The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 9

mm p' fliers 099 MEDAL LEADERS Nation Ml 'jn Germany Russia Italy Norway Nethrlds Bulgaria Canada Finland France 112 4 2 10 3 0 2 13 0 12 3 110 2 10 0 1 10 0 1 10 0 1 10 0 1 PHPTQ r1QP.E OLYMPICS rUJXl COVERAGE ON PI AGES 6-8 U.S women stay unbeaten The U.S. women's hockey team won its second game in as many days, a 7-1 rout of Sweden. Story, back page THE TAMPA TRIBUNE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1998 Through 8 events A A liri II '6 Wallace primed for 500 success TomMcEwen THE MORNING AFTER 1 to ba place finish after the first run of the 500 Today's TV highlights CBS: Ski jumping, pairs figure skating, men's speedskating, women's luge, p.m.; a.m. TNT: Luge, Nordic skiing, curling, pairs free skate, 1-6 p.m. of two races.

"He's not skated well all year," U.S. coach Gerard Kemkers said. "But it was like he put all his energy into this race. He forgot about everything that was going on, went to the line and pulled it off. "Now, he has his confidence back." On a day when 11 skaters went faster than the previous Olympic record of 36.33, the biggest surprise was that FitzRandolph was one of them.

While the rest of the world began going faster on the clapskates, FitzRandolph tried one pair after another as his confidence slipped at an alarming rate. He qualified for the Olympics, but figured his best chance for a medal would be at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City. at- Ik Tampa Bay looks good for MLS Cup If the details are worked out, and it is expected they will be, we can add the-Maior League Soccer champion ship game to that wonderfully crowded big-time sports events calendar for 1999. And we are not including how far beyond the regular season the Buccaneers, Lightning and Devil Rays may advance next year. Booked previously for 1999 are the NHL All-Star Game at the Ice Palace, then the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four at Tropicana Field.

Add Oct. 31 to that special events calendar if the TampaHillsborough Convention Visitors Association formally agrees to the deal now on the table with MLS. The sports commission of the visitors association meets Thursday and is expected to endorse the deal. The 1999 MLS Cup will be played at the new stadium going up south of Houlihan's. Other bidders have been discouraged by the MLS.

The league wants the game here. So do the Mutiny. So should we all. Hosting the game would bode well for hosting games of the 2010 World Cup, which should return to the USA then. It also would help promote the Ed Turanchik push for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, making the new stadium a natural for the gold medal soccer match.

NEGOTIATIONS AMONG MLS, the Mutiny, visitors association and Tampa Sports Authority have been going on for some time. The important points of the deal: MLS sells the 40,000 seats in the lower bowl, we guarantee the sale of the 22,000 upper level seats, which would be cheaper, rounding out at perhaps $400,000. "That's the deal MLS has approved," Mutiny General Manager Nick Sakiewicz said Monday. "We want it like all get-out," said Paul Catoe, general manager of WFLA-Channel 8 and chairman of the visitors association. "The terms offered are acceptable." The MLS Cup will be played this year in the Rose Bowl at Pasadena, the 2000 game probably in a new stadium being built in Columbus, Ohio.

MLS, which owns the Mutiny, has wanted the 1999 game here to "showcase soccer in our community again," Sakiewicz said. "Naturally, it will boost the Mutiny and lay groundwork for the World Cup when it returns to America. It's simply a natural." GOOD. NOW KNOW this. The visitors association had to have a ticket deal it could live with and it apparently has that now.

Providing a host committee, hotel rooms, transportation guarantees, the stadium and support of the city of Tampa, county of Hillsborough and state of Florida will be no problem. Old hat. Experience sees to that, experience and civic pride. Said County Commissioner Turanchik, "The more exposure the better to help our Olympics push. And talk about exposure, this too is worldwide." The game will be televised live by ABC-Channel 28, then worldwide by ESPN International, which County Commissioner Dottie Berger says "adds a special value and a special dimension.

If the deal is as you say now, let's get to it." She sits on the visitors association board for the commission. "It's a win, win, win, win situation," Sakiewicz said, "for Tampa Bay, MLS, the Mutiny and the sport of DAYT0NA BEACH The latest adventures of Rusty could include Wallace's first victory at the Daytona 500. By TOM FORD of The Tampa Tribune Behind closed garage doors, Rusty Wallace's language is punctuated by profanity. Were Miss Manners issued a Winston Cup garage pass any thing is possible in NAS-CAR's corporate world she might slap Rusty's pretty-boy face. Howard Stern, on the other hand, would approve.

