Birmingham Post-Herald from Birmingham, Alabama • 56

Do something about that In the Bleachers Oft SLLouk Cardnakflret baseman MARK MCGWIRE who -r recently went on A-Safari In Africa (andddnotshoolj any animals): tfalkatha Discovery five feet from the animals you could touch them if you want to but thafenotareal good thing lo TODAY: Who aretes tour tourer Auburn baskateal players on N8A restore? (Answer on Monday) FRDAY: There are three Alabama schoofchtoa Trans America AteteBc Conference -Samtard JscksonvBs Stats andTnoy State-compared to only one North Caroina achooLCanyou name It? ArCampbd University in Buies Creek NC LflAv Banwtf imdmMfil cflmetfvi mramr and Mi senna eas es is srtrt irawe rb i proMsmawWi beveling vtoMona disappeared Ttrtrlithlrtni ol (MS MMM Brian Compiled by Richard Scott Birmingham Fort-Herald Lm Henson calls himself a basketball Junkie and says be might still he coaching when be turns 70 Henson who came out of retirement this season to take over the New Mexico State program on an interim basis has decided to seek the job permanently 1 enjoy it and I have he i Henson sail Henson who turned 66 on Jan 10 wont be the only candidate for the a The school announced earlier week it would accept applications through Foil II for the But there's no doubt Henson is the front-runner I'm thrilled that he made the decision to become a candidate Athletic Director Jim Fail said 1 think the playen have rally rallied around Lou They appreciate his talent and respect him as a brad If the Aggies stay with Henson they'll have to pay him Aspartofms goodwill gesture to coach the Aggies this PsS said he toMHomntie university wants at least a four-year commitment from whomever is hired and doesn't consider Hensonli age a problem "Fine wite Paul said of tne prospects that Henson could be coaching the Aggies at age 70 have no age iknttetfons fine but the fint thing Paul should do when he sits down for contract talks with Henson is Insist teat Henson get a new hairpiece That one wearing looks like it was run over by an 18-wheeler an a deserted stretch of highway and left for dead on a rainy night But hey what else can you expect for 81 a month? HJlackwarde: For 39 years a trip to Victory Lane has been tee goal of NASCAR grots as they approached the American Race better known as tee Daytona 500 On Feb 15 big bucks likely will become as important maybe greater with a guaranteed $1 million pavuff for the race winner Second place will be more than 8500A00 and each of the top 11 finishers will earn mare than 8100000 Should Terry Labeata Bobby Laboate John Andretti Ernie Iran or Ken Schrader inn the race it would be worth a second million an RJ Reynolds bonus They qualified when they finished in the too five In the Dielurd 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in October The purse for tee 500-mile grad on the 2i-mile track has reached )7 million The total could increase Jeff Gordon HOW TO REACH US Airwaves Television I Don Kauai Jr Asst Managing EdtorNews-Sports 325-2127 mafeoxposfo8raidcom Chat Fueaman Sports Edtor 325-3421 armslxpo6te8rekLoom launched hk run for a second Winston Cup championship with a record $399000 earnings in last year! 500 'This further nlidifiei the Daytona 600 as the crown Jewelof NASCAR and in fact aa the crown Jewel of all Gordon add (to yeah? If the Daytona 500 such a big deal why do they hold tt fa February? The Super Bowl splayed at the endof the season not in August the World Series the Fall Classic not the Spring Fling NASCAR driven don! race in reverse so why is tee schedule backwards? I Is the Army: There nothing quite as effective as the right word in the right place at tee right time Arnold Palmer playing in a Senior PGA Tour event was asked by a 9-yeardd boy for Us autograph Ante was curious do you want it fort" he asked For keeps Mr Palmer was the reply Arnold signed the autograph to keep tee Pro Bowl In the Aloha State far at 1 ur years If the NFL absolutely positively must play the Pro Bowl they least they can do play in Hawaii Now if they really want to make tee players happy they should cancel tee game TODAY Tl -11 ain -Colegebastetbal: Xavier at Tampis ESPN 31 am Women's ookga basketbafc TemesseeChattanooga it Furman Spoils South tP Noon-CokgebsskettiatVandorfaR at Georgia WTTO-21 Hi Noon-Cofegebaskefeal: North