Scorecard
Drug Reactions
In the June 3 issue SI reported on the rampant use of steroids in
baseball. The swift response included editorials, late-night
cracks and a New Yorker cartoon.
"According to a big expose in this week's SPORTS ILLUSTRATED,
more than half of all major league baseball players take
steroids to boost their performance. Wouldn't it be ironic if
the cleanest guy in baseball turns out to be Darryl Strawberry?
--Jay Leno on The Tonight Show, June 5
"Baseball's owners want to test for steroids, but the union says
it is waiting for a consensus to develop among the players. Why
delay? These drugs have no place in the game or, more important,
in the lives of the players." --The New York Times editorial,
June 1
"Lamentably, the union has been silent so far. Owners...wink at
the cheating through chemistry. It's a poisonous bargain baseball
has made. It's driving the game even further away from its
traditional base of fans. It must stop."
--The Arizona Republic editorial, June 4
"I take steroids to get bigger, stronger and faster on the
keyboard."
--Tony Kornheiser in The Washington Post, May 31
"This isn't about Ken Caminiti. This isn't about Jose Canseco.
This isn't about what a couple of bust-out cases say. It is
about what we are seeing with our own eyes. It is turning on the
television and looking at one of those classic games...and
seeing what ballplayers looked like 20 years ago. And what we
see...is big league ballplayers, and famous ones, who look like
high school kids compared to what we see on the field now."
--Mike Lupica in New York's Daily News, June 2
"When I read Kenny Rogers' comment that somebody's going to get
killed on the mound, well, that's a horrifying thought. So I've
told our people we just can't sit idly by anymore."
--Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, quoted in the June 10 The
Sporting News
"It is also an honor and privilege to play Major League Baseball,
and if there are those who feel their privacy would be invaded by
testing, they can certainly move on to other occupations because
there are many more who yearn for the honor and privilege--and
would welcome the responsibilities that go with it."
--Los Angeles Times editorial, June 2
"Baseball should not wait for the autopsy on its own [Lyle]
Alzado to act."
--Cleveland's The Plain Dealer editorial, June 4
"Sport should be a triumph of character, not the triumph of
pharmacology. Otherwise, someday kids will ask athletes, 'May I
please get the autograph of your pharmacist?'"
--George Will on ABC's This Week, June 9
"The thing that disturbs me most about Ken Caminiti's steroid
revelations in [SI] is that the Orioles' .248 team batting
average last season might actually have been inflated."
--Columnist Dan Daly in The Washington Times, June 2
Suit vs. Suit
The fiercest rivals in the Stanley Cup finals are sitting in the
owners' boxes
Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos and Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch
are both sons of immigrants, natives of Detroit and civic-minded
businessmen. As of next year they'll also be neighbors:
Karmanos's Compuware offices are moving just blocks from Ilitch's
Little Caesars Detroit headquarters. But don't expect to see the
two schmoozing at the Stanley Cup finals. Said Karmanos before
Game 1, "I will have as many conversations with Mr. Ilitch as I
had with the owner of Toronto, the owner of Montreal and the
owner of New Jersey: zero."
That chill isn't coming from the ice. Ilitch, 72, and Karmanos,
59, are, as the latter has said, "unfriendly rivals." Their
discontent stems from youth hockey, which in Detroit is serious
business. In 1974, the year after Karmanos founded Compuware,
the company began sponsoring youth teams. At the time, teams
backed by Little Caesars dominated the leagues, but Compuware
aggressively recruited coaches and players, and a hot rivalry
developed. Stars center Mike Modano, who played for Little
Caesars teams in the '80s, has said, "You're either a Little
Caesars guy or a Compuware guy."
After Karmanos bought the Hartford Whalers in 1994--Ilitch has
owned the Wings since '82--the rivalry grew. After the Wings
were swept in the '95 Cup finals by the Devils, Ilitch booted
Compuware's Ontario Hockey League champion Junior Red Wings out
of Joe Louis Arena, where the team had played for five years.
