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(05/19/05 12:21am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- Former Indy winner Kenny Brack is coming back to the Brickyard, summoned to replace the injured driver who once filled in for him: defending champion Buddy Rice.\nBrack, the 1999 Indy 500 winner, will return to Indy more than a year after a horrible crash at Texas Motor Speedway knocked him out of the IRL.\nBobby Rahal, co-owner of the Letterman Rahal Racing team, made the announcement Wednesday at a news conference. Rahal said he called Brack Monday night to see if his former driver was interested in taking Rice's place in the No. 15 Honda-powered Panoz racer for the rest of the month.\n"He not only drives fast, Kenny is always methodical in everything he does," Rahal said. "That's why I know he's ready to do this when he says he is."\nBrack passed his Indianapolis Motor Speedway physical Tuesday night and was set to make his first practice laps Wednesday on the 2 1-2-mile oval. Qualifications for the May 29 race resume Saturday.\n"Even though I haven't driven for a year, it feels like I never left because I've stayed around the team the whole time and I feel very comfortable," the Swedish driver said.\nRice -- who began last season as Rahal Letterman's little-known replacement for Brack before taking the pole and checkered flag at Indy -- was declared out of the 500 Tuesday when doctors said a back injury sustained in a crash was worse than first diagnosed.\nRice also sustained a concussion when his car spun and smashed backward into a wall at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during practice last Wednesday.\nBrack has tested an IndyCar, but has not raced in the IRL since breaking both ankles, a thigh, his back and ribs in a terrifying wreck during the season-ending race in Texas in October 2003.\nOne of those ankles was crushed in the crash, and the 39-year-old Swede spent the next three months in hospitals.\nOnce he was back home, Brack set a goal of getting back to racing by last year's Indy 500. It didn't happen.\nIn June, Brack thought he was ready until a test in Richmond, Va., for Rahal's team didn't go as well as expected. He was fast but unprepared for the physical struggle he faced.\n"I could drive the car just fine, but I felt I was really not fit enough to drive one of these cars in a race," Brack said at the time.\nThe 1998 IRL champion did return to racing last September in Sweden. Driving a Porsche in the Carrera Cup series, he finished fifth in two races. He has also tested touring cars in Australia since recovering from his injuries.\nNow, he said he is ready to get back on track at Indy.\n"Now, 1 1-2 years after the accident, I'm back to the same physical condition as before the crash," he said Wednesday. "I've been pounding myself in the gym and, even though I feel very bad for Buddy, I feel very comfortable coming into this situation."\nRice's condition will be reassessed in about three weeks, said Dr. Henry Bock, medical director for the IndyCar Series and the track. Bock said he told Rahal Letterman on Tuesday that Rice will not get clearance in time to qualify.\nBock said further evaluation revealed a partially torn ligament in Rice's neck, an area essential to maintaining alignment of the spine. Doctors have recommended rest and rehabilitation.\n"Needless to say, I am extremely disappointed that I won't be able to defend my Indy 500 championship," Rice said in a statement issued by the team.\n"Physically I feel fine, but I have to trust the speedway and IRL medical team because they are looking out for my safety. I am optimistic that I will be cleared for Texas (June 11) and will be able to get back in the car. I plan to stay here in Indy and help our team in any way I can."\nThe 29-year-old Rice was expected to be a strong contender for the IndyCar Series championship this year, but got off to a slow start and is 11th in the standings following a season-best third-place finish last month in Japan.\nRahal said the team's first concern is Rice's complete recovery.\n"This has been a difficult obstacle for Buddy, but we have been assured by Dr. Bock that, in this case, that the time off will be the solution," said Rahal, who won the Indy 500 in 1986. "Our intent is to move forward."\nRice will spend the next two weeks on the sidelines, helping prepare teammates Danica Patrick -- a rookie and the only woman in the race -- Vitor Meira and Brack. Patrick and Meira have already qualified.\n22 drivers made the 33-car field Sunday, with more qualifying scheduled Saturday and next Sunday.
(05/19/05 12:20am)
BALTIMORE -- The morning after the Kentucky Derby, Kiaran McLaughlin stood outside his barn at Churchill Downs wearing the smile of winner. He wasn't, of course, but the trainer didn't mind.\n"Not that anybody remembers who finishes second in the Kentucky Derby," he said, "but it was a great thrill for us."\nDon't worry, Kiaran. People won't soon forget Closing Argument.\nGiacomo may have pulled off the second-biggest upset in Derby history, but Closing Argument was sensational in defeat, losing the lead in the final strides and finishing a half-length back.\nIn the process, Closing Argument became the highest-priced runner-up in Derby history, returning $70 for a $2 place bet. With Giacomo returning $102.60 to win, the exact payoff was $9,814.80.\nMcLaughlin believes he may have a winning ticket for Saturday's Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown. After all, he said, Closing Argument moved forward off his third-place finish in the Blue Grass on April 16.\n"I don't know that the horse has to move forward, yet again, to win the Preakness," McLaughlin said. "I would think if he runs that same race, he's going to be awfully tough to beat."\nTim Ritchey, who trains Derby third-place finisher Afleet Alex, said Closing Argument could be tough to catch in the Preakness, which is a sixteenth of a mile shorter than the 1 1/4-mile Derby.\n"The 3-year-olds that have gone forward, like Giacomo and Closing Argument, and show they can run that far (in the Derby) can run a 1 3-16th mile as well," Ritchey said Wednesday. "Closing Argument is legitimate."\nClosing Argument was among 10 Preakness starters arriving Wednesday at Pimlico. The son of Successful Appeal was vanned over from Belmont Park in New York.\n"He's in top form,'" exercise rider Danny Wright said after settling Closing Argument into his stall. "He's come out of the race very good and we're all hopeful."\nGiacomo arrived from Kentucky, stepping off a horse van about 1:30 p.m., and being led into stall 40, the traditional home of the Derby winner. Trainer John Shirreffs, along with TV cameras and dozens of reporters, watched the gray son of Holy Bull's every move.\n"What an honor to go in that stall, what an honor," Shirreffs said, turning to gaze at a sign above the stall that lists 14 former tenants. "Look up, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Spectacular Bid ... It's awesome."\nShirreffs, based at Hollywood Park in California, stayed in Kentucky with Giacomo the past few days. He said his colt is coming into the race in excellent shape after a half-mile workout Tuesday, and is set for a gallop around Pimlico on Thursday morning.\n"He looks pretty good, he's on his toes a little bit and he's freshened up since the Kentucky Derby," Shirreffs said. "He came out of his breeze well, he shipped well and we'll see how he handles the surface here. I don't think it'll be a problem, but it's always a plus if he likes the track."\nThe Preakness drew a full field of 14 for the first time since 1992, and Closing Argument will be among the most consistent 3-year-olds in the race.\nThe bay colt has won three of eight starts for owners Philip and Marcia Cohen, with three runner-up finishes and two thirds. The bottom line is earnings of $986,984 for a colt purchased for $100,000 at a sale for 2-year-olds in training in Ocala, Fla.\nClosing Argument had just two starts before the Derby, winning the Holy Bull Stakes on Feb. 5 before his next start in the Blue Grass. In between, he missed the Florida Derby with a minor foot bruise, but the time off may have kept the horse fresh for the Triple Crown races.\n"I think the one little hiccup of the Florida Derby was actually a plus for us at the end of the day because we ran a winning race," McLaughlin said in assessing the Kentucky Derby.\nMcLaughlin, who spent 10 years training in Dubai before returning two years ago to open a public stable based at Belmont, also worked for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.\n"He's been around a lot of Derby horses and around the prep scene," Lukas said ."It wouldn't surprise me if Kiaran's horse ran well because he's an excellent horseman."\nIt probably won't surprise the bettors, either.
