The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 69

THE BOSTON GLOBE FRIDAY. MARCH 24. 1989 69 AT THE RACES I RON INDRISAHO ancis is answer DeFr best. If we had the money, we would certainly look into it." Both Norton and Rep. William Galvin (D-Brlghton), the cochairman, feel it should not be out of the question for the state to take the track, with DeFrancis making a reim-; bursement at fair market value.

LeRoux would then have to take his chances in court. If that idea doesn't fly and LeRoux decides to go down with the ship rather than sell or lease, so be it. DeFrancis had the foresight to come up with a plan to race at Northampton while he builds a track. The plan may be Impractical, but it is not impossible. It showed that he' was aware of the problems a break in racing would cause the 600 employees and the horsemen at Suffolk Downs.

It may not be feasible to implement such a plan and, if it is not, we would all meet at DeFrancis' new track in 1992. The facts are these: LeRoux, a track owner who runs his track under the threat of legislated fines, has been a disgrace and is out. DeFrancis is on his way in, and he will bring local horse racing to new heights. And the game may cease for two years, which will cause hardship for some. But, hey, no pain, no gain.

Can this be true? Is this really happen-! ing? Could this be the greatest racing upset since Man o' War got beat? Thoroughbred racing in Massachusetts now has the chance to go from the outhouse to the penthouse, from the worst owner in racing (Buddy LeRoux) to the best. Welcome to Boston, Frank DeFrancls. DeFrancis swept into the hearing room before the Joint Committee on Government Regulations Tuesday like a blast of fresh air. He carried with him a positive attitude and a let's-get-it-done philosophy. Speaking without the aid of notes, he touched all the bases, covered all the angles and scored all the points in an outstanding presentation.

He spoke of how it was wrong for the workers and horsemen at Suffolk Downs to live in "fear and dread" of losing their jobs and he based his conclusions on the "hope" of the future. Frank DeFrancis is the hope of the future. He is an irresistible force who is likely to be the key player in thoroughbred racing in this state, beginning In 1990. One way or the other. Meanwhile, the hearings publicly displayed what close observers have long known: LeRoux has been reduced to an empty shell.

He is deader politically than the Whigs and the Tories. He has no support, none, from the administration, the House or the Senate. LeRoux is finished as a race track operator as of Dec. 31 when the bailout bill expires, or sooner, if the horsemen choose to leave. There remain three possible scenarios for Suffolk.

LeRoux can lease or sell. The administration can seize the track by eminent domain. Or, Suffolk can close. That's it. If the track is seized, there is no doubt the state would make an arrangement with DeFrancis, and If it is closed there is no doubt that DeFrancis will come in and build a new track within two years, perhaps on state-owned land.

Secretary of Consumer Affairs Paula Gold was the first to testify Tuesday, and she put matters in perspective. "The indus- try has seen better days," she said. "We are repeatedly on the verge of failure. Our past efforts have not been enough, and we have gone as low as we can go." Gold was questioned by Sen. Thomas Norton (D-Fall River), cochairman of the committee.

"We have no intention of filing legislation on behalf of Suffolk Downs," she responded to Norton's first question. Norton then questioned her on the eminent domain situation and presented her with a possible solution. "1 know we have the power, but we don't have the money," said Gold. "What if we find you the money?" asked Norton. "We are certainly seeking to expand our revenue base," she replied.

"If enough money were to come forward, we would certainly sit and deal with the issue. We want a first-class racing situation. We don't want to go back to two years ago with the racing marginal at Larry Johnson Illustrations SporTView I JACK CRAIG Ordway one 1 01 a lan Spoiled sports diagnosed at Versatility his game for 15 years No radio personality has been involved in more sports events and more stations in Boston in the last 15 years than Glenn Ordway. Ordway is the only radio man to have been a color announcer for both the Bruins and Celtics. He worked with Bob Wilson on Bruins broadcasts (1977-79) and has been Johnny Most's partner on Celtics coverage for seven seasons.

Ordway also remains the only fellow to certifiably be fired for being critical of a team on the air. It happened in 1981 on WITS for his relentless criticism of the Red Sox, especially manager Don Zimmer. No one else among Boston sports announcers is so linked to the business side of radio, either. Ordway is so skillful off air that he is a consultant for stations in other markets. He also is the engine behind "Dream Game" fantasy recordings that he and Most perform.

