The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 32

iiniiiniiiBiiHii lb "The players are not happy here. They feel far from the real action. Baseball is an American sport." Montreal furniture manufacturer Michel Gamache on the possibility of the Montreal Expos being eliminated from Major League Baseball IhvlLb 'DOT to THE DAILY OKLAHOMAN 2-D NOVEMBER 8, 2001 jVJdjWJCj ROUNDUP JjxJ TVRADIO MEL BRACHT THE MEDIA Arizona Diamondbacks. Astacio' option declined HOUSTON Pedro Astacio's $9 million option was declined Wednesday by the Houston Astros, NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 5:30 p.m. Temple vs.

Florida ESPN2 (Cox 28) 8 p.m. Arizona vs. Maryland ESPN2 (Cox 28) COLLEGE FOOTBALL 6:30 p.m. Air Force at Colorado St ESPN (Cox 29) 7:05 p.m. Sooner Talk KOMA-AM 1 520, KRXO-FM 1 07.7 Big 12 football rates well with Cunningham who elected to pay a Si million buyout.

Astacio, 31, was acquired along with cash on July 31 from the Colorado Rockies for right-hander Scott Elarton and catcher Garett Gentry. Astacio was 2-1 with a 3.14 ERA in four starts for Hous European PGA, Volvo TODAY IN OKLAHOMA Pedro Astacio WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL HORSE RACING 6:30 p.m.- Remington Park. COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL Lone Star Conference Tournament at West Texas 5 p.m. -Cameron vs. Abilene Christian, Texas; 7:30 p.m.

Eastern New Mexico at Texas COLLEGE TENNIS ITA National Indoor Championships in Dallas. HORSE SHOW American Quarter Horse Association World Show at State Fair Park. TRANSACTIONS Fed Cup coach critical of U.S. MADRID, Spain The captain of Belgium's Fed Cup team accused the United States of using the Sept. 11 attacks as an excuse to skip the tournament.

Ivo Van Aken, whose team is favored in this showcase team event for women, insisted on Wednesday the Americans did not want to play on clay. The WTA last weekend completed its Tour Championships in Munich, Germany. That tournament was not played on clay, a surface that often poses problems for Americans. The Americans pulled out of the eight-team tournament last month, citing security concerns. They have won the Fed Cup 17 times and would have been favored with a team that could have included Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, sisters Venus and Serena Williams and Monica Seles.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL No charges expected LUBBOCK, Texas Prosecutors do not expect to file any charges involving a melee that broke out after Texas Tech's 12-0 victory over Texas As many as 1,000 people rushed the field at Jones SBC Stadium on Saturday, tore down a goal post and attempted to send it through the stands in an area primarily occupied by fans. Lubbock County District Attorney Bill Sowder also said charges also will not be filed against a Texas student who punched Mike McKinney. Gov. Rick Perry's chief of staff. McKinney, the father of Texas senior center Seth McKinney, required eight stitches above one eye.

Sowder called McKinney a "violent participant" in the football scuffle. In police reports released Wednesday, Reginald Wallace, the student who hit McKinney said he was trying to prevent fighting when McKinney shoved him and hit him with binoculars. BASEBALL Free agency season San Francisco first baseman Andres Galarraga and Chicago Cubs pitcher Kevin Tapani were among the 12 players who filed for free agency Wednesday. Of the 161 players potentially eligible, 138 filed in the first three days of the 15-day filing period. It appears players rushed to file before the expiration of baseball's labor agreement at midnight EST Wednesday.

Also among those filing were Chicago White Sox pitcher Cal Eldred, David Bell and Pat Borders of the Seattle Mariners, and Russ Springer of the BASEBALL American League BALTIMORE ORIOLES -Exercised their 2002 options on the contracts of 1 B-OF Jeff Cor meand LHP Buddy Groom, DETROIT TIGERS- Released RHP Dave Borkowskiar FOOTBALL National Football League BUFFALO BILLS- Placed Tony Driver on injured reserve. Signed Pierson Prioleau. CLEVELAND BROWNS -Waived DB Dyshod Carter and DT Cednc Killings. Signed DT DeVone Claybrooks and DB Earthwmd Moreland from the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS -Signed RB Shyrone Stith. Released WR Tony Simmons.

