Northwest Herald from Woodstock, Illinois • Page 12

Page 2 SPORTS NORTHWEST HERALD Tuesday, November 23, 1999 In Eye obiinisoE worn 1 1 I join Cobs staff Hall of Famer would rather not travel HALLOWED BE THY FLOOR Boston Celtics ballboy Boston, on Monday checks out a sample piece of red oak, parquet floor at the Fleet Center. AP photo Brandon Campbell, 16, of which will make up the new "In sports, a man never knows where Cupid might strike," Rushin said. "It could happen at absolutely any of the nation's 234 Hooters." For the record: A recent item from Chicago newspaper columnist Steve Rosenbloom said Tonya Harding's agent represents Kato Kaelin among others. Kaelin's agent is Raphael Berko of Media Artists, which does not represent Harding. Trivia answer Scott Mitchell.

Detroit Lions, 410 yards on Nov. 23, 1995. And finally: From the Gallery column of the San Diego Union-Tribune: "Melanie Maynes is the lively 5-foot-7 floor leader of New Mexico State's women's basketball team. But off the court, she sports a more comatose frame of mind. "My goal in life is to run a mortuary," Maynes said.

Compiled from wire reports "PGA Grand At Pofcxi, Hawaii, the PGA Grand Slara of Golf has turned somber. irThe tournament, which starts today at the Poipu Bay Resort on Kauai, is designed for the winners of the year's four majors. Those include Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, British Open winner Paul Lawrie and PGA winner Tiger Woods. The fourth spot is reserved for the U.S. Open champ, but Payne Stewart was killed in a plane crash in South Dakota last month.

Davis Love III. the alternate based on his performance in this year's majors, will take over for his late friend. Jim not trying to replace him," Loye said. "His spot will never be taken. None of the four can replace Payne.

Hopefully, while we're here, we can focus on him and carry on his mission for his love of the game of golf." Manager's regret At Atlantic City, N.J., Stephan Johnson's manager feels responsible for the beating that left his fighter unconsooDS and on a respirator. And he wonders whether a head injury Johnson received in a fight in April should have been a warning. "It just breaks your heart." said Kenneth Woods, who was at Johnson's bedside at Atlantic City Medical Center for a second day Monday. "I feel personally responsible because I made the fight. On paper, it seemed fine.

But when tragedy comes, you have to look at the whole picture." Johnson has not regained consciousness since he was knocked out Saturday night by Paul Vaden in a bout for the vacant USBA junior middleweight title. IBF may be monitored: At Newark. N.J.. contending the International Boxing Federation is corrupt, federal prosecutors on Monday asked a judge to appoint an overseer for one of boxing's major governing bodies. The monitor would replace IBF president Robert Lee who was indicted on criminal bribery charges early this month.

A civil racketeering lawsuit filed on Monday against the IBF seeks to ban Lee and his criminal co-defendants from boxing. Arena football TV deal: At New York, the Arena Football League will receive about S25 million in cash and promotions over the next three years for selling its TV nghts to Walt Disney ABC and ESPN channels and CBS TNN. The agreement marks the first time in the arena league's 1 3-year history it has received rights fees from a national broadcasting contract, and it will give fans a regular viewing time and channel to watch the games. find our games before, you had to be flicking the remote and trip over us." said Brett Bouchy, chief executive of the publicly traded Orlando Predators. "With the visibility we'll receive now, it will be easier to attract a bigger television audience, more sponsorships, more competition among the television networks for future rights and eventually more revenue." MLS ratings: At Foxboro, preliminary ratings for Sunday's MLS Cup on ABC fell 17 percent from a year ago and were thaJowest championship ratings in thfi league's four-year history.

United's-2-0 shutout victo-ryioverthe Los Angeles Galaxy before 44,91 0 fans drew a 1 .0 pre-firJBnary, or overnight rating and a tvjp share. The championship telecast competed against NFL games. Last yeaPs final, which the Fire won 2-0 over D.C. United, drew a 1 .2 overnight and a two share. Weighlifting record: At Piraeus, Greece, Halil MutJu of Turkey set three world records Monday while sweeping all three gold medals in the men's 123-pound class at the World Weightlifting Championships.

China's Chen Yanqing broke two women's records and North Korea's Ri Song Hui set one. place (restaurant) and greet everybody who came in. i love being a public figure the way Joe DiMaggio hates he told me." Situation normal: Li sa McCaffrey, wife of Denver Bronco receiver Ed McCaffrey, on his latest concussion: "When he didn't remember our anniversary, I knew he was OK." Cheap shot: Chicago newspaper columnist Bernie Lincicome: "Question: How long until March Madness? "Answer Four months for the rest of us; Bobby Knight already has a head start." Love that place: Steve Rushin of Sports Illustrated points out Jose Canseco. Chipper Jones, Randy Moss, Dennis Rodman, David Wells. Alabama football coach Mike DuBose, former NBA guard Scott Skiles and ex-Philadelphia Phillies catcher Darren Daulton have been linked romantically to waitresses at Hooters restaurants.

