FanFare 4/15/03

Briefly

Baseball

Two spectators ran on the field and unfurled an antiwar banner at Monday's game between the Montreal Expos and New York Mets. Just after the Mets' Tony Clark hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, the fans jumped from the stands and ran on the field. They displayed a banner, which read: "No a la guerra" ("No to the war") with a drawing of a gun.

Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds, who batted .471 with nine RBI in six games, was chosen National League Player of the Week.

Basketball

Karl Malone of the Jazz and Mike Bibby of the Kings were added to the national team that will compete in the Olympic qualifying tournament in August. Malone and Bibby are the fifth and sixth members of the team, which will be coached by Larry Brown of the 76ers. They join Ray Allen of Seattle, Tim Duncan of San Antonio, Jason Kidd of New Jersey and Tracy McGrady of Orlando.

The WNBA postponed its draft, opening a week that could determine the league's future. The draft was scheduled for Wednesday, but it became the second event called off because collective bargaining talks are stalled.

Former player John Paxson is leaving the broadcast booth to become the Bulls' general manager. He replaces Jerry Krause, who resigned unexpectedly a week ago, citing health reasons.

Colleges

Utah guard Marc Jackson, a second-team all-Mountain West Conference selection last season, is giving up his scholarship and will leave the basketball team, the school announced. The 6-1 sophomore plans to stay in school and obtain his degree.

Football

Tight end Ernie Conwell, agreed to a five-year contract with the Saints after seven years in St. Louis. In 2002, Conwell played in all 16 games with 11 starts and finished fifth on the Rams with 34 catches for 419 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed six times for 30 yards and a touchdown.

Tennis

Andy Roddick was upset in the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters, losing to Spanish qualifier Albert Portas 7-6 (5), 6-3. Top-seeded and defending champion Juan Carlos Ferrero had an easy time, winning 6-4, 6-1 over Wayne Arthurs. In other matches, Gustavo Kuerten stopped Mardy Fish 3-6, 6-1, 6-0; Alex Corretja lost to Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (4), 6-3; and Arnaud Clement scored a 6-4, 6-3 victory over 12th-seeded Fernando Gonzalez. Rainer Schuettler, seeded eighth, defeated Fabrice Santoro 6-1, 6-2; Nicolas Escude fell 6-4, 6-3 to Fernando Vicente; and Magnus Norman defeated Nicolas Lapentti by 6-3, 6-3. Richard Gasquet, a 16-year-old Frenchman, was outclassed by sixth-seeded David Nalbandian 6-4, 6-0.

People

Here's a Caracter that has 'em talking

Derrick Caracter, a 6-foot-8, 275-pounder from Scotch Plains, N.J., is already on the radar screens of college-basketball coaches, some of whom saw him play for New York City's powerful Riverside Church AAU team at the Boo Williams Invitational tournament in Hampton Roads, Va., over the weekend.

"I told him earlier, 'The sky's the limit,'" Riverside Church coach Kenny Pretlow told the Daily Press of Newport News, Va. "If he continues to develop, in a year or two I don't think anybody out there will be able to do anything with him."

Oh, one more thing: Caracter, considered not only the next LeBron James but also the nation's top ninth-grade player, turns 15 next month.

On the air

College baseballSoutheast vs. Arkansas St., 3 p.m., KGIR-1220

High school baseballChaffee vs. Dexter, 4 p.m., KAPE-1550

Oran vs. Oak Ridge, 4 p.m., KRHW-1520

MLB

St. Louis at Milwaukee, 7:05 p.m., Fox-Midwest, KZIM-960, KBXB-97.9

NHL playoffs

New Jersey at Boston, 6 p.m., ESPN

Tampa Bay at Washington, 6 p.m., ESPN2

Dallas at Edmonton, 9 p.m., ESPN2 (joined in progress)

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

College baseballArkansas State at Southeast, 3 p.m.

College golfSoutheast at St. Louis Billiken Invitational, 8 a.m.

High school baseballJackson at Notre Dame, 4 p.m.

Bell City at Advance, 4 p.m.

Oak Ridge at Oran, 4 p.m.

Chaffee at Dexter, 4:15 p.m.

Bloomfield at Leopold, 4:15 p.m.

High school softballBell City at Advance, 4 p.m.

Oak Ridge at Oran, 4 p.m.

Bloomfield at Leopold, 4:15 p.m.

High school girls' soccerJackson at Perryville, 4 p.m.

High school track & fieldSikeston at Jackson, 4 p.m.

Scott City Meet, 4 p.m.

High school golfCentral Triangular (Notre Dame, Poplar Bluff), 4 p.m.

Jackson Triangular (Dexter, Sikeston), 4 p.m.

Perryville at Fredericktown, 4 p.m.