Carolna at Wako Forest WBMA4340 Noon-Cofegebaskefeal: Mbmesota at Mans WBMQ-42 IE 1 pm -Cotegebasketbal: Houston at UAB WABM-M 1:30 pm -Cofegebaskefeal: Notre Dams at St John's WVTM-13 1:30 pm -(tolege basketed: TennesseaCfwttanooga at Furman Fox Sports South 2 pm-NHL New York Rangers at Boston Bruins WBRC4 2pm -Cofegebaskefeal: Arkansas at Mkrissippi Stats WTTO-21 -1 2 pm Goff: Pebble Beach National Pro-Am third round WBMQ-42 ra 3 pm -Women's cofegebaskefeal: Arizona at Kansas ESPN2 IP 3:30 pm -Horse racing: Hutcheson Stakes ESPN Fra Sports South 5pm-woman's college basketful: Stanford atTexas Tech ESPN2 6pm-ABLPhfedeipNa Rage atColurnbus Quest BET 8 pm Boxing: Mo Cesar Green (22-2 15 KOs) vsWlam Joppy (24-1-1 519 KOs) 12 rounds middeweights Showtime 1 9pm -Tennis: Australan Open men's Anal ESPN 9:30 pm -Cotege basketed: Arizona at Calfomla IX 10 pm Boxing: Bernard Hopkins (33-2-1 25 KOs) vs Simon Brown 147-6 34 KOs) 12 rounds middeweights HBO 11 pm-Cotege baskefeafcMorehead State at Eastern Stools Fox Spoils if Radio WRITE ON: Please write fax or amalua with your opHoni on sports events and issues Keep your letters brief and Muds your nama address and daytlnw photo number MAL your thoughts to: CHEERS A JEERS Birmingham Post-Herald 2200 4fo Avenue North Birmingham Ala 35203 FAX us at (205) 325-3356 rt AUSTRALIAN OPEN Hingis defends her title The Amkted Pms MELBOURNE Australia Mai tina Hingis wesitog a smile an tee court became the youngeit player in the Open era to defend a Grand Slam title today when she captured her and Australian Open Hingis 17 crafted her fourth major championship in elegant fashion running former Wimbledon champ Oon-chita Martinez ragged in long rallies and tapping her out with volleys or soft angled approach rints for a 64 54 vie- fcxy "To defend tee title much harder than coming here for the first time (when) nobody expected me to win said Hingk named after Martina Nav--ratikva and raised since birth to be a champion "There was so much pressure Fm very happy to have continued to do this again to ringles and dou-bles Hingk pocketed a 3383500 winner! check giving her more than 35 millkr in her brief career Martines earned $191600 Hingis also qdit $15900 with 15-yeardd partner Miijana Ludd for winning the women's doubles itK tl 10 am -iGreyhound Racing WJOX (690 AM) Ipjn-Odegebasketbal Houston at UAB WFMH (1011 FM)rJZT (92JFM)WSMQ (1450 All) YN State at Samkxd WAP1 (1070 AM) 3pm -Cotege basketbaLBtnmtoflham-Southem at Lyon Cotege WATV (900 AM) M4 pm -Gdegebaskefeal: Ole Mka at Auburn WJOX (690 AM) 6:30 pm-ECHL hockey: Birmingham Bub at JacksonvNeUzard Kings WJOX (690 AM) Mmetion famished by radkTV stations and la subject to change AUSTRALIAN OPEN Rios beats the odds TheAwodatedPms MELBOURNE Australia Not even the $412000 winter's check Mar-celo Rios could pocket at the Australian Open Sunday might cover Us iosaes at blackjack tee past two weeks Rios' game tends and if he sticks' to it he can be rich and successful perhaps one of the sport's best players Trouble is blackjack la not tee only way Rioa has undermined himself The pony-tailed 22-yearold (Mean who plays SO-yeardd Chech Petr Korda for the year! first Grend Slam title haa a well-earned reputation for surltoma off the court and gutleamem on court In tends terms Rios was long con-ridered a a guy who would give up a match when he was down rather than fight back Hk slogan could have been "No He always had tremendous talent even as a Junior but he played for years with a small heart 1116 last two years Pm not being like that Rk said Friday after hk 6-1 6-3 6-2 victory over unseeded Nicolas Eicude in the semifinals if Pm losing badly I try to fight to win a match Before I was a little lazy If rm losing I aay OK I concede lAdn! fight and I lose matches easy one and love and it looks like I ditto! even care Rios the first Chilean to reach a Marcalo Rioa of ChHo return a shot during his victory over Ntoolas Ecsouda of Franoo In the semifinals of the Australian Open Update Ir not only that he could do it but that 2jou have to be profenknal 24 horn a Another key moment came when he played Michael Chang in the UA Open last September Down two sets Rios didn! give up Instead he pushed it to five sets before lasing was the turnaround in a bert-of-5 Grand Siam tennis his coach Liny StefanU said