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SPORTS MEMO
12.4.00

AROUND THE NFL

Word at the start of this season was that the WASHINGTON REDSKINS had a lock on the SUPER BOWL title. Why play the games, owner DAN SNYDER put his money where his mouth had been, and acquired some top notch talent at a number of positions, giving the REDSKINS the definite inside track on the championship. Yesterday, they lost to the NEW YORK GIANTS, leaving them with an unimpressive record of 7-6, near elimination from the playoffs. Their quarterback, JEFF GEORGE was one of the acquisitions, snatched up from the MINNESOTA VIKINGS. Coach DENNIS GREEN of the VIKES was thought to be out of his mind, for one, letting GEORGE go, and for two, going with DUANTE CULPEPPER, who hadn’t started a single game in the NFL. How ironic, the VIKES have the best record in the league at 11-2 and are going for home field advantage throughout the playoffs, while WASHINGTON has to pray to get into the dance……………What has happened to the ST. LOUIS RAMS? They started the season rewriting the record books for offense in the NFL. Weren’t they averaging 40 points a game? Didn’t they have a streak of 30 plus points per game that obliterated the league’s previous long-standing record? Don’t they still have the fastest team speed of any team? So why have they fallen to a mediocre 8-5, struggling for their division title with, NEW ORLEANS? Ah, the importance of a pinkie. CURT WARNER returned yesterday from his little finger injury, but he isn’t back to full strength. He threw 4 interceptions, and the team looks as far from last year’s champs as the SAN DIEGO CHARGERS……………..Who are sitting back on their laurels after their win last week. They lost to SAN FRANCISCO 45-17………The MIAMI DOLPHINS aren’t missing DAN MARINO, who they retired last season. They are 10-3 with the second best record in the league, along with TENNESSEE and OAKLAND behind MINNESOTA.

AROUND THE NBA 4
11.21.00

JOE SMITH signed with the DETROIT PISTONS for $2,25 million, completing his exodus from MINNESOTA. He reportedly passed on more money from the MIAMI HEAT out of fear of coach PAT RILEY’S work ethic and difficult practices. The LAKERS lost a chance to get SMITH for the same amount of money by signing BRIAN SHAW. That could turn out to be a second-guesser……………..PHILADELPHIA is 10-0 and the best team in the league. Who would have thought that ALLEN IVERSON and LARRY BROWN could keep their differences under control long enough to keep such a streak going?…….

AROUND THE NBA 3
11.16.00

PHILADELPHIA did it, matching coach LARRY BROWN’S best start, as well as the 76’er franchise best start at 8-0. The big surprise is they are playing like a team, not like support staff for ALLEN IVERSON. Last night former LAKER GEORGE LYNCH scored a season high 23 points to go with IVERSON’S 22. They beat a CLEVELAND CAVALIER team that also is off to a fast start, at 6-1 before last night’s loss…………The MIAMI HEAT must be quite pleased that TIM HARDAWAY resigned with the club. With MOURNING out for the season and EDDIE JONES hurt, he nearly kept his team in the game against the NEW JERSEY NETS, but STEPHON MARBURY was too much with 31 points. It is the 6th time in 8 games that he has been over 30 points. He nearly had a triple double with 9 assists and 9 rebounds. HARDAWAY, who is playing at 195, well under his weight in previous years, had 26…………………The CLIPPERS spoiled a Staples Center return for GLEN RICE, beating the KNICKS on 16 points from New Yorker LAMAR ODOM. RICE finished with 8 points for the KNICKS.

SPORTS MEMO
11.15.00

AROUND THE NBA 2

A marquee game tonight, at this early juncture of the season, as the PHILADELPHIA 76’ers take on the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS. That’s right, CLEVELAND and PHILLY for the best team in the league to date. The 76’ers are 7-0 and have earned coach LARRY BROWN his second best start of his career. He was 8-0 with the DENVER NUGGETS years back. Meanwhile, CLEVELAND is atop their Central Division with a 6-1 record…………..All this, while powerhouses the PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS and the LOS ANGELES LAKERS have started slowly, with 5-4 and 5-3 records, respectively. PORTLAND activates center ARVYDAS SABONIS who was out with torn knee cartilage. He may be on his last knee, so to speak………Last night PORTLAND lost to the ATLANTA HAWKS giving them their first win of the season, and removing the schnide of being the only team without a win…………….. PATRICK EWING won the revenge game between SEATTLE and NEW YORK, the first after the KNICKS dumped EWING out to the West coast. PATRICK had 10 points and 9 rebounds, but more significantly SEATTLE throttled NEW YORK 96-75. The KNICKS were led by MARCUS CAMBY who had 20, but GLEN RICE only mustered 4……………..

SPORTS MEMO
11.1.00

AROUND THE NBA

GLEN RICE had his regular "good" game in his debut for the KNICKS. He shot 3 for 8 scoring 9 points as NEW YORK was belittled on their home floor by the PHILADELPHIA 76’s. IRA BERKOW, NY TIMES sports columnist, has high hopes for the EWINGless KNICKS, writing how EWING caused players to play out of position and slowed down the style of play. I don’t think things could be any worse than the 101-72 thrashing at the hands of ALLEN IVERSON, 25 points, and newly acquired TONY KUCKOC, who had 23… TRACY McGRADY seems at home in Orlando, as he broke out from behind VINCE CARTER’s shadow, scoring 32 and grabbing 12 rebounds to lead the MAGIC past MICHAEL JORDAN’s still helpless WASHINGTON WIZARDS. When GRANT HILL is fully back, he only had 9 points in the win, ORLANDO will be a force to reckon with in the East… Triple doubles were out and about on Halloween, with JASON KIDD, the king of the tres since MAGIC left the game, had 24 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a loss to GOLDEN STATE. GARY PAYTON also had a triple double in a losing effort, with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists as the SUPERSONICS lost to VANCOUVER, who were led by SHAREEF ABDUR-RAHEEM with 27 points on 12 for 16 shooting…. The big scorer for the night, and there were many, was JERRY STACKHOUSE, who netted 44 without GRANT HILL hogging the ball in Detroit. The PISTONs beat the TORONTO RAPTORs despite 26 from VINCE CARTER… The leagues scoring champ SHAQUILLE O’NEAL had 36 in LA’s impressive victory over beefed up PORTLAND… KARL MALONE scored 34 in helping UTAH beat the freshman from the CLIPPERS… And CUTINO MOBLEY had 33 in HOUSTON’s loss to the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES, who won easily despite the absence of JOWE SMITH.

SPORTS MEMO
10.26.00

A STERN PENALTY

NBA Commissioner DAVID STERN dropped the hammer on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for their secret salary agreement to pay JOE SMITH over and above the salary cap. Not only did dear DAVID fine the organization $3.5 million, and declare SMITH, a starter for the ‘WOLVES, a free agent, he also took away the teams’ first round draft picks for the next 5 years. Youch! Life is harsh, your basketball shouldn’t be.

