The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 10

2B THURSDAY JANUARY 18 1996 THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER On the Air New sponsor drives in to Greensboro Rick Buffington Charlotte Rage coach TV shows FURMAN SHOW (SS) 5 pm APPALACHIAN STATE SHOW (SS) 5:30 pm TENN-CHATTANOOGA SHOW (SS) 6 pm UNCC SHOW (SS) 6:30 pm RON GREEN JR LSU SHOW (SS) 12:30 am College basketball ILLINOIS AT IOWA (ESPN) 7:30 pm DUKE AT NC 8pm MARSHALL AT WEST VIRGINIA (SS) 8 pm ARKANSAS AT MEMPHIS (ESPN) 9:30 pm UCLA AT ARIZONA STATE (SS) 10:30 pm UTAH ST AT LONG BEACH ST (ESPN2) Midnight Figure skating US CHAMPIONSHIPS (ESPN2) 8 pm NBA CHICAGO AT TORONTO (WGN) 7 pm NFL INSIDE THE NFL (HBO) 11pm RADIO The announcement last week that annual spring stop on the PGA Tour will now be sponsored by Chrysler rather than Kmart means more than hawking LeBarons instead of toasters between chip shots At least technically it ended the days when the tournament can be called the GGO Now the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic making it the GGCC if you want to be politically correct The name change which caused some consternation among the Greensboro Jaycees who run the 58-year old event ties it in with the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic being played in southern California this week But just because the name has changed it will still be the GGO April 25-28 with a few more dollar signs involvement was scheduled to end after this event When tournament directors began looking for a new sponsor interest jumped The car maker wants to increase its presence in the Southeast and decided to get in immediately Motorola Western Open The timing of the change could have been better for organizers who have barely 90 days to redo signs logos and other tournament-related materials Among the players committed to play in Greensboro this year are Davis Love III defending champion Jim Gallagher Mark Calca-vecchia and Lanny Wadkins Speaking of sponsorships PaineWebber has re-upped as sponsor for tournament on the Senior PGA Tour The 1996 PaineWebber Invitational will mark the 12th year of the affiliation with the event This tournament will be played May 3-5 at the Tournament Players Club at Piper Glen Myrtle Beach may get its own Tournament Players Club in the near future Area officials have discussed the possibility with PGA Tour officials with the hope of adding another big-time course to the golf-stuffed Grand Strand The Golf Channel may have turned the comer By the end of 1995 it had doubled its subscriber projections to 145 million as turned 1 year old Wednesday The channel which includes more live golf telecasts than all the other networks combined has signed agreements with major cable distributors throughout the country including Time-Wamer although there are no indications the channel will be made available in Charlotte any time soon It is available to Prestige Cable subscribers in Mooresville Golf clothing at least the new stuff is nothing to be ashamed of any more When the PGA Merchandise Show opens in Orlando Fla next week more than 100 clothing exhibitors will have space in the massive event Among the newcomers to golf wear are Tommy Hilfiger and Liz Claiborne who know a thing or two about fashion Thankfully getting tougher to find those checked polyester slacks and hard-collar golf shirts with short tight sleeves But shaking the tacky image of golfwear may take longer than Nick Faldo over a 4-iron After discussions with Kmart the decision was made to let Chrysler put its name on the tournament this April involvement will end with a Monday pro-am to open tournament week at Forest Oaks Country Club An immediate by-product of presence is a substantial increase in the purse to $18 million from $15 million making it one of the 10 richest events on the tour First prize this year jumps to $324000 and the total purse rises to $19 million next year and $2 million at the end of the three-year contract in 1998 Aside from the four major championships the only richer tournaments on the PGA Tour this year at The Players Championship the Tour Championship the NEC World Series of Golf and the College basketball UNCC VS DAVIDSON 7:30 pm WFNZ-AM (610 Charlotte): WCGC-AM (1270 Belmont) WAGI-FM (1053 Gaffney SC) WHIP-AM (1350 Mooresville) WINTHROP AT CHARLESTON SO 7:30 pm WBZK-AM (980 York SC) DUKE AT NC STATE 8 pm WCSL-AM (1590 Cherryville) WGNC-AM (1450 Gastonia): WJRI-AM (1340 Lenoir): WLON-AM (1050 Lincolnton) WAYN-AM (900 Rockingham) WOHS-AM (730 Shelby) Rick Buffington stepped to the podium and slipped on a Charlotte Rage baseball cap It fit Team officials feel Buffington 51 named the Arena Football League new coach and director of football operations on Wednesday will fit too been a college head coach a team owner a general manager an NFL scout and assistant coach and he was coach of Arena League expansion team last year The Rage 5-7 last year hired Buffington to replace Doug Kay who will be defensive coordinator this year for the Arizona Rattlers The Rage has retained defensive coordinator Jim Taubert and hired Rodney McSwain to coach defensive backs McSwain starred at-Chase High and Clemson before playing seven seasons in the NFL with the New England Patriots THE NEW CHIEF: Buffington has spent 33 years in football as a player scout coach general manager or owner Sometimes he was three of the five he owned and was general manager and coach of the Tri-Attleboro Kings of the