Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 5

-4 CASSADYI Ex-Lion with Yankees since 73 season SPRING TRAINING American League two PCT Thursday, March 9, 2000 niiiUBrtrnjmn Oakland Minnesota Seattle Toronto Tampa Bay Baltimore Cleveland Anaheim Boston Texas Detroit Chicago Kansas City New York 1 2 1 2 2 3 4 3 4 4 4 6 6 .800 .750 .750 .714 .714 .500 .429 .400 .333 .333 .333 .250 .167 .143 i 1 -1 i- -1 mrrzA 1 1 ABC lowers boom on Esiason's career -J' iXcANAMl ALASKA Takotna rfPn ophir -4L Mc9rath National league PCT NATIONWORLD IRI.L PRISS NLUS SIKVKIS Houston San Diego St Louis Pittsburgh Chicago Cincinnati Arizona New York Philadelphia Atlanta Montreal Florida Colorado Milwaukee vv Iditarod: Race 4 takes its name fy from this town .833 .750 .714 .667 .600 .556 .571 .571 .500 .500 .500 .429 .400 .400 .333 .143 Boomer Esiason was fired from the "Monday Night Football" team Wednesday by ABC. "I'm not overly surprised, knowing the tension that was growing within ABC Sports," Esiason said. "I realized sooner or later something Pacific a Ocean Detroit Free Press San Francisco 1 Los Angeles 1 WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS was going to give. ABC did not say who will join play-by-play announcer Al Michaels this season. Esiason, who retired as the Cincinnati Bengals' quarterback in 1998, lasted only two seasons with ABC, one as part Swingley takes lead in Iditarod HUL PHI.SS NLUS StRVRlS A Boomer Esiason Los Angeles 12, Detroit 5 Anaheim 6, Colorado 3 Florida 6, NY Mets 2 Houston 5, Florida 4 Kansas City 12, Cleveland 1 Milwaukee 7, Arizona 4 Montreal 6, Baltimore 2 NY Mets 12, St.

Louis 3 NY Yankees 10, Boston 4 Oakland 7, Anaheim 2 Oakland 22, White Sox 10 Pittsburgh 6, Cincinnati 4 San Diego 6, Chicago Cubs 2 Seattle 4, San Francisco 1 Tampa Bay 1, Philadelphia 0 Texas 8, Minnesota 6 (10) Toronto 11, Atlanta 7 Colorado vs. Arizona, Inc. rest of the season. The Denver Broncos signed Lions unrestricted free-agent quarterback Gus Frerotte. Terms were not disclosed.

The Broncos also acquired safety Billy Jenkins from St. Louis for an undisclosed draft pick and waived safety Darrius Johnson. Offensive lineman Nate Newton, 38, is retiring after 14 seasons, three Super Bowl titles and six Pro Bowl trips to work for ESPN Radio. He played last season for Carolina after 13 with Dallas. Atlanta signed former New York Giants linebacker Marcus Buckley.

New Orleans claimed wide receiver Ryan Thel-well off waivers from Pittsburgh. college rooTBALL: Syracuse will begin a three-game series with Notre Dame beginning in 2003, renewing their rivalry after 40 years. The Irish will visit the Carrier Dome on Nov. 22, 2003. Syracuse will play in South Bend in 2005 and 2008.

Pittsburgh hired Iowa ex-assistant Paul Rhoads as defensive coordinator and secondary coach. HORSE RACINC: High Yield, the 8-5 favorite trained by D. Wayne Lukas and ridden by Pat Day, drew the No. 1 post in the 10-horse field for Saturday's Florida Derby at Gulf-stream Park in Hallandale Beach. OBITUARY: Former Providence basketball coach Joe Mullaney died at 75.

He built the Friars into a national power in the 1960s and with a 319-164 record, won the most games in school history. WNBA: One of two men accused of trying to profit from the plight of gravely ill Houston Comets guard Kim Perrot was convicted of conspiracy and wire fraud. Gene Less-ley Price, with confessed co-conspirator Moses Mays, solicited items from NBA teams and stars for an auction, never held, on behalf of Perrot. She announced in February 1999 she had a rare form of lung cancer, and died Aug. 19.