(05/19/05 12:19am)
WASHINGTON -- The NBA wants to kick players out of the league for a third failed steroid test and double the punishment for a first offense, commissioner David Stern told a House panel Wednesday, the latest example of a professional sport moving to tighten its drug policy in the face of congressional scrutiny.\nIn a rare gathering of some of the most powerful people in American sports, Stern joined fellow commissioners Bud Selig of Major League Baseball, Gary Bettman of the NHL and Don Garber of Major League Soccer in testifying before the House Commerce trade and consumer protection subcommittee about steroid use and testing.\nThe heads of those leagues' player unions and a former chairman of the U.S. Anti-Doping Association also appeared at a hearing to discuss the Drug Free Sports Act. The legislation proposed last month by subcommittee chairman Cliff Stearns, a Florida Republican, would govern drug testing across American professional sports, aiming to bring them in line with the Olympics.\nIt would have the Commerce secretary oversee rules on drug testing and calls for a two-year suspension for a first offense and a lifetime ban for a second. Leagues that don't comply would be fined at least $5 million.\n"This is not an opportunity to direct blame and to try and embarrass anyone," Stearns said in opening the hearing and describing his proposed law.\n"I am not convinced that an effective solution to this problem can be found in a system that allows those with a vested interest in the performance of the players and leagues to simply police themselves," the subcommittee chairman added.\nNot surprisingly, nearly all of the witnesses -- the most glaring exception being Selig -- objected to the bipartisan bill.\n"A policy that is the product of agreement between management and labor will always be superior to one that is imposed from the outside," Stern wrote in his prepared testimony, \nechoing his union counterpart, Billy Hunter.\nSeveral lawmakers praised Selig for proposing tougher penalties in baseball after his sport's drug policy was slammed for being too weak during an 11-hour hearing before the House Government Reform Committee, which is conducting a separate steroids inquiry.\n"Mr. Selig, you've come a long way," said Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich.\nTexas Republican Joe Barton, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and other representatives stated their panel has jurisdiction over the steroids issue. Barton predicted "this will result in legislation in the very near future."\nIn his prepared testimony, Stern revealed proposals the NBA made to its players during ongoing negotiations to replace a labor deal that expires June 30. A first steroid offense would draw a 10-game suspension in an 82-game season, a second would draw 25 games, and a third would result in a player being "dismissed and disqualified from the NBA," with the possibility of reinstatement after two years under "exceptional circumstances." Currently, a first offense gets a five-game ban, a second gets 10 games, and a third gets 25.\nStern wants to increase the number of random tests for all players to four per season (only rookies face that many now), add one random offseason test, and add to the list of banned substances.\nWhen its current drug policy was instituted in 1999, Stern told the committee, the NBA "had no evidence of even minimal use of steroids or performance-enhancing drugs by NBA players. Nor are we aware of such evidence today."\nTwo players are believed to have been suspended for steroid use since the NBA implemented its current policy in 1999.\nThe NHL -- which canceled its 2004-05 season in a labor dispute -- doesn't test for performance-enhancing substances at all, but Bettman and union head Bob Goodenow told the committee they plan to add random testing and discipline to a new collective bargaining agreement.\nSelig reiterated that he would support federal legislation unless baseball's union agrees to toughen the sport's drug policy.\n"I will continue to be a supporter of an appropriately tailored, uniform federal standard. I hope that we will have the opportunity to work with Congress in developing that standard," he told the committee.\nUnion leaders were particularly critical of the bill.\nMajor League Players Association executive director Donald Fehr told lawmakers that collective bargaining was the appropriate way to deal with employment issues, "even matters as controversial and politically volatile as random suspicionless employee drug testing."\nFehr lodged several other complaints about the bill, ranging from Fourth Amendment issues to a "problematic and confusing" section on appeals. He joined Stern, Bettman and Goodenow in calling the penalties too harsh, with Fehr saying: "A two-year suspension for a first offense would, as a practical matter, end the player's career in the vast majority of circumstances."\nThe same panel will hear from NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw Thursday.\nAlso that day, Stern, Hunter, Washington Wizards guard Juan Dixon and Houston Rockets trainer Keith Jones are to testify before the House Government Reform Committee. The leaders of that committee plan to jointly announce their own proposed legislation with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.\n"So why in the world did we ever get into a situation where steroids apparently were swallowed like M&Ms and adults winked at each other when baseball players started growing arms as big as tree trunks?" Barton asked. "However it happened, I'm glad that it finally seems to be changing"
(05/12/05 2:32am)
The IU baseball team will return to action this weekend as they head to Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on the University of Michigan. The four-game series will begin at 5:35 p.m. Friday at Michigan's Fisher Stadium.\nFriday's game will be followed by a doubleheader Saturday before wrapping up with the series finale Sunday.\nThe Hoosiers (25-23, Big Ten 8-16) are coming off a successful series last weekend against the Michigan State Spartans when IU won three of the four games. \nThe star of last weekend's series was senior right fielder Joe Kemp. Kemp went 9-15 against MSU over the weekend, giving him a .600 batting average for the series. His two home runs, 11 RBI, nine runs, two triples and two doubles gave him an astounding 1.400 slugging percentage for the series. Kemp's weekend didn't go unnoticed as he was awarded co-Big Ten Player of the Week honors. \nThe Hoosiers hope to keep their bats hot heading into this weekend's games. IU scored 15 runs against the Spartans Saturday and closed the series out with an 11-run performance. \nThis series will mark the team's final away series of Big Ten play. Conference play wraps up at home May 22 against in-state rival \nPurdue.\nThe weekend's series against the Wolverines (30-14, Big Ten 10-11) will mark the first time the two teams have met this season. Michigan finds itself in the middle of the Big Ten standings, currently in sixth place. The series will be important for both teams as they battle for the sixth and final spot in the Big Ten Tournament. IU currently resides in last place in the conference and needs to move up in the standing to have a shot at qualifying for the tournament. \nRuns shouldn't be at a premium this weekend as the series features the Big Ten's top two hitting teams. The Hoosiers' consistency at the plate has given them the top batting average in the conference with a .325 mark through last weekend's games. Michigan is not far behind with a .322 average.\nThe Hoosiers will look for revenge against the Wolverines after losing three of the four games that the two teams played last season.
(05/12/05 2:04am)
A judge ruled that IU trustees did not violate Indiana's Open Door Law when they met to hear about plans to fire men's basketball coach Bob Knight.\nClark County Judge Cecile Blau said in a four-page ruling Monday that no more than four of the nine trustees met at any one time with then-IU President Myles Brand.\n"There is not a lot to say about the case," said Larry MacIntyre, director of IU media relations. "Our position has always been we obeyed the law. We argued that in court and the court upheld that."\nBlau said that Brand's conversations with less than a quorum did not fall within the law's definition of a meeting. The Open Door Law defines a meeting as a gathering of the majority of the governing body of a public agency to take official action, said Blau, a special judge selected to rule on the case filed in Monroe County.\nOfficial meetings must be advertised 48 hours before they are held, according to the policy.\nEven if the meetings did break the law, Blau could not set aside Knight's September 2000 dismissal because Brand, not the trustees, had the authority to fire him, she wrote.\nIn October 2000, 46 fans filed the lawsuit challenging the firing. Knight, now coach at Texas Tech University, was dismissed for what Brand called "uncivil, defiant and unacceptable" conduct.\nGojko Kasich, the Hebron attorney who represents the fans, said he hopes they will appeal to get a definitive ruling on what the Open Door Law requires.\n"I said from the beginning that a decision in our favor would be nice, but it's not going to be the end of the road," he said.\nThe fans said IU trustees bypassed the law when Brand invited them to his home to talk about firing Knight.\nMacIntyre said there could be an appeal by the fans, but IU is pleased with the case so far.\n"As far as we are concerned it's over and we are happy with the outcome," MacIntyre said.\nIU is facing another lawsuit filed by The Indianapolis Star, which is demanding documents related to Knight's firing, with a trial set for August.