Eastern Football League in 1973 As a player he played for 17 semi-pro teams including three at one time and was primarily a defensive back and kick returner three teams) were all in different leagues and all three of them have Buffington said care I was kind of foolish when I was a kid just wanted to play wanted to play wanted to play and wanted to Buffington has an Arena League record of 20-32 He was also coach of the Albany (NY) Firebirds from 1990 through 1993 and last year coached Coyotes to a 1-1 1 record THE NEWOLD DIGS: The schedule for the fifth anniversary season been released yet but team officials announced the games will return to the Charlotte Coliseum The Rage played last season at Independence Arena Team officials said the 1996 schedule will feature seven home games TICKETS PLEASE: Season tickets on sale from 9 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday at the Rage offices at 5601 77 Center Drive (offTyvola Rd) range from $56 to 1 05 for the seven-game package All 1995 season ticket subscribers and those from previous seasons who have exercised their yearly options hold priority rights for renewal through March 1 The team will announce next month when single-game and group sales tickets will be available They will cost $8 $10 $12 and $15 Chris Hobbs Gold Cup tonight in Los Angeles will feature the best un-der-23 players not the same squad that won the World Cup in 1994 HEARING SET: Jessica Foschi the 15-year-old swimmer placed on probation for failing a drug test faces a hearing Feb 11-12 that could result in a ban from competition for two years READY TO BOLT: Jim Speros owner of the Canadian Football Baltimore Stallions said he has exhausted all options in his quest to keep the team in Baltimore and will move it to Houston Richmond Va or Allentown Pa He said Houston is his favorite A HAPPY CITIZEN: Roxie Campa-nella said she was to learn that a 1955 World Series pendant given to her by her late husband Roy was recovered by police this week after she lost it at an airport in December NO DEAL: A Mannheim Germany prosecutor dismissed as a television report claiming the tax evasion investigation against Steffi Grafs father would be dropped if Graf paid a fine of $34 million CROSS-COACHING: Bob fired as coach of the Toronto Argonauts applied for a scouting job with the Toronto Raptors of the NBA ANOTHER QB PRODIGY? Adam Bledsoe the younger brother of New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe and a quarterback himself verbally committed to play at Colorado ETSU LAWSUIT: Keith Tunnell who worked in the East Tennessee State sports information office from 1984 until 1995 and says he was fired by the school for alerting the NCAA about possible violations is suing the school for $15 million Andretti return could add to attraction of US 500 INDIANAPOLIS The US 500 Championship Auto Racing answer to the new Indy Racing League may offer motor-sports legend Mario Andretti as another lure to attract the attention of race fans on Memorial Day Andretti who retired at the end of the 1994 season is considering a one-race comeback to drive at Michigan International Speedway on May 26 the same day as the Indy 500 be honest I will not deny the possibility at this Andretti said by phone from Phoenix where he is filming a documentary on auto racing has been talk between he told The Indianapolis News referring to his former car owners Carl Haas and Paul Newman now not there not done yet kept this option If the 1969 Indy winner reaches an agreement with Newman-Haas he would again be a teammate with his son Michael The last race they ran together as teammates was the 1992 season finale at Laguna Seca Calif where they finished 1-2 OWNERS TALKS: At league meetings late Wednesday night in Los Angeles owners were expected to discuss the proposed sale of the California Angels from Gene Autry to Walt Disney Co The much-anticipated vote on interleague play may come today OTHER BASEBALL NEWS: Boston general manager Dan Duquette said the Red Sox would decide next week whether to sign free agent Darryl Strawberry but said the club does not have much money to spend on him Baltimore avoided arbitration with pitcher Alan Mills and infielder Jeff Huson agreeing to one-year deals with both First baseman John Jaha agreed to a $105 million deal with Milwaukee Houston agreed to a one-year contract with outfielder Derrick May Colorado second baseman Eric Young will be sidelined two to three months after breaking a bone in his right hand while taking batting practice last week TOUGH MOVE: The triple axel the most difficult of figure jumps will be one of the most important scoring factors when the men take the ice for their short program tonight to open the US Figure Skating Championships in San Jose Calif Top competitors can complete the jump but those who attempt it and fail face stiff point deductions US-BRAZIL II: The Brazilian team that the United States will face in the semifinals of Wolfpack not looking past Devils despite record RALEIGH NC State coach Les Robinson the Duke Blue Devils are bit as good as they were last That sounds strange considering a year ago Duke lost 13 of its last 15 games This season the Blue Devils have lost their first four ACC games Remember though the Blue Devils eliminated NC State in the first game of the ACC tournament a game neither team wants to take part in this year Tonight at Reynolds Coliseum (8 WBTV channel 3 in Charlotte) Duke (9-6 0-4) again seeks its first