The enterprise grossed $100,000 last year. Ordway was so involved in the business end of Celtics broadcasts that when the team changed from WRKO to WEEI last season, he went along with Most, whose voice was needed as a marketing tool for the Celtics' new station. Ordway was not a legend, but was very important nonetheless. In 1981 on WRKO, he organized the Celtics network of stations and arranged the formats for the commercials. He brought this knowledge to WEEI when the station acquired the Celtics' radio rights.

Ordway had not planned it this way. His goal had been Broadway and Hollywood. After graduating from Lynn Classical in 1968 and spending a year at Boston University, he spent three years at the prestigious Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, whose alumni Include Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford. After graduation in 1972, he obtained a cameo film role, as a non-speaking doorman in "The Out of Towners" starring Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis, and an off-Broadway part as a construction worker in "The Most Important Thing in the World," which ran for 16 performances. "I also had bit parts in two commercials, for McDonald's and Ammens Foot Powder," Ordway said.

Those TV spots also are long gone. He is philosphical about the road not taken. "The first year looking for an actingjob, you're new, and there's curiosity about you. The second time around knocking on doors, you've lost that edge. "When a casting director told me that with my appearance short and looking like everyman, 1 might make it as a character actor when I was about 40, 1 knew it was time to look elsewhere," he said.

He was 23 at the time. Ordway enrolled in a broadcasting course- at New York University and within a year had an overnight job organizing copy at WNEW. "I got paid every Friday. It was new to me. It was great," he said.

But apparently not that great. He returned home for a job at WMLO (now WNSH) In Beverly. "I lied on my experience to get hired, although later my boss told me he knew I was lying but to see how I would do," Ordway said. His organizing talent enabled him to do well, innovating an all-day schedule of high school football games, with live cut-ins. He was promoted to program manager and In 1975 advanced to WMEX (later WITS) in Boston.

Ordway began doing sports reports, but his organizing talents came to the fore again. He became host and the one-man gang for a late-night scoreboard show. Ordway later became host of a WITS sports show, where in 1981 his free speech was abridged by general manager Joe Scal-lan for his criticism of the Sox. (His successor was Mike Lynch, now the sports anchor at Channel 5.) "I was offered 2Wi years' pay in a buyout of my contract, but I would have been off the air all that time," Ordway recalled. So he took a job at WRKO, which was shifting from rock 'n' roll to talk and would soon obtain the Celtics.

When it came time to organize that vast schedule, Ordway lumped at the chance. He also became co-host of an WRKO sports program with Guy Mainella. who had been a dominant voice earlier on WBZ. Main-ella and Ordway were not a natural fit, and it didn't help when Ordway would often fly in and out of Boston from the road with the Celtics, for whom he was now doing color. Most's occasional Illnesses have enabled Ordway to do play-by-play for some 80 games, but his color commentary has been his principal Identity, made more so in recent years when Most's diminishing skills have required on-air clarifications.

Who eventually will succeed the legend. 65 years old and in less than supreme health? Ordway will not comment, of course. His role as sports director at WEEI, which has deemphasized sports lately in an economy move, is of Immediate relevance. He must continue to make certain that commercials and promos and stations along the network are lined up like ducks In a row. Organised minds never let go.

DUD COLLINS One of them. 16-year-old Erika deLone of Lincoln, has gone both ways. Erika, a pleasant kid with light manner and heavy backhand, was commuting from the Doral. 'Even though not quite able to crack the Lipton, she was there long enough to be impressive. She beat two pros in the qualifying tourney before losing.

Returning to peer country and the Easter Bowl, Erika has battled to the semis of the 18s. If you had to characterize the two tournaments, it would be Lipton for big names and bigger egos, Easter Bowl for good fun and good eggs. "Get 'em before they're rotten," advises my Uncle Studley, who wouldn't budge from the juniors for all the tea at Lipton. "Look at these kids whanging away at each other they're unpredictably great to watch." So they are. Refreshing in their braces, baggy T-shirts, braids and shag cuts, apple pie smiles and big league grunts.