(05/12/05 1:08am)
Women's tennis back at NCAAs\nThe No. 37 IU women's tennis will look to keep their season alive when they battle No. 28 Wake Forest University 9 a.m. Friday in Lexington, Ky. at the Hilary J. Boone Varsity Tennis Complex.\nThe Hoosiers go into the tournament as the No. 3 seed in the four-team region hosted by the University of Kentucky.\nRowing to vie for spot in NCAA tournament\nWhen battling the No. 2 Demon Deacons it won't be new territory for IU as they faced Wake Forest earlier in the season. In a Feb. 12 match at home, the Hoosiers dominated from the outset, winning in convincing fashion 6-1.\nIf IU repeats the performance against the Demon Deacons, the Hoosiers would face the winner of the Kentucky-Marshall University match 2 p.m. Saturday.\nAfter posting its best ever finish in the Big Ten Tournament -- sixth place -- the Hoosiers will look to continue their season by performing well at the Aramark South/Central Regional Sprints.\nThe Regional Sprints will take place Saturday and Sunday in Oak Ridge, Tenn. \nThe Hoosiers will be led by senior Amanda Walker who became the first IU rower to be named first-team All-Big Ten.\n Russell dominates in Canadian trials \nSophomore swimmer Colin Russell continued his dominance in the 400 freestyle as he won in the Canadian Time Trials with a time of 3 minutes, 52.81 seconds. The time not only broke the Canadian record, but also the school record by nearly three seconds.\n"We are extremely proud of Colin," said IU coach Ray Looze in a statement. "Winning at the Canadian Trials is a breakthrough for him."\nRussell is now qualified for the World Championships in Montreal July 16-31, and at the World University Games in Izmir, Turkey, Aug. 12-17.
(05/12/05 1:01am)
CINCINNATI -- Tim Stauffer got a win in his major league debut and helped Bruce Bochy get No. 800.\nStauffer repeatedly pitched out of jams of his own making, and Ryan Klesko hit a three-run homer to send the San Diego Padres to a 7-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.\nSan Diego's eighth victory in 10 games handed Bochy his 800th win as a manager. Only Bobby Cox, Joe Torre and Tony La Russa have more wins with their current clubs.\n"To be honest, I haven't even thought about it," Bochy said. "I was pulling for Stauff so much."\nStauffer (1-0), the fourth overall pick in the 2003 draft, calmed himself with deep breaths and made good pitches when it mattered. The right-hander gave up two runs, four hits and three walks in six innings, turning a 5-2 lead over to the bullpen.\nThe turning point came in the first inning, when Felipe Lopez hit a two-run homer and the Reds loaded the bases with no outs. Stauffer got a double play for his first great escape, then settled down while family and friends cheered from the first row behind the dugout.\n"It really wasn't nerves," Stauffer said. "I'm sure for the people in the stands, it was a little bit different and harder for them. I was grateful to get out of that with just two runs."\nDave Roberts had four hits and Mark Loretta got five at the top of San Diego's order, leading a 16-hit outburst. Klesko's sixth homer in his last nine games put San Diego ahead to stay in the fourth.\nThe Reds have lost 11 of 13, taking a nosedive into last place in the NL Central.\nStarter Paul Wilson (1-4) failed to retire any of the eight batters he faced in his last outing -- a 10-run first inning by the Dodgers on Friday. The right-hander struggled through five-plus innings this time, and ultimately got beat by an old nemesis. Klesko's three-run homer put the Padres up 4-2 and left him 8-for-16 in his career against Wilson with six homers.\n"I'm trying to make great pitches in situations where I don't have to," Wilson lamented.\nWilson matched his career high by giving up 12 hits overall, a fitting ending to a 2-7 homestand that was horrific and historic.\nIt started with St. Louis pulling off the greatest ninth-inning comeback in its history, scoring seven runs for a 10-9 win. Closer Danny Graves got booed off the field after the Reds' biggest ninth-inning collapse since 1952.\nThat year became a reference point again in Wilson's last start, when the Reds gave up 10 first-inning runs for the first time since 1952.\nFinally, Graves blew another big ninth-inning lead on Monday, allowing the Padres to rally from a 5-1 deficit to a 6-5, 13-inning victory that dropped the Reds into last place.\n"It's like I've been saying all along: We get good hitting and no pitching, or good pitching and no hitting," said infielder Ryan Freel. "Today we finally clicked. We didn't have anything."\nThe final game will be remembered more for what it meant to the Padres -- an eagerly awaited debut.\nStauffer, a 21-year-old with boyish looks, has repeatedly pitched in and out of trouble. He throws four pitches -- fastball, change-up, curve and sinker -- and is known for his composure.\nIt was tested right away. Stauffer hit the first batter he faced -- Freel -- on a 1-2 pitch, then gave up Lopez's fourth homer. The Reds then loaded the bases with no outs -- Stauffer also hit Adam Dunn on a 1-2 pitch -- and Darrell May began warming up in the bullpen.\nThat's when Stauffer got a reprieve. Joe Randa grounded into a third-to-home double play, and Austin Kearns lined out.\n"We were kind of hoping with the way things were going, he'd just get out of the first," Klesko said. "Your first at-bat or your first inning to pitch, it's like you've got an out-of-body experience. Between the nerves and the excitement, you don't even know what the heck you're doing out there. But he settled down. The idea was to try to get him a lead, and he ran with it."\nThe Reds loaded the bases again in the third with one out, helped by two walks, but Randa popped out and Kearns swung through a 93 mph fastball. Stauffer's coaches and teammates applauded and patted him when he got to the bench.\n"He did a great job keeping his composure," Bochy said. "That showed how mentally tough the kid is. He could have caved in there"
(01/14/05 2:32pm)
FOXBORO, Mass. -- The New England Patriots are preparing what might be the best defense against Peyton Manning and his speedy receivers: a slippery field.\nThe team left the Gillette Stadium grass uncovered through Wednesday's rain and Thursday's fog. With more rain or snow expected Friday and freezing temperatures for the weekend, the Indianapolis Colts' prolific offense could find the footing funky in Sunday's playoff game.\nPatriots coach Bill Belichick knows a cold front may be as critical as his three-man defensive front in slowing down the Colts. But he certainly wouldn't turn the field into an ice rink or a quagmire just to help his team, would he?\n"My job is not to pull weeds," he said Wednesday with an innocent-looking smirk. "I have a lot of other things to do. Or rake the field and all of that. I'm sure that will all be taken care of."\nA coach like Belichick who delves into the smallest detail includes weather conditions in his planning, although he might not have the final say on field maintenance.\n"I'm sure he's consulted on it," team spokesman Stacey James said Thursday, "but it's a collaborative effort between our stadium operations people and the grounds crew."\nThere's a 90 percent chance of rain or snow on Friday before a dry weekend with temperatures ranging from 20 to 34 degrees Saturday and 16 to 33 degrees Sunday with mostly cloudy skies. There'll be plenty of time for the moisture to turn to ice before the game's late afternoon start.\nThere are heating coils underneath the field at Gillette Stadium that could keep the turf from freezing. Of course the coils won't stop all that moisture from making the field slick, maybe even muddy.\nColts coach Tony Dungy said the field conditions won't be a factor. But his team plays home games indoors in 72-degree temperatures, artificial turf and no wind.\n"We feel like it's our nature" to play in inclement weather, Patriots linebacker Roman Phifer said. "We live up here. We play in it. We practice in it. So, obviously, that's something that we're used to."\nOther Patriots think a slippery field won't make a difference to the fifth highest-scoring offense in NFL history with 522 points and three receivers -- Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokely -- with more than 1,000 yards receiving.\n"They beat people in cold weather. They beat people on turf," strong safety Rodney Harrison said. "They're going to catch touchdowns. They're going to run the ball. It doesn't matter what surface they're playing on. They could be playing on hot coals. It doesn't matter."