conference win of the season against the Wolfpack (11-4 1-2) The Blue Devils have just two victories in their past 20 regular-season conference games many of them close contests NC State can identify with the Blue problems After finishing last two of the past three seasons the Wolfpack is looking to move into the middle of the ACC and above having won 12 of its past 51 regular-season league games Two of those wins came last season against a Duke team that finished 2-14 in the conference its first last-place ACC finish since 1977 think a Robinson said Tuesday were getting blown out I guarantee nobody wants to play puke) People looked forward to playing us This is where they got their ticket Duke lost Saturday at Virginia where the Blue Devils saw a 62-57 lead evaporate in the last seven minutes and lost 77-66 That game marked the second straight in which Steve Wojciechowski started ahead of Ricky Price The 5-foot-11 Wojciechowski gives the Blue Devils a pesky defensive presence but drawn two tough assignments in Wake 6-2 Tony Rutland and physical Harold Deane Even though struggled with his shot Price gives Duke a needed scoring presence off the bench responded with 10-of-21 shooting the past two games really can start any of seven Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzew-ski said like to get our guys to view themselves as starters As the maturity rises look at ourselves as seven good players like for them all to believe capable of Sam Adams ALSO: Coming off an 85-60 win Saturday over Coastal Carolina in its Big South opener UNC Greensboro (7-4 1-0) travels to UNC-Asheville (8-5 2-1) tonight at 7:30 urnr r-mrr- RICK STEVENSAssociated Press HERE PLEASE: Ranked by security guards Monica Seles reaches up to fans to sign autographs after her 6-1 6-1 second-round win over Katarina Studenikova Wednesday at the Australian Open Your Voice Heels give pitiful fans light in their sad lives Tom Jan 13 column was unbelievable Everyone knows Carolina fans are obnoxious except perhaps those who live on another planet The loudest clown in the tallest tree is always a Carolina fan Please understand not UNC Dean Smith or its basketball teams that are obnoxious but UNC fans Some are UNC grads however most went to other schools but have adopted Carolina known more for its basketball than anything else in a futile effort to add meaning to their barren desperate lives This makes them bigger people than they actually are Mercifully they are dormant during football season Harry Hawkins Jr Charlotte Super Poor NFL fans After an eventful and exciting year in pro football we are left with a dud for Super Bowl XXX Pittsburgh vs Dallas is like an old television re-run you wished never returned The Cowboys and the Showtime Steelers I think Floyd Prophet Charlotte Send letters to: Mailbox Observer Sports PO Box 30308 Charlotte NC 28230-0308 or fax them to (704) 358-5110 Please include your phone number Letters may be edited for brevity clarity and grammar INTERLEAGUE PUtY? If everything goes according to plan the New York Mets will play the Yankees during the 1997 season the Cubs will face the White Sox the Dodgers will meet the Angels and the Giants will play the Athletics Interleague play was unanimously approved by baseball's ruling executive council during a meeting that ended late Tuesday night and owners appear certain to adopt it when they vote Thursday It needs 21-of-28 votes and could be approved unanimously The plan which calls for 15-16 interleague games for each team also must be approved by the Major League Baseball Players DL Chambers chooses Vols 711 HIM 1 1 4 MUM8 656 Cannon Blvd Kannapolis NC ft El 53f' Magazines Video Novelties Video Arcade CD ROM Open 24 Hours 553-8059 m5920 South Blvd VISA MasterCard tizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzziJ By STAN OLSON Staff Writer Bums High defensive lineman Derrick Chambers the No 2 player on the Top 25 NC college football prospects list has committed to Tennessee Chambers who is 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds with 49-second speed in the 40-yard dash visited Florida Florida State and Tennessee canceled Notre Dame and took several unofficial trips to North Carolina He committed to Florida last summer but backed off because of the distance Bums coach Ron Greene said the Volunteers plan to use Chambers on the defensive line he fits As a senior Chambers was in on 53 tackles He was a Shrine Bowl starter and SuperPrep magazine all-American DUKE: The Blue Devils got 5-10 180-pound tailback Letavious Wilks of CresMew (Fla) who rushed for 1592 yards and 17 TDs Wilks (446 speed) was rated the No 8 prospect in Florida by SuperPrep magazine He also visited Kentucky and Houston CLEMSON: The Tigers landed 6-2 265-pound defensive tackle Theo Mougros of Tarpon Springs (Fla) High Mougros (51 speedi also visited Wake Forest and VirgimaTech and canceled Auburn Queen City Video and News Adult Center Magazines Videos Novelties VIDEO ARCADE XXX 2320 Wilkinson Blvd CHECKS Charlotte 344-9435 OPFN HOURS GASTONIA VIDEO NEWS JL uu iutojy CD The Southeast Largest National Distributor VIDEO DOUSE OF AURIGA Gastonia ttC 508 West Main next to Leather fir Lace 853-0594 c' Mon-Sat 12 noon-9pm 8r Sat lOam-mldnight Sun l-9pm Closed Sunday VIDEOS MAGAZINES NOVELTIES "II It) A lull Hntcriainmcnr -BS- VIDEO ARCADE XXX (3 414 Main Avt ami inia ISrurrrc I'm INI mi-'lihi rr- in CHECKS riniN 4 iimi vs tfl (The Charlotte WHERE SMART IHOPPCRI START I.