The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • C1

BASEBALL Sounds take on Zephyrs in doubleheader 5C SPORTS FOR LIVE SPORTS SCORES OR STATS, SEND TEXT MESSAGES WITH TEAM NAME (i.e., Braves), PLAYER (i.e., John Smoltz) to 44636 XT Also get live game scores stats online at tennessean.comsports MONDAY, JULY 14, 2008 Onininn Tigerbelles enter world stage Their world was about to change, beyond anything former Tennessee State Tigerbelles Coach Ed Temple and protege Wilma Rudolph could have expected. Forty-eight summers ago at the 1960 Rome Olympics, the pair rose from their humble Nashville surroundings to make a bold athletic statement that would generate worldwide acclaim far different from the segregation and lack of coverage at home. Temple, the learned teacher in the classroom and on the track, coached the U.S. Olympic women's track and field team. Rudolph, a Clarksville native, was his greatest student and one fast learner.

She won the 100-meter final to become the world's fastest woman, then went on to become the first American woman to win three golds. Tuesday: Part 2 Rudolph uses stardom to end racial divisions. I WILMA I RUDOLPH Jj excerpt from Rome 1960 begins on Page 3C More talks are planned to keep IRL Nashville hopes to be on '09 schedule IjF An football players' workout spaces between the weight room and Floyd Stadium, where running drills cap each summer training session "We had (a sand pit) when I was at Clemson, and we had been wanting one here for a while," Coach Rick Stockstill said. "Ideally, you would have it in the ground, but we stay off the practice field in the spring and summer. So we instead put it right off the weight room there, where guys can go straight from weights to the sand and then right to the game field for conditioning." Patterson, who served with Stockstill at Clemson, oversees two types of workouts in the sand pit, usually conducted on Mondays and Thursdays.

The first includes short-burst running drills such as high-knee runs or straight-leg kicks. Those mostly increase strength and stability in the lower leg (knee and below), as well as work hip flexors and abs. AARON THOMPSON GANNETT TENNESSEE Middle Tennessee State football players Derek Dickerson, left, and Lonnie demons broad jump as they work on their conditioning in the Blue Raiders' sand pit. MTSU builds muscles, not castles, in sand box By TOM KREAGER Staff Writer GLADEVILLE Nego tiations will continue later this week between Indy Racing League officials and Nashville Superspeedway's Cliff Hawks in the track's attempt to remain part of the 2009 IndyCar schedule. "We met Friday morning and we're planning on talking again in one week," said Hawks, the track's vice president and general manager.

Scott Dixon won the eighth IRL race at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday. There have been Internet reports that the race is not on the 2009 schedule, which hasn't been released. Terry Angstadt, president of the IRL's commercial division, said the league would hold either 18 or 19 races next season He said the league is attempting to have a 50-50 split between oval and streetroad courses because of the merger this season with the Champ Car Series, which is known for road-course racing. Nashville is one of 11 ovals on this year's 18-race schedule. "We have a lot of different options," Angstadt said.

"We do think that road-course racing is exciting. We have lots of fans that support that and lots of fans that say we should be all ovals." juavia Climer Boots was peddling snake oil The next time I buy a pro sports team (OK, the first time I buy a pro sports team), I'm going to remember one basic business principle: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This comes to mind with news that William "Boots" Del Biaggio III had positioned himself to seize control of the Predators and move the NHL team out of Nashville. Throughout the hockey season, I wondered why our buddy Boots never came forward and showed himself to the local fan base. Now we know.

We were looking in the wrong places. He was here all the time, but he was crawling around in the grass. These and other revelations surfaced in Brad Schrade's exhaustive examination of Del Biaggio's underhanded dealings in Sunday's Tennessean. The man who once appeared to be a white knight intent on helping rescue a struggling NHL franchise instead was a fraud whose sole purpose was to haul the team elsewhere. Everybody got duped majority owner David Freeman, former Preds owner Craig Leipold (who fronted Del Biaggio $10 million) and Commissioner Gary Bettman, who signed off on the deal.

Rogues gallery While many in our area have questioned the worth of an NHL franchise, let it be noted that at least two people put a pretty high value on the Predators. First, there was Canadian billionaire Jim Bal-sillie. Then along came Boots. For so long, Balsillie appeared to be the bigger scoundrel. Not now.

At least Balsillie made no attempt to hide his intentions when he started taking season ticket deposits for the Hamilton Predators. Say what you will about Mr. BlackBerry, but he was transparent. Meanwhile, Del Biaggio worked behind the scenes with a slick PowerPoint power play, trying to secure additional investors before loading the moving vans for Kansas City, Las Vegas or another hockey port-o-call. A shell game One of the frightening things about this is the rhetoric that accompanied Del Biaggio's recruitment to the ownership group.

At the time he signed on, he was cast as a man whose past hands-on experience with the San Jose Sharks would help the new owners navigate through the red tape of the NHL. Here's hoping Freeman didn't take any of Boots' advice to heart. Now we know that Del Biaggio's ulterior motive was to torpedo the Preds, not rescue them. The less attractive and worse managed the team, the better for Boots. It would expedite the exit papers.

