Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 27

Saturday, August 5, 1995 The Clarion-Ledger 3C Just when you thought ESPN2 was enough, think again 930 AM. Today, you get your chance. Memphis plays flip Ran Antnnin Tpxnns at 1 :30 D.m. on WSLI. Veteran JOE CULPEPPER Of The Clarion-Ledger On Sports TV Media 1 if have been melding for years," Tide on TV: Of the severe penalties the NCAA leveled against Alabama for improprieties in its football program, including three years probation, the loss of scholarships and no bowl game this season, the most puzzling is the fact the Crimson Tide received no TV sanctions.

Perhaps the NCAA infractions committee did not ban TV appearances because of Alabama's ability to draw strong viewer ratings. Perhaps the committee did so out of loyalty to SEC commissioner Roy Kramer, a member of the infractions committee who had to excuse himself from the deliberations because one of his league schools was involved. Or, perhaps it was because the NCAA simply didn't have the guts, or the smarts, to administer punishments consistent with those suffered by virtually hundreds of others schools through the years. Sound bitos: Last week, I encouraged you to listen to the CFL's Memphis Mad Dogs on radio station WSLI- ESPN2 may never make it onto the air in the Jackson cable television market. By the time Capitol Cablevi-sion finds the air space to finally accomodate ESPN2, don't be surprised if the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network has already launched ESPN3.

That's right. ESPN3 is already in the works. In this incredible week of mergers and takeovers, Disney's marriage earlier this week with the Cap Cities conglomerate, which owns 80 percent of ESPN, only adds clout to the all-sports network that has become an industry giant with 15 years on the air to its credit. ESPN programming is seen in a whopping 150 countries. It also has all-sports channels in seven countries, and it expects to launch eight more by January.

ESPN's two U.S. channels provide considerable potential air time for Disney to venture into events with a vague sports connection. Extreme Games, introduced on both ESPN and ESPN2 this summer, was so successful that a variation of it will return next year. "Not only will there be an ESPN3, but we have on the Memphis sportscaster Jack Eaton does the play-byplay, and he makes listening to a game funHis sidekick straight man is Jarvis Greer. Veteran NASCAR radio announcer Eli Gold will join The Nashville Network's television group in February.

Known as "the voice of NASCAR" for his radio work, Gold also the "voice of the Alabama Crimson Tide" will provide play-byplay coverage of NASCAR races on TNN. NASCAR is riding a hot 4.3 season rating on CBS to IndyCar's 2 5 on ABC. Funny, then, that ABC gets the lucrative Brickyard 400 today at noon. "NASCAR's probably the sport of the '90s," says ABC's Paul Page. "NASCAR's focused on racing, fan loyalty, American cars the fans can identify with and made drivers accessible." Some information for this column was obtained from Jack Craig of the Boston Globe and other wire reports.

To contact Joe Culpepper, call 961-7294. drawing boards several additional sports program services," ESPN president Steve Bornstein said on ESP-NET. "We are looking at an Hispanic-orientated service, an all-sports news network, an all-motor sports network, as well as others." Mike Soltys, director of communications for ESPN, views Monday's merger as extremely positive. "It will create opportunities to strengthen what is already a substantial domestic and international presence," he said. "The entertainment and sports worlds BRIEFLY Stewart shoots second 65 lUeafther knocks oufl A.J.

Foyft Jackson Chargers fall 3-1 in USISL semifinals The third-seeded Jackson Chargers lost to the No. 1-seeded Cocoa Beach Expos 3-1 Friday night in the semifinals of the United States Interregional Soccer League Eastern Premier Division playoffs at Birmingham. The Chargers, 15-8, meet the Nashville-Birmingham loser today at 6 p.m. in the consolation. Ian Gill gave the Expos a 1-0 lead before the Chargers' Joel Carver scored for a 1-1 tie.

The Expos' Eddie riders scored for a 2-1 lead near the end of the first half. Expo Keiran Breslin scored the only second-half goal. GARRETT LEAVES HOGS: Forward Reggie Garrett is transferring from Arkansas to play his senior year at NAIA member Oklahoma City University. By Paul Newberry The Associated Press The transfer is the third for the 6-foot-5 Brandon native. He played at New Orleans for two years before switching to the Razorbacks.