Expect no glory: Chicago columnist Jay Mariotti writing on Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson: "His new followers will learn. They will learn to separate hype from the rim-bending reality that Jackson is just another coach if Shaquille O'Neal can't hit a free throw in the fourth quarter. "For now, in his dynasty postpartum. Let's Do Lunch Phil and his sublime coastal cultists share a dream. They wake up, worship the ocean, breathe the dirty air and believe he will lead the Lakers to an NBA title or two or six.

The assumption is that Jackson will catch his wave and ride it to glory. They assume wrongly." Trivia time: Who owns the NFL record for most yards passing on Thanksgiving Day? Congenial: Author Roger Kahn. a former sportswriter, on Jack Dempsey: "Jack was a charming man who loved to meet people. He would sit in a booth near the window of his The ASSOCIATED PRESS CHICAGO Frank Robinson has decided not to join new manager Don Baylor's Cubs coaching staff, club spokeswoman Sharon Panozzosaid. Robinson, 64, would have joined Billy Williams as the sec ond Hall of Fame player on the staff.

Williams, who will handle first base and outfield defen- sive coaching duties next sea K0TES son, is Baylor's only coach named so far. The Cubs said Robinson rejected the offer in part because of concerns over the travel involved. "It's disappointing," general manager Ed Lynch said. "But I have respect for a guy who's willing to put his family first. He would have been a great addition for us." Rockies sign Tavarez: At Denver, the Colorado Rockies have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with relief pitcher Julian Tavarez.

Tavarez, who was claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants last week, will make $1.2 million next season, the Denver Post reported. Last season the 26-year-old right-hander was 2-0 with a 5.93 earned-run average in 47 appearances for San Francisco. Rockets Continued from page 1 "Our defense got a little out of whack after they hit a couple of threes," Woodstock coach Darren Spear said. "And then we didn't execute a couple of times inbounding the ball, but the girls played hard." In the second game, Johnsburg had the similar problem of trying to contain a dominant post player. Wauconda center Amy Lunsmann, who could shoot a short jumper just as well as she could execute a layup, finished with game highs of 23 points and eight rebounds despite playing the second-fewest minutes of any Bulldog starter.

Bears Continued from page 1 The Bears head into Detroit with fewer questions than they had after their 27-24 loss to Minnesota. Quarterback Jim Miller is the clear starter after throwing for 357 yards Sunday and a franchise-record 779 in the last two weeks. He has four touchdowns and one interception in that span. Kicker Chris Boniol likely saved his job by converting the 36-yard game-winning field goal in overtime. Bears coaches seem inclined to overlook the 33-yarder he missed before halftime.

Then there is wide receiver Marcus Robinson. He continued his Pro Bowl-caliber season with 163 yards, making him the first Bear ever with 135 or more receiving yards in four straight games. "I knew what I could do if given the chance," Robinson said. Gretzky Continued from page 1 He shared the stage with Andy van Hellemond, who was voted the NHL's top referee for 14 of his 25 NHL seasons and is director of hockey operations for the East Coast Hockey League, and Ian "Scotty" Morrison, who was a referee and director of officiating and chairman of the Hall during its move from cramped lakefront quarters to the splendidly ornate former bank building that was the site of Monday's gala. "What makes our game so special is people like Scotty and Andy and other builders, people who truly love the game," Gretzky said.

In a separate ceremony, Russ Conway of the Lawrence (Mass). Eagle-Tribune received the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for his contributions to journalism, most notably the Pulitzer Prize-nomi- In parts of seven seasons, he has; a 29-19 record with a 4.41 ERA in 313jnajor-league games with the Giants and Cleveland Indians. IScGee retires: At St. Cardinals outfielder Willie McGee has made his retirement from' baseball official, "I'm going to be home with my McGee said. "I knew a while ago that this was probably-going to be it.

The way the season went, the way my season went, it seems like it's just time. "I tried to trick myself and find something inside to get me motivated, but it's just not there." McGee was a World Series hero as a rookie in 1982 when the Cardinals won the championship. He was the NL MVP in when he batted a league-leading .353 with 216 hits as St. Louis again reached the Series. As sign Hathews At Oakland, the Athletics have agreed to a two-year contract with right- handed pitcher TJ.

Mathews. The 29-year-old Mathews was 1 9-5 with three saves and a 3.81 ERA in 50 games with Oakland this past season. He missed 3'k weeks in July with an inflamed pitching shoulder and had surgery on his right elbow Oct 26. "T.J. was a solid set-up man for us last season and served an important role on our pitching staff," A's manager Art Howe said.

Wauconda used full-court pressure for most of the game. The Skyhawks, who appeared unready for the pressure, frequently had trouble getting the ball past half court "I could tell in warmups that they were more ready to play than we were," Johnsburg coach Kevin Shelton said. "We have no excuses to make. They played well and we just didn't" Wauconda looked to run and pressure at every opportunity, and using its speed coupled with Lunsmann's inside presence, Johnsburg (1-1 never threatened. "This didn't look like the team that beat Genoa the other night," Shelton said.