Pistons stars Isiah Thomas and Grant Hill donated autographed basketballs. From Page ID nor league coach. "Hoppy understands discipline," Steinbrenner said. "He understands the things that I like, that I think are important to a team. He understands the team concept.

It's what you see is what you get in Hop Cassady. No presence, there never was, even when he won the Heisman." Cassady started the Yankees' conditioning program in 1976, when most major league teams avoided strenuous exercise. "George felt that since he was paying these guys a million dollars, like he first did with Catfish Hunter, that they needed to work out year-round," Cassady said. "So I learned all about the Nautilus and set up the team's physical conditioning program." In 1977-78, the Yanks won the World Series, the first of Stein-brenner's ownership. "Hop doesn't do as much now with the conditioning program, but there wasn't a program before he started it," said Reggie Jackson, who starred on those World Series teams.

"He was the training program. He did what all of these highfalutin guys do now, and he did it for nothing. "It was a year-round thing, but he led us in everything; he led us in all of our stretching. He did all of the running with us. We chuckle about it now, but he really did train me." Cassady never has been overpowering.

He was 5-feet-10, 172 pounds when he won the Heisman in 1955. "He was probably one of the greatest backs I've ever seen play college football; there's no doubt in my mind, absolutely," said Steinbrenner, who has known Cassady since their ROTC days at Ohio State. "I coached at Northwestern and Purdue, so I saw a lot of Big Ten backs, and the Big Ten was very powerful in those days. "But Hoppy also ran back kick-offs, he ran back punts, and he played defense once the other team was moving, and we know what he did offensively. He was tough." Known more for his shiftiness and breakaway speed, Cassady also fought for extra yardage.

As a senior, he rushed for 958 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging six yards a carry. Cassady received 2,219 Heisman votes, a record that stood until 1968, when O. J. Simpson broke it. In 1954, Cassady was third in the Heisman voting.

Unbeaten Ohio State won the national championship in his junior season and repeated as Big Ten champs the next year. Steinbrenner, then an assistant at Purdue, delivered the news that Cassady had won the Heisman. High expectations met Cassady in Detroit. The Lions had given him a $15,000 contract, plus a $15,000 bonus, unheard of then. "We didn't have the union then, so you got your weekly pay and your bonus money if you played," Cassady said.

"I always worked in the off-season as a manufacturer's representative, because you never had that much money." Cassady made an immediate impact with the Lions, but on spe- TODAY'S GAMES free Kess hte rtoto After winning the Heisman at OSU, Hopalong Cassady was the Lions' No. 1 draft choice in 1955. cial teams, leading them in punt and kickoff returns as a rookie. He played eight NFL seasons, 6V2 with the Lions. He also played at Philadelphia and Cleveland.

The adjustment from college to the NFL was frustrating. Cassady was used to carrying the offensive load each week for Woody Hayes. But with the Lions, he wasn't used as much. "See, in college I was carrying' the ball 30 or 40 times a ball- game," said Cassady, 10th in ca: reer rushing at Ohio State 2,466 yards. "In the pros I was' more of a receiver, blocking back and kick returner.

I literally car- ried the ball two and three times', which isn't enough to do anything. "We had our fullback carry the" ball and used the fianker right and flanker left more often, and we threw a lot, because they thought we could win that way. That was the strategy back then, but that's'" because we had quarterbacks like Bobby Layne and Tobin Rote, and before Tobin, we had Harry Gilmer back in those days, too." Cassady's best day as a pro was'! Oct. 20, 1957. The Lions trailed the Baltimore Colts, 27-3, in the third quarter.

Cassady hooked up" with Layne on three touchdown passes, including the winner in, the waning seconds of a 31-27 victory. Cassady finished with six catches for 113 yards and seven' carries for 71 yards. Former Lions linebacker Joe Schmidt remembers Cassady as i tenacious competitor and a vitaf' contributor to the '57 champions. "He wasn't a very big guy forj the time, but he backed down; from nobody," Schmidt said. "HO' had some difficulty adjusting to'! pro football, but boy, he made! some big plays for us and you' could count on the guy.