Garrett was a redshirt the year Arkansas won the national title. He was part of the Razorbacks' bench strength last year and started four games for the team. He averaged 5.5 Doints. 2.2 rebounds and about Of- A i INDIANAPOLIS A.J. Foyt, denied a second chance to make the Brickyard 400 on Friday, was defiant to the end.

Rain washed out the second round of time trials along with Foyt's hopes of making the Winston Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the second year in a row. The four-time Indy 500 winner was faster than only one of the other 47 drivers who took part in Thursday's opening qualifying session. He had hoped to make the 42-car field Friday, but NASCAR officials finally gave up as one rainstorm after another moved through the city. Anyone who thought the 60-year-old might call it quits after his embarrassing performance had another thing coming. "I'll never go down as a quitter," Foyt said with a steely look in his eyes.

"I'm always going to live life the way I want to live it. I'll do what I want to do. I'll continue to do that till I die. That's A.J." And A.J. made it clear he still wants to race.

He said he may enter as many as three more Winston Cup races this year he's considering Atlanta, Charlotte and Phoenix and is serious about plans to start his own team next year and run up to 16 events, including another run at the Brickyard. "I'll be here," he said. "God willing, yeah, I'll definitely be here." Foyt, who retired from IndyCar racing in May 1993, put his helmet back on to make a dramatic qualifying run in the inaugural Brickyard last year. His was the last car to make the field and was running near the leaders in the first half of the race when he misjudged his fuel mileage and ran out of gas on the back-stretch. He finally made it to the pits and wound up 30th.

"I got kicked pretty good last year and I got kicked this year," he said. "I'm not go- 10 minutes playing time. Garrett Garrett played in 33 of Arkansas' 39 games last season. He was suspended in late February by Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson for violating a team rule and did not play again until March 1 1. Oklahoma City went 30-3 last year.

MANTLE BATTLING ANEMIA: Baseball Hail of Famer Mickey Mantle received blood transfusions on Friday in Fort Worth to help combat anemia brought on by the chemotherapy being used to fight his lung cancer. Mantle was listed in stable condition late Friday. Doctors said Mantle is expected to be released by Monday. JUDGE SIDES WITH SWEENEY: Motivated by "an incredible pressure to win," the NFL pushed drugs on former San Diego guard Walt Sweeney and must pay for his lost wages and rehabilitation. The NFL Retirement Plan was ordered by U.S.

District Judge Rudi Brewster to pay Sweeney a lump sum The Associated Press Darrell Waltrip consoles A.J. Foyt after weather wiped out Foyt's Brickyard chances. From Wire Service Reports Payne Stewart, making a late run at a berth on the Ryder Cup team, shot his second consecutive 65 on Friday for a one-stroke lead over Woody Austin after two rounds of the Buick Open at LeBlanc, Mich. Some golfers in the 156-player field were still on the course when darkness fall and were to complete their second round early today, before the start of the third round. Austin, finishing his rain-delayed first round early Friday, tied the course record with a 9-under-par 63 at soggy Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club.

He came back with 68 in the second round. The 63 over the layout had been equaled by six others, most recently Scott Hoch in 1991. But it all became moot when Jim Furyk, taking advantage of lift, clean and place rules, birdied his final five holes for a record 62 in the second round. That put Furyk in a group at 134 with J.L. Lewis and Bruce Vaughn.

Stewart, playing in a threesome with Masters champion Ben Crenshaw and Ryder Cup captain Lanny Wadkins, was 14-under. VFW Senior Championship: Buddy Allin, a Bronze Star winner during service in Vietnam, shot a 7-under-par 63 and took a two-shot lead over Jay Sigel at Belton, Mo. Simon Hobday and Dick Goetz both were three back at 66. Hale Irwin, Graham Marsh, Jerry McGee and Jack Kiefer were bunched at 3-under-par 67. Jim Colbert, the defending champion and top money-winner on the senior tour this year, shot 68.

McCali's Classic: Catrin Nils-mark and Allison Finney shot 5-un-der-par 67s to share the first-round lead at Stratton Mountain, Vt Scandinavian Masters: Jesper Parnevik shot his second straight 67 to take a two-stroke lead at Bar-seback, Sweden. Parnevik had a 36-hole total of 134, 10-under-par on the Barseback course. British Open champ John Daly (74) barely made the cut at 145. Mississippi Mid-Amateur: Remnants of Hurricane Erin postponed Friday's opening round of the MGA Mid-Amateur championship at River Birch Golf Club in Amory. River Birch pro Andy Franks said the 54-hole tournament has tentatively been shortened to 36 holes, with 18 holes scheduled for today.

appeals to Foyt, who said things have changed on the IndyCar circuit. "I got a lot of friends in NASCAR. That's the reason I like to work with them. They're a good group of guys. I think every one of them would like to see me in the race," he said.