you see Michael Chang can be Na 3 in the world and for quite a long time why not MarceU? In my mind right now he kNo1 Stefanid who had worked with John McEnroe hooked up with Rios fa 1995 after agent came up to him and said guy walks to a Afferent drummer (kind Slam final in the Open era and tbs first since Lula Ayala played for tee French title in I960 said he often ditto! care if he lost a match And other playen got on him for it lot of guys asked me Why are tanking? or dm! you more yean you are an the tour you realize that yon can win matches even if you are he said Tome days I dkta! want to play You wake up and you say 1 don! want to play tends I den! want to fight today Sometimea I fed tired and I don! want to pkqr But yon have to do it His attitude began to change lnt year in the French Opm where he came bade to win bom 1-3 and 0-3 to sets in the first two rounds He realized Finebaum women had come forward I had to find out what Hillary was wearing as -riie stood by her man was easy to forget what had hap- Fran page El VRECRUmiG UAB lands WHtfsiLuveme defensive back-wide receiver Mel Wilik announced Friday that he will sign a football letterof-intent with UAB an Wednesday Willis 6-fbot-3 205 pounds led Luveme with more than 40 receptions for mare than 700 yards and eight touchdowns and also had nine interceptions as the Tigers went 13-2 and won the Oass 3A BASEBALL Dauiton retires: Darren Daultcn retired from baseball ending a career that produced three All-Star selections and nine knee operations tfeulton who spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies said I be will begin working for a Las Vegas company called Time Cards Int Where be will promote youth sports Daultcn 31 broke into the majors when he played two games for Philadelphia in 1983 His fragile knees forced him to move to the outfield from catcher Daultcn hit 145 with 137 "home runs and 588 runs batted in for the Phillies and Florida Marlins Philadelphia traded him to Florida for outfielder BUtyMcMilloa in July 3 and be hit J89 against Cleveland to help the Marlins win the World Series J1 Rangers sign Quzman: The Texas Rangers signed free agent pitcher Jose Gasman to a minor league contract with an invitation to mpjor league 5 spring training camp Guzman a 34-yeardd right-hander last pitched in the nujar leagues in 1994 Gusman has a 80-74 record with a 105 earned run average in 193 career games with 188 starts (I Davis receives Hutch Award: Baltimore Orioles outfielder Erie Davis gjrill receive the 1997 Hutch Award Monday night to recognize his 6 overcoming adversity and deflcatksi to his team community and family The Hutch Award is named for former major league pitcher and manager Fred Hatcttaaoa who died of cancer in 1964 Davis was diagnosed with colon cancer Jine and underwent surgery He returned to the team hi September finishing the season wife a J04 average eight home raw and gjuns batted hL jl' BRIEFLY- Graf comeback delayed: Steffi Graf said Friday die was (withdrawing from next taimamert in Tokyo and delaying her Hbmeback because trouble with her surgically repaired left knee had CBared op again The former Na tin the world has not played since losing to Amanda Coetier In the quarterfinals of the French Open in June DAB woman fate At Bartow Arena Mfon Udoka scored 29 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and Molly llkf-U free throws in the 1 £ulL48 as DePaul (7-12 3-7) defeated UAB (5-14 M) 88-78 in a Sthpference USA game UAB trailed by as many as 19 hi the second half at '81-42 with 1122 remaining before outacoring the Blue Demons 29-14 to pull to 75-71 with 1:49 to (day Watson scared 10 of final 13 points 2 at the line to put the game sway PeBcia Jackson came off the bench to 3 pace the Lady Blazers with 19 points Regina Stowes had her sixth double- double with 17 points and 10 rebounds for UAB while Holly HoOaad and i Shawnee LeNoir each scared 11 UAB plays host to Marquette on Sunday at 2 pm in Bartow Arena That! what happened here Thursday with bote sides of the abortion tone standing till almost out of as if the death of a policeman has giva everyone a dunce for their 15 seconds of fame That should not be the story here The outrage to not a tong list of qdn doctors from bote rides trying to make one more point for their canoe: The outrage is tee heinous