FanFare 5/3/03

Briefly

Baseball

A minor league baseball team thought better of holding a promotion poking fun at Larry Eustachy after realizing the Iowa State basketball coach acknowledged being an alcoholic. The Quad City River Bandits on Friday called off "Larry Eustachy's Iowa State Night at the Ballpark," which was to include cheap beer and a kissing booth.

Twins pitcher Brad Radke was suspended for five games and Devil Rays pitcher Nick Bierbrodt for three by major league baseball for hitting batters in the same game. Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella and Twins coach Scott Ullger were suspended one game each. All were fined, as was Devil Rays pitcher Seth McClung. Radke immediately appealed, delaying any suspension until after a hearing with Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer. Bierbrodt decided not to appeal and started his suspension Friday night.

Basketball

The Pistons are back from the brink of elimination and humiliation. Chauncey Billups scored 18 of his career-high 40 points in a decisive first quarter, and the Pistons defeated the Magic 103-88 to even their first-round playoff series and set up a decisive Game 7 Sunday in Detroit.

Elton Brand of the Clippers, Richard Jefferson of the Nets and Nick Collison of the University of Kansas were picked for the final three roster spots for this summer's Olympic qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico, an Olympic basketball official told the AP on condition of anonymity. Unlike the first nine players chosen for the team, Brand, Jefferson and Collison will not be assured of spots on the 2004 Olympic team roster.

Hockey

The Devils are going to the Eastern Conference finals for the third time in four years. Grant Marshall scored on a rebound at 11:12 of the third overtime and the Devils eliminated the Lightning with a 2-1 victory in Game 5.

Olympics

nVancouver emerged as the favorite to land the 2010 Winter Olympics, and that could hurt New York's chances for the Summer Games two years later. The city in western Canada got a boost, receiving the best overall review in an International Olympic Committee report on the three 2010 bids, two months before the site is chosen.

Tennis

Venus Williams dropped the first set and trailed 3-0 in the second before winning 12 of 15 games to beat Francesca Schiavone in the J&S Cup quarterfinals. The top-seeded Williams needed nearly two hours for the 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory. Her semifinal opponent will be Denisa Chladkova, who eliminated Fabiola Zuluaga 7-5, 7-5. In the other quarterfinals, Amelie Mauresmo rallied to defeat Anna Pistolesi 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, and Jelena Dokic beat Magui Serna 7-5, 6-2.