, not unexpected" that "will not move the play- BettmaB ere on key Bettman avoided using the word "lockout," although players have said they expected one. Negotiations haven't broken down between the two sides. They meet again Monday in Toronto.

nagging returns, for now State loses in court on bare-hook fishing By JIM CASTOR STAFF RITER Snagging for big salmon, the practice of hooking lethargic fish near the end of their life cycle by dragging bare FISHING hooks over their LINE, backs, is legal again HOT SPOT in New York. 6D A state Supreme Court judge in Albany has, at least temporarily, set aside a ban on the controversial fishing practice, permitting anglers to snag in 15 of Lake Ontario's major tributaries. In the Rochester area, they include Oak Orchard Creek in Gene-County, Sandy Creek, Salmon Creek and the Genesee River in Monroe County and Sodus Creek in Wayne County. "It's a state holiday in Pennsylvania today," said Bill Abraham, fisheries manager for the Rochester region of the state Department of Environmental "Snagging has become almost entirely an out-of-state fishery. Most New York residents oppose it I've talked to several already who are very upset with the court ruling." The judge ruled that until a final decision is made in the appellate court, snagging is permitted daily until Nov.

15 under regulations that were in effect during the 1991-92 fishing season. An appellate court decision is expected by Tuesday on a DEC proposal to reduce the season this year to Oct 18, the same closing date as a year ago. The DEC remains opposed to snagging in future years. It is the latest round in a legal battle between lakeside business interests and the DEC that began with a lawsuit filed against the state 18 months ago. A group that included a campground owner, salmon egg buyer and a restaurant owner contended that millions of dollars would be lost in lakeshore revenue for a practice that the state at one time had encouraged and promoted.

The state phased out snagging in a three-year span that ended last Oct. 18. "Fortunately," Abraham said, "the salmon aren't running much, so this change isn't a big factor yet It's been too warm. But that could change soon." United States all-star team. Fitch and St.

John Fisher graduate Chris Sullivan were the only two Division III players on the U.S. team. Fitch averaged 27 points and scored 49 in his last game as the U.S. finished 8-1. Fitch turned down an offer to play professionally in Ireland and has Fitch been contacted by teams from England, Australia and Mexico.

The sights, money and attendance might be better in any of those locales than the CBA, but Fitch is willing to take one step back to go two steps forward. stall: A v. new contract would put the "season at risk" because management would be vulnerable to a strike during the season, similar to what happened in basebalL "To have a season start and then have it taken away would not be fair to the fans, the players or the teams," he said. October is usually dominated by the baseball playoffs, but with the rest of the major-league season canceled by a strike, hockey enjoys an unusual window of opportunity for exposure next month, a situation acknowledged by both Bettman and Bob Goodenow, executive director the Bills' improved kickoff-return The Bills averaged only 16.6 yards per return in 1993, fourth-worst in the National Football League. So DeHaven put a premium on kickoff returns during training camp, and the extra work has paid off.

Through three games, Buffalo ranks 11th in kickoff return average at 21.7 and its average drive start after kickoffs has been its 32. "The first special teams meeting, Bruce DeHaven said we'll work on kickoff returns more than anything else and we did, and so far it's showing dividends," wide receiver-returner Don Beebe said. "We put the offense in a tough situation last year. We were lucky to get outside the 20, but we put a lot of emphasis on kickoff returns this year in the preseason." Given the numbers, there was no question that the Bills needed to improve. But another key motiva By JIM MANDELARO STAFF WRITER Scott Fitch used to associate the Continental Basketball Association with the down side of professional sports.

VIRGINIA Low pay. Small TECH ROMPS crowds. Long bus 34-6 rides. 6D Now the former Fairport High and Geneseo State star views the CBA in a new light That is, the light at the beginning of the tunnel. "I see it as a start, a chance to prove myself," Fitch said.

"It's kind of like a minor league to the NBA right now." And Fitch knows that minor-league stars don't stay in the minors i mi ifr inn in-'-'- Fiteh mitt Though battered and beaten from snagging thousands of pitches through the years, the glove remains functional. Occasionally, O'Neil slips it on when his 9-year-old grandson, Shali- SCOTT pitoniak mar, wants to play catch in front of their Terrace Park home. "When we're through, he'll sometimes ask me to tell him some stories," O'Neil says. "I've got a few." He can tell Shalimar what it was like to be the grandson of a slave. Tell him about picking celery in Florida fields until his hands cracked and bled.

Tell him about being driven away from a ballfield by the Ku KluxKlan. Tell him about being denied the opportunity to play in the major leagues because his skin was too dark. He also can tell him about the wonderful time he had playing professionally for a quarter century in leagues where only the ball was white. "No one need feel sorry for me," the spry 77-year-old says, leaning forward in his chair. "Sure, we didn't have it easy, but we enjoyed ourselves.

We really loved the game. As long as we had a place to play baseball, we were happy. Some of these players today make more money in a single game than we did in our entire careers, but I think we had a lot more fun than they do." O'Neil picks up The Negro Leagues Book and begins leafing through it. Each page evokes a pleasant memory. Each page pro-.

duces a comment and a smile. "Thad Christopher," he says, growing animated. "Man, could he hit the ball. Yes sirree." O'Neil comes across a player named Martin Corbett. i "Best I ever saw," he says.

