St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 30

D2 www.STLtoday.com ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH SPORTS THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2003 Online sports columnist Jeff Gordon's Looking at who's in and who's out in the world of sports Check out Jeff Gordon's columns at Smoday.comgordo. That's hockey! Our old friend Mike Keenan, now racking up losses as coach of the Florida Panthers, accused Toronto Maple Leafs forward Darcy Tucker of being one of the biggest divers in the league. The NHL is cracking down on diving plunging to the ice to draw hooking or tripping penalties by fining transgressors $1,000. So what did Tucker think of Keenan's charge? "If he wants the $1,000, he can come get it from me himself," Tucker said.

"He can have it if he can get it off me. It's a joke." Quips 'R Us Jerry Greene, Orlando Sentinel: "You probably heard that hockey puck Sergei Fedorov claims he was married briefly to Anna Koumikova. Poor Anna. Apparently the marriage didn't last three sets, either." Dwight Perry, Seattle Times: "Adrian McPherson, the former Florida State quarterback, has been charged with a misdemeanor count of gambling, allegedly for placing bets on FSU to win every game last season. Guess that explains why, as just a sophomore, McPherson looked like such a natural in the spread offense." Michael Ventre, MSNBC.com, on Team New Zealand's loss in the America's Cup final: "Who was the skipper? Whenever I hear that an established power suffers a major upset in international competition, I just assume it was led by George Karl." News services contributed to this report MEGAPHONE Living large No social conscience? Golfer John Daly is no bleeding-heart liberal.

He told the Golf Channel that he's sick of hearing all the chatter about women protesting at The Masters Rather than sharing the baseball complex in Jupiter, with the Cardinals, the Montreal Expos are now up the coast in 'v Catcher Michael Barrett endorsed the switch wholeheartedly. "I think we got the better end of the deal," he said. "I'm from Georgia, and a lot of the chain restaurants in Georgia are right here. I love the Cracker Barrel. I'll go an hour to eat at the Cracker Barrel." because Augusta National excludes female members.

"Let it go," Daly said. "Don't infringe on our lives. It has nothing (to do) with the PGA Tour player going in there to play the Masters. And they're going to be picketing and all that. If you want to picket, do it somewhere else." i.

Daly Wo fan of Martha Burk V' 1 "I heard they're going to use the French skating judge for the fines she's out of work anyway." Atlanta Thrashers forward Shawn McEachem, on the NHL' new fines for "diving." That's just mean NBC funnyman Jay Leno took note of that short-lived marriage between Detroit Red Wings center Sergei Fedorov and tennis player Anna Koumikova. "He said it was hard being with her because there were always all these stories in the paper of her being with other men," Leno said. "And you can see his point of view. He asks her where she was all day, and she says, 'Practicing Then he sees her play He'll miss the fellows New York Rangers goaltender Mike Renter likes hanging around his teammates, even though he remains sidelined by post-concussion syndrome. It's possible that his career is over.

"I remember what Ron Greschner said when he retired," Richter said. 'The thing I'm going to miss most is showering with 23 And that's what it's all about camaraderie." Interesting team, the Rangers. I J.M.I I Keenan: Maple Leaf forward has a grand idea for the former Blues coach DAN MARTIN ON SPORTS LOOKING AHEAD SPORTS DIGEST BASKETBALL Louisville women are without head coach Louisville women's basketball coach Maria Clapp, who missed the Cardinals' last game, won't be on the bench during the Conference USA tournament, a university spokesman said Wednesday night. "He's not coaching in the tournament for personal reasons and that's the extent of what we can say right now," Louisville sports information director Kenny Nein said. Assistant Steve Huber will coach Louisville (14-13, 5-8) in its tournament opener today against St.

Louis U. in Memphis. "It's a personal issue," was all Louisville athletics director Tom Jurich would say Wednesday night. A new indictment against former NBA star Jay-son Williams adds a weapons offense to the seven charges he already faces in the shooting death of a limousine driver. FOOTBALL Denver signs Plummer to take Griese's place Jake Plummer agreed to a seven-year contract with Denver, giving the Broncos an experienced young quarterback to replace Brian Griese.