Think about what that does to your world if you are a MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVE fan. Your team is decimated, you lose a star, and have no hope for any ringers for 5 full years. What is the sense in that? And get this: JOE SMITH, who was a party to the secret deal, and would have benefited from it had it avoided STERN’s radar, gets a ticket out of now doomed Minnesota, and becomes a free agent. He will no doubt get a sweet deal elsewhere (I’m hoping with the LAKERS), and may even end up on a team with better hopes for the playoffs (what better than the LAKERS). Where is the justice there?

Only the fans end up suffering, and that sucks. MINNESOTA was on the verge of becoming a championship contender, and now they are a wasteland. DAVID STERN, pull your head out!

SPORTS MEMO
10.16.00

How tough is it to win the NBA championship? You can assemble the best of teams, the finest talent and coaching staff. They still need to go out there for 82 games and make it happen.

That is the irony PAT RILEY and the MIAMI HEAT face, as the 2001 season approaches. For years RILEY and the HEAT struggled to make the finals from the East. They had a warrior center in ALONZO MOURNING who needed just one more player, another enforcer who could help get through PATRICK EWING’s KNICKS and REGGIE MILLER’s PACERS.

During the off-season RILEY and the HEAT masterminded one of the most dramatic transformations a team has undertaken in a single season. Particularly a team as good as the HEAT. They traded P.J. BROWN, JAMAL MASHBURN, TIM JAMES OTIS THORPE and RODNEY BUFORD in exchange for EDDIE JONES, ANTHONY MASON, RICKY DAVIS and DALE ELLIS. Then as if ANTHONY MASON were not enough of a threat to go with ZOE on the inside, they went on to steal BRIAN GRANT from the Portland TRAILBLAZERS, giving them a front line that was stacked to get the HEAT to the finals. And with JONES, alongside newly, signed and happy TIM HARDAWAY, look out. MAIMI was going to be for real.

But as the best laid plans tend to go, the sky fell on RILEY and the HEAT, as they got the news over the weekend that ALONZO MOURNING would sit out the season with an unusual kidney ailment. Ironically, he has the same problem SEAN ELLIOTT of the SPURS suffered through 2 seasons ago. ELLIOTT eventually had to have a kidney transplant. It is not certain MOURNING will need the same.

Even without MOURNING, the best defensive player in the league 2 years running, MIAMI will be tough in the East. And as is even more obvious now, there are still 82 games to be played. The road to the finals is a long and winding one, indeed.

SPORTS MEMO
8.21.00

What a classic Sunday for television sports in Los Angeles, with TIGER WOODS and the HOUSTON COMETS making history at the expense of BOB MAY and the LOS ANGELES SPARKS. Both competitions went down to the wire in a tremendous show of will.

WOODS, leading by one stroke going into the final day of the PGA CHAMPIONSHIP was thought to be a lock for the win, since he doesn’t lose with a lead on Sunday. But history has a way of standing in the way. A virtual unknown, who had to drag his own clubs out of the trunk of the car he drove to the course, BOB MAY started the day a stroke behind. He played undaunted, and should have won the tournament. He led TIGER for most of the day, and forced the world’s best golfer into more than one crucial putt, just to stay within reach. But on the 15th hole, where TIGER sunk an unbelievable putt just to save par, MAY missed an easy 3 foot putt which would have given him a birdie, a 2 shot lead with 3 holes to play, and what would have been the championship. TIGER’s amazing save put the pressure on MAY, and he choked. And despite spectacular play under immense pressure down the stretch, WOODS was 1 stroke better than MAY over the last 6 holes, including the 3 playoff holes. So TIGER WOODS becomes the first player since BEN HOGAN did it in 1953 to win 3 majors in one year. WOODS caps a dominant year where he won the US OPEN by 15 strokes, and the BRITISH OPEN by 8. He holds the scoring records on all of the majors. He has won 4 of the last 5 majors, and at 24 is the youngest player to have won 5 majors. That’s even better than JACK, who he played with in the opening round of this tournament. Get the ink ready, TIGER WOODS will be rewriting golf history. Check that, he already has!

As have the HOUSTON COMETS, and CYNTHIS COOPER. In the first 3 seasons of the WNBA, HOUSTON has won every championship. This year, it seemed, would be different. HOUSTON finished second to the LOS ANGELE SPARKS in the Western Conference, and L.A. had beaten HOUSTON easily in each of their meetings during the regular season. The COMETS star guard, CYNTHIA COOPER is aging at 37, and had announced her retirement at the end of this season. Meanwhile, MICHAEL COOPER, the former defensive specialist and 5 time NBA champ for the LOS ANGELES LAKERS had just been named coach of the year for his remarkable job in leading the SPARKS to a 28-4 record, second best in the short history of the league.

So, one would think it was time for a changing of the guard, so to speak. But HOUSTON, and COOPER had other plans. After 6 minutes, COOPER had all 12 points and 2 steals for HOUSTON. She single-handedly kept the COMETS in the game, and finished with 29 points, 5 assists and 3 steals. No changing of the guard here. CYNTHIA COOPER made sure of that. She is on target to win her 4th FINALS MVP award. That would be 4-4, and perhaps a 4th championship ring, in 4 years. Not bad. Why retire?

WILLIAMS’ DOMINATION OF TENNIS CONTINUES
8/14/2000

A week after her sister VENUS won in La Costa, SERENA WILLIAMS took the championship of the estyle.com Classic tournament in Manhattan Beach, California. She beat the number 2 player in the world, LINDSAY DAVENPORT in 3 sets, winning the last in a tie-break 7-1. The players baked under 90 degree heat, though both indicated they didn’t mind the conditions. DAVENPORT looked to be in control, winning the first set 6-4, and going up 4-3 with a break in the second. But it didn’t last, and SERENA came alive to win the 2nd and final sets. The evening before she beat MARTINA HINGIS, the world’s number 1 ranked player in 3 sets. And SERENA says she can play better, much better.

She will compete in Montreal, before heading into the US OPEN to defend her title there. The way the WILLIAMS sisters are playing, another match-up like the semifinal meeting between the two at Wimbleton may decide this year’s champion.

And who will be able to beat either of them once they hit their stride?

A GREAT LOSS IN THE FORCE
8/8/2000

Monday August 7, 2000 will be remembered, as a day there was a great loss in the force. Sir ALEC GUINESS, academy award winner, and OBE WAN KANNOBE, himself, died at the age of 86. He had a tremendous career, over and above his iconic STAR WARS role, which by the way he despised so much, he asked to be killed off by DARTH VADER in the first episode.

No, my friends, the great loss in the force stems from the retirement of JERRY WEST, after 40 years with the

Jerry West

LAKERS. What are we to do now? How are we to conquer the many challengers to the throne of domination in the NBA? How are we to recruit the warriors needed to stave off the evil empire that is ORLANDO, with their newly acquired storm troopers GRANT HILL and TRACY McGRADY? Or PORTLAND, who is posturing to improve their already stocked team. And you know SAN ANTONIO will have their light sabers finely tuned to exact revenge on the freedom fighters from LA and regain the finals.

