FanFare 3/13/03

Briefly

Baseball

Phillies pitcher Jose Mesa is being investigated by the commissioner's office for his threats against Cleveland shortstop Omar Vizquel. Close friends as teammates in Cleveland from 1992 to 1998, Mesa and Vizquel have had tense relations since the shortstop's autobiography was published last year.

Pittsburgh pitcher Dennys Reyes was released from a hospital Wednesday night after being hit on the top of his head by a liner off the bat of Tampa Bay's Aubrey Huff. Reyes was treated and released from Bayfront Medical Center and did not have a fracture or concussion, Pirates spokesman Jim Trdinich said. He said Reyes would be evaluated by the team today.

Seattle reliever Norm Charlton needs surgery again and will be sidelined four to six months. The 40-year-old left-hander missed last season after an operation in January 2002 to repair a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum. An MRI Monday revealed a torn anterior capsule on the front of his left shoulder.

Colleges

Two Georgia basketball players sued Wednesday for the right to play in the conference and NCAA tournaments, but a judge quickly denied their request for a temporary restraining order. Starters Ezra Williams and Steven Thomas -- who were not accused of wrongdoing -- asked that the school be compelled to try to play in the tournaments.

University of Cincinnati quarterback Gino Guidugli has been charged with assault after he was accused of punching an opponent during an intramural basketball game.

Oklahoma forward Ebi Ere broke a bone in his left wrist and is not expected to play in the upcoming Big 12 Conference basketball tournament, officials said Wednesday.

Texas A&M will not renew the contract of women's basketball coach Peggie Gillom for next season, the school said Wednesday.

Citing health concerns, Jim Kerwin resigned Wednesday after 11 years as head basketball coach at Western Illinois University. Kerwin, 61, posted a 135-174 record at Western Illinois, and leaves as the fourth-winningest coach in school history.

Cycling

A cyclist who once finished fourth in the Tour de France died of head injuries Wednesday, a day after he removed his helmet during the Paris-Nice race and tumbled from his bike. Andrei Kivilev of Kazakhstan fractured his skull and went into a coma after his fall, and later died at Bellevue hospital in Saint-Etienne in southern France. The death of the 29-year-old Kivilev revived the debate on whether professional cyclists should be forced to wear helmets.

Football

Eight NFL officials have been asked by the league to resign by March 20 or they will be dismissed. A football source, who requested anonymity, confirmed Wednesday that the request came from the league as part of its annual review of officiating performance.

The Cardinals agreed to terms Wednesday with two of the more attractive players left in the NFL's free-agent market -- Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson and veteran quarterback Jeff Blake. Terms were not disclosed.

The Bears matched a $7 million, five-year offer sheet for Paul Edinger on Wednesday, keeping the kicker from going to Minnesota.

Tennis

Lindsay Davenport advanced to the semifinals of the Pacific Life Open when fifth-seeded Amelie Mauresmo of France withdrew from their match Wednesday because of a throat infection. Davenport, seeded fourth, will next play Jennifer Capriati or Russian teenager Vera Zvonareva.

On the air

GolfQatar Masters, same-day tape, 8 a.m., GOLF

The Honda Classic, 3 p.m., USA

Welch's/Fry's Championship, 3:30 p.m., GOLF

College men's basketballBig Ten Conference, Ohio State vs. Iowa, 11 a.m., ESPN

Big Ten Conference quarterfinal, 11 a.m., ESPN2

Big Ten Conference, Minnesota vs. Northwestern, 1 p.m., ESPN

Big East Conference quarterfinal, 1 p.m., ESPN2

Pac-10 Conference, Arizona vs. UCLA, 3 p.m., Fox-Midwest

Pac-10 Conference, Arizona State vs. Oregon, 5:30 p.m., Fox -Midwest

Pac-10 Conference, Stanford vs. Southern Cal, 8:30 p.m., Fox-Midwest

Pac-10 Conference, California vs. Oregon State, 11 p.m., Fox-Midwest

Big Ten Conference, Indiana vs. Penn State, 4 p.m., ESPN2

Atlantic Coast Conference, Clemson vs. Florida State, 6 p.m, ESPN

Big East Conference quarterfinal, 6 p.m., ESPN2

Big East Conference quarterfinal, 8:30 p.m., ESPN

Big 12 Conference, Missouri vs. Nebraska, 1:50 p.m., KZIM-960

Big 12 Conference, Kansas State vs. Colorado, 8:30 p.m., ESPN

Mountain West Conference, UNLV vs. San Diego State, 11 p.m., ESPN

College women's basketballBig 12 Conference semifinals (delayed tape), 1 a.m., FOX-Midwest; 3 a.m., FOX-Midwest

NBA

Boston at New Jersey, 6:30 p.m., TNT

Dallas at Seattle, 9 p.m., TNT

NHL

St. Louis at Vancouver, 9 p.m., KGIR-1220

Tennis

Pacific Life Open, 10:30 p.m., midnight,ESPN2

CHARTER CABLE SPORTS KEY --CNBC (ch. 53), ESPN (42), ESPN2 (43), Lifetime (49)Fox-Midwest (45), Fox-Central (352), Fox-Pacific (353), Fox-Sunshine (351), Fox-World (350), FX(50), Golf Channel (46), MSNBC (55), Outdoors (38), Outdoor Life Network (74), Oxygen (75), Speed Channel (44), TNT (48). Listings and times are provided by the networks and individual stations and are subject to change.

Area events

No events scheduled