The Broncos also agreed to terms with defensive tackle Daryi Gardener, who played for Washington last season after spending his first six years with Miami. Plummer spent his first six seasons with Arizona after being chosen by the Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 draft. He will earn a little more than $40 million over the length of the deal. Oakland Raiders center Barret Robbins spent 30 days in a treatment facility for a mental disorder and alcohol abuse. The All-Pro lineman disappeared the night before the Raiders' Super Bowl loss to Tampa Bay in San Diego on Jan.

26. A statement Wednesday by his agent, Drew PKtman, was the first official disclosure of Robbins' treatment. Big-play wide receiver David Boston agreed to a seven-year contract with San Diego, giving the Chargers one of the premier free agents on the market. MISCELLANEOUS Anti-doping effort gets standardized code Sports bodies and governments from around the world approved a policy to standardize rules against doping and punish athletes who are drug cheats. Under the new code, athletes will be subject to random, out-of-compention drug testing.

Now comes the real test putting the program into practice. "The future will tell us if this wonderful day can also be rated as a pivotal day in the fight against doping," Olympics president Jacques Rogge said. Norwegian Robert Sortie held his lead, becoming the first musher to reach the Yukon River village of Ruby in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Five-game Road game JOMY FB37 TUESV11 n-Phomk atDatrot etSaYjoM mamm atNaMb 7 p.m. 6:30 p.m.

9:30 p.m. 9 p.m. 7 p.m. ESPN FSN FSN FSN KPLR WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOE 311 BfeUlbwMMMt n. OMakoaa Staff, 830 ml In Dallas MOTS BASKETBALL SUN 39 THU313-SUN316 1 p.m.

In Dallas KMOV Pairings to be announced WOMEirSBASKnBAU MEN'S BASKETBALL SUN39 THU313-SUN316 Befell lp.m. In Chicago Pairings to be announced In Indianapolis MOTS BASKETBALL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL THU36 C4J1 SAT 38 MEart CjtoUm 10 a.m. WEB 312-SAT315 C-USA bmMl In Louisville Pairings to be announced m. Uwin, 3 Main Memphis LOCAL DIGEST Home games in Jupiter, Ra. SUN 39 MOW 310 n.BnM WaBriMS 12:05 p.m.

12:05 p.m. SPRING TRAINING TODAY SAT38 12:05 p.m. 12:05 p.m. 12:10 p.m. Otters lose captain, obtain 2 players Next up for other events RIVER OTTERS Friday at Muskegon, 6:35 p.m.

Saturday at Rockford, 7:05 p.m. FNRMOUNT PARK Intertrack wagering, 1 1 a.m.-l 1 :30 p.m. daily. Live racing begins April 4. Ticket information Ram 314-425-8830 Wzzon 800-228-7297 Gateway 866-357-7333 314421-2400 Cards 217-333-3470 Rascab 636-240-2287 314-241-1888 SUI 314-977-4758 GrizrJm 618-344-2327 Freddy Adu, the youngest member of the team at 13, added a goal in the closing minutes.

The Americans need to finish first in the four-team group to advance to this summer's finals in Finland. The U.S. team faces El Salvador on Friday. COLLEGE FOOTBALL Illinois College hires Keen as coach Illinois College has hired Aaron Keen as its head coach. He had been serving as offensive coordinator at Washington University, where he had been on the staff for eight years and in his current position since 1998.

Keen takes over for Tom Rowland, who resigned in January after a 3-7 season. 314436-1516 RiwOrten 636-946-0003 636-916-0131 Antonovich and Wendell are expected to play for the Otters this weekend. The team has games in Muskegon, Rockford, and Port Huron, Mich. Bastien collected 60 points (21 goals, 39 assists) in 61 games with the Otters and ranked fourth on the team in assists and points. SOCCER SLU recruit scores for United States St Louis University soccer recruit John DiRaimondo (SLUH) scored a goal as the United States under-17 soccer team defeated Jamaica 3-0 in its first match at the regional qualifying tournament in Guatemala City, Guatemala, for the FIFA Under-17 World Championships.

