2D SPORTS ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 1995 MORNING BRIEFING mas skating exhibition in Portland, "After seeing Tonya Harding dressed as Mrs. Claus, it certainly is easier to understand why Santa stays out all night." 0 SHAQUILLE O'NEAL of the Orlando Magic, on why his free throw shooting percentage is so low: "I can't have the looks, the rapping ability and the scoring ability and shoot free throws." stake anything from $1 million to more than $2 million. The last league final between Singapore and the team from the eastern Malaysian state of Pahang was believed to have been fixed (Singapore won, 4-0). How do they know? Well, many players in Malaysia do not earn even $400 a month.
But reportedly, players from the losing Pa-hang side were ordering sports cars the day after the match. Way to keep a low profile, guys. QUOTEUNQUOTE "It takes me a lot longer to grow up than most people." Golfer JOHN DALY. POST PUZZLER The Associated Press college football poll began in 1936. Which school was the first national champion? (Answer Saturday) THURSDAY'S POST PUZZLER: Which major college has won the most bowl games? ANSWER: Alabama with 27, followed by USC with 24.
as well as the hockey and baseball representatives. News out of Rome indicates POPE JOHN PAUL II no longer will travel to make appearances. Henceforth, JOE BUCK will handle papal visits. I thought Planet Hollywood was the place where THOMAS HENDERSON grew up. The year was 1968, the venue was the French Open and, on this day, pro golfer BRIAN BARNES set a record many of us can relate to.
Barnes needed to drop a simple 3-foot putt for a par, but his tap-in veered wide. Frustrated, Barnesie cracked the ball with a backhand to pick up his bogey. Missed again. Angrier than LARRY SMITH on a Saturday afternoon, Barnes continued to bat the ball around the green and continued to miss. Finally, he holed out for an 11-over par.
His 12 putts remains the most taken in a pro tournament. St. Petersburg Times scribe GARY SHELTON on TONYA HARDING'S Christ Compiled by Dan O'Neill Of the Post-Dispatch Staff Provocative quotes are normally saved for later in the program. But this thought from former Los Angeles Rams quarterback ROMAN GABRIEL appears especially compelling and, from this corner anyway, on target. Gabe on the Rams' probable move to St.
Louis: "The people of St. Louis will be all excited to get this team. And then they'll realize GEORGIA FRONTIERE is still the owner." Eye Drops: Authorities have begun around-the-clock aerial recognizance of the University of Georgetown bench in search for JAHIDI WHITE. Let's see, DICK VERMEIL had a 57- 51 record as coach of the Eagles before resigning 1 1 years ago. Now, could someone please explain to me at what point he became the second coming of BUCK SHAW? It's reassuring to know the Missouri House of Representatives works together JAY LENO: "Did you hear about the jail-break attempt today? I guess at the LA County Jail four inmates tried to tunnel into cell.
They wanted to watch the playoffs on his big-screen TV." We now go to Malaysia where a major soccer scandal has emerged. Experts say no fewer than 85 percent of recent first-division matches have been decided not on the field but by illegal bookmakers. More than 70 players have been involved some of them already under arrest. Betting is strictly forbidden in Moslem Malaysia. Yet a top soccer match will see fans Cover-up: Steelers defensive back TIM McKYER stretches before practice this week while warding off temperatures in the 20s in Pittsburgh.
MEDIA VIEWS SPORTS SHORTS Zip Zeros In On Life, Steps Down As Channel 4's Sports Director nF Crrr 4 Christopher "Zip" Rzeppa, the dean of the local television sports anchors, is stepping down from that position effective Monday, when his contract expires. He will remain with KMOV (Channel 4) as a contributor but has decided to take a new direction with his career. He is heavily involved in a nationally syndicated radio project that makes its debut Saturday, and he wants to restructure his schedule to allow for that and also to Bowl, Rzeppa said he had egg on his face. Shortly thereafter, he really did; he smashed an egg over his head while on camera. Rzeppa wasn't that extreme here, but he didn't have to be.
Even a restrained Rzeppa was more radical than any of the straightforward TV sportscasters on the air locally when he arrived. His highlight-laden, gimmick-driven, ii '-4 ri Ankle Deep: A groundskeeper tries to start a pump to help drain off one of the fairways at the Mercedes Championships, the first round of which was postponed until today. TENNIS nigh-energy style was foreign to the market. He was an immediate success with the "Zip-pos," his name for offbeat clips. He drew viewers who wanted to see his schtick as well as to look at his crooked smile, big nose and voice that is a few octaves higher than that of the typical sportscaster.
