Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 22

C2 Wednesday, June 10, 1998 PORTS ffi Austin American-Statesman fmili MEHta tfswffifc ,0 Wm Computer rankings and schedule strength added to polls to determine top 2 teams By Richard Rosenblatt Associated Press Picking college football teams to play for the na-( tional title became more complicated Tuesday. V- 'II' Becker decides not to enter Yi.T.b!cdon Boris Becker dismissed thoughts of playing losing in the first round of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany, to Hendrik Dreekmann, ranked 101st in the world. "A Wimbledon start would have made sense with a good performance in Halle, but not with a first-round loss," Becker, a three-time Wimbledon champion, said Tuesday after losing 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (11-9). Becker, one of the English grass-court tournament's- most popular players, is easing into retirement at 30 and has played just six tournaments this year. Tennis Mark Philippoussis, once considered a potential Wimbledon champion, was ousted in the opening round of the Queen's Club tournament in London 7-6 (11-9), 7-5 by Spaniard Jordi Burillo and said he-might not play Wimbledon.

In another upset, American Todd Martin lost 6-4, 6-2 to Swiss qualifier Ivo Heuberger. NHL Dallas Stars goaltender Ed Bel-four and defenseman Craig Muni underwent arthroscopic surgeries. Belfour had bone spurs removed from his shoulder and ankle, while doctors smoothed roughness on Muni's kneecap. Both are expected to recover in time for the start of training camp in September. A How new bowl system works The Bowl Championship Series will use a four-point plan to determine which teams play in its national title game.

This season, the top game is the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 4. Beginning in early November, there will be weekly standings of 10 or 12 teams based on points awarded for rankings in each of the four categories. The two teams with the lowest point totals will play in the Fiesta Bowl. 1.

Polls: The ranking of each team in The Associated Press media poll and USA Today-ESPN coaches' poll will be added and divided by two. For example, a team ranked No. 1 in one poll and No. 2 In the other would receive 1.5 points. 2.

Computer rankings: An average of three computer rankings, with a 50 percent adjusted deviation factor as a safety net For example, if a team is ranked No. 3 and No. 5 on two computers and 12th on the other, the No. 12 ranking gets adjusted to No. 6 and the team gets 4.67 points.

3. Strength of schedule: Takes into account the won-lost record of a team's opponents and the marks of the opposition's opponents. The opponent's record is two-thirds of the mark and the opposition's opponents comprise the other third. When the national strength of schedule placing is determined, then it's divided by 25. 4.

Team record: Each loss counts as one point Associated Press i in Members of the Bowl Championship Series, formerly known as the bowl alliance, decided that in addition to the traditional polls, they would use three computer rankings and a strength-of-schedule formula to make their selection. "The purpose was to more clearly evaluate teams with similar records in order to create a more refined way of selecting who plays in the national championship game," Bowl Championship Series chairman Roy Kramer said. Previously, the Bowl Championship Series formerly the Bowl Alliance relied mostly on The Associated Press media poll and the USA Today-ESPN coaches poll to determine its top teams. The formula now will include computer rankings published by The New York Times and Seattle Times and ratings compiled by Jeff Sagarin. Those rankings, along with the polls, will be used to select teams for the title game as well as the automatic qualifiers for the four-bowl series Fiesta, Rose, Orange and Sugar bowls.

This season, the title game will be played in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 4. Won-lost records also will be used. The four-tiered system will be used to compile weekly standings based on a point system. The two teams with the lowest point totals will play in the title game.

The standings, which Kramer said would include a top 10 or 12 teams, will be available the second or third week of November because "that's when strength of schedule statistics become realistic." There will be no final standings after the tide game. "As far as we're concerned, the winner of the game is our national champion," Kramer said. The Associated Press releases its final poll after the bowl games, as do the coaches. "I think it does a beautiful job of cleaning up loose ends and provides a way for other bowls without the title game to stage attractive games," said John Junker, Fiesta Bowl president Last year, the new system would have worked perfectly, but only if the Rose Bowl had been part of the equation. Michigan and Nebraska would have finished with the lowest point totals in the Bowl Championship Series standings and would have met in the title game.

