The Berkshire Eagle from Pittsfield, Massachusetts • 24

7' Sports C8 The Berkshire Eagle, Thursday, August 20, 1998 New York teams 0 battle tonight Sports Wrap-up Tennis: Sampras wins in New Haven I 11 the start of a season you have to have." Having the Giants here also has been a hit with the university, particularly in attracting attention to the school, said Henry Kirchner, associate vice president of student affairs. The 30 practice sessions held between July 25 and yesterday attracted 25,360 fans, school spokesman Brian De Pasquale said. Last year's attendance was 22,640, while the first year was Pats' Edwards still out The New England Patriots may be without their top draft choice, running back Robert Edwards, for another preseason game. Coach Pete Carroll said yesterday that it was unclear if Edwards, still recovering from a left groin muscle pull suffered early in training camp, would be available to play in Saturday night's game against the Washingrton Redskins in Landover, Md. "1 thought he would be, but right now I don't know that for sure after talking to the trainers," Carroll said.

"I would say he's very questionable right now. Edwards, the 18th pick in the first round of the NFL Draft in April, has carried just six times for 20 yards in the preseason. Asscasted Press Giants quarterback Kent Graham hands back an autographed football at the final day of training camp yesterday in Albany, N.Y. The Giants, who play the Jets tonight, expect to train in Albany for several years. its responsiveness and he loves the facilities, particularly having six practice fields.

He likes the idea of being away from home to start the season, even if it is just 150 miles north of Giants Stadium. "I prefer going to camp," Fassel said. "Having them all stay together, away from everything, I think is good. It's a bit of a military atmosphere from that standpoint, a controlled environment, which I think at they have gotten better. Anything we have asked for has been made available." Tisch said the Giants don't have a timetable for working on an extension.

"When we get around to it, they'll come see us and we'll talk," Tisch said. "But all things being equal, you can assume we'll be back here for many years. It has been a great expe- rience." Giants coach Jim Fassel has praised the university staff for Pete Sampras, still haunted by a 3-day-old controversial call, allowed Lleyton Hewitt to break him twice and force a tiebreaker before dismissing the young Australian 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) yesterday and advancing to the third round or the Pilot Pen International in New Haven, Conn. Sampras, the No. 1 seed, said he was still dwelling on Sunday's loss to Pat rick Rafter in the final of the AT? Championship in Cincinnati, which placed in jeopardy his goal to end the year at No.

1 in the world. The match ended on a serve by Rafter that was first called out, then ruled an ace by the umpire. Rafter, seeded second, beat Jeff Tarango 6-2, 6-1 last night to advance to the third round. Rafter, ranked No. 3 in the world, and Sampras would meet in the tournament final.

Also yesterday, third-seeded Petr Korda defeated Andrei Med, vedev 6-3, 2-6, 6-1. Korda, ranked No. 4 in the world, will face fellow Czech Bohdan Ulihrach, seeded 13th. Defending Pilot Pen champ Yevgeny Kafelnikov demplished Australian Todd Woodbridge 6-0, 6-3 in 48 minutes. At Indianapolis, Andre Agassi continued his comeback from tennis abyss in spectacular fashion, routing Australia's Michael Tebbutt 6-1, 6-0 in a second-round match at the RCA Agassi, the fifth seed, needed just 44 minutes to eliminate Tebbutt.

Agassi suffered through a tough season in 1997, but has climbed from the ATP Tour's122nd ranking at the start of the year to eighth Agassi meets Zimbabwe's Wayne Black in today's round of 16. The unseeded Black upset 12th-seeded Thomas Muster of Austria 6-3, 5-7, 64. At Montreal, Martina Hingis began to erase some bad memories of Canada with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Austria's Sylvia Plischke in her debut match at the $1.3 million du Maurier Open tennis tournament. Hingis had not played in Canada since she was blitzed 6-0, 6-0 by Mary Pierce in Toronto in 1995, and had not been near Montreal since she was bounced in the first round of a junior tournament in Repentigny, Quebec, five years ago. Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic, the second seed who came in on a three-tournament winning streak, downed Russia's Elena Likhovtseva 7-5, 6-2 to run her consecutive match victory streak to 17.

At Los Angeles, Rod Laver, tennis' only two-time Grand Slam winner, tossed a tennis ball and swung a racket yesterday as part of physical therapy for his recent stroke. "I'm feeling very good," he said. Laver, 60, remains in good condition at UCLA Medical Center's Neuro-Rehabilitation Unit, hospital spokeswoman Roxanne Yamaguchi Moster said Football: Two Kansas players die Two high school football players in central Kansas died after practicing in 100-degree heat, and one of the schools has suspended its practices indefinitely for fear of more heat-related illnesses. Eliese Holt, spokeswoman for the Circle School District in the south-central 'Kansas town of Towanda, said practices were canceled Tuesday after a sophomore collapsed following practice the night before. Matthew Blaufuss Whittredge, 15, died Tuesday night at HCA Wesley Medical Center in Wichita.

