Birmingham Post-Herald du lieu suivant : Birmingham, Alabama • 21

Friday May 22 1992' Sports update C2 Baseball C4 Auto racing C6 Business CIO Sports Birmingham Post-Herald Live races simulcasts added McGregor himself now ia key issue By Chet Fussman last half of the Hollywood simulcasts conflicted with live racing was geared around the Friday performance from McIntosh said they moved their post time it was devastating to us After a couple of Fridays we realized tl LIVE RACMG Uve racing meet extended 10 days through July 18 SIMULCASTS Daily simulcast racing from Arlington International Racecourse and Hollywood Park I If Lmnilm Ihrni urft 04a 1 weonesoay tnrougn oaturaay afternoons before live racing Arlington simulcasts added on Monday By Chet Fussman Port-Herald RcBoriff When Jefferson County voters rejected doe racing last year Birmingham Race Course president Hilton McGregor take it personally The culprit he said the message messenger but one issue of any McGregor said "The 2 charity Thai POST TIME Friday night post time moves from 5 pm to 7 pm fc 8 Degmnmg torvyni to impact live racing negatively horsemen plan yesterday because the As much as Birmingham Race Course officials want to tinker with the racing schedule they did anyway The Race Course yesterday announced it was extending the five racing season two weeks through July 18 adding simulcasting from two out-of-state tracks five days per week before live racing and changing Friday post time from 5 pm to 7 beginning tonight The decision come easily for track officials who before the opening pointed to the frequent scheduling changes as one of the reasons for its past failures have track president Milton McGregor said McGregor said the track increased its simulcasting package at the requests of of who complained that the Friday races from Hollywood Park and Saturday card from Arlington International Racecourse weren't ample enough Race Course General Manager Charlie McIntosh said a large segment of patrons who just want the The Race Course will beam in races from Arlington and Hollywood every Wednesday through Saturday afternoon The simulcasts interfere with live racing which begins when the simulcasts conclude The track also is offering Arlington on Monday afternoons a dark day for live racing While the additional simulcasts are likely ily purse structure re $50000 mains guaranteed The track also realized at that point that betting on simulcast racing often exceeded the handle on live racing when the two went off simultaneously The simulcasts offer bettors two advantages: higher quality racing and interlocking pools with the host track The latter allows patrons to make large wagers without affecting the odds decision to extend the meeting 10 racing days primarily was a show of good faith and was not based on economics The Race Course is averaging $325798 in betting handle after 14 performances slightly above projections out declining week McGregor said he agreed to the extension in order to accommodate horsemen who needed more time to ship out after the brief 50-day (now 60-day) meeting' be honest I think I would do it but I McGregor said Johnson said the extra racing days are beneficial because gives us an extra half million dollars ($50000 a day) in purses to run for When this meet ends a lot of us will have no place to go This will give us more time and more money to help us ship out" For this vote McGregor has in- McGregor has in- nt's not going to help live said Perry Johnson head of the Alabama division of the Horsemen's Benevolent Protective Association it will increase the simulcast handle which helps Five percent of all simulcast handle automatically is set aside for future thoroughbred racing purses The Friday night post time change also was dictated by simulcasting The Race initial plan was to start at 5 pm then pick up Hollywood evening card the day before the Race at 0 pm But Keith BoyerFost-Herald Milton McGregor hopes Jefferson County voters approve dog racing in a June 2 referendum Flint campaign manager for the referendum "But I think we've turned the issue of Milton McGregor into a positive McGregor opponents say the opposite least 10 percent of the people will vote against it (dog racing) because of Milton McGregor" said John Williamson chairman of the Birmingham Alliance to Reject Corruption Please ton to McGREGOR page C3 12 creased the percentage of the betting handle earmarked for local charities to percent But one other significant issue remains unchanged from last year: the messenger himself As the June 2 countywide referendum vote closes in becoming increasingly difficult tor the Birmingham Race Course new operator to stand in the background and tor voters to separate the man from the issue McGregor supporters and opponents both agree that a segment of voters probably will cast their ballots on June 2 tor or against McGregor