FanFare 3/22/03

Briefly

Baseball

Mets catcher Mike Piazza had the players' association appeal his five-game suspension Friday, a move that likely makes him available for New York's opener against the Cubs on March 31. Because of the appeal, no discipline can be imposed until after a hearing before Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer.

Colleges

Joi Williams, one of the top assistants in the nation, has been chosen the next women's basketball coach at Murray State University, the university announced. Williams, 36, comes to MSU after spending one season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Clemson University.

Southwest Missouri State approved a two-year contract extension for Bears basketball coach Barry Hinson.

Football

The Rams acquired offensive tackle Kyle Turley from the Saints on Friday for a second-round selection in the 2004 NFL draft. Rams coach Mike Martz called the acquisition a "major step in really solidifying the offensive line." Turley has started all 79 games he has played in his career. In 2002, he started all 16 games at left tackle for the first time in his career after playing at right tackle from 1999-2001.

Golf

Ernie Els was in the lead after a 7-under 65 in the second round of theBay Hill Invitational. Tiger Woods was one stroke behind and still on the course in the rain-delayed second round.

The top three women golfers in the world found themselves just about where they expected to be -- on top the leaderboard of the Safeway Ping tournament. Sharing the top spot with Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb and Se Ri Pak was Patricia Meunier-Lebouc.

Jim Ahern shot a 7-under-par 64 for his lowest round of the year, giving him a one-shot lead at the Toshiba Senior Classic on the Champions Tour.

Hockey

The president of the Canadiens apologized for fans who booed the U.S. national anthem before Thursday night's game against the New York Islanders. "The Montreal Canadiens organization has always held a high respect for its neighbors and friends in the United States, and we look forward to maintaining this strong and positive relationship," Pierre Boivin said in a statement.

Tennis

Andy Roddick never lost his serve but almost lost his opening match at the Nasdaq-100 Open. Despite some sloppy shotmaking and harrowing moments, Roddick defeated qualifier Cyril Saulnier 6-7 (1), 7-6 (2), 6-4. The sixth-seeded Roddick led a parade of American men into the third round. Mardy Fish upset 11th-seeded Sebastien Grosjean, while James Blake and Todd Martin also won. Another U.S. player, Jan-Michael Gambill, lost to No. 12 Rainer Schuettler 6-2, 6-3. Two women seeded in the top 10 were eliminated: No. 5 Daniela Hantuchova failed two convert two match points, faded in the 90-degree heat and lost to Alicia Molik 2-6, 7-5, 6-0; and No. 10 Monica Seles withdrew before her first match, saying she hasn't fully recovered from a stress fracture in her left foot. Seventh-seeded Lindsay Davenport beat Cristina Torrens Valero 6-2, 6-1.

Verbatim

"I wasn't a hero. I was a survivor. The heroes didn't come back. The survivors returned." -- Hall of Famer Bob Feller, who enlisted in the Navy two days after Pearl Harbor and spent the next 45 months on the battleship Alabama. He was the first major league player to volunteer and won eight battle stars in five campaigns.

On the air

College men's basketballIllinois vs. Notre Dame, noon, KFVS

Missouri vs. Marquette, 2:40 p.m., KFVS, KGIR-1220

Oklahoma vs. California, 4:30 p.m., KFVS

Arizona State vs. Kansas, 7 p.m., KFVS

College women's basketballNCAA tournament games TBD, 10 a.m., ESPN

NCAA tournament games TBD, 10 a.m., noon, 8 p.m., 10 p.m., ESPN2

College wrestlingNCAA Division championships, 6 p.m., ESPN2

Golf

Bay Hill Invitational, 2 p.m., WPSD

Safeway Ping, 3 p.m., ESPN

Toshiba Senior Classic, 5 p.m., CNBC

High school girls' basketball

Delta vs. Worth County, 10:50 a.m., KBHI-107.1

MLB

Chicago Cubs vs. San Francisco, 2 p.m., WGN

MotorsportsChannellock 250, noon, FX

Grand Prix of Monterrey qualifying, 1:30 p.m., SPEED

Food City 500 final practice, 2 p.m., FX

Florida 200, 8 p.m., SPEED

Malaysian Grand Prix, 12:30 a.m, SPEED

NBA

New York at Chicago, 7:30 p.m., WGN

NHL

Red Wings at Blues, 2 p.m., WSIL

CHARTER CABLE 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), KBSI (9), KFVS (7), MSNBC (55), Outdoors (38), Outdoor Life Network (74), Oxygen (75), Speed Channel (44), TNT (48), WDKA (17), WPSD (6), WQWQ (33), WSIL (3). Listings and times are provided by the networks and individual stations and are subject to change.

Area events

High school girls' basketballDelta vs. Worth County at Columbia, 10:50 a.m.

High school girls' swimmingFort Zumwalt South at Central, noon

Fort Zumwalt West at Notre Dame, 3 p.m.