Ilitch, who manages the facility, said he wanted to use it for
concerts and college hockey, but Karmanos blamed the eviction on
misplaced bitterness. "The Red Wings are just so embarrassed
[that] New Jersey kicked their butts," he said. "They are angry
at everybody and everything."
Karmanos got payback in February 1998 when Carolina tendered
Wings center Sergei Fedorov an offer sheet that would have paid
him $38 million over six years, including a $14 million signing
bonus and another $12 million bonus if the team reached the
conference finals. Since the Hurricanes sat last in the
Northeast Division, they were at little risk of having to pony
up the $12 million. To keep Fedorov, however, Ilitch, whose
Wings had the NHL's second-best record, had to match the offer.
Ultimately Detroit won the Cup and paid Fedorov $28 million in a
four-month span.
Ilitch was livid at the Fedorov power play, and while he won't
discuss his relationship with Karmanos, the Cup final is clearly
stirring up bile in the boardroom. "If there's acrimony [between
us]," says Karmanos, "we share it equally."
--Jamal Greene
GO FIGURE
103,222 Attendance at the Belmont Stakes (page 44), 17,404 more
than the previous largest crowd at Belmont Park.
78 Career appearances, by Rockies pitcher Chris Nichting, 36,
before he got his first big league victory (he was 0-4); the
record for most appearances without a win is 80 by the Braves' Ed
Olwine in the 1980s.
$150 Cost to attend Hurricanes University, a three-night study
session, run by Carolina's NHL team, in which fans receive
skating lessons as well as instruction on hockey rules, strategy
and trivia.
30:29 Time in which Morocco's Asmae Leghzaoui completed the New
York Mini, 10 seconds faster than the previous world best for a
women's 10K road race.
16 Percentage by which sales of Argentine wine dropped in England
in the two days before the Argentina-England World Cup match last
Friday, according to supermarket chain Safeway: In that same time
Argentine wine sales rose 22% in Scotland.
PRICE CHECK
BIG-EVENT TICKETS
A look at how scalpers across the globe fared at last weekend's
high-profile happenings.
Belmont Stakes
Venue: Belmont Park, Elmont, N.Y.
Ticket price: $10, clubhouse near finish line
Street price: $895 Markup: 8,850%
Stanley Cup Finals, Game 3
Venue: Entertainment & Sports Arena, Raleigh
Ticket price: $200 for center club seats
Street price: $1,000 Markup: 400%
NBA Finals Game 2
Venue: Staples Center, L.A.
Ticket price: $2,000, courtside seats
Street price: $10,000 Markup: 400%
World Cup Soccer, U.S. vs. South Korea
Venue: Daegu Main Stadium, South Korea
Ticket price: $134 for lower-level ticket
Street price: $415 Markup: 210%
Diamondbacks vs. Red Sox
Venue: Fenway Park, Boston
Ticket price: $60 for field box seat
Street price: $125 Markup: 108%
French Open Women's Final
Venue: Roland-Garros Stadium, Paris
Ticket price: $50 for lower-level ticket
Street price: $100 Markup: 100%
Mike Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis
Venue: The Pyramid, Memphis
Ticket price: $2,400 for ringside seats
Street price: $1,400 Markup: -42%
LPGA Championship, final round
Venue: DuPont Country Club, Wilmington, Del.
Ticket price: $16 for grounds and clubhouse
Street price: $8 Markup: -50%
The Ultimate Assist
Greg Ostertag makes a lifesaving sacrifice for his sister
One day in March, Jazz center Greg Ostertag answered the phone
to hear his 26-year-old sister, Amy Hall, crying hysterically.
Hall, who has battled juvenile diabetes since age six, had
learned that the disease had caused her kidneys to fail; she
needed a transplant to survive. As her only sibling, Ostertag,
29, was the best match. "There was no choice," he said. "I
didn't even consult my wife. It's my sister. I need to do it."
Ostertag will donate the kidney on June 27 at Baylor University
Medical Center in Dallas. While kidney transplant surgery is
relatively safe--a healthy donor has only a 1 in 10,000 chance
of a fatal complication--there is the risk of infection,
pneumonia and other side effects. "He could be giving up
everything to do this," says Hall of Ostertag, "yet I don't look
at him as a hero. I look at him as a brother who's doing it
because he loves me."