\nThe Colts played just two games this season with a temperature below 65 degrees. They're 9-1 indoors and 5-2 outdoors.\nLast season they lost their only two games in precipitation -- a light rain at Jacksonville and occasional snow and 32 degrees at New England in the AFC championship game. This week they worked out indoors because their practice field was wet but they left the doors open to bring in cold air.\n"When the field condition is a little bit different than usual, I might change my game a little bit, but I'm still a ball player, I'm still going to go out there and perform," said Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, the NFL sack leader. "It's going to be slow for us, it's going to be slow for them."\nLast season, the Patriots were 4-0 in rain or snow, then won playoff games that began with a temperature of 4 degrees against Tennessee and 32 degrees with light snow against Indianapolis. This season they are 2-0 in the rain.\nThe Colts "have played in cold elements before. They've had success so we're not really going to let the weather be an excuse or a factor for us," Phifer said. "We're not going to depend on the weather. We have to go out and execute ourselves, have a flawless game pretty much to have a chance to win."\nThe Patriots also could be slowed by an icy field.\n"It's January and we're in New England. It's not going to be 50 degrees," Patriots tight end Christian Fauria said. "Your best bet is just to hope it's not minus 10"
(01/14/05 2:29pm)
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- With some of its biggest stars under suspicion and lawmakers demanding action, Major League Baseball adopted a tougher steroid-testing program that will suspend first-time offenders for 10 days and randomly test players year-round.\nThe agreement was hailed by baseball management and its union Thursday as a huge step forward. However, it was criticized by some as not going far enough because the penalties are less harsh than those in Olympic sports and amphetamines were not banned.\n"I've been saying for some time that my goal for this industry is zero tolerance regarding steroids," commissioner Bud Selig said.\nA first positive test would result in a penalty of 10 days, a second positive test in a 30-day ban, a third positive in a 60-day penalty, and a fourth positive test in a one-year ban, all without pay. A player who tests positive a fifth time would be subject to discipline determined by the commissioner.\nUnder the previous agreement, a first positive test resulted only in treatment, and a second positive test was subject to a 15-day suspension. Only with a fifth positive test would a player be subject to a one-year ban.\nNo player was suspended for steroid use in 2004, the first season of testing with penalties.\n"We're acting today to help restore the confidence of our fans," Selig said.\nSince the old agreement was reached in 2002, baseball has come under increased scrutiny about steroids.\nBarry Bonds, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield testified before a federal grand jury investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative known as BALCO. President Bush mentioned the steroid problem in last year's State of the Union address.\n"I will be surprised if over time this doesn't take care of the problem virtually completely," union head Donald Fehr said, speaking by telephone from Los Angeles.\nSaid St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa: "I just hope it's the Cadillac of all policies because that's what major league baseball needs. There's no doubt we have a problem."\nThe old deal wasn't due to expire until December 2006, but the union took the rare step of renegotiating a major section of its labor contract and reached an agreement relatively quickly. The new rules run until December 2008.\n"It appears to be a significant breakthrough," said Arizona Sen. John McCain, who had threatened baseball with legislation. "I do believe this is significant progress."\nMcCain said that in light of the deal, he did not think legislation was necessary, though he would have preferred a 10- to 15-game suspension for a first offense and a permanent ban for multiple positive tests.\n"I would have liked to see amphetamines added to this list," McCain said.\nTommy Thompson, the U.S. health and human services secretary, commended players and owners.\n"Not only is this good for the game and for the sport in general, but professional athletes are role models to millions of youth and aspiring athletes across the country," Thompson said, "and this step shows that the long-term health consequences do not outweigh any short-term gain."\nIn addition to one mandatory test each season, players randomly will be selected for additional tests, with no limit on how many times a player may be tested. For the first time, players will be subject to random tests during the offseason. In addition, diuretics and many steroid precursors were added to the banned list.\nHowever, Dr. Gary Wadler of the World Anti-Doping Agency called the new policy "somewhat disingenuous" and "a Band-Aid."\n"There is some movement," he said. "It's not all public relations, but a lot of it is public relations, and we'll have to see the details."\nAs in the previous deal, a player who tests positive will be targeted for more tests along with those who within the previous 12 months give a joint management-union panel reason to determine there is "reasonable cause."\nWadler specifically criticized the failure to address amphetamines, which many in baseball consider to be a far greater problem than steroids.\n"Amphetamines, better known as `greenies,' have a long tradition in baseball," Wadler said. "Clearly they have been demonstrated in classic studies to be performance enhancing, to be a controlled substance in the United States, to have very limited therapeutic value. For them not to ban it raises questions as to the process by which they derived the (banned) list. So that disturbs me in great measure."\nThe issue of amphetamines came up during the talks between owners and players, said Rob Manfred, management's chief labor negotiator.\n"Our focus, as Don said, was really performance-enhancing substances in terms of muscle building," Manfred said. "Stimulants are a complicated area. Are they performance enhancing? How should they be regulated? That's something that we've put to the health policy advisory committee to look at because we weren't prepared to deal with it."\nHuman growth hormone was added to a widened list of banned substances, but it will be found only when science determines a way to detect it in urine samples. Currently, it can be found only in blood tests, which will not be conducted in baseball.\n"We had a problem and we dealt with the problem," Selig said. "I regarded this as not only a health issue, but certainly you could say it was an integrity issue in this sport."\nThe agreement was approved by owners Thursday but still must be voted on by players.\n"I don't believe it's appropriate to search anybody -- either his home, or his garage, or his trunk, or his bladder or his bloodstream -- without getting a court order showing probable cause," former union head Marvin Miller said.\nFirst-time offenders are suspended for at least four games in the NFL and for five games in the NBA. The World Anti-Doping Agency's code, which has been adopted by most Olympic sports, says the "norm" is two-year bans for a first positive test and a lifetime ban for a second, unless there are mitigating circumstances.\nSelig would not address what action baseball would take, if any, against players who had been found to be using steroids in the past. Baseball officials have said repeatedly that they didn't plan to penalize players for admissions of use prior to September 2002, when the initial agreement took effect.\n"I have consistently said we're not going to engage in any conjecture," Selig said. "There has been a lot of conjecture but there have been no players that have been convicted of anything"
(01/14/05 2:03pm)