JERRY WEST attended the University of West Virginia, where he averaged more than 24 points per game. Upon graduation he joined the Los Angeles LAKERS as they made their move from Minneapolis to LA. He was the first ever draft choice by the Los Angeles LAKERS. WEST played 14 seasons, all with the LAKERS. Before there was MICHAEL JORDAN, there was JERRY WEST. He earned the name "Mr. Clutch" after winning numerous games with his last second fade away, jump shot. Swish! WEST was one of those players who lived for the opportunity to be the hero. When the game was on the line, he wanted the ball. He went after the ball, and held onto it until he had won the game. He led the LAKERS in scoring 7 times, no easy accomplishment given the other greats he played with: ELGIN BAYLOR, WILT CHAMBERLAIN, GAIL GOODRICH.

WEST had a career scoring average of 27 points per game. That is 4th all-time in the NBA! He was an all-star in each of his 14 NBA seasons, and MVP in 1972. Come playoff time, WEST kicked it up a notch. Bam! His career playoff scoring average of 29.1 is second only to MICHAEL JORDAN’s. He holds the highest series scoring average of 46.3 versus the Baltimore BULLETS in 1965, a 6 game series. He holds the NBA record of 25 consecutive NBA Final games where he scored 20 or more points. That is amazing! He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979, and named as one of the 50 best players ever in 1996.

After WEST retired from play in 1973 his career with the LAKERS was only beginning. He took over as coach in 1976. In his first season the LAKERS had the league’s best record. He coached for 2 more seasons before moving on to the front office. He eventually became general manager where he really shaped the LAKERS legacy. He was in large part responsible for the acquisitions of MAGIC JOHNSON, JAMES WORTHY, SHAQUILLE O’NEAL and KOBE BRYANT. In 18 years as gm and executive vp, WEST has presided over the winningest team in the NBA; a team that is now the defending champions.

So it is with some sadness that we come to accept JERRY WEST’s retirement. It was announced unceremoniously yesterday at the LAKER’s practice facility, not at STAPLES, without the presence of either WEST or BUSS or PHIL JACKSON, who presumably will assume a greater role in personnel decisions, along with MITCH KUPCHAK, the current general manager. There is hope, however. WEST has done this before. As good a player he was, it’s hard to believe, but he really has a weak stomach for all of the pressure. He has said he couldn’t even watch much of this season’s playoffs, electing to drive around town and get reports on his cell phone. He couldn’t even listen to CHICK on the radio! There will always be a place for WEST. Perhaps that is why the organization didn’t make much of a thing about the announcement yesterday. They are leaving the door open.

You must help us OBE WAN, I mean JERRY WEST. You’re our only hope! May the force stay with you.

If you have a favorite JERRY WEST story, please send it to us and we’ll post it here.

To hear one of WEST’s last on camera interviews we did in May of this year, click below.

SPORTS MEMO

AMERICAN FIELD DAY IN EUROPE!
7-24-2000

Americans stood tall in London and Paris yesterday as TIGER WOODS and LANCE ARMSTRONG made mockeries of the competition in what were supposed to be "homie" events.

TIGER WOODS continued his utter dominance of the professional golfers tour, winning his 3rd major of the season, THE BRITISH OPEN yesterday. In doing so, he also notched a career grand slam, winning each of the majors-THE US OPEN, THE BRITISH OPEN, THE MASTERS and THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP. He holds 3 of those titles in this year alone. That is, he nearly won a grand slam in this one year. Only 4 other men, all legends, had accomplished the grand slam in their entire career, those being BEN HOGAN, GENE SARAZAN, GARY PLAYER and JACK NICKLAUS. NICKLAUS had held the record for the youngest player to do so, having won his career slam at the age of 26. WOODS blew that out yesterday, winning his 4th of the majors at the age of 24. NICKLAUS took 19 majors to get his slam, WOODS took only 15. And he did it running away. He led from start to finish and won going away, by 8 strokes. He was 19 under, on a course that usually destroys the best of the game, albeit, ST. ANDREWS looked a lot like Palm Springs this weekend. Do we need any further proof that the planet is experiencing global warming? WOODS has got his game warmed up, that is for sure. To hear the other players reactions is to get a good glimpse at frustration times 10. ERNIE ELS, who had a great day yesterday, finished second at 11 under. He has been there, done that 4 other times, all to TIGER WOODS, all this season. DAVID DUVAL, the games number 2 came unraveled on the back nine, after giving it his best to challenge WOODS for the win. DUVAL narrowed the lead to 3, but bogied 12 and 13, and on 17 the wheels came off where DUVAL shot an 8. He finished way back in a 9-way tie for 6th at 7 under. And so it goes, WOODS at 24 is already on par with the best in the game. Where will he go from here?………………LANCE ARNSTRONG was probably asking himself the same question 5 years back, when diagnosed with testicular cancer. Worse yet, the disease was found to have spread to his brain and lungs. Somehow, he was back in training by 1998, and his miraculous win in the TOUR DE FRANCE last year stunned the world with the story of courage and perseverance. So he had to follow it up, and yesterday ARMSTRONG became only the 11th cyclist in 50 years to win back to back TOURS. He also won going away, by more than 6 minutes, over the course of 21 days and more than 2,200 miles. ARMSTRONG says he will be back next year and who can blame him. He has got this thing licked……………….Will JOHN MacENROE be back next year? On a weekend when Americans could do no wrong in Europe, the US was trounced in DAVIS CUP 5-0 by SPAIN, in front of their rabid countrymen. CHRIS WOODRUFF and TODD MARTIN were no match for ALEX CORRETJA and CARLOS FERRERO on Friday. CORRETJA and JUAN BALCELLS finished off the match by winning a tough fought 5 set doubles match against MARTIN and WOODRUFF. It brings to an end, the bumpy ride that was MacENROE’S first year as coach of the DAVIS TEAM. Of course, MAC would have liked to go down with guns ablazing, but PETE SAMPRAS and ANDRE AGASSI both pulled out after WIMBLETON. SAMPRAS had abandoned the team earlier in the year, against ZIMBABWE, where CHRIS WOODRUFF filled in nicely, winning the decisive match propelling the US team to the second round. But WOODRUFF was over powered by the Spaniards, who will face AUSTRAILIA in the final, in Spain……………….As if there wasn’t enough drama in sports this last weekend, the LA SPARKS took over first place in the WNBA, surpassing the HOUSTON COMETS who lost in New York to the LIBERTY, while LA handled the Sacramento MONARCHS at home. What is this the first time in 3 years that the COMETS are not the best team in the league? The two teams play Saturday in a nationally televised game on NBC, and it looks like the playoffs, fast approaching, will truly be something to see. You gotta love this game…….too!