Ratings soared, and he jumped to KMOV in 1988, becoming the highest-paid TV sportscaster in St. Louis. Industry sources said he was paid $330,000 in the last year of a deal that expired in 1992. But he never duplicated the success that he had at KTVI. Two years ago, his duties were reduced and so was his pay.
Now he's changing course again. "I feel grateful to have come to St. Louis," he said. "The people here are the nicest I've have more personal time. "I just want a life," said Rzeppa, who turns 43 on Sunday.
"For 18 years I've been working nothing but nights. You pay a price, a big price. I'm just tired of getting off work at 1 1 every night and having nowhere to go, no friends, no kids, nothing. It's time to change that." His departure from the sports director's position leaves Mike Bush of KSDK (Channel 5) as St. Louis' longest-tenured sports director.
Interestingly, Bush was hired in 1985 to counter Rzeppa's impact in the market. Steve Savard, 31, who has been at Channel 4 since May, will be promoted to sports director and handle the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. weekday sportscasts. Rzeppa had been handling the 10 p.m. duties, Savard the early chores.
Doug Vaughn of Kirkwood remains as the weekend DAN CAESAR Musical NFL Chairs: Jets Recycle Kotite Compiled by Jerry Stack Of the Post-Dispatch Staff It turns out that owner Leon Hess was just as disgusted with the 6-10 New York jets as the rest of their fans. The only difference was he had the clout to do something about it. On Thursday, the 80-year-old Jets owner fired coach Pete Carroll after just one year and replaced him with recently fired Philadelphia Eagles coach Rich Kotite. Kotite, 52, a Jets assistant coach before he joined the Eagles, was given a three-year contract. Financial terms were not released.
"It's a dream come true," Kotite said. "I'm able to come back to the Jets' family. I always felt a part of it." Carroll was fired two days shy of a year after he was hired to replace Bruce Coslet. FOOTBALL Courier Advances In Australia Top-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia and third-seeded Jim Courier of United States advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Hardcourt championship in Adelaide. Kafelnikov, the defending champion, beat Henrik Holm of Sweden 7-5, 6-3 today and Courier defeated Daniel Vacek of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4.
Brother and sister Andrei Medvedev and Natalia Medvedeva won singles matches as fifth-seeded Ukraine upset the defending champion Czech Republic and moved into the final of the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia. Medvedeva, ranked 50 places below opponent Jana Novotna, won the women's singles 6-1, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3. Medvedev then beat Petr Korda 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5) in the men's singles to win the best-of-three match. Japanese tennis star Naoko Sawamatsu upset American Mary Joe Fernandez 6-1, 6-1 in the First Pacific Bank Challenge, an exhibition event in Hong Kong. Guenther Parche, the unemployed lathe operator sentenced to probation for stabbing Monica Seles at a tennis match, will be retried March 21.
Considering the sentence too lenient, prosecutors in Hamburg, Germany, decided to bring the case to trial again before a higher court, their right under German law. In Doha, Qatar, Guy Forget of France became the latest seeded player to be ousted from the Qatar Open when Jan Siemerink of the Netherlands beat him 6-3, 7-6 (7-5). ever met. I know my style is different, and I'm grateful that people put up with me. I hope I served them well on a daily basis." Rzeppa will become host of "The Great American Sports Trivia Show," a nationally syndicated weekly radio program that makes its debut Saturday in approximately 40 markets.
It will feature big names from music, sports and movies in a fast-paced, high-tech program in which listeners will compete for major prizes, including Super Bowl trips, cruises and big-screen televisions. (Although no local affiliate has been lined up yet, Rzeppa is negotiating with KMOX to carry the shows). He'll fade from his prominent role at Channel 4, but he will continue to have a significant presence. "I'll still do the Zippos; they bring so much joy to people," Rzeppa said, adding that they will move from Friday to the Thursday 10 p.m. sportscasts.
"And I'll do four specials a year, probably that last an hour, focusing on behind-the-scenes or in-depth issues, like walking the streets of East St. Louis with Jackie Joyner-Kersee. "But I won't be in the studio every night doing the 10 o'clock sports. That's just not for me anymore." anchor and a reporter. News director Steve Hammel said the station wants to hire a part-time sportscaster quickly.
"Yesterday," he said when asked when he'd like the job filled. Rzeppa was the hottest property on local TV when he jumped from KTVI (Channel 2) to Channel 4 in 1988. But he never has delivered the big ratings numbers that KMOV had hoped. "I have no control over that," Rzeppa said. "I show up and do the best I can.