In the pub-he eye, Wal Wallace lace's image is impeccably clean. He is a gentleman, a smiling man for Miller Beer, the sponsor that funds his multimillion-dollar Penske South race team. The two faces of Rusty portray characteristics that make Wallace one of the most popular and respected drivers in motorsports. With helmet on, he is as tough as anyone on the Winston Cup circuit, an aggressive, cuss 'em out competitor. Dressed down to civilian status, he knows how to raise a toast to Miller and party hearty with Madison Avenue executives.

This week, Wallace's personality is split. Being a participant in the Daytona 500 requires commitment to preparing for stock car racing's premier event while honoring sponsorship demands away from the track. But something seems different about Wallace. He seems more focused, more motivated, more intent than ever on becoming the 500 champion. Winning Sunday's Bud Shootout for the first time in 12 attempts has boosted his confidence.

"I tell you," Wallace said, "whenever you win here, after all the bad luck I've had, you've got to feel good and smile a little bit and I feel damn good right now." Certainly, this appears to be his best chance of winning the 500, something he has not done in 15 appearances. See 500, Page 4 MM MAGIC: Penny Hardaway and Grant Hill are sharing a common label this season: coach killers. Story, Page 3 FOOTBALL: Dolphins name former Bucs coach Kippy Brown as offensive coordinator. Story, Page 5 49 days to go Until opening day for Devil Rays Casey FitzRandolph races toward a third NAGANO, Japan For the first time in a while, Casey FitzRandolph did not come unhinged with the new clapskates. By DOUG FERGUSON of The Associated Press What a time for Casey FitzRandolph to finally get comfortable on the clapskates.

America's top speedskating sprinter had all but written off his chances in Nagano. Frustrated by the new hinged blade, he went from among the best in the world to an afterthought in the men's 500 meters. That changed when he burst off the line Monday morning. A mere 35.81 seconds later an Olympic record that didn't last long he was in the hunt for the first U.S. medal of the games.

The 23-year-old from Wisconsin was in third place going into today's second and final 500 meters. Hiroyasu Shimizu of Japan was first with a 35.76, followed by Canada's Kevin Overland at 35.78. Unlike previous Olympics, when the 500 was decided by one all-or-nothing race, the medals will be decided by adding the times Oasew pi! AP photo meter speedskating event. nn fa iff raj a. "I've not skated to my potential all year," FitzRandolph said.

"But I always gave myself a chance, and that's important. I didn't expect to go 35.8 and be in third place, but I knew inside it was possible." While FitzRandolph prepared for an unlikely medal, two of the favorites have their work cut out for them. Jeremy Wotherspoon of Canada, who won the World Sprint Championship in Berlin last month, slipped in the final turn and was seventh in 36.04, 0.28 seconds behind the leader. He was in the same pairing with Jan Bos, the first Dutchman to win a world sprint championship. Bos slipped three steps into his start and staggered again trying to make up the lost time.

He was in 20th place and quickly turning his attention to the 1,000 meters later in the games. That wasn't the case for FitzRandolph. "Six months ago, I would not have been happy to get third. I wanted to win," he said. "But coming from where I've come from this year, a bronze would be great." if I i i GTE pumps up Graham's game 4 i TAMPA Returning to this week's GTE Classic is something special for '97 champion David Graham.

By MICK ELLIOTT of The Tampa Tribune When David Graham returns to the Tournament Players Club at Tampa Bay this week as defending champion of the GTE Classic, he will drive slowly onto the grounds, looking left and then right. Before heading to the clubhouse, he may even pause for a quick moment by himself to stare down the 18th fairway, to drink in the scenery and, most importantly, to remember. Yes, this is the place. It's all coming back now. This is where it happened.

One year ago, this is where Graham remembered exactly why he played golf. Last year's GTE Classic wasn't just a victory for Graham, it was a rebirth. As a PGA Tour player, the man won the 1979 PGA Championship by defeating Ben Crenshaw in a playoff. He also won a U.S. Open, shooting a near-perfect final round at Merion in 1981.

But last year's three-shot GTE victory, on the strength of a final-round 65, was something no other tournament had ever been. It was Graham's first victory in 14 years. For five of those years, the native Australian who lives in Dallas didn't even play competitive golf. After leaving the PGA Tour, Graham directed his attention to golf course design. JOCK FISTICKTrlbune photo David Graham's walk up to the 18th green in the final round of last year's GTE Classic marked the rebirth of his career.

missed it," he said. "I missed waking up every morning and having to be the best you can See GTE, Page 4 And quickly became comfortable. "When I first retired from playing in 1991, for the first 12 months or so, I very much.