Sports digest 10/19/01

Tiger's face unrecognized at Disney's PGA event

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- In morning darkness at Disney, Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara were headed to the first tee at the Magnolia Course when two security guards asked for identification.

Woods, perhaps the most recognizable athlete in the world, held out his driver's license, but that wasn't enough. They wanted to see his PGA Tour badge.

"I don't have it," Woods said Wednesday after a brief search through his pockets.

The guards looked at each other, unsure what to do next, and decided to let him through the checkpoint.

"I think he's won this tournament a couple of times," O'Meara assured them. "He's a pretty good player."

Hometown concert gets small crowd for R.E.M.

ATHENS, Ga. -- R.E.M. pulled off a top-secret, hush-hush concert in their hometown, taking the stage at the Georgia Theatre in front of a less-than-packed house that had come to see a movie and a local band.

Only a handful of the 200 or so people in attendance knew the world-famous band would perform Tuesday night.

The crowd had come to see a free screening of a film by a former Athens filmmaker and a set by a local band called The Possibilities.

But the buzz began as R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, joined by Scott McCaughey and Ken Stringfellow, both guest musicians with R.E.M. who perform on the band's latest CD "Reveal," took the stage with The Possibilities.

The band -- Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe -- joined by McCaughey, Stringfellow and drummer Joey Waronker, walked onstage shortly after 11 p.m. to play a 14-song set, opening with "Imitation of Life," the first single from "Reveal."

R.E.M.'s performance -- its first full-band set in Athens since 1992 -- occurred partly because band members were in town rehearsing for upcoming benefit shows, among them Saturday and Sunday's 15th Annual Bridge School Benefit Concert in California.

Soccer legend Pele travels to Mexico

MEXICO CITY -- Brazilian soccer great Pele kicked off a four-day Mexican tour by cutting the ribbon on a soccer stadium bearing his name in central Hidalgo state.

The Universidad de Futbol stadium in Pachuca, 35 miles northeast of Mexico City, will be known as "King Pele Stadium."

Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento but known around the world as "The King of Football" since leading Brazil to World Cup championships in 1958, 1962 and 1970, Pele told a crowd of 300 fans on Wednesday that he was proud officials chose to name the new stadium after him because "soccer is a sport for all classes of people."

Leno's autographed Harley raises money

BURBANK, Calif. -- Jay Leno's celebrity-autographed Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a matching truck drew a top bid of $360,200 on eBay, with proceeds going to the Twin Towers Fund for victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The talk-show host will announce the name of the winning bidder on NBC's "The Tonight Show" Friday night, after funds have been verified.

The online auction began Oct. 7 and ended Wednesday.

Leno asked celebrities from movies, television, music and sports who visited his show to sign the limited edition Harley-Davidson FXDL Dyna Low Rider, which he bought in July.

--From wire reports