That's all I can do." The loss of momentum when he switched stations can be attributed, at least in part, to the fact he had to sit out for six months between jobs because of a legal challenge from his previous employers. In that time, his bandwagon lost much of its zip. That bandwagon started as a bulldozer. He plowed onto the local scene at KTVI in 1984 with a raucous, madcap style that had not been seen previously in the market. He came from a Boston station, which didn't renew his contract after he had pulled an outrageous on-air stunt.
After incorrectly predicting the winner of the Super BASKETBALL PRO SOCCER Third Try Is Charm For Ambush, Battelle Top Prospect Picks Georgia Tech Stephon Marbury, the nation's most heavily recruited high school guard, is heading to Georgia Tech. Marbury, a 6-foot-2 senior, announced his choice for next season, picking Georgia Tech over Syracuse and UCLA. Marbury is a point guard averaging 28 points a game for Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. MISCELLANEOUS Erickson To Meet With Seahawks University of Miami football coach Dennis Erickson will meet with Seattle Seahawks owner Ken Behring on Saturday to discuss the Seahawks' coaching job, according to the Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Sun-Sentinel. He also will be interviewed by Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen next week for the Broncos' opening.
Fontes Gets Contract Extension The Detroit Lions confirmed that coach Wayne Fontes has received a two-year contract extension. Team owner William Clay Ford offered a two-year extension to Fontes, who has one year remaining on his current contract. Fontes, 54, is under contract to coach through the 1997 season. Wyche To Return As Buccaneers' Coach The Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave Sam Wyche a 50th birthday present when they announced that he will return as the team's head coach next season despite posting his third consecutive losing campaign. Wyche, who led the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl in 1989, has posted a 16-32 record in three years at the Tampa Bay helm.
Oilers Keep Fisher As Coach The Houston Oilers will be keeping coach Jeff Fisher despite the team's 1-5 record after he replaced Jack Pardee midway through the 1994 season. The team's overall record this season was 2-14, the worst in the NFL. Unidentified sources told The Houston Post and Houston Chronicle that Fisher, 36, would be given a three-year contract worth nearly $1 million. Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Jan. 11 to repair a ligament injured in a game against Minnesota last month.
Kelly, who will turn 35 next month, will begin an exercise program two weeks after the surgery and should be at full speed by June 1. Kansas City Chiefs' defensive end Darren Mick-ell has been arrested on allegations of driving under the influence of alcohol. Mickell, 24, of Shawnee Mission, was pulled over at 2 a.m. Wednesday in Marietta, and failed a series of field sobriety tests. Colorado offensive coordinator Elliot Uzelac plans to remain with the Buffaloes under new head coach Rick Neuheisel.
"It would have helped out a lot if I had signed last year," he said. "Just to be able to practice with the team there's lots of tricks of the trade in indoor soccer. It'll take a while to learn all these things." Ambush player-coach Daryl Doran says his only concern is getting Battelle match fit after his long layoff. He believes Battelle will fit in nicely with his club. "I think he'll be one of our better midfielders as soon as he gets some experience," Doran said.
"He's got size and skill." To make room for Battelle on the roster, the Ambush placed defender Todd Lauer (ankle) on the injured list. The Ambush takes on the Cleveland Crunch at 12:35 p.m. Sunday at Kiel Center. By Ray Jordan Of the Post-Dispatch Staft On the third try, the Ambush finally landed Shane Battelle. Battelle is a three-year starter at St.
Louis University and former Post-Dispatch Player of the Year at Hazel-wood Central High. He signed a one-year developmental contract with the National Professional Soccer League club on Thursday. Twice last season Ambush officials thought they had the midfielder in the fold. He and SLU teammate Brian McBride signed with the Ambush in December 1993, after the club selected them in the NPSL draft. But the club rescinded the contracts after the players learned their last semester on scholarship at SLU was in jeopardy under NCAA rules.
Ambush officials then worked out an arrangement by which a sponsor would pay their tuition. After agreeing orally to the deal, the players later backed out, citing commitments with the national team and studies. McBride is playing professional soccer in Germany this winter, but Battelle hasn't played competitively since his last season at SLU, 1993. As it turned out, he couldn't have played with the Ambush last season because of an ankle injury. "I hurt it playing for SLU and three months later they figured out it was broken," said Battelle, who's still working to complete his degree.
"It had bone chips in there and I had to have surgery." Battelle says he wishes he had signed earlier with the Ambush. PGA Opener Delayed The opening round of the Mercedes Championships in Carlsbad, the PGA's first tournament of 1995, was postponed because heavy rains left water on the course. The round was rescheduled for today, when the golfers will play 36 holes. Southern California was drenched by a storm Wednesday, with the downpour continuing into the night. Although the sky was mostly clear Thursday, the La Costa Resort course was unplayable.