Trouble Is the vultures a.k.a. agents are hovering, eager to get 'em, too, trying to recruit clients and spoil kids who may not be out of junior high. Suggests Uncle Studley, "Hide that chunk from the vultures and the football coaches." He is referring to Lex Carrington from Easthampton, Mass. At 6-feet, 180 pounds, propelled by size-14 feet (matching his age), muscleboy Carrington seems a misplaced linebacker. "Those football guys will never get him," promises papa, Arthur Carrington, a teaching pro who was the top American black player prior to Arthur Ashe.

Czarina Hamilton is encouraged by a noticeably increased number of black and oriental faces "signs of our changing society. We should have even more blacks, but the costs of raising a Junior player at this top level are becoming prohibitive. For anybody. Coaching and travel can set you back 30-grand a year. Funding of promising kids from modest income homes should be undertaken by the US Tennis Association." She's right.

"You can see, as distressing as it is." says promoter Hamilton, "why parents are turning their kids pro at too early an age. Money." Hamilton also cites unconscionable pressure from the agents. "1 know of several 12 and 13-year-olds whose parents have taken huge payments from agents in return for rights to their kids when they turn pro." This is the seamy underside of a sunny juvenile playtime. Agents and their deals, at the expense of integrity and stability. Take another Easter Bowl alum, 18-year-old Andre Agassi, currently an easy target for tomato throwers.

Beaten by 96th-ranked Carl-Uwe Steeb in the first round at Lipton, fourth-ranked Agassi is playing ragged and talking ragtime. This is a complete and unhappy about-face from his cheery, championship ways of last year. Agassi has been caught with both his rap and racket down. His condition is common bralnwreck, resulting from a collision with too-much-too-quick. You hope that it's only momentary.

Example 1: Agassi's handlers conducted an auction for a new racket contract after a successful tenure with Prince. Donnay won him for a million-plus. Agassi lost because kicking out a comfortable, winning racket for monetary gain is usually like divorcing for just another pretty face. It ain't working for the kid, who keeps cheating on his new honey. In desperation he frequently goes back to one of the old Prince models painted up to look like a Donnay.

Although Agassi isn't the first name player to pull such a phony act. that's no alibi. Example 2: After losing to Steeb quitting cold in a 6-0 third set Agassi explained his game plan and scouting report: "Who is he? Never heard of him. Didn't know if he was lefthanded or righthanded." What cavern has Andre been inhabiting? Steeb beat Mats Wilander in Sweden three months ago to win the Davis Cup for Germany. Such examples typify the efficiency of Andre and his organization that includes agent Bill Shelton and coach Nick Bollet-tieri.

It's a team effort, making them sound like candidates to run.the next Dukakis campaign. MIAMI Tennis players are like tomatoes: a little juicy, and it's best to catch them before they're spoiled. Sometimes they ripen nicely, even mature although that's a lot to ask of any athlete these days. In a quest to inspect the product at various stages (en-route, perhaps, to full-fledged a tennis degenerate has a picnic this week in Miami. It's a tale of two tournaments in one city, only miles apart: the Omega Easter Bowl Juniors at the Doral Resort, and the Lipton Players International on Key Biscayne.

At the Doral, whose chief tourist attractions are five professional-caliber golf courses, the tennis kiddles like 11 -year-old Ashley Maner from Charlotte. N.C., mingle with the golfing gaffers, doubting they'll ever be old enough to forgo legs for a cart. At Key Biscayne, a man approaching 5-iron age, as well as his 37th birthday, Jimmy Connors, is still carting himself around recklessly on his own two wheels. Like so many of the American pros, Connors is an alumnus of the Easter Bowl, founded 21 years ago by a woman who "couldn't read a draw sheet even with an interpreter. It was Sanskrit to me." That was Seena (Czarina) Hamilton, a hustling, fast-talking yet caring New Yorker, who.

like her first champ, Connors, remains on duty. More than 300 little tomatoes, mostly unspoiled, are ripening in the sunshine of her farm system tournament, dreaming of crossing the Rickenbacker Causeway one day to play with the big bovs arid girls at the Lipton..