Players have competed in the NBA with only one kidney, including
Spurs forward Malik Rose, who had a kidney removed when he was a
baby because it wasn't growing properly, and former journeyman
forward Pete Chilcutt, who was born with only one. (In '99 then
Spurs forward Sean Elliott, who suffered from a chronic kidney
disorder, received a transplant from his brother. He played 87
games afterward.) Barring complications, Ostertag should report
to camp the same player he always was--meaning the player whom
Jazz fans have maligned for soft play during his seven years in
Utah. Last season Ostertag, who has two years left on a
six-year, $39 million contract, averaged a career-low 3.3
points. "My biggest fear is that they put my kidney in her and
her body rejects it," he says. "Me, I know I'll be back. I'll be
back to drive my wife and kids crazy. I'll be back to cause
[Jazz coach] Jerry Sloan's hair to get grayer." --Gene Menez
WHO IS...
ALEXANDRA KOSTENIUK
Why you should learn her name
At 18 she's the fastest-rising woman in chess--rated 21st in the
world.
Why you should care about her deft use of the Dutch defense and
the Noteboom variation
Like another Russian sportswoman with the same initials, this
A.K. has received as much attention for her looks as for her
playing ability. The World Chess Federation has tabbed her to
model a new line of chesswear--a sporty black-and-white
collection of jackets, trousers, skirts and stockinette tops.
Unlike the other A.K., Kosteniuk trounces her opponents. Last
December she tore through the field at the Women's World Chess
Championships before losing to fifth-ranked Zhu Chen, 26, in the
final.
Resume
Co-author (with her dad) of the book How I Became Grandmaster at
Age 14; studying at the Russian State Academy of Physical
Education to become a certified chess trainer; writes poetry and
likes to ski.
Credo
"I am clever, so I can play chess. And I am not so ugly, so I
can model."
THE BLOTTER
Died
By drowning while competing in the Ironman Utah Triathlon, John
Boland, 55, an experienced triathlete and computer programmer
from Redondo Beach, Calif. Boland's body was pulled from Utah
Lake in Provo about 15 minutes after the start of the 2.4-mile
swim, which Ironman officials halted after 40-mph gusts created
heavy chop. The event later resumed as a duathlon.
Planned
At Klong Prem Central Prison in Bangkok, a World Cup for the
incarcerated. The prison houses more than 1,100 foreign inmates,
and officials have formed seven-man teams made up of convicts
from England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, Thailand
and the U.S. The two-week tournament begins this week.
Burglarized
On the same night, the locker rooms of the Rice and Houston
baseball teams, which are six miles apart. Thousands of dollars'
worth of gloves, bats and other gear were stolen, sending the
schools scurrying for equipment before their appearances in the
Super Regionals last week. Rice swept LSU to reach the College
World Series, but Houston failed to advance after losing two of
three to Texas. Police believe the break-ins are related.
Wounded
By two shots from a handgun while he was in a taxi in the
drive-thru lane of a Charleston, S.C., fast-food restaurant,
Devil Rays' pitching prospect Nick Bierbrodt. According to
police, Bierbrodt, a 24-year-old lefty, was shot in the right
arm and chest by a young man who approached the taxi on a
bicycle after he and Bierbrodt had a verbal exchange at about 3
a.m. last Friday. Bierbrodt was to pitch for Tampa Bay this
season, but control problems landed him at Class A Charleston.
On Monday he was in stable condition; no arrest had been made.
Applied
A headlock, on Mr. Shucks, the corn-cob mascot of the Class A
Cedar Rapids Kernels, by Kernels manager Todd Claus, 32. After
Cedar Rapids swept a series from the South Bend Silver Hawks,
Mr. Shucks strutted around waving a broom, which Claus saw as a
dis to the Hawks. Claus cursed Mr. Shucks, applied the headlock,
then broke the broom in half.