TYSON MUST GO!
6-27-2000

MIKE TYSON will once again have his status as a professional boxer examined, this time by British boxing authorities, who apparently weren't enamored with his 2 additional punches thrown at LOU SAVARESE after the referee stepped in to stop the fight, after only 17 seconds. Who scheduled this fiasco? TYSON said he didn't hear JOHN COYLE call the fight, even though COYLE was standing over the flattened SAVARESE, and was screaming at IRON MIKE to halt. No action was taken against TYSON in the fight because it was already called a knockout, but the board in England is considering action. Recall, TYSON is fighting there after a series of incidents in the US, including eating the ear of EVANDER HOLLYFIELD, trying to break FRANCOIS BOTHA's arm in a fight with him in January 1999, and his conviction on rape charges.

Officials in the UK have not been impressed with TYSON's act in their fair land. He was arrested for jogging in the park after curfew, offended women's groups who protested his admittance into the country, and now this. His license in Nevada is expired, and officials, there, said they would take into consideration TYSON's actions before another boxing license is issued him from the Silver state. MIKE may be boxing from CUBA next.

If you heard TYSON's comments after the fight, you know how out of control the man is. He was rabid, talking nonsense: "I'm the greatest of all time, the best there ever was. I want your heart. I want to eat your children. I will rip out (LEWIS') heart and feed it to him." That would be LENNOX LEWIS, current heavyweight champion and newfound obsession of MIKE TYSON, the cartoon. If professional boxing had any relevance to speak of anymore, that would be a fight worth watching. No longer content with cartilage, TYSON has moved on to human protein, and to see him share his "hearty" appetite with LEWIS, and follow it up by devouring a couple of small children for dessert, now that's pay per view baby.

MIKE TYSON is off, way off, and needs to be done, greatness and all.

SEE TIGER GO
6-19-2000

TIGER WOODS once again has demonstrated that he is a man among boys on the links. He won the U.S.OPEN by 15 strokes, was the only player who finished under par, and led the tournament, stocked with the best golfers in the world, from start to finish, never getting as much as a test. In winning the tournament, it brings his total to 5 wins in the 11 tournaments he has entered this year alone. Of the remaining 6, he was 2nd 3 times. That is 8 of the 11 tournaments he has entered in 2000 he finished either first or second! His earnings in 2000 are over $5 million which is a record. His career earnings exceed $16 million, which also is a record. Those are career win dollars, not including endorsements. On Sunday when he won the 100th U.S.OPEN, he broke dozens of other records, some more than 100 years old! He won the OPEN by a record setting margin-15 strokes. A WILLIE SMITH won the 1899 OPEN by 11 strokes. It was the largest margin of victory in a major, since TOM MORRIS won the BRITISH OPEN by 13 strokes in 1862. It was the lowest score in the U.S.OPEN since JACK NICKLAUS did it in 1980 and LEE JANTZEN did it in 1983. Bottom line, it was an amazing display of prowess and talent, head and shoulders above the rest.

And after it was over, TIGER WOODS sat down with a visibly shaken CHRIS BERMAN, who himself was having trouble comprehending and compiling the vast nature of TIGER's accomplishment of the day. In response to the obligatory questions of how it feels, how did you do that, and what comes next, WOODS replied :

"There's no substitute for hard work...You have to give yourself a chance to win. If you keep putting yourself there, there's no telling what might happen."

That's good advice for us all.

SPORTS MEMO
4-10-200

JOHN McENROE must have thought, on getting appointed to coach the DAVIS CUP team late last year, that if he could get PETE SAMPRAS and ANDRE AGASSI, two of the hottest players on the tour, and ever, that his stint as coach would be a cake walk. Yesterday, McENROE survived the second round of the world championship tourney, and must have aged 20 years. The UNITED STATES defeated the CZECH REPUBLIC 3-2, but it went down to the very last match, and PETE SAMPRAS, the number 1 player in the world had to bring the US from behind 2-1 for the victory, for only the 5th time ever. Once in 1934, once in 1961, once in 1981, and twice this year. This has not been as easy as MAC thought, but they are into the semifinals against SPAIN, to be held there July 21-23.

Earlier this year, it was the SOUTH AFRICANS who had the US down 2-1. ANDRE AGASSI defeated BYRON BLACK on that Sunday's first singles match to bring the US even at 2-2. Then it was up to McENROE to earn his coaching salary, as he inspired PETE SAMPRAS' replacement CHRIS WOODRUFF to win the deciding singles match. A slap in the face of WOODRUFF, MAC convinced SAMPRAS to return to the squad, after an alleged injury forced him to withdraw before the match in Zimbabwe, and proceeded to get beat Friday by JIRI NOVAC to set up McENROE's headaches in the second round. AGASSI came through again to defeat NOVAC on Sunday, bringing the US even at 2-2, and SAMPRAS finished the job by beating SLAVA DOSEDEL, putting MAC and his DAVIS CUP team in the semis.

The other remaining contenders are AUSTRALIA and BRAZIL, the winner playing US or SPAIN in December for the title. Let's hope MAC lasts.

SPORTS MEMO
3-6-200

What a storybook return for UCLA forward JERON RUSH, who had been suspended by the NCAA for improper activity of some silly kind while in high school, only to return to the starting lineup after nearly 3 months and 24 games, to lead his team in scoring with 19 points, and hit the last 5 points in overtime, including the winning basket with the clock ticking out. All this against the nation's number 1 team, conference rival STANFORD, with the season finale a week away and an NCAA berth on the line. Who wrote this script? For a while now it has seemed like the BRUINS would be left out of the tournament. They are now 5th in the Pac 10, but were as low as 7th and dropping fast. Coach STEVE LAVIN had his things packed and his passport fresh. But a decision by the NCAA to rush RUSH's suspension, and everything has turned. With 2 relatively easy games at home to finish the season, the BRUINS look to be 19-11 overall, from the very tough PAC 10 conference, and with a win over number 1 fresh on the seeding committee's minds. With the newly found chemistry and confidence, they will get in, and they'll give fits to the first couple of teams they face. How fast things change.................................Word out of Minnesota is that the VIKINGS are prepared to sign DAN MARINO for the upcoming 2000 season. Wouldn't it be fitting that MARINO finish his career in the city where FRAN TARKENTON thrilled so many fans with his scrambling and touchdown bombs. MARINO broke TARK's record for passing yards several season back, and he would be warmly welcomed to MINNESOTA, where JEFF GEORGE is apparently on the outs. If you saw GEORGE'S performances in the last few games of the season and in the playoffs, he was nothing to crow about. Any quarterback who scrambles on third and 6 on an important drive, and then dives for cover after 2 or 3 yards failing to even attempt to get the first down, should not be given millions a season. He should be shown the tunnel! Meanwhile, MARINO might just be enough of a quarterback, in the twilight of an illustrious career, to ride with the speed and talent the VIKINGS have, and achieve the illustrious SUPER BOWL win that would crown his impressive accomplishments. Then his jersey could be retired alongside TARKENTON's. Wouldn't that be the ultimate irony to MIAMI fans who dissed DAN all last season?.................Don't expect BOSTON CELTIC Coach RICK PITINO to be around bean town much longer. After a heartbraking loss to TORONTO last week where VINCE CARTER sank a 3 at the buzzer, raging RICK let the media have it, but good. If that wasn't enough, he invoked the long lost and long gone memories of ROBERT PARISH, KEVIN McHALE and LARRY BIRD, exhorting the press that they wouldn't be coming back to save the city's disgraced basketball reputation. PITINO had better look for someone to save his own reputation, and butt. He's not long for the job, or the city of Boston.........................The NCAA basketball pairings are announced Sunday. It is MARCH MADNESS, you gootta love this! You gotta love it baby! Who's going to the big dance? (DICK VITALE eat your heart out)...................