618-3454300 Aces 3 14-726-2237 SkyHawks 3674600 (x403) From News Services The Missouri River Otters lost captain Lormie Loach, who was called up Wednesday by the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, and made a trade to help bolster their dwindling ranks. Loach's 65 points for the Otters rank second on the United Hockey League team. He will now be playing for the Los Angeles Kings' top farm club. Otters coach Mark Reeds said the loss of Loach, along with many other players, led to the Otters trading center Joey Bat-tJen to the Rockford (111.) Ice-Hogs Wednesday for two players center left Antonovich and winger Erik Wendell. Seven Otters are injured and three are on call-up to the American Hockey League.

Antonovich had 49 points (22 goals, 27 assists) in 59 games with the IceHogs this season. Wendell posted 28 points (17 goals, 11 assists) in 60 games this season. ON THE AIR HOCKEY NHL Blues vs. Phoenix ESPN, KTRS (550 AM), 7 p.m. PRO BASKETBALL NBA: New Jersey at San Antonio NBA; Philadelphia at Portland TNT, 6:30 p.m.

TNT, 9 p.m. Corey Ashe started the scoring for the United States in the fifth minute before DiRaimondo gave them an insurance goal in the 37th minute, heading in a crossing pass off a corner kick. COLLEGE BASKETBALL Wommk St. Louis U. vs.

Louisville Mec Florida State at Duke Womea: Kansas State at Texas Tech Mew Memphis at Houston Mmk Oregon at Arizona State KSLG (1380 AM), 3 p.m. ESPN2, 6:30 p.m. Fox Sports Net, 7:30 p.m. ESPN2, 8:30 p.m. Fox Sports Net, 9:30 p.m.

I Mo s. r-K mm ST Plication- I i-fi .1 Fl Mortoan- GOLF EaropeM PGA Tow: Dubai Desert Classic Natiomid Toan Clearwater Classic PGA Tow: Ford Championship at Doral Golf Channel, 3:30 a.m. Golf Channel, 12:30 p.m. USA, 3 p.m. Bill Consolidation Up to 125 of Appraised Value 1st 2nd Mortgages Home Improvements Fast Closings Payoff Land Contracts Slow Credit, Bankruptcies Welcome MOTOR SPORTSFORMULA ONE Australian Grand Prix (qualifying) Speed Channel, 9 p.m.

HOW TO CONTACT US Comments, questions and suggestions for this section are welcome: FREE SATELLITE TV SYSTEM Borrow Payment $30,000 $170.00 $40,000 $227.00 $50,000 $284.00 $75,000 $426.00 $100,000 $568.00 Don Reed Deputy sports editornights Larry D. Stacks Assistant managing Marsha Rob Cameron Sanguinette Schneider Hotway Assistant Weekend Prep sports sports etftor sports edrtor coordinator 314440- 314-340- 314-340- 8195 8177 8149 eortorsports 314-340-314440- 8313 KB3 I IwnmChameb I dn Hoc Ouonn A 1- or 2-receiver satellite TV system for $49 99. A (49 99 credit on vmir first hn. fKl Standard Proteumal Instillation. 8272 21 VardyOmtl I MowOamfe SuvbCtoMcfc E-nal editors by using first initial and last Payments Based on 90 LTV 1st ten.

360 month amortization. 5.5 rata. 6.73 APR may vary departing on term and amount Rates subfect to change. Loans subject to credit and underwriting guidelines. cme IMBA! IMenMoCtamb ton.

MMrafjorMtte atmstdumA 5 A PMl ajjpRMl, mM MfaaT otM linn i tmmtm iu a kaWMiaililaaaiiiMm a- i i hi Double Hung or Slider Window Low Glass Argon Gas Lifetime Warranty Both Sashes Tilt In For Easy Cleaning rv-rtr n.wi'i'K'ira 'Tnstalled A-1 SATELLITE Locaty Owned AUperMecJ JtW Sro 1962 II TOLL FREE LLCOll. 877-337-7674 it 12400 Olive Suite 328 St Louis, MO 63141 314-878-5500 3 333 Salem Place Suite 100 Fairview Hgts, IL 62208 618-632-5800 mcrlcan 300-0600 winddwSsid-" vf WwVWF pf hffwl npff WWS Iftl rwr4 inr yvj yv4a irx--W-nw i Wrwvjrrs I ti a a fcii ai.