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Randy Moss trudged out to his truck in the subzero cold, with a huge, black hooded sweat shirt covering almost his entire face. All that was showing was a carefree smile.\nIn his usual flippant manner, Moss showed no remorse for his latest misdeed.\nMinnesota's controversial wide receiver was fined $10,000 Thursday by the NFL for pretending to pull down his pants and moon the Green Bay crowd during a playoff win last weekend.\n"Ain't nothing but 10 grand. What's 10 grand, to me?" said Moss, whose salary this season is $5.75 million. He then jokingly suggested he might perform a more vulgar celebration next time.\nPeter Hadhazy, the league's director of game operations, penalized Moss for unsportsmanlike conduct in a letter released by the NFL.\n"Your actions were based on poor judgment, did not reflect well on you or the Vikings, and were insulting to many," Hadhazy wrote. "They have resulted in widespread criticism and needlessly detracted from Minnesota's dramatic playoff victory. Fans should look to you and your teammates to see how to compete and win in football. But when you lose your focus on playing and engage in sideshows as you did on Sunday, you forfeit much of this."\nMoss also briefly bumped the goalpost with his backside before hugging teammates in the end zone following a fourth-quarter touchdown catch that clinched the Vikings' 31-17 victory over the Packers.\nLeague rules mandate discipline for "obscene gestures or other actions construed as being in poor taste." A fine for the first offense under those guidelines is $5,000.\nThe NFL said Moss was fined more than the minimum because this isn't the first time he has been disciplined for unsportsmanlike conduct. He paid a $25,000 penalty in 1999 for squirting an official with a water bottle.\nMoss wasn't the only player fined Thursday. The NFL also fined New York Jets linebacker Eric Barton $7,500 for hitting San Diego quarterback Drew Brees in the head during last weekend's playoff game.\nMoss, whose 9,142 career yards receiving are the most ever by any player over his first seven seasons, has drawn more than his share of punishments and negative publicity.\nThe league fined him $5,000 for his role in a scuffle with the Chicago Bears during a September game, and he was charged the same amount in November 2003 for spiking a ball at the foot of Detroit Lions cornerback Dre' Bly.\nIn December 2002, he was fined $1,200 by a judge after being charged with bumping a traffic control officer with his car in downtown Minneapolis.\nFor verbally abusing corporate sponsors on the team bus following a loss in November 2001, Moss was fined $15,000 by the Vikings and required to receive anger management counseling.\nAnd just last week, he was rebuked by teammates for leaving the field before the end of a loss to the Washington Redskins.\nMoss' agent, Dante DiTrapano, said the fine was unnecessary and that he plans to appeal.\n"If you can't have freedom of expression on the football field, come on," DiTrapano said.\nDiTrapano argued that there was a story behind the dance Moss did in the end zone. The pantomimed pants-pulling was a response to Green Bay fans' tradition of mooning the visiting team's bus in the parking lot. And the rump bump against the goalpost, DiTrapano said, was a tribute to an old friend of Moss' who was at Lambeau Field for the game. Donnie Jones, who played at Dupont High School in West Virginia a few years before Moss did, used to celebrate like that after touchdowns.\n"Like everything else, I think it's blown out of proportion," DiTrapano said. "It's not fair, but we're used to it. It just rolls right off of us"
(12/02/04 5:34am)
IU football coach Gerry DiNardo was fired Tuesday night. A press conference has been set for 2:30 p.m. at Assembly Hall in the basketball media room.\nIt didn't take new athletics director Rick Greenspan long to make his first major decision in his new post. DiNardo, just finished his third season at IU with a record of 3-8. His overall record with the Hoosiers was 8-27.\nAfter reviewing the season and evaluating the progress of the program, Greenspan decided that it was time for a change, he said in a statement.\n"This is a difficult decision made with considerable deliberation. We appreciate Gerry's dedication and commitment to the Indiana football program," Greenspan said.\nIU wasn't just plagued with losses this season, but also poor attendance. The Hoosiers didn't come close to filling up Memorial Stadium, only averaging 28,377. IU had three games where the attendance was less than 25,000, topping out at 36,041 on the season.\nFred Eichhorn, president of the board of trustees, said the declining attendance was a factor in the decision.\n"The big thing, the attendance had fallen bellow 25,000, and we are competing for schools with attendance with over 100,000," Eichoorn said. "I knew that (President Adam Herbert and Athletics Director Rick Greenspan) were considering it on Monday"\nDiNardo had two years remaining on his contract, with a base salary of $225,000. \nBefore coming to IU, DiNardo previously coached at Vanderbilt University and Louisiana State University, compiling a record of 51-49-1. He also had a brief stint in the XFL with Birmingham Thunderbolts in 2001.\n"We are determined to restore a winning tradition in IU football, while continually enhancing the academic success of our student athletes," Herbert said in statement. "The extended Hoosier family expects and deserves no less"
(08/25/04 6:28am)
After more than a month of interviews, the Athletics Director Search Committee has narrowed its pool of 100 candidates to three to five, IU Alumni Association President Ken Beckley said.\nThe 16-member committee received a total of 100 applicants by the July 16 deadline, with the goal of having the finalist pool reduced to, at most, six to eight by mid-August to present to IU President Adam Herbert.\n"The list of potential candidates has been narrowed down to three to five, and the president is in the process of interviewing and very carefully conducting the due diligence process," Beckley said. "Our goal is still to announce a new athletics director by the end of August."\nThough the goal is to end the search by the end of August, it hasn't been ruled out that the search might take longer than anticipated, said Bill Stephan, vice president of University relations and corporate partnerships at IU. \n"President Herbert wants to make sure that we have the right person," Stephan said. "Different challenges have kept the process open, as other strong candidates have emerged, and the committee and president are considering all of the candidates."\nBeckley said he believes the next athletics director is within the final pool of candidates. Herbert will make the final decision.\n"It is important for the candidates to have all the qualifications to be the next athletics director," Beckley said. "But the new athletics director will have to be able to work with the president, and only the president knows who will be the next athletics director."\nIn conducting the search process, the committee looked for someone who met 12 criteria, including the ability to act as a spokesperson for the athletics department and serve as a leader for coaches and other staff.\nThis is an important detail because of IU's recent revolving door of athletics directors. When hired, the next director will be IU's fourth in five years.\nDuring the past year, debate over the athletics department has been heated because of the budget deficit, the proposed plan of $65 million in facility upgrades and the $30 student athletic fee.\nBecause of the all the issues facing the department, it will be important to find a candidate who plans to make his or her home in Bloomington for years to come, Stephan said.\n"The committee clearly has an interest in finding a strong candidate that will stay with the University for a long time," Stephan said. "Successful athletics departments have had strong athletic leadership for a good number of years, and the new athletics director will be a long term solution and response to the athletics position."\nHerbert announced the search May 27.\nThe committee consists of members throughout the IU community, which gives many perspectives in finding the next athletics director.\nThe new athletics director will replace Interim Director Terry Clapacs, who also serves as vice president for administration and chief administrative officer. Clapacs has filled the position since November 2002 when then-athletics director Michael McNeely resigned after 16 months in Bloomington. \nOnce a new athletics director is announced, Clapacs will resume full-time duties of the vice president of administration and chief administrative officer.\nAfter the announcement, the search committee released an advertisement that was sent throughout the country formally announcing the opening of the athletics director position. Released jointly with the advertisement was a Web site that allowed potential candidates to find out more information about the qualifications for the position and more about the University and the athletics department.
