Sports digest 9/24/01

Jordan announcement should come very soon

WASHINGTON -- The five-month wait for the inevitable is nearly over. Barring an improbable, last-minute change of heart, Michael Jordan's comeback is about to become official.

The route from "99.9 percent chance that I won't" in April to "I'm doing it for the love of the game" will end with an announcement this week, possibly as early as today.

The Washington Post reported there is no longer any question Jordan is coming back. Citing a league source with knowledge of the situation, the Post reported on its Web site Sunday night that Jordan has decided to end his three-year retirement to play for the Washington Wizards.

Jordan won't make any public statements about his return until the team's media day, Oct. 1, the Post reported.

Moving Super Bowl back a week likely

The Super Bowl probably will be delayed a week and will be moved if a schedule change in New Orleans can't be arranged, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said Sunday.

Tagliabue said New Orleans remained the NFL's top choice but the league was prepared to move if need be.

The NFL postponed its second week of games after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. It moved those games to the weekend of Jan. 5-7, which originally was scheduled for wild-card playoff games.

An automobile dealers convention is scheduled for New Orleans for the week following the current date of the Super Bowl, Jan. 27.

Seminoles stumble, tumble in grid poll

Florida State stumbled, then tumbled in the AP media poll.

The Seminoles, 41-9 losers to North Carolina, dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in three years on Sunday and landed at No. 18 in The Associated Press Top 25 poll.

With its worst regular-season defeat since a 53-14 loss to Florida in 1983, Florida State dropped 12 spots. In the USA Today/ESPN poll, Florida State is No. 15.

Both polls are in Scoreboard on Page 2B.

Australia vs. France in Davis Cup final

Lleyton Hewitt sent Australia into the Davis Cup final and a showdown with France.

Hewitt, the U.S. Open champion, won the opening singles match against Sweden on Sunday in Sydney, Australia. He beat Thomas Johansson 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 to clinch the semifinal, which Australia won 4-1.

France assured its spot in the championship by taking a 3-0 lead against the Netherlands Saturday. Sunday, the Dutch salvaged the two singles in Rotterdam to make the score 3-2.

The Nov. 30-Dec. 2 final will be in Australia.

SEMO volleyball has big test at MU tonight

Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball team ventures out of the Ohio Valley Conference tonight to face one of its toughest tests of the season.

The Otahkians, who are 5-4 overall and lead the OVC with a 3-0 record, will be in Columbia, Mo., to take on an 8-1 University of Missouri squad that has been receiving votes in the national poll. The match will start at 7 p.m.

WGC holds events at Cape Girardeau C.C.

Cape Girardeau Country Club professional David Cantrell proved too tough to beat as he went undefeated in the 'Beat the Pro' competition held by the Women's Golf Association Thursday at Cape Girardeau C.C.

Cantrell fired a 3-under-par 32.

Sharon Barrows won the 18-hole 'Low Net' competition with Marlena Jones the runner-up. Nell Coad won the nine-hole competition.

In the Thursday Twilight 3-Person Scramble, the team of Kathy Barksdale, Alice Temm and Joyce Kuntze won with a 4-under-par total.

-- From staff, wire reports