FanFare 5/30/03

Briefly

Baseball

The Marlins were fined this week by commissioner Bud Selig for not interviewing minority candidates before hiring Jack McKeon to replace manager Jeff Torborg. There was no immediate announcement of a fine by the commissioner's office, but the penalty was confirmed by a baseball official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Basketball

Suns guard Stephon Marbury underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on both ankles. The All-Star guard had bone spurs removed from each ankle during the procedure, which was performed by Dr. William Hamilton in New York.

Jeff Van Gundy won't be coaching the 76ers. Van Gundy, who already interviewed for the Cavaliers' vacancy, spoke to Sixers general manager Billy King on Wednesday night. "We mutually agreed it wasn't a good fit," Van Gundy said in an interview on Comcast SportsNet, which is owned by the same company that owns the 76ers.

Boxing

Mike Tyson hasn't lost his penchant for saying the outrageous. In a television interview broadcast Thursday, Tyson again denied he raped Desiree Washington in 1991 in an Indianapolis hotel room. But he said the burden of being labeled a convicted rapist makes him want to do it now. "I just hate her guts. She put me in that state, where I don't know," Tyson said. "I really wish I did now. But now I really do want to rape her."

Colleges

The University of Missouri signed power forward Linas Kleiza to a scholarship agreement. The 6-foot-8 Kleiza was considered to be the top high school player yet to sign, and averaged 20.5 points and 12.2 rebounds per game last season for Montrose Christian High School in Rockville, Md.

Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford headed a delegation that began touring the University of Miami. Swofford was joined by Florida State athletic director Dave Hart and North Carolina State athletic director Lee Fowler. Miami has scheduled a news conference for today afternoon to include Swofford and Hurricanes AD Paul Dee.

Golf

Charles Howell III took an 8-under 64 and a one-stroke lead over Kenny Perry at theMemorial. Tiger Woods, playing on the PGA Tour for the first time since the Masters, made a birdie from 25 feet on the final hole for a 67.

Hockey

The trade that helped get the Mighty Ducks into the NHL finals may cost them the Stanley Cup. Patrik Elias and Scott Gomez scored second-period goals set up by the seldom-used Oleg Tverdovsky and the Devils seized a 2-0 lead in the finals with a defense-driven 3-0 victory over the Ducks.

The Penguins, still searching for a coach to replace the fired Rick Kehoe, have asked the Devils for permission to speak with assistant coach Larry Robinson.

Tennis

Venus Williams struggled with erratic groundstrokes and a persistent opponent before winning the final three games to beat Evie Dominikovic 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in the second round at the French Open. Advancing more easily were No. 2-seeded Kim Clijsters, No. 6 Lindsay Davenport and No. 7 Jennifer Capriati. In men's play, defending champion Albert Costa was extended to five sets for the second straight round. Costa, seeded ninth, outlasted Radek Stepanek 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in 3 hours, 38 minutes. No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt also needed 3 1/2 hours to beat Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5).

On the air

BoxingAngel Hernandez (25-3-0) vs. Kassim Ouma (16-1-2), for vacant USBA junior middleweight championship, 7 p.m., ESPN2

Golf

Wales Open, 9 a.m., TGC

Kellogg-Keebler Classic, noon, ESPN2

Henrico County Open, 12:30 p.m., TGC

The Memorial Tournament, 3 p.m., ESPN

Music City Championship, 4 p.m., TGC

MLB

Atlanta at N.Y. Mets, 6 p.m., TBS

Pittsburgh at St. Louis, 7 p.m., Fox-Midwest, KZIM-960, KBXB-97.9

Motorsports

Pole qualifying for MBNA Platinum 200, noon, SPEED

Pole qualifying for MBNA Platinum 400, 1:30 p.m., SPEED

MBNA Armed Forces Family Truck 200, 3:30 p.m., SPEED

Tennis

French Open, 7 a.m., ESPN2, 11 a.m., ESPN

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), KBSI (9), KFVS (7), MSNBC (55), Outdoors (38), Outdoor Life Network (74), Oxygen (75), Speed Channel (44), TBS (10), The Golf Channel (46), 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 track & fieldSoutheast at NCAA Mideast Regional, Columbus, Ohio

High school baseballEllington Southern Reynolds at Oran, Class 1 quarterfinal, 3 p.m.

High school track & fieldClass 3-4 state meets, Jefferson City

High school girls' soccerNotre Dame vs. Kansas City O'Hara, Class 1 semifinal, Fenton, 6 p.m.

High school boys' tennisState tournament, Springfield

Amateur baseballCape Riverdogs vs. Saline County (Ill.), at Sikeston, 6:30 p.m.

Poplar Bluff at Jackson Jr. Legion (2), 6 p.m.