WOOD ANYONE BELIEVE IT IF IT WEREN'T TELEVISIED

TIGER WOODS did it again, this time starting the day back by 5 strokes, and falling further down, by 7, before making his run. He shot a 64 to win his 6th tournament in a row. That is just amazing, and if it weren't on the tube, I wouldn't have beleieved it, myself. One little problem, TIGER was so far back, he was in the clubhouse with his 64 whilst the leaders were still goofing around on 13 or 14. Poor MATT GOGEL and VIJAY SINGH didn't have a chance once WOODS' numbers were posted. They collapsed down the stretch shooting 71 and 70 respectively, allowing TIGER'S 64 to give him the win. The 6th in a row ties BEN HOGAN who did it in 1948. Next up on the record destruction tour is BYRON NELSON who won 11 straight tournaments in 1945. TIGER just may decimate that one too!

MEMO ON SPORTS
2-7-2000

JOHN McENROE'S debut as DAVIS CUP TEAM CAPTAIN, was nearly a disaster, as the team had to come from behind 2-1 to win a dramatic 3-2 victory over ZIMBABWE in their fist match of the 2000 season. It took a gritty match from new team member CHRIS WOODRUFF, with McENROE massaging the umpire in his old style. ANDRE AGASSI won the first single match of the day, struggling through nausea to get there. He was chowing into buckets towards the end of the match, but still won, and retired to his bed to watch CHRIS WOODRUFF step up and propel the U.S. team to their second round match in April against the Czech Republic. By then PETE SAMPRAS should be back. Heck, who needs him..................All eyes are on TIGER WOODS on this day, to see if he can come from 5 strokes back to win the PEBBLE BEACH NATIONAL PRO AM. It would be his 6th tournament win in a row if he could pull off the impossible. He's done it before...................Congrats to RANDY MOSS who dominated the PRO BOWL from Hawaii yesterday with 9 catches for 212 yards and 3 touchdowns to win the MVP award. Where was he all year for the VIKINGS? The NFC won easily 51-31, as if anyone cares.............................

Swatch Wave House Tour

February 2, 2000, Long Beach, CA - Attention thrill seekers, Swatch introduces Wave Loch, a transportable 1,000 ton machin that generates the perfect 13 foot high wave using 145,000 gallons of water built to satisfy the surfing desire of any Big Kahuna. The fake wave will be stationed in Mission Beach, California near San Diego at the Wave House, which also features other activities to excite the palate. This place will the the royal palace of youth culture. Swatch has already brought "The Wave" to Florence, Italy and Munich, Germany where "extreme" boarders have demonstrated its purpose. Brian Talma, the 34 year old tan, blond hair, blue eye, wild man, professional windsurfer from Barbados forn the fake wave ire, meaning full of action. Andy McDonald, professional sidewalk surfer, a Swatch Team Ride member is not a fan of ocean surfing due to the hard work in paddling, the messy sand and the sharks, to name a few drawbacks, enjoyed being able to catch a pipe within his first few tries in the water. Apparently, surfers could spend their whole lives in the ocean and never catch a pipe like this one. So all of the brave souls of the world will now have another place to visit while in Southern California, the Wave House in Mission Beach, a place to "Hang 10" safely.

An Amazing Display of Tennis

The AUSTRALIAN OPEN semifinal match between PETE SAMPRAS, arguably the best player ever to play the game, seeking a record 13th grand slam title, and ANDRE AGASSI, fast becoming one of the greatest players, seeking to gain his 4th straight grand slam final match (ROD LAVER is the last to do this with his 4 grand slam victories in 1969), had to be one of the best tennis matches ever played. It was truly electrifying. There is sufficient drama when these two Americans play anyway, having been rivals for much of their careers, which until recently, seemed to be going in different directions. PETE was riding his perpetual number 1 rankings, and grand slam titles to immorality, while ANDRE fizzled a bit after failing to entirely play up to his potential. SAMPRAS was regarded as calm, quiet, even boring, whereas AGASSI has always been a crowd favorite, particularly as a result of the celebrity fans he attracts. Recall the anxious BARBARA STREISAND in the stands at WIMBLETON, years back.

And until recently, it was model/actress BROOKE SHIELDS cheering from he courtside box, but they are separated, and it seems to have done wonders for AGASSI'S game. SInce the part, ANDRE has been on the tear, coming up against PETE in most tournaments, usually around trophy time. AGASSI may want to give PETE a run for his money in number of all-time slams. At last year's FRENCH OPEN, ANDRE became the first player ever to win a grand slam on 4 surfaces. Not even the great ROD LAVER can lay claim to such a feat. At the time, it seemed a fine consolation for AGASSI, to go with his 4 grand slam title. After all, that was a long way off of SAMPRAS' 11 titles. The two teamed up in an all-American final at Wimbleton just a few month later, with SAMPRAS garnering his 12th.

But in August AGASSI won the US OPEN to close out the season last year, and away we go. WIth a tense STEFFI GRAF watching from the stands, ANDRE hung on in the 4th set, after being routed in the 3rd set tie breaker 7-0. That would be skunk, zippo, nada, nothing, game over, man! It was the tie breaker of SAMPRAS' life, sending him into the 4th, flying. ANDRE could not get a break, literally or figuratively. He couldn't get a second serve, either, as PETE seemed to sap his every attempt to get back into the mach with ace after ace. It was brutal. And if not enough, SAMPRAS would throw in an occasional amazing fully stretched cross court forehand winner.

Somehow, AGASSI survived to a tie breaker in he 4th set, which he won 8-6. It was awesome, and unbelievable at the same time. Just when it seemed one could give no more, he did. And just when it seemed one would give up, he didn't. Little did we know the tie break would really be the match as SAMPRAS folded in the 5th set, with some signs of a strained hip which later caused his withdrawal from next month's DAVIS CUP play. AGASSI could have easily folded, after being embarrassed in the 3rd set tie break, and having blinked at 37 aces and 86 winners from SAMPRAS, but somehow he didn't. And with a victory in the final over YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV who defeated MAGNUS NORMAN in an easy semifinal 6-1, 6-2, 6-4, ANDRE would have grand slam title number 6. That would put him on pace with SAMPRAS sometime about WIMBLETON 2001.