He wasn't vocal from a standpoint of giving" guys crap, but Howard was ag-' gressive enough and one to always come back for more." Cassady retired from pro football in 1963 and sold steel to the' shipbuilding industry for a few years before moving to Tampa to work for Steinbrenner's Amerir can Shipbuilding Co. He doesn't intend to retire from baseball soon. "I'm not planning on going anywhere," Cassady said. "As long afc George has something for me to do, then I guess I'll be around." Contact BILLL.ROOSE at 313-223- 4413 or broosel964 axiol.com TAKOTNA, Alaska Defending champion Doug Swingley moved to the head of the pack Wednesday in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, leaving this village after nearly six hours' rest. Swingley, of Lincoln, hit the trail at 8:08 a.m.

under a clear, blue sky with the temperature hovering near zero. He left behind Paul Gebhardt of Kasilof, who had been leading the race since Monday. Gebhardt had arrived in Takotna about Vt hours before Swingley. Seventy-nine mushers remained of the record 81 teams that took the trail Sunday from Wasilla to officially begin the race to the Gold Rush city of Nome. The winner gets $60,000 and a new pickup.

Swingley was joined on the trail from Takotna to the gold-mining ghost town of Ophir by three-time champion Martin Buser of Big Lake, Alaska, and DeeDee Jonrowe of Willow. Buser left the Takotna checkpoint at 8:40 a.m. after a pause of just three minutes. Jonrowe left Takotna at 9:13 a.m. after stopping for just 11 minutes.

of a three-man team with Michaels and Dan Dierdorf, and then alone with Michaels in 1999. Also released by ABC were longtime producer Ken Wolfe and director Craig Janoff after the show's ratings plummeted. Don Ohlmeyer, who produced the broadcasts in the 1970s when Frank Gifford, Don Meredith and Howard Cosell made Monday nights a happening, was rehired as producer. "We can't bring Howard back from the grave and we can't bring Don back from Santa Mesa," Ohlmeyer said. "What we're saying is, is there another version of what happened in the '70s that can happen today?" more NFL: Baltimore signed former Tampa Bay quarterback Trent Dilfer to a one-year, $l-million contract that includes a $550,000 signing bonus.

Dilfer suffered a broken right collarbone in November and was replaced by rookie Shaun King. Quarterback Steve Young will decide whether to return to the San Francisco 49ers after his wedding next week and honeymoon, his agent said. Young, 38, suffered his fourth concussion in the past three years Sept. 27 and sat out the Detroit vs. Cleveland, 7:05 Los Angeles vs.

Atlanta, 1:05 NY Mets vs. Houston, 1:05 Florida vs. Montreal, 1:05 Minnesota vs. Cincinnati, 1:05 Kansas City vs. LA, 1:05 NY Yankees vs.

Phila, 1:05 Cincinnati vs. Tampa Bay, 1:05 St Louis vs. Baltimore, 1:05 Pittsburgh vs. Toronto, 1:05 Tampa Bay vs. KC, 1:05 Boston vs.

Texas, 1:05 Cleveland vs. Minnesota, 1:05 San Fran. vs. ChL Cubs, 3:05 Seattle vs. Arizona, 3:05 White Sox vs.

San Diego, 3:05 Milwaukee vs. Anaheim, 3:05 Colorado vs. Oakland, 3:05 TIGERS BOX Dodgers 12, Tigers 6 DETROIT Jeflerlti Munson lb Hlwinton It VUWocoi I FH ft LOS ANGELES all It 01 abrnbj 3 0 10 Hotandswth c3 0 I 0 1 0 0 0 Gilbert 2 0 0 0 110 0 GrudiMnk 2b 3 1 2 I 1 0 0 0 Branson 2b 12 10 2 2 10 Green rf 3 0 11 1 0 0 0 Cookson rf-) 0 2 0 1 2 0 0 0 1111 3 110 1112 1112 4013 0 0 0 0 30 10 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 00 Encarnacn 0 2 0 0 0 Berroe I Waketand rf 1 0 0 0 Ashby IM Arvarei 30 3 1 1 1 Karros 16 Mendu 1 0 0 0 Harnett lb McMon rf-cf4 12 4 Hundley Meclai 2b 4 0 10 Kreuler Manor it 3 0 0 0 Granger PoKovlcr) 10 10 Bettra 3D Mttcki 1 0 0 0 Castro 3b Crtfl 1 0 0 0 Cora SI Kfla 0 0 0 0 Herges TODAY Police release Harding tape Inge oil 1 0 0 0 LoOuca ph-c 1110 Patterson 0 0 0 0 Hershiser a 0 0 0 0 MORNING LINE ikii. miss tws si it is Bocan 0 0 0 0 Alen pn 1110 Ceroone oh 1 0 0 0 Part 1010 Elster SS 2 110 TeM 33 5 7 5 Tot 12 12 IS 11 Detroit 000 401 000 -5 Lu AngUM 022 000 44k -13 DP: Tigers 1. LOB: Tigers 4, Oodgeri 7.