"Personally, I don't think we were ready to play." "Now my dreams are coming true. I feel real good." One coach who was displeased after Sunday's game was Bears defensive coordinator Greg Blache. He ripped his unit for letting the Chargers march down the field for 10 points in the last five minutes to tie the game. "He's calmed down a little' bit," Jauron said Monday. "You don't want to lose sight of a lot of good things that happened before the last five minutes.

The fact is we didn't play our best game and still found a way to win." Rookie linebacker Warrick Holdman saw significant time Sunday in place of Sean Harris, and Jauron said that would continue Thursday. "To be a great defense, we've got to take care of the little things," Holdman said. "Those are things we've been working on for a long time. We're playing hard, but these little mistakes make it seem like we're not." nated investigative series that, helped publicize the illegal activi ties of former NHL players' union boss Alan Eagleson, and broadcaster Richard Garneau was given the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for his distinguished work -on French-Canadian TV. But the day belonged to Gretzky, who vetoed a plan to move the ceremonies to a bigger theater because he wanted his induction to be at the same place' as his predecessors.

"I'll always be part of a triviaf' question," van Hellemond said." "Who were the other two that got in with Wayne Uretzky?" van Hellemond and Morrison can take comfort in blowing they are not the only people who have been eclipsed by Gretzky. He left the NHL with 894 goals, 1,963 assists, 2,857 points, four Stanley Cup championships, 61 records and the respect of all who played with or against him. D.C. United dynasty gives MLS dynasty team to inspire love, hate By J.A. ADANDE Los Angeles Times FOXBORO, Mass.

If the Los Angeles Galaxy can get over the fact it happened at their own expense, they might take some solace in knowing they helped Major League Soccer take another step forward Sunday. The Galaxy came up on the wrong side of a 2-0 score Sunday in the MLS Cup against a D.C. United team establishing itself as the league's premier force. But the league got lucky, the recipient of perhaps even more good fortune than it deserved for scheduling its championship outside Boston on the third Sunday in November. They were blessed with clear skies and temperatures in the 60s, helping to draw an MLS Cup-record 44,910 fans to Foxboro Stadium.

That is a nice attendance figure when only a few thousand came up the Eastern seaboard from Washington, and an almost indistinguishable number of fans trekked across the country from Los Angeles. Soccer coaches are not as myopic as their brethren in other sports. They see the big picture. "It was a nice day, weather-wise," Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid said. "There was a good crowd.

It was a good day for MLS." It was not a great day, because it was not a great game. The officiating and the playing surface played too big a role, and key Galaxy players only made a cameo appearance. MLS at least has one need fulfilled: A great team. With Sunday's victory, D.C United has won three of the first four MLS Cups. Here is to dominance.

"I think dynasty teams are a positive for sport," MLS commissioner Don Garber said. "It makes good guys and bad guys. It allows a neutral site like this to have fans that follow a team. Hopefully, well continue to have the rest of our teams going after (D.C United) and shooting for them for Cups to come." It's a good team to emulate. Like high school students dressing the same as the most popular kids, professional sports teams ANOTHER VIEW tend to imitate the winners, and D.C.

United takes an offensive-minded approach that led the league in scoring this season. "They're not afraid to kick the ball 60 yards up the field," Schmid said. Of course, not every team has a scorer like Roy Lassiter and a passing whiz like Marco Etcheverry. Etcheverry did not have a point Sunday, but he gave D.C. United several good scoring opportunities with his corner kicks and free shots.

Lassiter set up the first goal with a point-blank shot that was blocked by Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. Lassiter got bis foot on the rebound, deflecting the ball to Jaime Moreno, whose shot got past Hartman. Lassiter also changed the tone of the game in the ninth minute when he shoved Galaxy captain Robin Fraser from behind when the two were chasing down a long pass. Fraser crashed to the ground and broke his left collarbone. The referees did not call a foul.

They also remained silent later in the first half, when Gobi Jones beat John Maessner to the box and Maessner tripped him from behind. In each case, the Galaxy had a legitimate complaint. Both teams complained about the field, which was hard and still chewed up in spots from the Patriots-Jets NFL game six days earlier. The field didn't cause Hartman to make his bad decision when he tried to play a ball kicked back to him by teammate Steve Jolley, but it did affect his footing when he mis-hit the ball and D.C United's Ben Olsen swooped in for a free shot into an empty net That effectively ended the game, but it doesn't have to be the end of a rivalry. The Galaxy lost to D.C.

United on a rainy day at Foxboro Stadium in the inaugural MLS Cup three years ago, and is the closest thing D.C United has to a rival "Maybe it will become a rivalry when we win one," Fraser said MutJu, who already has seven World Championship gold medals and one Olympic gold, broke his record in the snatch by 5 pounds, lifting 302'? pounds. Siding legend dies: Sfcrge Lang, the Frenchman who created skiing's World Cup circuit and helped revolutionize the sport, his died of a heart attack at 79. The International Ski Federation said Lang died Sunday night in Stemerberg, France. "If very sad for me and the sport, federation president Gian-Franco Kasper said after receiving the news from Lang's son, Patrick. "We worked very dosery for 25 7 years, and it wffl leave a void." Compiled from staff, wire reports.