"The Indy group used to be that way, but it's a different ball game now." Ironically, the skies began to clear over the speedway for the first time all day shortly after NASCAR officials abandoned hope of a qualifying session. Not surprisingly, Foyt was confident he would have made the field had the clouds lifted a little sooner. "Oh yeah," he said. "I'd almost bet you money I would have made it." ing to take it two years in a row. I'll get back in the groove." Foyt blamed himself for the poor qualifying lap he posted on the 2V2-mile speedway Thursday.

"When I took the green, to be honest with you, I drove a little hard in (turn) one and got off (the gas pedal) pretty good," he said. "Then I screwed up in two, which made me mad on the backside, then I screwed up real good in three and four." Foyt said he knew his 1994 Ford Thun-derbird had handling problems, but he failed to order the necessary adjustments until after the qualifying run was over. He said a number of drivers, including Rusty Wallace, offered parts and advice to improve his car. The NASCAR comradery Kellner claims Kroger 200 Wilts aft Vfj. 7 On the fourth and final corner of his qualifying lap, the rear end of Gordon's car slid out toward the wall and he appeared to nearly lose it, but still had the momentum to finish.

Super Bowl coach impressed: Joe Gibbs has been to the Super Bowl as coach of the NFL Washington Redskins four times, winning it three times. So he knows all about big events. But even Gibbs is impressed by the Brickyard 400. "Indy is really special to me," said Gibbs, who is now a race-car owner, running a car in NASCAR Winston Cup series and two in NHRA drag racing. "I came here to watch it, but I never thought I'd be a part of it.

Bobby Labonte is Gibbs' driver, and the third-year Winston Cup regular qualified fifth for today's race. Long time, no win: It has been 12 years since the last of Petty Enterprises' 268 Winston Cup victories. That win was by Richard Petty at Charlotte in the fall of 1983. The last time the king of stock car racing won was at Daytona in July of 1984, but he did it in a car owned by Mike Curb. Now Petty is running the family team full-time, and cousin and longtime team manager Dale Inman also is back in the team fold.

Bobby Hamilton's second-place qualifying effort for today's Brickyard 400 has given the whole team a boost, as well as raising hopes for a return to Victory Circle. From Wire Service Reports INDIANAPOLIS Jason Kellner survived a crash-filled race, driving his Chevrolet Monte Carlo to a 10 car-length victory Friday night in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Kroger 200 at Indianapolis Speedway Park. Kellner, from Greenville, S.C., averaged 86.335 mph in winning the $18,225 first prize on the eve of today's Brickyard 400 Winston Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Elton Sawyer in a Ford beat Mike McLaughlin's Chevrolet to the line to finish second. Tracy Leslie and Tommy Houston rounded out the top 5, each on the lead lap.

Gordon has matured: Ray Evernham, the man who oversees the preparation of Jeff Gordon's No. 24 race cars, says his driver is a different man than he was when he won the inaugural Brickyard 400. "Jeff has changed a lot since we were here last year," the crew chief said Friday as his team worked on the Chevrolet Monte Carlo Gordon will drive in today's race. "Yesterday, I was worried and concerned that he was not feeling well," Evernham added. "He was just quiet.

But he went out there and hammered one off. I think he's focused. He's becoming more of a professional." Gordon, whose 24th birthday was Friday, won the pole for the second Brickyard race with a record-setting lap on Thursday in the opening round of time trials. laiedo Jasf WESTON S0OIS of at least $550,000 in retroactive pay to 1 976, except for six years when he worked, and $4,000 a month the rest of his life. Brewster also ordered the fund to pay Sweeney's lawyer fees.

In his lawsuit, Sweeney, 54, said he was given various types of drugs by team doctors, including Seconal, Codeine, Dexadrine and steroids. MANLEY LANDS IN PRISON: Former Wash irtgton Redskins defensive lineman Dexter Manley pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of cocaine possession and was sentenced to four years in prison. Manley, 37, who played in two Super Bowls with the Redskins, was permanently barred from the NFL in 1989 after failing his fourth drug test. TENNIS: Top-seeded Goran Ivanisevic and No. 5 Thomas Enqvist won their quarterfinal matches in the Infiniti Open at Los Angeles.