In any event we now have a rivalry which has brought excitement back to men's tennis. No wonder they get paid more!

POST SCRIPT

ANDRE AGASSI won a fairly easy 4 set match over last year's AUSTRALIAN OPEN champion YEVKENY KAFLNIKOV to capture his 6th grand slam title of his career.

MEMO ON SPORTS
1-23-2000

The TITANS are for real! They did it again, beating JACKSONVILLE for the third time this season, to get into the SUPER BOWL. Congratulations to JEFF FISHER and the TENNESSEE TITANS...............Surprises in the women's draw at the AUSTRAILIAN OPEN. First, French sensation AMELIE MAURISMO, who was a finalist here last year, and who beat numbers 1 an 2, MARTINA HINGIS and LINDSAY DAVENPORT in winning a tune-up tournament going into this grand slam was eliminated in the first round. The other big story is JENNIFER CAPRIATI'S continued climb back near the top. She has clawed her way into the second week of a grand slam for the first time in 7 years, and did it by beating PATTI SCHNYDER who knocked MAURISMO out of the tournament. Things get considerably more from here on out where she'll need to defeat MARY PIERCE, and then no doubt LINDSAY DAVENPORT for the privelege to play the SWISS MISS, HINGIS in the final. Stay tuned...................On the men's side, 3 Americans remain, but all are in the top of the draw with a likely, and becoming quite familiar match-up of ANDRE AGASSI and PETE SAMPRAS, reprising their tete-e-tete from last year. Recall, AGASSI won the U. S. OPEN over SAMPRAS returning the favor PETE had bestowed at WIMBLETON. But, SAMPRAS destroyed AGASSI in a season ending championship in Germany, exacting some revenge for AGASSI'S final number 1 ranking. ANDRE is the number 1 seed in the AUSTRALIAN, and SAMPRAS number 3, thus no rematch in the finals in this tournament, but what a semi!

MEMO ON SPORTS
1-17-2000

So it's looking like ST. LOUIS and JACKSONVILLE in the SUPER BOWL. Yesterday the RAMS ran by the MINNESOTA VIKINGS with team speed that carries deep throughout the entire team. Several items from yesterday's game won by the RAMS 49-37. First, you're surprisingly up 17-14 with more than a minute to go, and on your own 30. Why limp into the locker room satisfied with a 3 point lead against a track team? Not smart, especially when you've got an arsenal of quick and dangerous receivers yourselves, ala JAKE REED, RANDY MOSS and CHRIS CARTER. Not too smart DENNY GREEN! Second, what in the world is the reason to have tape review of calls if not to overturn a bad call by the zebras. With the VIKING down 21-17, on third and long, JEFF GEORGE threw a string to CHRIS CARTER who did amazing acrobatics to get 2 hands on the ball, while airborne, fully stretched out, and then drag a toe down just inside the out of bounds marker, and just beyond that fabulous digital yellow first down marker that the FOX computer so thoughtfully lays out for us. First down, right, and the Vikings are driving to regain the momentum, and turn this game into the shootout it wanted so badly to be. Noooooooo! A misguided zebra, 15-50 yards down the line comes scurrying up into the play to call a bobble. Fifteen camera angles, including all kinds of reverse angle, and other digital wonders were conclusively determinative that there was no bobble, only another miracle catch by CARTER. (They stole 2 other such fantastic plays by CARTER in last week's game with the COWBOYS.) The stripes stand alone, and say incomplete. Okay, let's challenge, the tape don't lie. But nooooooo! A bobble call by the ref is not reviewable. What kind of lunacy is this? What is the point of video review, if not to correct a bonehead call by the refs? The NFL makes no sense to me. Too much power and emphasis on stripes and ridiculous rules, and not enough miracle athletic fetes, which apparently are being discouraged by the league and the owners. What the hell is a bobble anyway, how long does he have to have 2 hands on the ball? The whole thing is silly! Speaking of miraculous plays, did you see the effort by rookie SHAUN KING, when staring down the tonsils of the blitzing rusher, rather than wilt, like JEFF GEORGE, (he was falling to the ground just from the sound of the rushing RAMS), KING leaps and makes the winning touchdown pass to his tight end in the end zone, putting TAMPA BAY in the NFC final. Remarkable! Hey zebras, how did you miss that one, he was "in the grasp"! Too bad, TAMPA BAY is going to get run in ST. LOUIS. And can TENNESSEE beat JACKSONVILLE for the 3rd time this season? They were the only blemishes to a perfect season for the 14-2 JAGUARS. Doubtful, look for ST. LOUIS and JACKSONVILLE in the SUPER BOWL.

MEMO ON SPORTS
1-10-2000

DAN MARINO silenced his critics for at least a week with a gutsy performance yesterday to lead MIAMI over SEATTLE at the Kingdome, 20-17. It was 15 years ago that MARINO, in his second year as a pro, got his team to the SUPER BOWL. Why is MARINO catching such shit this year, he is a legend, and holds records which may never be broken, and is still leading his team in the playoffs. Give him a break..................How good could the DETROIT LIONS have been had BARRY SANDERS not retired in a bitter dispute with ownership at the beginning of the season? DETROIT lost the wild card game Saturday to the WASHINGTON REDSKINS largely because they couldn't mount a running game for the last half of the season. What a mistake it was for SANDERS to retire, he could have gotten this team to the championship............................What a start to the PGA tour, with TIGER WOODS and ERNIE ELS, number 1 and number 2 on the tour going head to head down to the last hole, and into a playoff, all in primetime on Sunday evening from the island of Maui. It couldn't have been scripted better, with the two golfers tied as they approached the 18th tee. So what do they do, they step up and both get eagles on the par 5 hole, with TIGER sinking a difficult 8 foot putt before a screaming gallery to put the pressure on ELS, who calmly stepped up and sank his 6 foot eagle putt to send the tournament into sudden death. But that was not drama enough, as TIGER had to sink a 6 foot birdie putt to stay even on the first playoff hole, only to win it on the next playoff hole with a 40 foot birdie putt. Amazing, and it was WOODS 5th consecutive victory on the tour going back to last year. After a rocky stretch, he is as good if not better than expected..........................