Instead, there were split national champions when both finished with perfect records. "No system is perfect, but I think we're all in the same' boat," Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr said. "I Michel SpingerAP Big soccer fan Ho, a giant Asian figure, strolls toward the Place de la Concorde during the 'Festival of Soccer" parade through the streets of Paris. Ho lost his loincloth but workers replaced it NFL Giants invade Paris know there's been tremendous thought and planning that has gone into it. I'm optimistic it will work well." In addition to determining the teams playing for the title, the system also will decide which independent or other conference team without an automatic bid qualifies for a Bowl Championship Series game Brigham Young, for example, would need to be among the top six in the series standings for an automatic spot in a top-tier bowl.

Notre Dame has addh tional chances to get to a top bowl, but Kramer said they were not finalized. Automatic berths go to the champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pacific 10 and Southeastern conferences with two at-large bids. The new ratings system is so complicated it took Kramer more than 10 minutes to explain it during a conference call. Also, the Bowl Championship Series has gone back to the conference tie-in with its bowls, with the Fiesta, when it isn't the title game, getting the Big 12 champ, the Sugar the SEC winner, the Orange the ACC or Big East champ and the Rose the Pac-10 and Big Ten winners. Buffalo Bills running back Thur-man Thomas, demoted to a backup role, did not report to an optional training camp for a second straight week.

"It's not a problem," new coach Wade Phillips said. "I just would rather all the players would be here together." Junior Seau, apparently unhappy with a $27.1 million, six-year contract he signed last September, was the only veteran no-show as the San Diego Chargers opened four days of voluntary workouts. The San Francisco 49ers are suing to stop a petition drive designed to overturn taxpayer funding of a new stadium and mall project, saying the petition includes false and misleading statements. "It's a First Amendment right to collect signatures for a petition," said Doug Comstock, head of the Committee to Stop the Giveaway. Four jolly giants of black, yellow, red and white strode through Paris like good-guy Godzillas to symbolize a World Cup that France hopes will loom large in history.

Blaring ethno-techno music and escorted by 4,500 costumed extras, the 60-foot-tall robots took separate routes Tuesday to the Place de la Concorde. "We want to show that football is accessible to everyone and belongs to no one," said Jean-Pascal Levy-Trumet, who designed the show. "The grand theme is universality in a single world." Overnight rains did not dampen the mood, but they washed off the loincloth of Ho, the Asian giant, exposing the midriff of his articulated steel skeleton. Workmen pinned it back on. As crowds watched the pageant end, several hundred soccer fans hurled bottles at police on the Champs Elysees, provoking an angry response from riot troops.

Not amused Lone Siars' iTiei worries coach mocked his coach, his team and his community. When the Bulls win a sixth NBA title without Rodman, they will demonstrate he is the most overrated cross-dresser in the NBA. As bad an actor as he wants to be. Rodman, who will be playing a soldier of fortune in "S.O.F.: Special Ops Force," a TV action series, has said he expects to be "a black Arnold Schwarzenegger." Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Sun-Times recommended a new nickname for the Bulls forward: "The Worminator." Heck of a game Jeff Miller of the Orange County Register began a recent column with "Hello, God here." Come on, if I was a sports fan Buffalo certainly wouldn't have advanced to the NHL's Eastern Conference finals. One of their players is named Satan for God's, er, ah, I mean, My sake.

If it mattered, you would have heard this: Broadcaster No. 1: "And they're whistling Mlroslav Satan off the ice again." Broadcaster No. 2: "Yep, it looks like another two-minute penalty for evil." Broadcaster No. 1: "My suggestion would be that he plays with a stick instead of that giant flaming fork." Broadcaster No. l's tie turns into a python.

Compiled by John Agee Basketball In the second half, the teams ex ecuted a role reversal. San Nicolas took the first six shots, and Lone Stars goalie Rob Weaver had to make acrobatic saves on four of them. Jack May put the sixth shot a 30-footer from' the right side, past Weaver in the 59th minute. "We came in playing pretty strong, but we lost it later in the game," Pearce said. "Their intensity went way up, and they used the wind a lot in the second half." Before they resume Cup play, the Lone Stars will travel to the Midwest this weekend to play' their only games of the season against the Indiana Blast and the Cleveland Caps.

were up 4-1. 1 saw a lot of problems out there tonight "We knew they were amateurs, and I think that affected us. The players know that the next opponent is an A-League team; if they can't raise their intensity for that, they're zombies." The Lone Stars (6-2) will travel to California to take on the Orange County Zodiacs during the week of June 21. Austin delivered a first-half performance Tuesday that suggested it would waltz into the second round. San Nicolas got off only two shots in the half to the Lone Stars' nine, and it was 10 minutes before the visitors could even get the ball into Austin's end of the field.