"Absolutely the best. He would tell the pitcher where he was going to hit the ball, and, dang, if he wouldn't put it where he said he would. Sometimes, he'd let the pitcher get two strikes on him just to make things interesting." O'Neil continues to thumb through the book. There are more names. More memories.

More smiles. He reaches a section containing rosters. There, in the small type un-' der the 1947 Detroit Wolves, is the name "Warren O'Neill, "I truly believe I could have played in the white majors," he says. "I truly do. We used to play them in exhibition games, and we won more times than we lost.

But I don't feel cheated. I had my day in the sun." O'Neil and other Negro Leaguers are finally receiving recognition too long denied. A museum honoring players of color was established a few years ago in Kansas City. Sales of Negro League books, memorabilia, replica jerseys and caps has been booming. The airing of Ken Burns' Baseball documentary should further boost the ap-' preciation of black baseball.

O'Neil played with and against many of the players featured. The one he is most familiar with is a man Burns describes as "the conscience of the series." The man's name is Buck O'Neil. He is Warren's older brother. "I'm glad he's getting publicity," says Warren, who moved to Rochester in the late 1950s. "We've always had a great relationship.

I talk to him every couple of weeks. He really loved the gome, and I did, too." O'Neil is as baffled as everyone else about the current baseball strike. It's all about money. Copious amounts of it. O'Neil made $350 a month during the prime of his career the equivalent of five days meal money in today's major leagues.

But O'Neil and his Negro League peers never felt shortchanged. Bigotry notwithstanding, the experience was rich, the memories priceless. Scott Pitoniak can be reached at 258-2455 or 55 Exchange Rochester, N.Y. 14614. mm Mara to Kickoff-return team has improved Blackout looming About 14,000 tickets still remain for Monday's Bills-Broncos game and if they aren't sold by 9 tonight, the game will not be televised in Rochester.

However, if Monday night's game is blacked out, sports bars and individuals with satellite receivers will be able to pick up the game. A spokesman for the NFL said that Monday night games broadcast by ABC and Sunday games carried by TNT will be available via satellite regardless of blackouts. However, satellite blackouts will apply to games broadcast by NBC and Fox. have to do your homework on. You have to give it its due or it's going to cost you." Beebe is a big reason for the Bills' success.

Throughout his first five SPECIAL, PAGE 5D Fitch's dream of making it to the NBA is still a long shot but it's not without some foundation. Last year, the New York Knicks requested a videotape of Fitch and the Seattle SuperSonics brought Geneseo coach Tom Pope out to their preseason facility. This summer, the Knicks were in contact with Fitch's father, Jeff. "The way they left it they want to see how I do in the CBA," Fitch said. "I'm pretty confident right now.

I've got to catch a break and have someone take a chance on me and watch me every day. That's when I grow on people." Several Spanish teams saw more than enough of Fitch last month. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound point guard was one of seven players on a greatly over '93 tion was the new rule changes on kickoffs. DeHaven recognized that with kickoffs originating from the 30 instead of the 35 and coming off a one-inch tee as opposed to a three-inch tee, returns were going to be a very important play this season. The league average per return has gone up two yards to 21.5 and teams are now starting drives regularly at the 30-yard line or better.

"You can't take that play off anymore," said Steve Tasker, the leader of the Bills special teams. "The return man is headed upfield a long time before you get to him and it makes a big difference. "All around the league, kickoff return now is the new hot thing, you have to be good at it Teams are beginning to realize that they can turn a game around with a big return. "It has become a very big play, a very important play, one that you for long. "That's what I'm hoping for," he said.

"I'm hoping it's the start of something big." Fitch, Geneseo's all-time leading scorer and last year's NCAA Division III Player of the Year, enters a new phase of his career this weekend when he tries out for the CBA's Quad City Thunder, The Davenport, Iowa, team is coached by former McQuaid coach Dan Panaggio. Fitch also has a tryout with the CBA's Kingston, franchise next month. "I'm going to give it a chance, test the waters, and see what happens," said Fitch, who has been working as a substitute teacher in the Fairport and Geneseo school districts. give By SAL MAIORANA STAFF WRITER ORCHARD PARK Ask for any statistic pertaining to his special teams, and assistant coach Bruce DeHaven BUDDY CALLS FOR PHIL SIMMS 5D NFL STATISTICS. rattles off numbers quicker than an accountant.

Ask him where the Buffalo Bills ranked last year on kickoff returns, PREDICTIONS though, and DeHa- 5Q ven hesitates before grudgingly giving you an answer. "I feel like our kickoff return has suffered for the last season and a half since Al Edwards got hurt a couple years ago," DeHaven said. "We haven't been as proficient as I would have liked and we've done some things that have helped us catch up with other teams." Mailing play Baseball players present Congress with an alternate plan 3D Irvan speaks NASCAR driver Ernie Irvan holds news conference 16D SssS.