Signed WR Bobby Newcombe to the practice squad. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS -Waived Delvin Brown. Signed DB Renard Cox. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS -Placed WR Curtis Jackson onin- ton before he was placed on the disabled list Aug. 29.

An MRI revealed a partial tear of the la-brum in his right shoulder. He missed the rest of the season. Yankees fire batting coach NEW YORK Yankees batting coach Gary Denbo was fired Wednesday, three days after New York finished a seven-game World Series loss in which it scored 14 runs against Arizona. New York hopes to get Don Mattingly to take the job, but the former All-Star has been reluctant to accept a full-time position. Rangers give coach raise ARLINGTON, Texas Texas Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo agreed to a three-year contract Wednesday, the first member of manager Jerry Narron's staff to sign for next season.

The Rangers also agreed to terms with three minor league free agents. Catcher Brad King and infielder Eddy Martinez agreed to terms on contracts with the RedHawks, and outfielder Juan Silvestre signed with Double-A Tulsa. MISCELLANEOUS Man arrested for hitting ref SARASOTA, Fla. The head of an anti-violence group was arrested for punching a referee during his 7-year-old son's flag football game. Trevor Harvey, 34, coach of his son's team, had yelled at the referee several times during Saturday's game and was penalized twice for unsportsmanlike conduct.

After complaining the game was getting too rough, Harvey then charged onto the field. The 270-pound Harvey had to be pulled off referee Tony Kormansek, police said. The referee wasn't injured. Harvey, president of a local chapter of MAD DADS, a group that steers young people away from crime, was arrested on a battery charge and released from jail Saturday on $750 bail. He resigned as the team's coach.

NEW YORK YANKEES -Fired Gary Denbo. batting OAKLAND ATHLETICS -Signed RHP Rocky Copping RHPIsmael Villegas. INF Jo Flores. INF Chad Meyers an lelWarne National League COLORADO ROCKIES -Agreed to terms with RHP Scott Elarton on a one-year contract. HOUSTON ASTROS- Declined to exercise its 2002 options on the contracts of RHP Doug Brocail and RHP Pedro Astacio.

NEW YORK METS- Named Bob Apodaca pitching coach ot St. Lucie of the FSL. SAN DIEGO PADRES -Named Scott Trcka and Jim Bretz to their amateur scouting staff. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS -Declined to exercise their 2002 option on 1 Andres Galarraga, making him a free agent. BASKETBALL National Basketball Association WASHINGTON WIZARDS -Announced the retirement of Loy Vaught.

HOCKEY National Hockey League VANCOUVER CANUCKS -Waived Martin Brochu. Signed Peter Skudra. COLLEGE CHATTANOOGA- Announced the resignation of Mark Leen, wrestling coach. Named Franky James interim wrestling FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON The classic's first game, matching No. 5 Duke and No.

7 Texas Tech, will air at noon on ESPN. Pam Ward and Doris Burke will call both games. ESPN's men's coverage tips off tonight with a doubleheader on ESPN2 from the IKON Classic at Madison Square Garden: No. 16 Temple vs. No.

6 Florida at 5:30 p.m. and Arizona vs. No. 2 Maryland. The championship game will air at 8 p.m.

Friday on ESPN. Brad Nessler, Dick Vi-tale and Jay Bilas will call the action. Traber drained Sports Animal talk show host Jim Traber said he was worn out on his return to Oklahoma City on Monday after broadcasting the World Series for the Arizona Diamondbacks radio network. Traber will receive a World Series ring after the D-Backs rallied in the ninth inning of the seventh game to beat the New York Yankees 3-2. "It was the most amazing series of all time," Traber said.