not on greyhound racing or the future could be a significant said Stan Birmingham Racing Commission chair-lorsed the chani I would approve I Mike Kendrick endorsed the changes i racing panel would approve the said the I opening Hollywood Park dropped Friday nignt racing at the request of horsemen and moved first post to pm Thus the man post time change today and Fire guard Bax lets his playing do the talking By Richard Scott Pwt-Herald Reporter Some Birmingham Fire players were finding their seats at a local movie theater last week when inside linebacker Paul McGowan turned to left guard Carl Bax and said you going to talk through the whole Bax just smiled and nodded while the Fire players in the theater just about rolled out of their seats You have to know Bax to appreciate the joke Bax seldom talks and when he does he speaks in a quiet hushed voice that barely can be heard amid the noise and laughter in the locker room At least Bax is smiling Playing a key role on a winning team will do that especially when you played on a winning team in eight years The last time Bax played on a winning team was in high school In five seasons at the university of Missouri and two seasons and one training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Bax experienced enough losing to last a lifetime tough going through that because everybody's worried about their Bax says just tense for With the Fire Bax has found a more relaxed productive it seems like the weeks have just flown Bax says winning and everybody comes into the job feeling good about themselves One of the people who feels best about the job he's doing is Bax After starting four games in 1989 with the Bucs and six games in 1990 he was cut in training camp last summer and sat out the 1991 NFL season When he entered the World League as an NFL enhancement player from the Cleveland Browns Bax wanted a chance to get back on the field and play again What he got was all that and more been a good he says get more confidence by playing entire games but playing football here is the most fun had in a long The Browns are expected to send a scout to the game Sunday against the Ohio Glory What he'll see is what Fire Coach Chan alley already knows Gailey has been more than pleased with the versatility toughness and intelligence that Rax brings to the Fire Bax 26 played every position on the line with Tampa Bay which has proved to be valuable for the Fire Please turn to BAX page C5 move looks By Vince Ellis PM-HcnM Reporter It looks as if the Birmingham dits have found a new home Bandits owner Tom McMillan said yesterday he had reached a agreement to release majority control of the team to investors in Rochester Minn should happen by the end of next McMillan said it looks very Continental Basketball Association approval probably will come next week when the league holds its meetings in Palm Springs Calif In the agreement McMillan would have the option of being a mi-' nority owner for the next two sea-sons This will be the second CBA franchise located in Rochester The inal team moved to Omaha Neb From 1987-89 Rochester averaged approximately 2800 fans per game In contrast the Bandits averaged a league-low 1091 this past season McMillan cited lack of knowledge of the CBA as the reason for the failure to i catch on education aspect was a big McMillan said appeared it would take a long time for the fans to understand the CBA and its relationship with the NBA probably could have done more but we needed to go somewhere where there would be easier acceptance It just seemed as if it would be a long and expensive education Search panel will narrow list quickly By Ray Melick Poot-Herild Reporter The committee to find a new basketball coach for the University of Alabama will hold its first meeting today according to committee chairman Tom Jones that meeting sort of plan our method of operation set the parameters and all Jones said probably lot at everyone that has been referred or applied (far the job) but I have a feeling one of the major things well do is narrow the list down quickly We want to be able to deal with what we think is a realistic Jones who is the faculty athletics representative and Alabama Athletic Director Cecil Ingram will be in Destin Fla next week for the Southeastern Conference's annual spring meeting it's unlikely the committee will meet again next Jones said we can get it kicked off i tomorrow and set some sort of timetable and Jones said he would like to see the process wrapped up within a month don't want to string it out too he said has a rec-1 ommendation and we want to look at it long enough so that everyone has a reasonable opportunity we want to drag it out too long either I'm sure well all be getting advice from everybody and anybody It's not imperative that we act instantly but we hope to get it in a reasonable amount of Stephen Gates Post-Herald