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For the Record
Played
Last Thursday by the Brooklyn Cyclones and the Oneonta Tigers, a 26-inning gamethat is the longest in the history of the New York--Penn League and one of thelongest ever in pro baseball. (The longest game was a 33-inning Triple A gamein 1981; the longest major league game was a 26-inning tie between the BrooklynDodgers and the Boston Braves in 1920.) The Tigers won 6--1 by scoring fiveruns in the 26th off Cyclones outfielder Mark Wright (above), who joked in the20th inning that he was available to pitch and was taken up on his offer fiveinnings later. The game, at KeySpan Park in Coney Island, began at 12:03 infront of more than 9,000 fans and ended at 6:43. "There were maybe 50[fans] at the end," says Wright, who last pitched in high school. "Idon't blame them. I probably wouldn't have stuck around if I didn't haveto."
Knocked Out
By Argentine journeyman Carlos Baldomir, Arturo Gatti, a defeat that may haveended Gatti's career. Baldomir (43-9-6), who shocked Zab Judah in January towin the WBC welterweight belt, stood toe-to-toe with Gatti (40--8), knockinghim down twice before his ninth-round TKO. The loss disappointed the AtlanticCity crowd, which came to cheer on Gatti, a native of Jersey City. After thefight Gatti said, "I don't know if I'm ever going to fight again. I had agood time doing it."
Hired
By Duke to coach its embattled lacrosse team, John Danowski, who led Hofstra toa 17--2 record last year. Danowski (whose son, Matt, is an All-Americaattackman for the Blue Devils) will take over for Mike Pressler, who resignedfollowing an exotic dancer's allegation that she was raped at a team party.
Charged
With resisting arrest and obstructing official business after Cincinnati policeTasered him, Bengals defensive tackle Matthias Askew. Police say officers weretrying to handcuff Askew after he ignored an order to move his illegally parkedcar, when the 24-year-old broke away from them. After he was shocked, Askew wastaken into custody and was eventually released on his own recognizance.
Dropped
By Allen Heckard, his $832 million lawsuit against Michael Jordan and Nikechairman Phil Knight. The 51-year-old Portland shuttle bus driver claimed thathe is frequently harassed by fans mistaking him for Jordan (Scorecard, July17). Heckard--who is four inches shorter, 20 pounds lighter and eight yearsolder than Jordan--did not elaborate on his reasons for dropping the suit.
Died
Of injuries suffered in a car accident, Georgia basketball player Kevin Brophy(above). The junior guard was driving from Athens to Savannah after working ata basketball camp last Thursday when he collided with another car. Brophy, whowas from Melbourne, Australia, was 21. "Things were really, really comingtogether for Kevin in every way," said Bulldogs coach Dennis Felton."He was going to have a tremendous life."
Broken
By Ricky Williams, his left arm. The Dolphins running back, who is moonlightingwith the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL while serving a one-year NFL suspensionfor violating the NFL's drug policy, was injured when he was gang-tackled in agame against the Saskatchewan Roughriders last Saturday. "You're talkingabout some fortitude," said Toronto coach Mike (Pinball) Clemons. "I'dhave been screaming." Williams, who is not eligible to play in the NFLuntil 2007, is expected to miss at least four weeks.
Rejected
By the Pittsburgh Penguins, a $170 million offer for the team from a groupincluding Mark Cuban. The outspoken Mavericks owner (a native of Mount Lebanon,Pa.) teamed up with several local investors--including Oakland, Pa., native DanMarino--in a bid to purchase the franchise and keep it in Pittsburgh, but theirgroup was outbid. With Cuban's group out of the running, the favorite to buythe Pens is believed to be Hartford real estate developer Sam Fingold, who hastalked about moving the team to Kansas City if a new arena is not built.
Filed
By former Big Ten referee James Filson, a suit accusing the conference offiring him after commissioner Jim Delany was made aware that Filson only hasone eye. Filson, 53, lost vision in his right eye after an accident in 2000 butcontinued working games (including an Orange Bowl) with a prostheticreplacement. The suit contends that Filson received higher marks on his reviewsafter losing his sight and that he was fired only after Michigan coach LloydCarr informed Delany that he had only one eye. Filson is seeking his old job,back pay and unspecified damages.
Acquitted
Of a charge that he raped a fellow midshipman in her dorm room, former Navyquarterback Lamar Owens (left). The 22-year-old, who led Navy to a win as asenior in the Poinsettia Bowl last year, faced life in prison if convicted. (Hewas found guilty of two lesser charges, but the jury declined to punish him.)"I had tears in my eyes because this young man needed and received justicetoday," Owens's attorney, Reid Weingarten, said.