2B Macus, Hoaandsworlti, Green, Kreuler, Berrrt, Alen. HR: McMlon, HunrJev. Hoaanrjs worth. RER B8 SO 4 4 0 2 Detroit MtlCHi Crm Kida Patterson (U BocaU Lot Angeles Hershiser Part Herges (W) Granger HBP: bv Crm (Berroa), bv Patterson (Ashbv, Coodson). WP: Boca! 2:51.

3J2I. In the background, Silver can be heard yelling: "I did not! You are a liar! You are a liar! You are a felon and I have nothing to hide!" added INCENTIVE: Baseball fans can bid on autographed memorabilia on a Web site and win money if the players who originally wore the gear achieve certain feats. If Randy Johnson pitches a no-hitter, the winner of his ball in bidding this month on www.todays-sports.com gets $50,000. If Sammy Sosa hits two grand slams in one game, the winner of a home-run ball from his 66-homer season in 1998 gets $50,000. If Chipper Jones hits home runs from both sides of the plate in one game, the winner of his helmet gets $10,000.

The auction runs from Monday through March 20. ON THIS DAY IN 1958 George Yardley of the Pistons becomes the first NBA player to score 2,000 points in a season, CAMAS, Wash. Police have released the 911 tape of the wrangling between figure skating bad girl Tonya Harding and her former live-in boyfriend. Harding, 29, allegedly punched Darren Silver, 28, in the face and struck him with a hubcap Feb. 23 at her rural home.

She pleaded innocent to the misdemeanor domestic-assault charge. In a recording, a male voice identified as Silver says: "I want to find out the rules, if, like, we both go to jail or not because my girlfriend is beating me." A woman then came on the line and said, "This is Tonya Harding and I don't want to put it over the air. I want this kept confidential. I punched him in the face because he came after me, he put me to the ground." uu iii i 0l tii ii i wfitD it! I iH I ii MmiXS' -ViiiM riTVf. Complete TV listings on Pages 4-5G.

TV highlights 9 a.m. ifiOkfj European PGA: Qatar Masters, first round (taped). noon tlSPftj College basketball: Temple vs. Virginia Tech, Atlantic 1 0 quarterfinal. noon I5PH2) College basketball: Syracuse vs.

Georgetown, Big East quarterfinaj. 2 p.m. iSPNl College basketball: Michigan vs. Penn State, first round, Big Ten tournament. 2:00 ESPN College basketball: Connecticut vs.

Seton Hall, Big East quarterfinal. 4:00 USA 1 Golf: PGA Honda Classic. 4:30 ISPi College basketball: Minnesota vs. Iowa, first round, Big Ten tournament. 7:00 03 College basketball: Wisconsin vs.

Northwestern, first round, Big Ten tournament. 7:00 ESPN College basketball: Georgia Tech vs. Florida State, first round, Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. 7:00 ESPN2. College basketball: Miami vs.

Notre Dame, Big East quarterfinal. 7:05 fSN Tigers: Detroit vs. Cleveland, exhibition. 9:00 ESPN College basketball: St. John's vs.

VillanovaPittsburgh winner, Big East quarterfinal. 9:00 (ILPN2) College basketball: St. Bonaventure vs. XavierRhode Island winner, Atlantic 10 quarterfinal. 10:30 ffSN) College basketball: Stanford at Arizona.

midnight ESPN College basketball: Vegas vs. San Diego State, Mountain West quarterfinal. Radio highlights 2 p.m. College basketball: Michigan vs. Penn State, first round.

