FanFare 5/6/03

Briefly

Baseball

Closer Antonio Alfonseca was activated from the disabled list Monday by the Cubs, who designated pitcher Alan Benes for assignment. Alfonseca began the season on the DL with a strained right hamstring, which he injured in spring training. He made three appearances for Triple-A Iowa in a minor league rehab assignment, allowing two runs in 3 2-3 innings.

Basketball

Michael Jordan is interested in a possible role with the Charlotte expansion team and has talked recently with owner Robert Johnson about buying in as a partner, The Associated Press has learned. Johnson and Jordan have a publicly acknowledged friendship and have spoken frequently in recent years. But talks between the two men over the past three weeks have been different, including preliminary discussions over doing business together on the team Johnson bought last December for $300 million.

Beating the Celtics may not be as easy for the Nets as everyone thought. Kenyon Martin overcame foul problems to score 21 points, and Paul Pierce spoiled a 34-point effort by missing the only shot that really mattered for Boston in a 97-93 New Jersey victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal. Pierce had a chance to tie the game at 96 with 7.4 seconds to play. But his wide-open 3-pointer from the top of the key bounced off the rim, and Martin was fouled getting the rebound.

Colleges

Anthony Solomon was introduced as St. Bonaventure's men's basketball coach, ending a chaotic two months marked by league sanctions, a player boycott and the ouster of three top school officials. Solomon, a 38-year-old former Notre Dame assistant, replaces Jan van Breda Kolff, who was fired last month. This is Solomon's first head coaching job in college, and he becomes the first black head coach of any sport at St. Bonaventure.

The 3-point line in men's college basketball would be moved back 9 inches to 20 feet, 6 inches under a recommendation from an NCAA rules committee. The current distance of 19-9 has been in place since 1986. The panel also suggested expanding the 12-foot-wide college lane by adopting the trapezoid used in international play. At its widest point, the trapezoid lane's width is 19-8 3/4.

Hockey

The Red Wings made an expected move by parting ways with left wing Luc Robitaille. Detroit decided not to exercise its option on Robitaille's contract for next season, saving the team $3 million. The 37-year-old Robitaille has 631 career goals, ranking first in NHL history among left wings.

The Senators' remarkable season has taken them from bankruptcy court to the Eastern Conference finals. Ottawa scored twice in the first period and twice in the second to overwhelm the Flyers 5-1. The Senators advanced to the NHL's final four for the first time in their 11-year history.

Motorsports

French rookie Sebastien Bourdais felt right at home on this track. He captured the London Champ Car Trophy for his first CART victory, stopping Paul Tracy's season-opening winning streak at three.

Tennis

Andre Agassi's hold on No. 1 slipped away about as quickly as his lead against a 60th-ranked opponent at the Italian Open. In his first match since becoming the oldest man to lead the rankings, Agassi lost to David Ferrer of Spain 0-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4.

On the air

College baseballSoutheast at Southwest Missouri State, 6:45, KGIR-1220

High school baseballSouth Pemiscot at Chaffee 4:15 p.m., KAPE-1550

Jackson vs. Poplar Bluff, 4:45 p.m., KYRX-97.3

Sikeston vs. Central, 7:30 p.m., KRHW-1520

MLBSt. Louis at Cincinnati, 6:10 p.m., Fox-Midwest, KZIM-960, KBXB-97.9

Colorado at Atlanta, 6:30 p.m., TBS

NBA playoffsPhiladelphia at Detroit, 7 p.m., ESPN

Sacramento at Dallas, 8 p.m., ESPN2

Soccer

Real Madrid vs. Juventus, 1:30 p.m., ESPN2

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 baseballSoutheast at Southwest Missouri, 7 p.m.

High school baseballSEMO Conference Tournament, Capaha Field: Notre Dame vs. Dexter, fifth place, 3 p.m.; Jackson vs. Poplar Bluff, third place, 5 p.m.; Central vs. Sikeston, championship, 7:30 p.m.

Advance at Charleston, 4 p.m.

Oran at Kelly, 4 p.m.

Meadow Heights at Leopold, 4 p.m.

Zalma at Leopold, 4 p.m.

Oak Ridge at Richland, 4:15 p.m.

South Pemiscot at Chaffee, 4:30 p.m.

High school softballChester, Ill., at Chaffee, 4 p.m.

Advance at Charleston, 4 p.m.

Meadow Heights at Leopold, 4 p.m.

Oak Ridge at Richland, 4:15 p.m.

High school girls' soccerNotre Dame at St. Vincent, 4 p.m.

Central at Jackson, 7 p.m.

High school golfClass 4, District 1 Tournament, Bent Creek Golf Course, 8:30 a.m.

High school track & field

Jackson at Poplar Bluff, 4 p.m.