Somehow, though, it all backfired on him After a slow start, the Preds overachieved last season and made the playoffs. Attendance benchmarks were met. The franchise qualified for the highest portion of revenue sharing in the league. Now, the Preds are on solid ice, at least in the short term. Meanwhile, Boots Del Biaeeio is on shakv I ground.

He faces multi- vX, pie lawsuits ana a ieaerai investigation. The man who was once a high-profile jet-setter appears headed to the penalty box. And this penalty box is surrounded by bars. David Climer's columns appear on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sun day. Reach him at 615-259-8020 or dclimertennessean.com.

Search CLIMER for a video commentary. To Conditioning pit limits body wear By ADAM SPARKS Gannett Tennessee MURFREESBORO Most of the 12 Floridians in Middle Tennessee State football's incoming signing class are now on campus, but they see few hints of home. No beaches in sight. But strength coach Russell Patterson came up with a sadistic solution. He trucked in some sand to utilize in the Blue Raiders' grueling summer workouts.

"We only put them in the sand for 10 or 15 minutes," Patterson said. "Once you see the workout, you'll know why. It's all they can handle." MTSU football installed a sand pit stretching 10 feet wide, 40 feet long and 2 feet deep to use in offseason workouts. Set up in a tunnellike area just behind the weight room, the sand pit is conveniently located amid Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and IndyCar owner A.J. Foyt said he doesn't mind the mixture of road courses.

But he said ovals are more fan friendly because the entire track can be viewed. "I've always liked both," Foyt said. "I think the racing to me is a lot better on the ovals because you can see more. But a lot of people like road racing. It makes no difference to me.

"A race track is a race track. You do what you can with what you've got." One positive for the track is that the corporate headquarters of Bridgestone Firestone the IndyCar title sponsor and tire producer is located in Nashville. But no other race is held on concrete. Drivers complained throughout the weekend that the surface creates a one-groove track and that the concrete is hard on tires. "It is a plus and a minus," Angstadt said of the track.

"That has to go with trying to balance all considerations. We have a great relationship with Cliff and his team. "At the same standpoint, the track has some unique aspects some are good and some are more challenging." Reach Tom Kreager at 726-891 7 or tkreagertennessean pointing. "But if he does come back and play with us, hopefully he comes back with a good mind and be ready to play. If he does that, I think guys will forget about it.

If he comes back with the attitude that it's his last year here and he doesn't really care, then it's going to be a long year. It's going to be tough." Deal or no deal? On Friday, Radulov's agent, Jay Grossman, confirmed that Please see PREDS, 5C The second session is a jumping workout that includes broad jumps, vertical jumps and the like. It increases players' explosive-ness while avoiding wear-and-tear injuries caused by doing the same exercises on a hard surface. Turf tendencies Patterson also hopes sand pit workouts will prepare players to compete on Floyd Stadium's synthetic surface, which is a soft turf containing loose rubber pellets that feel a little like a thin layer of sand. MTSU installed the new playing surface in 2006 to help prevent injuries to ankles, shins, knees and hips caused by the previous hard artificial turf.

The new surface has grown popular with players, but no turf prevents all injuries. The new softer surface can allow players to be more susceptible to high ankle sprains Please see MTSU, 6C if he returns his "They've used it in the NFL a lot, so it's not something that just came along in the last one or two years." MTSU Coach Rick Stockstill MARK HUMPHREY ASSOCIATED PRESS Scott Dixon leads Tony Kanaan through a turn at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday night. One complaint about the track from drivers is that the concrete surface creates a one-groove track that is rough on tires. Preds coach, captain want wayward Radulov back Russian faces questions MB By JOHN GLENN0N Staff Writer The future of Predators forward Alexander Radulov ing to skip out on the final year of contract in order to play in Russia, or would they embrace the return of one of the league's top young offensive talents? Both Predators Coach Barry Trotz and team captain Jason Arnott say they want Radulov to return for the coming season, but they are aware some baggage might come with him. "When you back out on your deal and you let your teammates and the whole organization down like that, it's hard to swallow no question," Arnott said.

"I can't sugarcoat it any better. It's disap and the IIHF work to bring Radulov back, one question that's been raised is what kind of player the Predators would have on their hands if Radulov does wind up returning. Would he be the hungry, enthusiastic wing who notched 44 goals in his first two seasons, or a brooding malcontent simply playing out the final year of his contract in Nashville? Radulov's coaches, teammates and fans forgive him for try remains a cloudy one, subject to the outcome of a brewing battle involving the NHL, International Ice Hockey Federation and Continental Hockey League of Russia that could last months. Al FXANDFR i DAnilinw But as nam as Nashville, the league E-mail: tnsportstennessean.com Would www.tennessean.com reach sports: Phone: 259-8010 Fax: Sports Editor: Larry Taft, 259-8352 Deputy Sports Editor: Mike Jones, 259-8013.