Big Ten tournament, WJR-AM (760), WTKA-AM (1050). 7:05 Tigers: Detroit vs. Cleveland, exhibition, WJR-AM (760). 7:30 Junior hockey: Windsor vs. Brampton, CKLW-AM (800).

9 00 Vipers: Detroit at Utah, WYUR-AM(1310). 9:00 NHL: Toronto at Calgary, CHYR-FM (96.7). Area events Soccer: Detroit Rockers vs. Edmonton, 10:35 a.m., the Palace. 248-366-6254 or 877-480-5425.

Horse racing Great Lakes Downs: Intertrack at 12:30 p.m. 231-799-2400. Hazel Park: Intertrack at 12:30 p.m. 248-398-1000. Jackson: Intertrack at 12:30 p.m.

517-788-4500. Northville Downs: 12 races, 7:40 p.m.; intertrack at 12:30 p.m. 248-349-1000. Saginaw Harness Raceway: Intertrack at 12:30 p.m. 517-755-3451.

Sports Creek Raceway: Intertrack at 12:30 p.m. 810-635-3333. Toledo Raceway Park: Intertrack at 12:30 p.m. 419-476-7751. Windsor Raceway: 10 races, 7:25 p.m.; intertrack at 12:30 p.m.

313-961-9545. More U-M student tickets METROSTATE 1 IRI.L PRtSS SI Al AND NLWS RVIC ISP OR CHOOSE Right now, when you buy a new $300 IN QUALITY Magnum 325 4x4, POLARIS ATV Maanum 500, Sportsman 335, Sportsman 500, CLOTHING OR ACCESSORIES. Xpedition or DIESEL, we'll give you a 2000 lb. Wam-winch This "must-have" accessory package includes mounting kit, winng harness and roller fairtead. Hurry! This offer ends April 30, 2000.

Gymnastics: Michigan's women's team moved from second to first in the national rankings with the help of two perfect 10.000 vaults from senior Sarah Cain last weekend. The Wolverines (14-5, 3-0 Big Ten) are followed in the poll by UCLA, Georgia, Alabama and Nebraska. Hockey: The Ottawa Senators obtained minor league left wing Jeff Shevalier from the Tampa Bay Lightning for future considerations. Shevalier was assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins, the Senators' International Hockey League team. He spent most of the season with the Detroit Vipers, with whom he had 11 goals and 25 assists in 46 games.

Track: University of Chicago senior Amy Buhl (Farmington Hills Mercy) won the 400 meters in .59.32 at the University Athletic Association championships in Chicago, placing her on the All-UAA team. WNBA: Sports agent Ronald Allen was ordered to spend 21 months in prison for defrauding former ABL and current Detroit Shock player Jennifer Azzl. Allen was charged in October 1998 with three counts of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud. The federal indictment alleged the crimes involved his representation of four players under contract to teams In the now-detunct American Basketball League. Allen pleaded guilty in July to one wire-fraud count, admitting he deposited a $36,000 check made payable to Azzi into his business account at a Nevada bank He said he later withdrew the money and used it to cover his own business expenses, without Azzi's permission.

The University of Michigan announced that it will increase its allotment of student football tickets from 19,500 to 22,000 for the 2000 season. Undergraduates on the Ann Arbor campus will receive first priority for tickets, followed by first-year Ann Arbor graduate students and all Flint and Dearborn students. "We expect this ticket allocation will accommodate most, if not all, of the student applications," U-M ticket manager Marty Bodnar said. In 1997, 14,500 seats were allotted for students. When Michigan Stadium expanded for the 1998 season, all 5,000 new seats went to students.

By Michael Rosenberg Boxing: With a decisive second-round knockout at Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant, Monroe's Bronco McKarl kept marching to a likely summer title shot. McKart (40-2. 28 knockouts) used a right hook-left uppercut combination to floor fellow super-welterweight Moises Rivera (15-6): counted out by referee Dale Grable at 1:10 of the round. The Way Out.

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