A spokeswoman there said the death was heat-related but did not give further details. Robert Alexander Barrett, 17, collapsed Monday while walking to the locker room after a morning workout at Wichita Southeast High School, his mother said. He died Tuesday at Via Christi Regional Medical Center St Joseph Campus. The cause of his death had not been announced yesterday. Monday was the first day of practice at both schools, a day that saw the temperature for the area reach 102 degrees.

Gary Musselman, executive director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association, said there are no statewide rules governing hot-weather practices. NBA: Celtics away games on WABU When the Boston Celtics start their season in November, hometown fans can watch the team's road games on WABU-TV (Channel 68). The team and television station have agreed to three years of telecasts and a plan to co-market and sell broadcast advertising. The on-air announcers will be Tom Heinsohn and Bob Cousy. WABU, owned by Boston University, broadcasts to southern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, New Hampshire and Southern Maine.

The station also provides coverage of the Boston Red Sox. The team's home games are shown on Fox Sports New England, a cable channel. The road games were previously shown on WSBKTV (Channel 38). R051111ASTER PRoff EMItil 5S Time GAS GRILLS with the purchase of an Wiens Ride for Product or until 0831198 Giants, Jets play; Pats stilt without top pick Edwards Associated Press The passion is reserved for the 'd fans of the New York Giants and New York Jets. Both teams are too busy trying to get straightened out to bother with the hype.

Not that there isn't some rivalry involved when the New York area NFL teams meet. It simply, is less important than finding answers tO the multitude of questions that cropped up after the Giants and Jets lost last weekend. So tonight's third preseason game for each team will be an opportunity to test the starters and the schemes and the special teams. "Both teams had bad showings last week," Jets cornerback Otis Smith said of his team's 33- 0 loss to Baltimore and the Giants' 24-10 loss at Jacksonville. "They both better pick it up." Exactly, according to Giants coach Jim Fassel.

"There was not much to be pleased with, so we have a lot of work ahead," he said. Both teams must awaken slumbering offenses, and the defenses were sloppy in the defeats. That was especially uncharacteristic of the Giants, who rarely were victimized by poor tackling and missed assignments last year, when they won the NFC East title. 'After last week," safety Sam Games said, "the way we played, it doesn't matter who we're going to play next, we're going to come out swinging." Literally, if not figuratively, Smith figures. "I don't think it will get ugly, if that's what you mean," he said.

"It is like a Battle of New York deal and I hope it stays that way." Bill Parcells has coached on both sides of the rivalry. He claims he didn't excited when he was wit the Giants and won't get overworked about facing his former team as a Jet. Besides, he has several other matters on his mind, such as getting defenses to stop concentrating on running back Curtis Martin by developing a passing game. Or finding a pass rush from a line that doesn't have any proven sackmasters. '1.

'Two minutes after it is over, nobody is talking about it," Parcells said. "This is just an-. other exhibition game in trying to get my team ready. Bragging rights are overrated. Who are you bragging to in preseason? With game on national 'television (ESPN), might the players feel at least a little extra edge? "They're always talking about who's the best team in New York, the Jets or Giants," Giants receiver David Patten said.

"So this is your time to prove who's the best team." Giants thrive in Albany The Giants ended their third training camp at the University at Albany yesterday, and all signs indicate the team plans to keep returning here for years to come. The contracts between the team and the university, the team and its food service and the university and the camp's primary sponsor, the Albany Times Union, all run through 2000. The contracts include the opportunity to extend the deal for five years, a school official said. "We're very pleased with Albany," Giants co-owner, Robert Tisch said. "This was our third year here and each year Ike but start to IIuIsb Sierra Lawn Tractor 1340H Rider AM8530 8.5 hp 30" mowing dock NW 111P10 VW MU EZ Rider dual hydro drive ZTR zero turning radius 15 hp, 40" mowing deck 13 hp hydrostatic drive 40" mowing deck Save $650 s2299" or 73moe Save $100 9899" or s60M0 Save it $100 4.1011 i $1899" 11.0 or 4.1p s60mo eS 4410 Save $240 3559" or 1 14mo 5 4 SZ ewoll tel Wrel tt kt $300 on a deluxe bagger with Tula.

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He was in uniform for Chicago's game against the Cardinals. Details of the contract were not disclosed. To make room for Gaetti, the Cubs optioned infielder Jose Nieves to Triple A Iowa. Gaetti, who turned 40 yesterday, was hitting .265 with 11 homers and 43 RBIs in his third season with the Cardinals. Associated Press '4 At 1 PA), 1 4 1.4 A I 1 I 1 1141111 11 1 1 1 1 () 1 A 7., 1 si 4 I 3:1,4 yr I A .1.74.7 i ell NV etwisf .3 4t AAArlIMPO "AAA 4 I a 4 444 I A 1 i know the ecstasy of winning big.

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