Blown Up
By a high-pressure water cannon, a box of memorabilia that an autographcollector sent to the home of Byron Nelson. The wife of the 94-year-old golflegend thought the package looked suspicious, so she called the police. (Shedidn't recognize the name, the postage hadn't been canceled, and thehandwriting looked peculiar.) Fire officials removed the package and laterdestroyed it, only to find it contained banners from the Masters. "We justhave to err on the side of caution," said Roanoke (Texas) Fire DepartmentChief Mike Duncan.
Died
Of cardiac arrest at age 75, Galen Fiss, who was the captain of the lastCleveland Browns NFL championship team. Fiss, a linebacker, made atouchdown-saving tackle of Lenny Moore in the 1964 NFL title game, in which theBrowns upset the Colts 27--0. Before his football career, Fiss played minorleague baseball in the Indians' system with Roger Maris and was Dean Smith'sroommate when they played basketball at Kansas. "He was a born leader,"Browns teammate Vince Costello said. "He got along with everybody, andeverybody listened to him."
Go Figure
24
Years to the day after former Padre Tony Gwynn got his first major league hitthat his son, Brewers rookie Tony Jr., got his against the Giants, on July19.
2
Consecutive 1--0 home wins by the Red Sox against the Royals last week, thefirst time Boston has had two straight 1--0 victories at Fenway Park since1916.
5
Number of cities in which the Tigers have stayed at a Marriott this year;Detroit, which is managed by chain-smoking Jim Leyland, may have to find newdigs now that the hotel chain has announced it will go smokeless inSeptember.
$240,000
Price that a 1935 National Chicle Bronko Nagurski card sold for in a privatetransaction last week, making it the most valuable football card ever.
Gilligan's Islanders
A maverick owner dumps his just-hired G.M. and replaceshim with a goalie
WELCOME TO Wang's World, the seriocomic universe ofIslanders owner Charles Wang. In a stunning move Wang fired G.M. Neil Smith onJuly 18, just six weeks after he was hired, and replaced him with backup goalieGarth Snow. It was the NHL's most original hiring of a Snow this summer, edgingthe Wild's naming Boston Globe baseball writer Chris Snow its director ofhockey operations (SCORECARD, June 26). It turns out Smith, the G.M. of the1994 Stanley Cup--winning Rangers, didn't suit Wang's hockey-by-committeemodel, in which department heads will report directly to the owner rather thana front-office executive.
With Smith's departure, the Islanders will be run bydirector of player development Bryan Trottier; coach Ted Nolan; Snow, whoretired to take the job; and Wang, who has a history of unorthodox moves. (Heonce considered importing sumo wrestlers to play goalie.)
But in pro sports, a most hierarchical business, youtinker with structure at your peril. Then again, even if Wang's latestexperiment has a Snow's chance in hell of working, can it be worse thantraditional methods? After all, the Islanders haven't won a playoff seriessince 1993. Party on, Wang. Party on, Garth. --Michael Farber
Going Negative
Boxer Tommy Morrison, plotting a comeback, now claimshe never had HIV
SIX YEARS before he was forced out of boxing followinga positive HIV test in 1996, Tommy Morrison made a name for himself playingSylvester Stallone's protégé in Rocky V. Now, both Sly (who's working on thesixth Rocky) and Morrison are dreaming of returns to the ring. Morrison, 37,says he never had HIV and that the two tests he took in '96 were falsepositives, the result of steroids and other supplements he had been taking atthe time. "I don't think I ever had it," says Morrison. "I neverhad symptoms, and I stopped taking [HIV] medication more than a year ago. Everytest I've taken the last seven years has been clean." (Dr. Timothy Price,an HIV expert from Price Medical in Washington, D.C., says, "I've neverheard of steroids or supplements causing a false positive.")
Even if Morrison does pass an HIV test, the executivedirector of the Nevada boxing commission, Keith Kizer, says that Morrison willstill have to prove he is physically fit to fight after a 10-year layoff.Morrison--who has been contacted by promoters in Japan, Canada and NorthCarolina and says, "I want Mike Tyson"--believes that when other boxerssee the results of his HIV tests, they will have no reason to fear getting inthe ring with him. "When this is over, everyone will know I'm clean,"says Morrison. --Chris Mannix
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MIKE STOBE/GETTY IMAGES (ISLANDERS)
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LEN REDKOLES/GETTY IMAGES (SNOW)
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GARY THOMAS/BROOKLYN PAPERS (WRIGHT)
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PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME/WIREIMAGE.COM (FISS)
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GREG FOSTER (MORRISON)
CLEAN BILL? Morrison says steroid use led to two false positive test results.
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MARC MORRISON/GETTY IMAGES (FOREMAN AND MORRISON)
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LESLIE E. KOSSOFF/AP (OWENS)
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DARRELL WALKER/UTHM/ICON SMI (BROPHY)