Field of Dreams
White Sox fans sleep in Comiskey for a night
Last weekend 250 die-hard White Sox fans paid $250 each to attend
Sleepover Night at Comiskey Park. (Proceeds went to Chicago White
Sox Charities.) Participants watched a Saturday-night game
against the Expos, camped out on the field, then watched another
game against Montreal on Sunday. SI sent writer John Sellers to
the slumber party.
Saturday, 5:45 p.m. I meet the sleepover group at check-in, in a
stadium conference room. They are mostly preteens and their
parents, and young couples. A marketing director goes over the
ground rules: Don't litter, don't carve your initials into the
warning track, etc. She's still talking during the first pitch at
6:05.
8:39 p.m. The Expos win, 2-1. Fireworks begin. As the 24,527 who
are not sleeping over head for the exits, my posse begins that
"nah, nah, nah, nah, goodbye" chant.
10:06 p.m. They finally allow us onto the field. Chaos quickly
ensues. Everyone has decided to fulfill the same fantasy of
shagging flies in Comiskey's outfield. Balls fly everywhere. A
kid in a Frank Thomas jersey runs over five sleeping bags to
snare a fly--and lands on his face.
11:24 p.m. An elderly White Sox staffer dressed in a cap and
nightgown arrives to tuck people in. This mainly consists of his
kissing women on the lips.
Sunday, 12:01 a.m. The lights dim as The Natural begins to play
on the JumboTron. What, no Eight Men Out?
2:14 a.m. Redford knocks one out to win the pennant. About a
dozen night owls cheer limply.
2:24 a.m. A tape of Chicago manager Jerry Manuel is played. "Good
night, White Sox fans," he says. "It's time to go to sleep." But
it's a tough sell: A cleaning crew is working the upper levels
with leaf blowers.
5:29 a.m. I awake to the sound of seagulls and revelry: Kids are
already playing catch.
8:08 a.m. Breakfast at The Bullpen Bar, behind rightfield. We're
met by former White Sox players, including Bill Melton (1968-75).
I ask if he ever wanted to nap on the field. "There were a few
times in August we slept on the field when we were 25 games out,"
he says.
11:51 a.m. Back in the stands, I lean over the rail to get
autographs. I ask Frank Thomas if he'll call me "Little Hurt." He
chuckles and says, "Sure, Little Hurt."
1 p.m. A woman dressed as an Oompah-Loompah throws out the first
pitch. Really. She stars in a musical called Wonka. Or maybe I'm
so tired I'm hallucinating.
3:48 p.m. Twenty-two hours after arriving, the White Sox evict us
after a 13-2 pasting of the Expos. Ladies and gentlemen, Little
Hurt has left the building.
THE WEEK IN TELEVISION
FRIDAY 6/14--ESPN 7:25 AM--United States vs. Poland
The final World Cup game for the U.S.? Or a prelude to a spot in
the round of 16 for only the second time since 1930?
SATURDAY 6/15--FOX 1 PM--White Sox at Cubs, Yankees at Mets
Baseball's fiery intracity matchups--the El and Subway Series,
respectively.
SUNDAY 6/16--Speed Channel 7 AM--24 Hours of Le Mans, final laps
When you go for this long, driving is unsafe at any speed. These
guys fly by at 135 mph. Last year Frank Biela, Tom Kristensen
and Emanuele Pirro won for Audi.
SUNDAY 6/16--Fox Sports Net 8 PM--Behind the Glory: Sammy Sosa
From humble origins as a shoe-shiner in the Dominican Republic to
living large in Chi-town, a probing look at Sosa's life.
SUNDAY 6/16--ESPN Classic 9 PM--Reel Classic: Rocky III
We pity the fools who miss this one, the last great Rocky and Mr.
T's finest hour.
TUESDAY 6/18--HBO 10 PM--:03 from Gold
Want an Olympic scandal without skating judges? This documentary
recounts the controversial 1972 gold medal hoops game between the
U.S. and the Soviet Union.
THURSDAY 6/20--ESPN2 8 PM--NHL Awards Show
For the first time since 1994 two goalies (the Avalanche's
Patrick Roy and the Canadiens' Jose Theodore) are among the
finalists for the Hart Trophy as league MVP. Still, we'll take a
flyer on a Flame--Jarome Iginla--to beat out the netminders.