"It was up and down. I'm emotionally drained. The crowds were unbelievable at both places." Traber will have only four months to rest up at his Norman home with his wife, Julie, and three daughters before returning to Phoenix for spring training in March. He has a two-year broadcast contract with Arizona, with the team having an option for a third year. Traber's Sports Animal contract expires Dec.

15. He said he hoped to stay with the network, but wanted to cut back on his duties during baseball season. "Maybe in a different capacity, but not as a host of a show." Short takes Fox's 15.7 overall rating for the World Series was up 27 percent over last year's five-game series between the Mets and Yankees. The network earned a 23.5 rating (including a 21.3 on KOKH-25) for the seventh game, despite going against CBS' Emmy coverage and NBC's min-iseries "Uprising." Cox Communications will broadcast the Edmond Santa Fe at Midwest City Class 6A playoff game at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

ESPN Plus' Big 12 basketball coverage is moving to KOCB-34 for the next four seasons after airing on KFOR-4 the last several years. Mike Houck, OU associate director of media relations, has taken over as analyst on the Sooner men's basketball games. ESPN Classic (Cox 254) will present last Saturday's seven-overtime Arkansas-Mississippi football game at 8 p.m. Friday as an "instant classic." Arkansas won 58-56. IN his first three years as a college football analyst for CBS, former NFL offensive lineman Ed Cunningham saw plenty of Southeastern Conference and Big East Conference games.

The past two years with ABC, Cunningham has gotten a taste of the Big 12 Conference, and he likes what he sees. "I don't think there's any question that on the top six or seven teams, it's the best conference in the country when you look at total teams that have an offense and a defense," said Cunningham, a former University of Washington star who played for the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks. "The Pac 10 might argue that they might be a better conference overall, but their offenses seem to have their way out there." Cunningham, a Los Angeles resident, will see plenty of the Big 12 the next two weeks as an analyst on two ABC regional telecasts the Texas at Oklahoma game at 11 a.m. Saturday and the Oklahoma at Texas Tech game at 2:30 p.m. Nov.

17. He will team with play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough and sideline reporter Leslie Gu-del. The Texas game will go to 25 percent of the country. After watching a coaches film of the OU-Texas game, Cunningham said he was amazed with both team's physical strength and athleticism. He said he was particularly impressed with OU freshman defensive tackle Tom-mie Harris, calling him "one of the top two or three defensive lineman in the country." The Sooners offense hasn't been as impressive, but Cunningham believes quarterback Nate Hybl has the ability to lead the unit.

"I think we all forget how young he is not young of age, young in actual playing. He didn't play last year and he didn't play at Georgia." Cunningham said Hybl's strong performance last Saturday against a weak Tulsa team might be a confidence-builder. "No. 1, he didn't have to look over his shoulder because of the injury (to starter Jason White), and No. 2, he established himself to himself." Viewers might have a hard time believing Cunningham, who weighs 212 pounds, once played on the offensive line.

He's lost 76 pounds since his last NFL weigh-in five years ago. "I was one of those guys who crammed himself full of spaghetti for 10 years," he said. Basketball tips off The fourth-ranked OU women's basketball team also will get network exposure Sunday. ESPN2 will show the Sooners' season opener against No. 11 Purdue at 2:30 p.m.

Sunday in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic at Durham, N.C. finitely for THREE-DAY PLANNER Nov. 10 FB: vs. Texas LL BOOTZ FROM WIRE REPORTS Nov. 9 Men BB: vs.

EA Sports 7 p.m. M.X" I Vl Tickets: (800) 456-4668 What is our national pastime? Oklahoma City Oklahoma City at Fort Worth at Wichita 7:05 p.m. 7:35 p.m. BASEBALL The NFL as our new national pastime? Puh-leeeez. Baseball is better in every JHN way.