Fire offensive lineman Carl Bax left is versatile enough to play left guard and left tackle Mississippi State solid contender for SEC title STARTERS RETURMNGfc 10 offensive 8 defensive 1 Robinson was State's leading rusher with 543 yards Kenny Roberts ran for 439 yards and Michael Davis for 435 Then a bonus' Kevin Bouie who set a national junior college career rushing record of 3451 yards and scored 35 touchdowns at Garden City (Kan) Community College the past two seasons need the guys we lost in the offensive line to minor Sherrill said "They probably will end up being starters or give us the backup depth that we need almost at the stage where we have two deep everywhere That makes a The defense has such holdover stalwarts as end Kevin Henry outside linebacker Marc Woodard and 5 TDs) and Kevin Bouie (JC transfer) OLB Marc Woodard (50 tackles) LB Daniel Boyd (99 tackles) HEAD COACH: Jackie SherrS second year 1991 FINISH: 7-5 4-3 in SEC (4th) OBSERVATION: The biggest problem Mississippi State wi have in winning the Western Division is lacking the tradition to knowhow Bit Lumpkin KEY LOSSES: LB Keo Coleman NT Nate Williams CB Tormy Harris Mike Riley PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Sleepy Robinson (77 of 141 for 1167 yards 8 TDs 7 interceptions 543 yards 5 TDs rushing) WRVWRe Harris (24 receptions 529 yards 1 TD) OT John James RBs Kenny Rogers (439 yards rushing 1 TD) Michael Davis (435 yards rushing Eighth of 16 parts By BUI Lumpkin Ptoet-Herald Sporte Editor A yard short the distance between a tie for fourth place and a tie for second in the Southeastern Conference standings how close Mississippi State was to knocking on the throne room door Whether the Bulldogs could have gone that extra yard is conjecture But that was where State was at Alabama's 1-yard line late in the fourth quarter one long yard away from victory It didn't look good for the Crimson Tide Its best lineman nose tackle Robert Stewart was on the bench with an injured ankle But before State quarterback William Robinson could get settled under the center an overly eager State lineman jumped offside The could-have-been wasn't Alabama won 13-7 lose the Mississippi State Coach Jackie Sherrill spring went well except we lost too many offensive linemen on little stuff that kept them from going through he said think we improved our football team We moved some players around think going to be better defensively as far as speed-wise We'll certainly be better in the secondary one of our assets is our skill people They definitely do some good things pretty good players His reference is to wide receivers Willie Harris Tony James and Or-landa Truitt who played at Parker High School and transfered to State from Pittsburgh is an outstanding football Sherrill said 6-2 190 runs a high 43 and a low 44 big time James is about to emerge He's on the verge of breaking Mississippi State and SEC records Truitt fits into that group James was sixth in the SEC in punt returns (196 yards) fourth in kickoff returns (515 yards) and 11th in all-purpose running (1025 yards) biggest thing is we didn't come out of the spring with a tight Sherrill said we had our tight end back from last year it would have made a difference We're going to have to do some other things running backs are come in and play The best might be ahead The Bulldogs return 19 starters including Robinson probably the most versatile quarterback in the SEC is a winner" Sherrill said Sherrill who played for the late Paul Bryant at Alabama performed what State fans believe was a miracle in his first year in Starkville I guess it did surprise Sherrill said about two years ahead of State hasn't been in this position since 1981 when it was third in the SEC and played in the Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham Sherrill isn't lucking off He's optimistic season By then the SEC already had stood up and taken notice that Sherrill was doing at Mississippi State what he had done at Texas AitM: win The previous week State had stunned Auburn 24-17 Earlier it had played Tennessee down to the wire Wore finally losing to the preseason conference favorite 26-24 State no longer was rolling over It finished the season with a 7-4 record (4-3 in the SEC) and was invited to play in the Liberty Bowl The Bulldogs had come back from the dead The warning flag still flies Mississippi State is for real a solid contender for the 1992 championship 1 we are pretty much two deep at outside and inside linebackers and at the front seven positions We're getting some secondary people who can run That will help us We have the cornerbacks to help up front last year But our front people played well nave done a lot better if we had better secondary play What probably turned Tennessee around quicker than anything else was getting defensive backs who could Tomorrow: Arkansas i This was the ninth game of the.