(08/25/04 6:24am)
Quincy Carter ended up replacing the quarterback who took his spot in Dallas.\nIn an odd switch, the quarterback cut by the Cowboys signed with the New York Jets on Tuesday and will back up Chad Pennington. Pennington's backup last season was 40-year-old Vinny Testaverde, who was released by the Jets in June and became the Cowboys' starter when Carter was let go.\nCarter, who started every game for the Cowboys last season, was released suddenly Aug. 4. Reports said he failed a drug test, and the NFL Players Association has filed a request for arbitration in the case.\nGene Upshaw, the union's executive director, told The Associated Press the NFLPA will continue to press the case. "We have to," he said, adding that part of the grievance involves potential salary loss to Carter.\nCarter gives the Jets the experienced backup they didn't have. Neither of the other two quarterbacks, second-year man Brooks Bollinger nor Ricky Ray, who played in the Canadian Football League, has ever taken an NFL snap.\nCarter, a second-round draft choice by the Cowboys in 2001, started all 31 games in which he played for Dallas, including 17 last season -- 16 in the regular season and one in the playoffs. In his career, he has 507 completions in 902 attempts for 5,839 yards with 29 touchdowns and 36 interceptions.\nKnown for his mobility, he has run 140 times for 498 yards.\n"To not give someone an opportunity because they made a mistake would not be fair," Jets coach Herman Edwards said. "We got a guy who you think is a good quarterback and can upgrade your position. If I was concerned about (any off-field problems), he'd probably not be a Jet.\n"Our whole job is making sure Quincy can be a good football player. and all we can do to help him off the field and on the field, we are going to do"
(08/25/04 6:24am)
ATHENS, Greece -- Joanna Hayes screamed as she crossed the finish line of the 100-meter hurdles in Olympic-record time. About 90 meters behind her, world champion Perdita Felicien lay flat on the ground, crying in disbelief.\nFelicien stepped on the first hurdle, tumbling to the ground and taking Irina Shevchenko of Russia with her. All Felicien could do was watch Hayes win in 12.37 seconds, breaking the Olympic record of 12.38 set by Bulgaria's Yordanka Donkova 16 years ago.\nAfter the race, Felicien still couldn't believe what happened.\n"I don't think this is going to sink in," said Felicien, a Canadian who attended the University of Illinois. "I think it's going to take four years for it to sink in. I'm devastated. I was ready to run that race. I was ready to do this."\nOlena Krasovska of the Ukraine won silver in 12.45, and Melissa Morrison of the United States finished in 12.56 to win her second straight Olympic bronze in the event.\nAfter the victory, Hayes fell to the track before running to the stands to accept congratulations and wrap herself in the American flag.\n"Going in, I felt I was going to run 12.37. I just did what I told myself I was going to do," Hayes said. "I worked hard to be at this point, and any given day I may lose or win a race. I'm not saying I can't be beaten, but tonight I'm the best hurdler in the world."\nBefore the race, it was Felicien who was ranked No. 1 in the world. She came into the race as the favorite after 37-year-old Gail Devers failed to make it out of her opening heat because of a strained left calf. During the semifinals Monday, Hayes dedicated the race to her teammate.\nFelicien walked on the track confident. She walked off in disgust, then watched with a grimace as Hayes and Morrison took their victory lap.\n"The first hurdle came up, and I reached for it way too much," she said, "... and before I knew it, I was on the ground, and I could not believe it."\nThe Russian Federation filed an unsuccessful protest, pushing the medal ceremony back to Wednesday. Track officials debated for about two hours before rejecting the Russians' arguments. Shevchenko left the track without commenting.\n"I feel for her," Hayes said. "I know in the hurdles, though, so many things can happen. It gets dangerous."\nWhile officials discussed the protest, Hayes and Morrison were told there was a chance they'd have to run the race again Thursday. Although she was worried, Hayes tried to keep her spirits up.\n"What's life without a little controversy?" she said.\nMorrison had a few problems of her own in the race. She hit two hurdles, and that nearly forced her to turn sideways.\n"For me to come in third place after hitting two hurdles, I'm happy about that," Morrison said. "I got a medal to match my medal from Sydney."\nHayes, a former long jumper, narrowly missed a spot on the 2000 Olympic team, finishing fourth in the 400 hurdles and fifth in the 100 hurdles. She finished second at the trials this year.\nShe became the second American to win the event since it went to 100 meters in 1972. That's one more medal than Devers, who has never won an Olympic medal in the event despite being considered one of the greatest hurdlers of all time.\n"This is my vision to win the Olympic medal and break the record," Hayes said. "I wanted to win this"
(08/25/04 6:23am)
DALLAS -- The Dallas Mavericks got a big man Tuesday, completing an eight-player deal that will bring Erick Dampier from the Golden State Warriors.\nDallas sent Christian Laettner, Eduardo Najera, two future first-round draft picks and the draft rights to guards Luis Flores and Mladen Sekularac to the Warriors for Dampier, Dan Dickau, Evan Eschmeyer and the draft rights to Steve Logan.\nThe 6-foot-11 Dampier averaged career highs of 12.3 points and 12 rebounds in 74 games last season for the Warriors. He was fourth in the NBA in rebounding, and one of just nine players to average more than 10 points and 10 rebounds a game.\nDampier opted out of his contract with the Warriors in late June and became a free agent after seven seasons with Golden State.\nIn a release, the Mavericks said Dampier signed a multiyear deal with Golden State before the trade was completed. Contract details weren't immediately available.\nDonnie Nelson, the Mavericks president of basketball operations, was in Greece for the Olympics and not immediately available for comment.\nA call to Dampier's cell phone was not immediately returned Tuesday evening.\nWhile Dampier gives the Mavericks a much-needed big man for Coach Nelson, Golden State achieved some objectives as well with the trade.\n"We acquired quality players who can help our team now and several prospects that bode well for our future," said Chris Mullin, the Warriors' new executive vice president of basketball operations.\nNajera averaged 4.9 points and 3.9 rebounds a game in his four seasons with the Mavericks, shooting 51 percent from the field. He was limited by knee problems last season.\nLaettner, a 12-year veteran, spent the last three seasons in Washington before being traded back to Dallas on draft night. He has averaged 13.3 points and 6.9 rebounds over 819 career games with Minnesota, Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas and Washington.\nFlores was the 55th overall pick by Houston in the June draft, but acquired by Dallas. Sekularac, who has played professionally in Europe since 1996, was the 55th overall pick by Dallas in the 2002 draft.\nDickau was traded from Portland to Golden State last month, and Eschmeyer missed all of last season due to multiple knee operations after going from Dallas to the Warriors in another multiplayer trade last summer. Logan was a second-round pick by the Warriors two years ago.