MEMO ON SPORTS
12-9-99

CHARLES BARKLEY's amazing basketball career came to an unexpected and less than triumphant end last evening, in Philadelphia of all places, where his professional career started. CHARLES played 8 years as a 76er, before personality clashes with ownership there precipitated his departure for Phoenix. BARKLEY is one of the greatest players to play the game, having scored 20,000 points and grabbed 10, 000 rebounds, all at the diminutive height of 6-4. He was the league's MVP in 1993. Even this season, which he earlier announced would be his last, he was averaging 16 points and 12 rebounds. His hopes of an NBA championship, however, were not to be, despite playing last season with HAKEEM OLAJUWON and SCOTTIE PIPPEN..................DAN MARINO, today, apologized for some harsh treatment of a reporter last Sunday who asked him how he felt after MIAMI's tough loss to the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS. MARINO said "It happened, I have no regrets for it, but I'm sorry I did it." Yeah, that's an apology............................ANDRE AGASSI finishes 1999 as the number 1 tennis player in the world, but PETE SAMPRAS finished him off without problem in 3 straight sets last weekend, leaving for an interesting AUSTRALIAN OPEN and 2000 tennis circuit....................Meanwhile, TENNIS magazine polled its readers on the top 10 tennis players of all time, and they came up with SAMPRAS #1 and AGASSI #2. The professional sports writers also determined their top 10, and AGASSI didn't make the cut, nor did IVAN LENDL, ARTHUR ASHE or BORIS BECKER.........................JOHN McENROE, who was 5th in the reader's poll and did make the top 10 of the writers, said last week that the ATP ought to dump the doubles competitions, as doubles matches "don't sell tickets........because no one cares." Strong stuff from our new DAVIS CUP CAPTAIN..................

MEMO ON SPORTS
11-15-99

Boxing can breathe a tiny bit easier this morning. A heavyweight title bout went off over the weekend without a hitch, that's news. No scandalous decision, no criminal activity in the ring, little or no clamoring about the decision-LENNOX LEWIS, the bigger and stronger fighter, beat by unanimous decision, EVANDER HOLYFIELD. He should have been a uni-winner the last time they fought. LEWIS is smart, and reasonably articulate, and British. The sport needs healing, and he may be the best contender for the job. One problem, who does he fight next, and does anyone care?..................Does it seem like FLORIDA STATE is always in the running for an NCAA COLLEGE FOOTBALL title. Has this team been a dynasty or what? Kudos to coach BOBBY BOWDEN. And once again there is a marquee rivalry this Saturday, as there seems to be every year at this time in the state of Florida. The SEMINOLES will play the FLORIDA GATORS this Saturday for what might as well be the championship. VIRGINIA TECH is undefeated and between them in the polls, but the HOKIES had the 60th hardest schedule this year, and, well, that's just too hokie........................MARSHALL, currently ranked 11th may well finish the season undefeated. Do they have a claim to the title? When will the NCAA institute a playoff system like basketball? Hellloooooo!.......... Is there any doubt that parity has arrived in the NFL? When a team goes 2-4 over 6 games like DALLAS has done, and moves into first place in it's division, a 3-way tie for first place with WASHINGTON and the NEW YORK GIANTS, well that 's pretty sad. If NEW ENGLAND wins tonight on MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL game, they will move into a 3-way tie for their division lead. And the NFC central could end up with all 5 teams tied for first, and last place in the division. The best team in the league, the next dynasty, why it's the JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, of course, at 8-1. By the way, they won 6-3 over the 3-6 BALTIMORE COLTS over the weekend................The cream is rising in the NBA with PORTLAND, SAN ANTONIO and MIAMI establishing 6-1 records to start the season. The LAKERS aren't far behind at 6-2 and that is without SHAQ for 2 and 1/2 games, and no KOBE. This team could be scary....................TIGER WOODS tournament win streak of 4 came to an end over the weekend, as he finished 6th at the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC in Taiwan. Looks like BYRON NELSON'S streak of 11 and total of 19 tournaments in one season is safe, huh?

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AN ERA GONE
Wilt Chamberlain Dead at 63
10/13/99

It is a bit ironic that on the day a new LAKER era was to have begun, with a new coach, a new arena, and the season's first warm-up game in Little Rock, Arkansas, a chapter of fantastic history and fondness ended yesterday in Los Angeles. WILT CHAMBERLAIN, the dominant basketball force that first brought a championship to the city died of an apparent heart attack in his home atop the Hollywood Hills. His sister BEVERLY said he complained of pain after dental surgery last week. She said she never heard him complain of pain before, and that she had never seen him look worse. How awful that something as ubiquitous as dentistry would stop the giant that was WILT.

His statistical history is almost unbelievable. If not for MICHAEL JORDAN, fans who didn't see WILT play would think it was fiction. JORDAN'S superhuman accomplishments come close to what CHAMBERLAIN accomplished in an era before the 3-point basket, fast paced offense and porous defense. We have all heard that he scored 100 points in a game. Other players have gotten into the 70 point range, on occasion. JORDAN'S best game was 69. WILT averaged 50.4 points per game one season. He led the league in scoring for 7 straight seasons. JORDAN did it for 10. CHAMBERLAIN led the NBA in scoring and rebounding in the same year 5 times. He led the league in rebounding 11 seasons. He even was the league's assist leader one year, when he thought he'd prove he could pass the ball in addition to score baskets. No other non guard has ever led the league in assists. WILT averaged 37.5 points per game in his rookie season. No player including JORDAN has ever averaged more, in any season! One season he averaged 27.2 rebounds per game. That is an average! He holds the record for rebounds in one game, 55. And that was against BILL RUSSELL, generally regarded as the best defensive center in history, and WILT'S chief rival. In 13 playoff seasons WILT never averaged less than 20 rebounds a game. For his career, that is his entire career, his rebounding average is 22.7 per game. That is astounding! From 1960-1966 CHAMBERLAIN'S playoff scoring average was 33.2, 37, 35, 34.7, 34.7 and 33.5. One season WILT averaged 48.5 minutes per game. A game is only 48 minutes long, without overtime. You do the math. Of the 68 highest scoring games in NBA history, CHAMBERLAIN has 49 of them. Of the top 45 rebounding games he has 25. The NBA had to change rules to prevent CHAMBERLAIN from turning the game into a joke. The lane was widened, goaltending was instituted, the 3 second rule enforced.

Perhaps the most astonishing statistic CHAMBERLAIN compiled is that in 14 seasons, with all the offensive duties, and rebounding, and defending down in the post, he never once fouled out of a game. Not once! JERRY WEST, a teammate and friend of 40 years, called CHAMBERLAIN "the greatest defensive player to play the game." Just last week, SHAQUILLE O'NEAL made excuses to the press that it was his concern about staying in the game that caused him to slack a bit on the defensive end. Coach PHIL JACKSON, who played against WILT as a NEW YORK KNICK, is trying to instill in SHAQ the defensive mindset that CHAMBERLAIN exhibited in his play. O'NEAL should take heed. Defense wins championships. WILT CHAMBERLAIN was a champion. As we embark on a new LAKER story, an era of LAKER greatness has come to an end.