Gabe Jones scored the game's first goal in the 22nd minute on a rebound, when San Nicolas goalie Rosario Pina fumbled Kerwin Johnson's shot A Johnson attack also led to Austin's next goal. Ben Crawley was tackled in the goalie box while pursuing Johnson's crosskick, and Bryan Pearce scored on a penalty kick. Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune: The Bulls already have won one NBA championship over the Utah Jazz with almost no contribution from Dennis Rodman. They can win another. After Monday's events, they should do what they should have done a year ago when Rodman attacked Mormons and the state of Utah.

They should release him. Now, Rodman has insulted and Fitzsimons cites lack of intensity in 2-1 victory over amateur team in U.S. Open Cup soccer match By Amy Hettenhausen American-Statesman Correspondent The Austin Lone Stars have passed the amateur portion of their U.S. Open Cup test Now comes the challenging part. There will be no more amateur teams, like the San Nicolas squad Austin defeated 2-1 at Nelson Field in the first round Tuesday night, on the road to the championship.

And Lone Stars Coach John Fitzsimons is worried that if his team doesn't make the requisite mental adjustment to playing high-level pros, it will end up where it did last season eliminated in the second round. "It was a matter of intensity," Fitzsimons said. "We were only up 2-1, but we were playing like we em MAJOR-LEAGUE BASEBALL "1 Houston Astros at Detroit Tigers 6 p.m. FOXSW Boston Red Sox at Atlanta Braves 6:30 p.m. ESPN Texas Rangers at Colorado Rockies 8 p.m.

FOXSW Oakland Athletics at Los Angeles Dodgers 9:30 p.m. ESPN NBA FINALS Utah Jazz at Chicago Bulls 8 p.m. KXAN hockey Pro Beach Hockey 9 p.m. ESPN2 George Washington's Mike Jar-vis and St. John's have been in negotiations for several days about him becoming coach of the Big East school.

Jarvis, 253-141 in 13 seasons as a Division I coach, is said to be seeking a seven-year deal at $800,000 per year, one that wpuld make him one of the Big East's highest-paid coaches. Monmouth kicked sophomore guard Kevin Crawford, sophomore forward Joe Fermino and junior center Jeff Yoder, off its team. The three face criminal charges including theft Ten athletes, led by Travis High standout Jameshia Chatman, have committed to attend Concordia University and participate in the women's program. Joining Chat-man, an all-Central Texas selection and all-district guard, are Lisa Gorzell of Poth, Lauren Hickman and Darcy Hults of Houston Lutheran North, Cinnamon Malm-gren of Celeste, Tami Machost of Yorktown, Dianca McGhee and Kawauna Wesley of DeSoto, and Tashia Washington of Dalhart, and Shevelyn A. Williams of Houston Luthern South Academy.

Amy Wil-kins of Temple Junior College and graduate of Tomball High School, said she will transfer to Concordia. Track and field Ashley Steakley, a graduate of Westlake High School, has signed a letter of intent to run track for Wake Forest Steakley was the district and regional champion this spring in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles. College football Two employees of a car dealership said they sold a car to Kansas State football player Frank Murphy in March, and were questioned by university and NCAA officials within days. There were reports last week that Duane Koster, a Garden City business man and Kansas State booster, had given Murphy the use of a car, causing the university to report a possible infraction to the NCAA. Koster has denied the reports, and Murphy has declined to comment Compiled from wire and news reports WORLD CUP SOCCER .1 S9S8 From Brazil vs.

Scotland 10 a.m., UNI; 10:30, ESPN Morocco vs. Norway 1:30 p.m., UNI; 2 p.m., ESPN Brazil vs. Scotland (tape) 7 p.m. ESPN2 "-1 iZ.l..'.. NBA finals Utah Jazz at Chicago Bulls (pregame 7:37 p.m.) 8 p.m.

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