Ivanisevic beat Marcos Ondruska 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 and Enqvist defeated Michael Joyce 1-6, 6-1 6-1 In the Toshiba Classic at Carls- bad, third-ranked Mary Pierce beat Australia's Rachel McQuillan 6-2, 6-4, and No. 2 seed Conchita Martinez routed Sweden's Asa Carlsson 6-0, 6-1, while France's Sandrine Testud upset Marianne Werdel Witmeyer 6-2, 6-2 Spaniard Javier Sanchez advanced to the Czech Open semifinals by defeating top-seeded Marc Rosset of Switzerland 6-4, 6-4 at Prague, Czech Republic. Sanchez meets Alberto Portas, a 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 winner over Karim Alami, in the semis today. The other semifinalists are Bohdan Ulihrach and Nicklas Kulti Top-seeded Thomas Muster advanced to the Austrian Open semifinals at Ktzbuehel, Austria, with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 victory over Sandor Noszaly. Muster faces Gilbert Schaller today, while Alberto Costa faces Bernd Karbacher in the semis.

IAAF BACKS DECISION: Track world governing body Thursday backed Italy's decision to keep Ivan Pedroso's controversial long jump out of the world record books. Pedroso jumped 29 feet, 4 inches Saturday in an Italian meet with a wind reading that was within the acceptable speed. But the Italian federation decided not to seek ratification of record, saying it had videotape showing an an Italian coach standing close to the wind measuring device to shield it. HEAT, KNICKS DEBATE ISSUE: Executives of the New York Knicks and Miami Heat met with NBA commissioner David Stern for nearly eight hours Friday, giving testimony on the tampering case involving former Knicks coach Pat Riley. The Knicks have charged the Heat with contacting Riley while he was under contract.

Riley resigned June 15 with one year remaining on his contract. Miami has denied having any improper contact with him. If the Heat is found to have tampered with Riley, the Knicks could receive compensation, such as draft picks, of Miami's executives could be fined or suspended. GEORGIAN LEADS BASS: Mark Hardin of Canton, grabbed the second-day lead in the $230,000 BASS Masters Classic on High Rock Lake near Greensboro, N.C. Hardin had the biggest five-bass limit of the day 1 8 pounds, 1 0 ounces to take the lead Friday with a two-day total of 36 pounds.

He has a seven-ounce lead over Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, the 1992 BASS Angler of the Year, who had a limit that weighed 18-8, including a 6-15 bass that was the biggest of the tournament which ends today. ROPERS 44 A SNOOKY'S 4-H Western Store The Associated Press Defending champ and pole-sitter Jeff Gordon thanks fans. 854164 Hwy. 51 Ridge "Soots For Less1 CABARET THE GENTLEMENlTiMilCL ADULT ENTERTAINMENT SVJ I Mi I niTT Proudly Presents MS ABBE LYNN I PLAYBOY COVERCENTERFOLD Secret's JUT SMUGS 4 NOW HIRING! EARN UP TO $8.00 per hour Domino's Pizza is now hiring drivers and assistant managers. Must have a good driving record.

Applications being taken at Quality Inn on 1-55 N. Rm. 174 Interested drivers apply August 7, SHOWTIMES MON-THUR MID. TO 130-1 AM 'Steel-belted' Sullivan released The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS Danny Sullivan, injured in a crash Sunday during the Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway, was released from Methodist Hospital on Friday. Sullivan, 45, underwent surgery Tuesday at the Indianapolis hospital to repair a broken pelvis.

During the procedure, doctors inserted two steel plates into his abdomen. "I can't do anything for about a week," said the 1985 Indianapolis 500 winner and former IndyCar series champion. "And I'm going to be on crutches, a cane or a walker for about six weeks." Asked about getting back in a race car, Sullivan said, "It doesn't look good for the season because there are only four races left." Sullivan will be replaced in the PacWest Racing car by Juan Fangio II for the race next week at Lexington, Ohio. SATHO-MIDrCKT LONGEST HAPPY "SINJAX 1 RED DOG 7W EVERY WED GUYS THIS WED XE9CS7M7P' FREE A0MKSKW WITH 8ltk HM Ttt sm 'I DOc j. ADMISSION 4PM TO.

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