Don't Miss
SUNDAY 6/6--NBC 1:30 PM
U.S. Open, Final Round
Tiger Woods on a muni? It's true: The world's best golfer tries
to win his second major of the year at that mecca for public
course duffers, Bethpage Black. It's also the longest U.S. Open
course (7,214 yards) in history.
UNDER REVIEW
--Czyz Sizzles
--Get Snapper
--Absentee Calls
Based on prefight projections, the Lewis-Tyson fight was on pace
for 1.5 million pay-per-view buys. (Final numbers weren't
available when SI went to press.) That number is close to alltime
boxing best-seller Tyson-Holyfield II (1.99 million). The merger
of HBO and Showtime broadcasters was also a success. HBO's Jim
Lampley (blow-by-blow) and Jim Brown (host) and Showtime's Jim
Gray (reporter) were solid while Showtime analyst Bobby Czyz was
the definition of astute. In Round 2, for example, Czyz said that
although Tyson's left jab wasn't connecting, he still had to
follow it with a right to Lewis's body to have any chance to win.
Tyson didn't heed Czyz's advice.
If, as speculated, Bill Walton lands the lead analyst job on
ESPN's NBA coverage next season, we urge the network to grab NBC
straight man Steve (Snapper) Jones as well. Jones, the superego
to Walton's id, challenges Walton to go beyond platitudes.
Without Jones as a foil at Game 1 of the finals (Jones was at his
daughter's high school graduation), Walton's cries, such as
"that's terrible" were followed by little elaboration and fell
flat.
His U.S. boosterism at the World Cup has made us cringe, but at
least ESPN's Jack Edwards reports on the local color at the
matches. That's because he and Ty Keough are at the venues,
unlike ESPN's three other announcing teams, who call games from
network headquarters in Bristol, Conn. Those announcers rely on
a video feed, and though they never say they're at the game,
they also never say they aren't. ESPN paid nothing for the
rights to the World Cup. Couldn't they afford to send one more
team to Asia? --John O'Keefe
COLOR PHOTO: MARK J. TERRILL/AP (LENO)
B/W ILLUSTRATION: BRUCE PLANTE/CHATTANOOGA TIMES FREE PRESS ABOUT STEROIDS--"Guys out there look like Mr. Potato Head--with six or seven body parts that just don't look right." Curt Schilling Arizona Diamondbacks Chattanooga Times Free Press, June 4
B/W ILLUSTRATION: STEVE BREEN-THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE/COPLEY NEWS SERVICE The San Diego Union-Tribune, May 30
B/W ILLUSTRATION: GARY MARKSTEIN-MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL/COPLEY NEWS SERVICE Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 2
COLOR PHOTO: STEPHEN J. CARRERA/AP (SELIG)
COLOR PHOTO: THE NEW YORKER The New Yorker, June 10
COLOR PHOTO: PETER JONES/REUTERS (KARMANOS) MOGUL BEHAVIOR Karmanos and Ilitch (celebrating in 1998) each thinks the other stinks on ice.
COLOR PHOTO: JULIAN H. GONZALEZ-THE DETROIT FREE PRESS/AP (ILITCH) [See caption above]
COLOR PHOTO: BILL FRAKES (BELMONT)
COLOR PHOTO: JESSICA KLUETMEIER (SERENA WILLIAMS)
COLOR PHOTO
COLOR PHOTO: AL HARTMANN/SALT LAKE TRIBUNE DUNKIN' DONOR Ostertag should heal from the surgery by September.
COLOR PHOTO: NATALIYA DOLGINA (KOSTENIUK)
COLOR PHOTO: STEVE NESIUS/AP Bierbrodt in 2001
COLOR PHOTO: BRIAN KERSEY/AP The outfield, 10:28 p.m.
COLOR PHOTO: JOHN BIEVER Woods in April
"Referees know where their bread is buttered and that Game 7
increases revenue." --NADER, PAGE 24