Shaq impacts …WHL?
The Big Aristotle has rejected the Western Hockey League schedule. The NBA trade last week that saw star center Shaquille O’Neal move from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Miami Heat is causing a delay for WHL date-makers.
The reason may not be clear but it’s because O’Neal, a major television draw, is no longer in the Western Conference and NBA broadcasters have called a time out to ask for a revamping of dates in places such as Portland and Seattle, where WHL franchises play second fiddle in securing nights at the Rose Garden and KeyArena.
“The NBA had everything done and everything would have been fine, but then when Shaq moved the networks pulled the schedule and wanted a bunch of things changed,” said Prince George Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson. “It was supposed to be done (last Thursday), but … it will be delayed a little more.”
All WHL teams are on a 48-hour notice — as soon as Seattle and Portland are advised of their dates — that they will have to be in Kelowna to finish schedule talks. The teams hope to have a schedule this week.
Talk about an impact player.
USC fans punt on Heisman
Receiver Mike Williams? Too much of a gamble. After all, who knows if the NCAA is going to allow him to play at USC this season?
Tom Malone? Now you’re talking. At least you’re speaking the language of Malone’s growing legion of fans. The Trojans’ junior punter is their pick for the Heisman Trophy, and his fans are serious, we think. At least serious enough to dedicate a Web site — malone4heisman.com — to their favorite player’s candidacy.
“We are a grassroots effort so we don’t have the money to put up a giant billboard of an overrated Oregon Duck player in Times Square, like some other Heisman campaigns have done,” the site reads.
As a sophomore, Malone led the nation in punting, averaging 49 yards on 42 punts, and the website offers fans 16 nicknames for Malone, including “The Bomb,” “The Rainmaker” and “The Big Meniscus.”
A new leaf for Tyson?
With a supposedly changed Mike Tyson making another comeback, the New York Post’s George Willis has taken a sympathetic stance. “This is not to excuse any of Tyson’s past behavior from neighborhood thug to ex-con to ear-biter,” Willis wrote. “But boxers aren’t saints. Some of them have criminal records, just like football players, basketball players and a few former CEOs.
“Like him or not, Tyson has paid for his crimes and bad decisions. He’s a free man and entitled to the rights any other human being enjoys. When politicians speak out so freely and strongly against him, you wonder if they’d do the same if he were white.”
Call him the Big Geezer
Tito Divac heard the news and laughed. His cousin, Vlade, had signed a contract with the Lakers and the way Tito found out was by reading the Los Angeles Times’ Web site.
“Out With the Old, in With the Older,” Tito told Times reporter Diane Pucin on Thursday. “I loved that headline.”
Tito is the son of Budimir Divac, whose brother, Mileko, is Vlade’s father. Both raised sports-loving sons. Tito is covering the Tour de France for Slovenia’s largest newspaper, Delo. He said he and Vlade used to play basketball in Yugoslavia.
“Only I was stupid,” Tito said. “I quit and got heavy. Vlade kept playing and he makes millions. I’m a poor journalist.”
Rogers knows when to fold ‘em
Texas Rangers left-hander Kenny Rogers flopped mightily when he pitched on the biggest stage of all, in the South Bronx for the New York Yankees.
Since the Rangers now lead the American League West, Howard Cole, editor of BaseballSavvy.com, has this suggestion: “It’s just about time for Kenny Rogers to request a trade away from a contender.”