set and our casual response I am as guilty the next person Returning home Thursday evening I flipped on the television to CNN not to the latest on the bombing stay I been bearing about all day Nddcl I had to get my BUI and Mod-icafixIhadtofindoutif more Since Oi simpann everything hi tee nation seems trivialized On any other day or week of tee year tee bombing of an abortion clinic that resulted to file death of a policeman would be tee lead story an tee network newn However Thursday night it was the third story behind reports of the latest bimbo eruptions of our president What does thk say about us? Is our morel outrage or lack of moral outrage a warning sign of a country in quicksand? Are we are so quick to take rides in thk nation we forget sometimes what the banes are ril shout? Are we more concerned with our viewpoint of the right or left wing than a lore of limb or sight? A policeman to dead A nurse to clinging to life We should never be immune to this type of boner our outrage should never grow cold As fanfividuris and as nation we must never accept these types of images casually Foul Fbubaumli cobiffin appears each Mondag Wednesday and Saturday in tee Birmingham aid h-a RhI Fbnbauni cm be mehad rt 125-2143 or How many of us reacted to tee news Thursday marring with the obligatory degree of outrage before moving on to our second cup of coffee? By dusk the debate in Birmingham had more to do with rancor over a newspaper picture of a dead policeman than tee predator planting a bomb teat murdered an famocent man and seriously injured a woman Ii what happened here Thursday a microcosm of our nation? Are we immune to emotion and outrage because of what has gone on before WBW1G From page El that have been conducted at the station for tee past few weeks kind of pulled a Dekm Sanders mtoring moat of training he said Ftaebanm atarted with tee Post-Herald more than II years aft and quickly became noticed for writing strongly rptotonateri coiuimu About 10 yean ago Finebaum moved to the radio with a regular gneat stint on tee Mark and Brim think he will bring non-traA- tfaml perspective to sports reporting on Birmingham Land cm be thought-provoking and? we fed that people will time to toil watch him 1 don! know what! going to hap- Ftaebanm lakL Tm going to? -take tee same approach to this that It have evoything dm and be myself But this is Afferent in that Itn realty holAng the ball so there are certain things I will have to da i One thing Finebaum laid he will stop doing criticizing sportacastcrar maybe himself lire always believed in being crit-J ical at anything or anyone teat needs' be said If I turn out to be bad I hope thrt Hi be the first one to say sot out ttmm Joynl can naahad rt 3254421 or SWfoynlOMlosm? to ffad increased success on the radia He has had his own call-in riuw on WERC for nearly five yean About the same Mm Ftaebanm alio began appearing on WBRC as a sidekick to sperta anchor Rick Karie during tee football season appearfag once a week Finebaum said he was not under contract with WBRQ making easy for him to move to WBMG 1 enjoyed my time at Channel 5 and I like the people I've worked with there Finebaum said 1 actually called (General Manager) Stm Knott this wed: for some advice: Being the sports anchor will put Finebaum in a different position thm he to accustomed fa and no doubt he will bring something different to the pari-tkxt Namely hk opinion A couple of WEMG! fanner employees such as reporters Alan CtoUins and Nikki Preede have been picked upby WBRC4 And tee Post-Herald reported earlier this month that one of tee station's new news anebon would be Sherri Jackson who last winked for a station In Huntington WVa Acconfing to fanner employees at tiie station tee new news format will use tots of camera operators with relatively few repxten giving the newscast more and shorter storiei Finebaum said be has not participated in my of tee practice newscasts Coming Monday It waa there in 19M teat Finebaum participated fa making comments about then-WBRC sports anchor GQ Tyree that caused fyree to file a 2A minion ilander suit The suit was settled for mdto-doaed amount and Finebaum went on -4 Eh Donlrrtss Paid Fbabaum's annual look at tea most power people on tea state sports scene Fhd out how Alabama farad against tee toprankad Tennessee women.