Sports FanFare 8/7/02

Briefly

Colleges

San Diego State announced a series of self-imposed penalties for violating NCAA rules by holding summer football workouts at a local beach. The school said it will eliminate 21 practice days through the 2004 season, cut six scholarships through 2005, and suspend assistant coach Damon Baldwin for six practice days, including five without pay, during the 2002 fall camp.

Football

The Patriots' new $325 million field will be called Gillette Stadium, ending the team's association with Internet holding company CMGI.

Golf

In a surprising reversal, golf's two governing bodies scrapped plans to allow recreational players in the United States to use so-called hot drivers, designed to hit the ball farther. The modified policy means Americans cannot use the thin-faced drivers in club tournaments or to post a score for their handicap index. The plan that was to take effect Jan. 1 would have allowed average U.S. players to use the hot drivers until 2008.

Horse racing

Cigar, whose streak of 16 consecutive victories tied Citation's record, and champion filly Serena's Song entered the national racing hall of fame. Jockey Jack Westrope, who was killed during a race in 1958, and trainer Bud Delp were also inducted.

Miscellaneous

Former Notre Dame coach Bob Davie is joining ESPN as an analyst for college football games. Davie will be the lead analyst on the network's Saturday noon telecasts, primarily Big Ten games. He will make his debut with ESPN on Aug. 31, when he calls the game between Central Florida and Penn State. Davie will also make appearances on ESPN College GameDay programs.

Motorsports

NASCAR's plan to develop larger cockpits for drivers was slowed when cars with the bigger "greenhouses" didn't perform well on the track in testing. Drivers and crews have urged NASCAR to increase the size of greenhouses, the area inside the car, to keep the driver's head away from the roll bars. NASCAR officials said they aren't sure when new cockpits would be mandatory.

Max Papis will replace injured driver Adrian Fernandez in Sunday's CART Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio. The 32-year-old Papis, in his seventh season of Champ Car racing, last raced on June 9 in Monterey, Calif. He missed the last five events when Sigma Autosports ran out of money and withdrew from the series.

Olympics

Reputed Russian mobster Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov, charged with trying to fix two Olympic figure skating events, will fight extradition to the United States. His lawyer said he asked the court to release Tokhtakhounov to house arrest, and the judge promised a ruling within a few days. The United States must file a request for extradition within 40 days of Tokhtakhounov's July 31 arrest.

The U.S. Olympic Committee asked the International Olympic Committee to look into possible judging improprieties in the taekwondo competition at the 2000 Sydney Games. USOC president Marty Mankamyer said that she faxed a letter last week to IOC president Jacques Rogge alerting him to a story that appeared in a Korean-language magazine containing allegations "that the taekwondo judging could have been impacted by outside sources."

The U.S. Olympic Committee and its former director of drug control programs will go to trial April 14. Dr. Wade Exum is suing USOC leaders, claiming they hampered his anti-drug battle and denied him promotions because he is black.

Tennis

Upset at being fined for refusing a pretournament interview, No. 1 seed Lleyton Hewitt considered forfeiting his first-round match in the Masters Series Cincinnati, then won 6-0, 6-0. The Wimbledon champion beat Robby Ginepri, then lashed out at the ATP for fining him a minimum of $20,000. Michael Chang, Tim Henman and Andy Roddick also advanced, while defending champion Gustavo Kuerten lost in the opening round.

People

Tigress is up to par

Be warned, golf world: There's a Tigress headed your way, too.

Cheyenne Woods, Tiger's niece, won the girls' 12-year-old division at the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships in Williamsburg, Va., Saturday, the second time she's won it. Cheyenne, the daughter of Tiger's half-brother, Earl Jr., already has two holes-in-one and 30 tournament titles to her credit.

Placing second in the girls' 11 division was Isabelle Lendl, daughter of former tennis great Ivan. Caddie daddy gave the Hampton Roads (Va.) Daily Press this scouting report: "She is not real coordinated on her feet but has real good feel with her hands."

Verbatim

Washington coach Steve Spurrier, who picked an opportune time to be distracted by the Redskinettes' sideline routines when he was asked the difference between the NFL and college football: "Well, in college the cheerleaders don't dress -- or dance -- like that."

Sean Keeler of the Des Moines (Iowa) Register, on what the Big Ten needs to do to boost its football image: "1, Have your teams schedule at least one traditional leader or contender from a power conference. 2, Beat them. There. Was that so hard?"

Steve Hummer of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, on New Orleans landing the Hornets: "Setting the NBA loose on that city is like trying to open a dog-obedience school in a fire-hydrant factory."

-- From wire reports