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AN EMOTIONAL RYDE(R)

Golf is not the most entertaining spectator sport, I will grant you. For most, it isn't even entertaining playing golf, much less to spend an entire afternoon parked in front of the set whooping and hollering for a bunch of old, paunchy guys swing the sticks. But this weekend's RYDER CUP was a real drama. I was not familiar with the format, or rules of the competition, but I followed the hype vaguely in the media. There were some controversies over who would play, whether the PGA should pay the players, whether it was a real competition or an exhibition, and who would bring the cup back to their motherland. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I didn't watch NBC's Saturday coverage, which by the way started at 5am West Coast time. Wow! This must be some event, I thought, but proceeded to find a hundred other things to do other than watch golf (at 5am in the morning!). But I saw some of Captain BEN CRENSHAW'S press conference during which he was on the verge of a breakdown, but in a menacing manner pointed to the press, and warned them to mark his words, that he believed in fate, and the US would prevail. Bold, I thought. But sad. This poor guy was going to get hurt in the fall. After all, going into Sunday's final round the US was down by 4 points, and no team had ever come from behind by more than 2 points to win the Cup.

A brief explanation is in order here for those like my self who aren't RYDER aficionados. Twelve American golfers are selected for the team to match up against 12 European golfers. They play rounds of doubles and singles with a point for each win. As of Saturday when BEN was giving us all our scolding, the Americans were trailing 10-6 with 12 singles matches to play on Sunday. That meant that US of A had to win 8 of 12 and Europe could only win 3 of the 12, with one tie. That was a tall order for CAPTAIN CRENSHAW to fill, but order it up he did.

So come Sunday, what do the Americans do, but win 8 of the 12, and tie 1. Helloooo. History is made just like that. But the emotions exhibited by the players one by one as they finished their matches and brought USA close to the prize was truly special. First DAVIS LOVE finished bringing the score to 10-7. TOM LEHMAN followed, and was in tears in an NBC interview on the green. Next HAL SUTTON and then PHIL MICKELSON, each swearing to the greatness of the team and their Captain, also near or in tears. DAVID DUVAL was the next American warrior to return to camp with a victory and he pranced around the green, cupping his hand to his ear, as if to demand more applause from an already delirious gallery. DUVAL was one who had mocked the competition as an exhibition. He certainly was exhibiting. DENNIS RODMAN would have been envious.

Still, at 11-10 the US was 3 1/2 points from victory, with 7 matches still underway. TIGER WOODS, the number 1 golfer in the world was one of those matches, but he was still onto the 16th with his match still up in the air, and Europe was leading in most of those, with some of their best players JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL, COLIN MONTGOMERY , and teen sensation SERGIO GARCIA who had been tearing it up all weekend. The drama was ratcheted up to a frenzy. It got better.

The match was 13 1/2-13 in USA's favor after wins by STEVE PATE and JIM FURYIK with the RYDER riding on the winner, between JUSTIN LEONARD and JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL. A tie would return the cup to Europe. LEONARD was trailing by 4 holes through 11, but won the next 4 holes in dramatic fashion. He sank a 30 foot birdie putt on 15, and a 50 foot putt on 17 to win the competition. He was mobbed by the remainder of the US team, as well as many of the wives of the players.

It was a heck of a day on the green. Go USA!

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APPELLATE SPORTS

What in the world has happened to American macho sport? Women may take over the airwaves with LIFETIME and WOMEN2WOMEN NEWS, there are cappuccino houses on every corner, but men will always have one thing-football. Okay, men have two things-football and boxing. When the touchy feely, politically correct stresses of this world get to be too much, it's time for men to loosen their belts, gather together in strange tribes and let go of strange bodily noises without fear of public shame. It's MILLER TIME baby. "Come on, hit him! Take his head off! Did you see that stick?"

But, Monday morning coming down, the grid iron and boxing ring seem more like the confines of the courtroom of JUDGE JUDITH SHEINLIN, none other than JUDGE JUDY. There are too many stupid rules, and rulings and procedures, and controversies. At the end of the day, the guys, the bookees, the whole damn world for that matter, should know who is boss, who won, and who rules the planet. That of course didn't happen in the TRINIDAD/DE LA HOYA fight. I for one am not an OSCAR DE LA HOYA groupie; on the other hand I never understood the whole Latino desertion drama either. Apparently Latinos in LA, particularly in and around the neighborhood where OSCAR grew up, were not supportive of the champion. Who cares. That is part of the problem. Boxing fans, and the world should follow him because he is the best fighter, or not, all the rest is Hollywood hype and nonsense. The business should be done in the ring, and that is that. "Screw all the hype. Bring on the action!"

But boxing hasn't been that way since the days of ALI and FRAZIER. Promoters and money grabbers have diluted any sense of competition from the sport. There are so many titles, and claims to titles, and rematches. When there is a fight to unify some of those titles, there are controversies over the decision, or the effort, or the refs. Who cares anymore? DE LA HOYA threw 800 more punches and should have won, but he threw less punches and won his last fight, but he didn't deserve it because he didn't try in the final rounds, , or did, or wasn't in shape, or was, or ...........yada, yada, yada. Did DON KING koochy koochy with any of these judges? And pay per view is one big rip-off. Very seldom is the event worth the pay per view hype, and the fans are tired of having it stuck to them. Besides, with CAGE COMBAT, and MORTAL COMBAT and the rest, where there really is fighting, and they fight until there is a winner, undisputed and obvious, do fight fans need any of this WBC or IBF crap? I think not! "We want real boxing, damn it! Fight to the death."

Nor do we need the new NFL rules regarding tape review. In the MIAMI/ARIZONA game, the DOLPHINS were driving late in the half and were given a generous spot by the refs down deep in ARIZONA territory. The announcers and the entire viewing audience I suspect, knew immediately that the spot was too generous, giving the DOLPHINS an undeserved first down. There was some delay, until it was announced that the play was being reviewed. Uh, yeah! The network showed the spot and the announcers came up with the call that the spot was about a yard too favorable. About a minute and a half later the stripes from the booth above ruled that the spot should have been the 11 and1/2 yard line, hence no first down. Several things bothered me about this fracus. First, what took so long? The viewers knew on sight, we all saw it ourselves and knew right away. Besides, even after the lenghty review, the ultimate stripes still got the spot wrong. "Off with the zebra's heads!"

To further complicate things, a challenge to the referees rulings can be made by either team, and if they loose, they surrender a time-out. This adds some gamesmanship to the controversy. It's another layer of strategy and planning, which makes the process mildly interesting. Except that, if there is a controversial call in the last 2 minutes of the half or the game, the review is automatic. What? Why is that? This takes the gamesmanship, throws it out the window and says to the fans, we have bumbling idiot referees who do make mistakes, and it can cost games, and it is important enough to review, but not for the whole game. Hellllloooooo. Is someone reviewing every play during these closing minutes? Come on. Toss the refs on their keesters, they all stink! Then again, the entire rule book employed by the NFL needs to be tossed. Somehow the AUSSIES and BRITS can play a fast paced, hard hitting game of football without a cadre of referees and TV monitors to ruminate on each and every move, and without pads! And I bet they don't have LIFETIME or WOMEN2WOMEN NEWS there. "Bring me a cold FOSTERS or GUINESS, now!"

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