Oliver McCall will make the first defense of his World Boxing Council heavweight title April 8 against Larry Holmes, 45, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. McCall won the championship by stopping Lennox Lewis in a second-round upset Sept. 24 at London. Former major-league pitcher Milton "Mickey" WEEKEND SPORTS ON THE AIR Haefner, who was born in Lenzburg, 111., and spent most of his career with the Washington Senators in the 1940s, died Tuesday Can. 3, 1994) at a nursing home in New Athens.
He was 82. Former Chicago Cubs reliever Don Elston, who United Video, American Cablevision and TCI Cable, 3 p.m. Virginia at North Carolina State, ESPN2, 3 p.m. Notre Dame at Louisville (taped), Prime, 5 p.m. Duke at Georgia Tech, ESPN, 7 p.m.
Kansas at Southern Methodist, ESPN2, 9 p.m. Women: Arizona State at Arizona, Prime, 10:30 p.m. Utah at Fresno State, ESPN. 11 p.m. PRO BASKETBALL Seattle at Chicago, TNT, 7 p.m.
had a lifetime record of 49-54 with a 3.70 ERA and 63 saves, died Monday Qan. 2, 1994) of heart failure in a hospital in Evanston, 111. He was 65. COLLEGE BASKETBALL Cincinnati at DePaul, ESPN, 7:30 p.m. MINOR-LEAGUE HOCKEY Las Vegas at Minnesota, ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.
GOLF Mercedes Championships, ESPN, 2:30 p.m. PRO FOOTBALL Cleveland at Pittsburgh, KSDK (5), 11:30 a.m. Chicago at San Francisco, KDNL (30), 3 p.m. FIGURE SKATING American Skating Invitational (taped), KMOV (4), 3 p.m. SPORTS CALENDAR i PRO SOCCER Ambush vs.
Cleveland at Kiel Center, ESPN2, 12:35 p.m. HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL Boys: NJROTC vs. Sumner, KATZ (1600 AM), 6:15 p.m. Boys: Collinsville vs. Granite City, WFUN (95.5 FM), 7:25 p.m.
Boys: Fort Zumwalt S. vs. Wentzville, KWRE (730 AM), 7:30 p.m. Boys: St. Charles vs.
Troy, KFAV (99.9 FM), 7:30 p.m. Boys: Pacific at New Haven, KLPW (101.7 FM), 7:30 p.m. Boys: Washington at St. Clair, KLPW (1220 AM), 7:30 p.m. Boys: Parkway Central at Mehlville, WGNU (920 AM), 7:30 p.m.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL St. John at Connecticut, KMOV (4), 1 p.m. New Mexico at Hawaii (taped), Prime. 1 p.m. Michigan at Penn State, Crown Cable, Continental Cablevision, United Video, American Cablevision and TCI Cable.
1 p.m. Mississippi at Auburn, ESPN. 2 p.m. Temple at West Virginia, Prime. 3:30 p.m.
Women: Vanderbilt at Alabama, ESPN, 4 p.m. Memphis at DePaul, Prime. 6 p.m. Drake at Northern Iowa. Prime.
8 p.m. i mm mm 0 yj) fg vs. Cleveland 12:35 p.m. RRtUH EPSN-2 fj at Nebraska vs. Kansas vs.
Notre (Vtf1 3P-m- 8:30 p.m. Dame KSDK (5) ESPN 7 p.m. V- KPLRQ1) ILLINOIS at at Purdue JRlVi Northwestern 6:30 p.m. vol 3 P-m- ESPN ST.UHJiSUl vs. Alabama- at Iowa Zfoi Birmingham State (Sy) 1:05 p.m.
7 p.m. JSPNaJJ KSDK (5) COLLEGE BASKETBALL Southwest Missouri at Evansville, Prime, 11 a.m. Wisconsin-Green Bay at Marquette, ESPN, 11 a.m. Texas at Clemson, ESPN2, 11 a.m. St.
Louis U. vs. UAB at Kiel Center, ESPN2, 1 p.m. Iowa at Michigan State, Crown Cable, Continental Cablevision, United Video, American Cablevision and TCI Cable, 1 p.m. UCLA at Oregon State, Prime.
3 p.m. Missouri at Nebraska, KSDK (5). 3 p.m. Illinois at Northwestern, Crown Cable, Continental Cablevision, FIGURE SKATING American Skating Invitational (taped), KMOV (4), 3 p.m. PRO FOOTBALL Green Bay at Dallas, KDNL (30), 11:30 a.m.
Miami at San Diego, KSDK (5), 3 p.m. 'i MhfcAkJMwAfeMk..