(08/25/04 6:22am)
LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- With recorders and cameras rolling, Adewale Ogunleye gave the obligatory pronunciation of his name on his first day with the Chicago Bears.\n"Add-uh-Wallay Oh-GOON-lay-eh," the descendant of Nigerian royalty said carefully and precisely Monday.\nOgunleye, who has already made a name for himself before even playing a game for his new team, was traded Saturday to the Bears from Miami for wide receiver Marty Booker and a third-round draft pick when Chicago gave him a six-year, $33.4 million deal with $15 million in bonuses.\nThe Pro Bowl defensive end had been sitting out training camp and the preseason after he and the Dolphins hit a contract stalemate.\nOgunleye said the big contract wouldn't change him.\n"There's no pressure. I think honestly, to be frank with you, I've just got to do what I've been doing these last couple years, and that's just get to the quarterback," he said. "And if you look at it the way I do, there's no pressure at all because I enjoy sacking quarterbacks."\nAn undrafted free agent out of IU after a knee injury slowed him his senior year, he's developed into one of the top pass rushers in the league, leading the AFC with 15 sacks one year ago.\nAnd the Bears, who have been pumping out money to upgrade their team since the offseason, needed someone to chase the quarterback after registering just 18 sacks as a team last season.\n"We are always looking at the financial integrity of the club; but at the same time, we want to win, and that's what we are in this business to do," Bears president Ted Phillips said. \n"When an opportunity like this comes up, it's literally once-in-a-lifetime," Phillips said of the trade for Ogunleye.\nOgunleye would seem to be a perfect fit for the Bears' new defense under first-year coach Lovie Smith, one that will stress creating more turnovers and an aggressive style.\n"They're giving him the ability to bring in the type of players he's wanted, and this organization backed their decision to get me in here," Ogunleye said.\nDespite missing so much time, Ogunleye promised he'd be ready when the Bears open the season in three weeks against the Lions. He watched practice Monday in a sleeveless shirt and shorts.\nSome of Ogunleye's quick development -- he has played just two full seasons -- can be traced to lining up in Miami on the side opposite of another star, Jason Taylor. In Chicago he'll be lining up at left defensive end with Alex Brown and Michael Haynes, battling to start on the right side.\n"If you just looked at his speed, he doesn't run a 4.5 or anything (like) that," Smith said. "Just look at his background, where he's come from. An undrafted free agent to become a Pro Bowler this quick, he has something special about him. He knows how to get to the ball and the quarterback."\nOgunleye, 27, was paid a base salary of $375,000 last year, and during the offseason, he declined to sign the one-year, $1.824 million tender the Dolphins extended to him.\nNow that the Bears have shown him the money, he wants an easy transition. The player for whom he was traded, Booker, was one of the Bears' most popular and productive players.\n"I'm just going to walk in there. I'm one of the guys. I'm just one of the regular players," Ogunleye said.\n"Maybe I have a little more responsibility and I'm a little more older than a lot of the guys and I might be a little more vocal because I've seen the way great defense is played. ... But at the same time, I'm just here to play with Brian Urlacher and (Mike) Brown, the safety"
(08/25/04 6:21am)
It's a new year. A new beginning. \nEvery year I hear the same mantra from my mom: "Please be good." Wise words from a wise woman. \nAnd in my fourth and final year at IU, that's all I ask of our Hoosier athletics teams this year.\nPlease be good. \nA new year is upon us, and the possibilities are endless. Can the IU football team win more than two games? Will the IU soccer team be able to repeat as national champions sans coaching legend Jerry Yeagley? And will the basketball team recover from last season's collapse that saw them fail to make the NCAA tournament? \nThe Hoosier football team hasn't had a winning season since 1994. The closest they've come was my freshman year, during which I was introduced to the option and Antwaan Randle El. They won five games that year, and if we had a kicker anywhere as good as Kathy Ireland in "Necessary Roughness," we might have actually gone to a bowl game and, who knows, Cam Cameron might still be pacing the sidelines in his stylish sweater vests. \nWe return an alarming number of starters, and I'll let you decide if that's a good thing or not from a team that mustered just two wins, one against a high school team disguised as Indiana State and the other versus a pathetic Illinois team (and we needed a last second dive in the end zone just to achieve that.)\nBut believe it or not, the team will be better than last year's version, though their record might not reflect it. Coach Gerry DiNardo finally has his full allotment of 85 scholarship players, but 75 percent of those players were on last year's team, so I don't know how good of a thing that is. \nAll I ask: please be good.\nThe soccer team started last year terribly, winning just once in the team's first five games, but somehow under the guidance of Yeagley, it was able to turn its season around and remarkably win the program's sixth national title. Now under new coach Mike Freitag, the Hoosiers return the majority of last year's squad and earn the preseason No. 1 ranking. I don't worry about the soccer team -- they'll be good. But coming off a national title is a lofty challenge, and the shadow Yeagley casts over the program may engulf Freitag. Let's hope not.\nPlease stay good.\nThe 2003-04 IU basketball team failed to make the NCAA tournament for the first since 1985, snapping an impressive streak of 18 consecutive appearances in the Big Dance. \n1985? Anyone remember 1985? "Fletch" and "Back to the Future" hit the big screen; Madonna was still a virgin (only in song of course); and the Chicago Bears were actually good.\nWe no longer have to deal with George Lurch and his hook shot that either swished in or drilled a cheerleader in the face. Bracey Wright may have some offensive help this year with talented incoming freshmen, and maybe this year Marshall Strickland will bloom into the stud we all know he can be. \nWe had an exceptional recruiting class, until prep star Josh Smith opted to sit on an NBA bench for three years and replacement signee 7-foot-1 Robert Rothbart decided he'd like to cruise the European landscape for a few years. But who can blame him? I mean, we live in Indiana! Not exactly Rome, Paris, London or Basarabeasca (don't pretend you don't know about this hustle and bustle town nestled in Moldova right smack between Romania and Ukraine).\nSo again, I beg you, you'd better be good.\nIf not, I won't donate a dime to this school that has milked me (mom and dad) dry.
(08/25/04 6:20am)
Many IU athletes use the summer to rest and prepare their bodies physically for their upcoming seasons, but for the reigning Big Ten Golfer of the Year, the supposed "offseason" can be just as busy as the season.\nSenior Jeff Overton's summer schedule finally ended Saturday at the 104th U.S. Amateur Championships in Mamaroneck, N.Y. The Evansville native was defeated by University of Nevada Las Vegas senior and defending NCAA champion Ryan Moore in the semifinals. Moore eventually went on to take the championship by defeating Vanderbilt University sophomore Luke List Sunday. \nOverton's run at the U.S. Amateur capped off a busy summer that saw the second team All-American travelling to Japan to compete in the Fuji Xerox USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championships, finishing second at the Porter Cup in Lewiston, N.Y., competing in the Western Amateur in Michigan and claiming his second consecutive Indiana Amateur Championship.\nAlthough Overton's U.S. Amateur Championship bid came up short, he said he was pleased with his performance at Winged Foot Golf Club.\n"I tell you what, when you play a (United States Golf Association) golf course, pars are good," Overton said. "It's hard to adjust because you're so used to seeing the ball spin back 10 or 15 feet. It's just playing a lot tougher out there now."\nOverton began his run at the U.S. Amateur by firing a 3-over-par 73 in the stroke play portion of the tournament August 16. The next day Overton tied for 17th place by firing another 73. Overton's total score of 146 in stroke play assured him of a spot in the match play competition. \nIU coach Mike Mayer said he knew Overton would be successful in this tournament.\n"Not to sound arrogant, but I am not surprised that he had that much success," Mayer said. "He's proven all summer that he's a national caliber player. Once he got in it, I would have been shocked if he didn't make it to match play. Obviously, he made it to match play really easily, and once he got to match play, anything can happen."\nOverton quickly got on a roll in the match play portion of the competition. He made quick work of Oakland University junior Jonathan Pauli with a 6 and 5 for his first win August 18. The following day, Overton pulled double duty with a 5 and 4 morning victory over Villanova University alumnus John Keller and a 3 and 2 win over Georgia Institute of Technology senior Nicholas Thompson in the afternoon.\nOverton advanced to the quarterfinals Friday against St. John's University alumnus Andy Svoboda. Svoboda, a four-time club champion at Winged Foot, was Overton's toughest challenge yet. The quarterfinal match was a back and forth battle until Overton took control of the match for good by winning the 17th and 18th holes for a two-up victory. \nSaturday's semifinal match against Moore also proved to be a seesaw affair. Overton was up two after four holes, but Moore battled back. After a 13th hole birdie, Moore took a lead that he would not relinquish. Moore defeated Overton 2 and 1. \nEven though it ended in the semifinals, Overton's run was a highlight for the program.\n"Seeing what Jeff did this summer just makes us all want to go out and get that much better," junior Scott Seibert said. "We know that he's going to go out there and do the things that he's capable of doing. It'll get us out there and just want to follow in his footsteps."\nOverton will next see action along with the rest of the IU men's golf team when the squad begins the fall season September 11 and 12 at the Michigan-Radrick Farms Intercollegiate Invitational.