If there's any doubt, just MELSLEY stack (ne (wo sjce sjce FOOTBALL During its playoffs, Major League Baseball scheduled two games on the same night at the same time. Why? Because the league didn't want to put either game Mike up against the NFL. Baseball Koehler has gotten the message. AREA NOTE a and try to find anything as compelling about the NFL as what baseball delivered to us I the last two weeks. York 5 title in America, DaseDan is a distraction, hockey is a joke, basketball is a momentary thrill, but football is King.

Football doesn't cancel its Baseball has home run chases and thrilling pennant races. Football has a league Jw championship game. Football I doesn't take forever. Football staff striving tor .500. WRITER Baseball has Barry Bonds, Curt Schilling, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, etc.

Football has Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk, but aside from guys in Rams helmets, who? Shane Matthews? Baseball has ballparks where you can get goose bumps when there's not even a game in town. Football has stadiums some old, some new, what's the difference? Baseball, mom and apple pie. Football, O.J. and drug suspensions. Baseball has kids in the seats.

Football has kids at home with mom, wishing dad could afford to take them along. WICHITA, Kan. Carly York of Ed-mond Memorial won the girls junior singles Sunday in the Wichita Frostbite Regatta on the Arkansas River, and the Oklahoma City Association for Rowing won the girls junior novice eight race. The junior novice eight team included Meghan Reese and Sarah Laurent of Putnam City North; Boston Brock and Chelsea Boothe of Bishop McGuinness; Lauren Robinson, Gianna Short and Kaci York of Edmond Memorial; and Madison Brock of Christ the King school. York teamed with coach Tempe Knopp to win the women's open doubles.

York is ranked sixth in the nation for lightweight junior girls and was a member of the U.S. Rowing Junior Development Team. Edmond Memorial's Whitney Tehan won the girls recreational singles. Other Oklahoma City Association for Rowing juniors results (1 Boys singles: 2. Payton Flournoy, Mustang; 4.

Spencer Flournoy, Mus- deputy doesn't pay a shortstop a sports editor quarter-billion dollars. Football just puts on a show and a great one. At every level, football is better. Baseball is a dull marathon of meaningless games, the occassional postseason highlight and overpaid guys hitting home runs. America's pasttime? Not likely.

The world loves baseball. New markets in Latin America and Asia have embraced it but, heck, they also like soccer. Football is American. No one else can play it like we can. We love it and it loves us.

TOP FOOTBALL TELECASTS NFL 1. Pittsburgh at Cleveland Noon Sunday, KWTV-9. 2. Oakland at Seattle 7:30 p.m. Sunday, ESPN.

3. Baltimore at Tennessee 8 p.m. Monday, KOCO-5. 4. Minnesota at Philadelphia 3:15 p.m.

Sunday, KOKH-25. 5. Dallas at Atlanta Noon Sunday, KOKH-25. COLLEGE 1 Texas at No. 3 Oklahoma 11 a.m.

Saturday, K0C0-5. 2. Kansas State at No. 2 Nebraska 2:30 p.m. Saturday, K0C0-5.

3. No. 4 Florida at No. 14 South Carolina 6:45 p.m. Saturday, ESPN.

4. No. 24 Auburn at No. 19 Georgia 2:30 p.m. Saturday, KWTV-9.

5. Clemson at No. 13 Maryland 6 p.m. Saturday, ESPN2. Other Big 12 and state Tulsa at Rice, 2 p.m.

Saturday, Cox channel Colorado at Iowa State, 6 p.m. Saturday, Fox Sports Net. 2, John Riesenberg, Christ the King. nik, Edmond Santa Fe; Mvles Mohler, Putnam Share your thoughts on today's PointCounterpoint topic by voting in our online poll at NewsOK.com Wednesday's question and poll results: Do the Yankees need an overhaul? NO: 67 percent YES: 33 percent STAFF REPORTS Afl! cl filoc arp nHH I rnmnlpl I nant'.