(04/26/04 6:32am)
The No. 10 Hoosier women's water polo squad wrapped up a third consecutive 20-win season this past weekend but, unfortunately, fell short of defending its CWPA Conference championship. However, IU took third place in Lewisburg, Penn., as it defeated No. 20 Brown 9-4 Sunday afternoon and finished the season with a 20-10 record.\nThe third-seeded Cream and Crimson hit the water against George Washington in the CWPA quarterfinals Saturday morning after a first-round bye. IU quickly jumped out to a 5-0 lead over the Colonials in the first period and rolled from that point on, as it defeated the sixth seed 11-6 and moved into the semifinals.\nJunior Kandace Waldthaler led the Hoosiers on the offensive end, as she found the back of the net four times in the match. Senior Kristy Streefkerk had a helping hand in the victory as well, netting a pair of goals for the Hoosiers. \nIn the semifinal match, the Hoosiers faced off against No. 14 Hartwick -- the second seed in the tournament. Hartwick had defeated IU earlier in the season in a sudden match at the Bucknell Invite. The Hoosiers were looking to avenge the loss to Hawks as well as move on to defend their conference title in the championship match. \nIU fell behind early, as Hartwick struck first with two quick goals in the opening period. The Hoosiers would come within a goal after junior Krista Peterson scored a minute-and-a-half into the second period. The Hawks extended the margin with a pair of goals and took a 4-1 lead into the half. \nIU came out of the break with vengeance, scoring four consecutive goals and taking its first lead of the match, 5-4. Peterson, Waldthaler and sophomores Emily Schmitt and Janis Pardy each recorded one goal a piece during the run.\nUnfortunately, Hartwick proved to be too much for the Hoosiers, as they scored twice in the final period ending IU's run at another conference title. In the loss, the Cream and Crimson failed to convert on three 6-5 advantages, while the Hawks converted three times on the advantage.\nAlthough the Hoosiers did not compete for the conference title, third place was still at stake as they took on No. 20 Brown Sunday afternoon. IU looked impressive throughout the last match of the season, as it cruised to a 9-4 victory over the fourth seeded Bears.\nIn the opening half of play, the Hoosiers traded a pair of goals with Brown before going into the break with a 4-3 lead behind two second-period goals from Pardy.\nIn the second half, IU came out firing, as it found the back of the net three consecutive times in the third period and never looked back, outscoring the Bears 5-1 in a dominating second half of play. \nA trio of players netted a pair of goals in the win for the Hoosiers. Peterson, Scmitt and Pardy each scored twice for IU. Streefkerk, Waldthaler and senior Melissa Pietras also netted one goal a piece in the victory. \nPeterson was honored as a First Team CWPA Eastern Championship All-Tournament selection, as she scored five goals in the three Eastern Championship matches for the Hoosiers. Fellow classmate Waldthaler was also honored as a Second Team choice. Waldthaler had four goals in the Hoosiers' opening round win over Bucknell and netted a score in each of the last two Championship games.
(04/15/04 4:50pm)
SAN FRANCISCO -- So, what's next for Barry Bonds? He doesn't even want to think about it. Not yet, anyway.\nBonds was so busy passing his godfather in his climb up the home run list, he didn't ponder what might happen once he accomplished the feat.\nWith his seemingly effortless swing and powerful 39-year-old body still going strong, anything appears possible for the San Francisco slugger.\n"I'm not going to try to figure out what's next," said Bonds, who homered on consecutive days to reach No. 661 and pass Willie Mays for third place. "I'm just trying to stay healthy and win a championship."\nBabe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755) still loom in Bonds' path, of course. But first, Bonds wants to enjoy his latest historic homer.\nAfter all of his accomplishments, he believes he's finally earned the admiration of his godfather.\n"Barry doesn't need approval from me, because I've been there since he was five," said Mays, a teammate of Bonds' late father, Bobby. "Whatever he does, right or wrong, I'm going to be there for him. ... Barry knows how much I love him."\nBonds has won a record six NL MVP awards and set the single-season home run record with 73 in 2001, but he may never consider his career complete without a World Series ring. He fell six outs short of the title in 2002 and came back the next spring proclaiming his determination to give the Giants another chance to win it all.\nHe reiterated that sentiment Monday after splashing home run No. 660 into McCovey Cove to tie Mays. His solo shot Tuesday landed in nearly the same place -- and was recovered by the same fan -- in the water over the right-field fence.\n"A championship. That's it," Bonds said. "I don't have any personal goals."\nSomeone asked Bonds if he believes he now has room to offer Mays a pointer or two.\nMays quickly piped in before Bonds could speak.\n"That's kind of taboo, man," the Hall of Famer said.\n"No," Bonds said emphatically, giving his answer with a quick glance at his godfather.\nYet only an inning before Bonds' Monday blast, he pulled catcher A.J. Pierzynski aside for a short pep talk.\n"He told me not to worry that I'd been struggling, that there was a reason I was batting behind him," Pierzynski recalled. "It was an all-time moment."\nDuring this special 29 and a half-hour span, many San Francisco fans forgot about the steroid scandal surrounding their star slugger and focused instead on his marvelous milestone.\nBonds' teammates have shown their support since the questions began to surface this offseason about whether Bonds got a boost from banned substances. He has repeatedly denied steroid use.\n"Whenever someone or something is on top, somebody wants to bring it down for their own notoriety," Giants outfielder Dustan Mohr said. "You're not going to bring down baseball. It's the best game on earth. Guys should get more credit for the work they do in the offseason rather than someone accusing them of taking shortcuts. Fans only see us from 7 to 10 p.m."\nMays has refused to speak about the steroid controversy. He's more interested in getting Bonds to shed his prickly personality and become more fan friendly late in his career.\nMays didn't hit his 660th homer until he was in the twilight of his career at 42 and 3 months -- Aug. 17, 1973. Since he retired after that season, many players who were tagged with the title of being the next Willie Mays have fallen woefully short.\n"I still think he's the greatest baseball player of all time, bottom line," Bonds said. "They were saying my dad was the next Willie Mays. They just got the name wrong, from Bobby to Barry."\nEverybody's curious just how long it will be before Bonds decides he's done.\n"I have a little bit of a timetable, and when I reach that timetable, that's it. It's over," said Bonds, who has expressed his plans to play out his contract, which runs through the 2006 season.\nBonds was asked if he'd thought about where he ranks among the best athletes ever, not just the baseball greats.\n"Everyone's era is different," he said. "There are going to be great baseball players in every era. So, as long as you're proud of the achievements in your career, that's all that matters. If someone ever hits 73 home runs, I'll be there for them."\nBonds' milestones have been frequent of late. His 500th homer came less than three years ago. Then there was the run to 73 in 2001, a record eight home runs in the 2002 postseason run, No. 600 last season and then this week's memorable shots.\nHis teammates are enjoying all the fanfare.\n"It's neat to be part of history," said J.T. Snow, who scored in front of Bonds on his home run Monday. "It's something the grandkids will talk about, and I was on base. I hope the people of San Francisco appreciate what they have here. Every day is a history lesson."\nAnd there very well may be more to follow.
