Search

This article reports that Year 3 of the Ron Zook era will be the best yet, with a go-for-broke defense led by Channing Crowder. For Channing Crowder's teammates, stories about the sophomore linebacker's piggyback-riding never get old. Crowder says the hobby helps his game. Strong remembers Crowder arriving on campus last year and promising that if he didn't make 20 tackles a game, he'd "come close." With projected starter Todd McCullough injured, Crowder got his chance, and though he didn't get his 20 tackles, he did average 9.8 in nine starts. Just as the deep passing game installed by new coordinator Larry Fedora will recall the Spurrier era, so will sophomore receiver Andre Caldwell, who has the blazing speed of his brother Reche, a former Gators wideout.

Discusses the efforts of the head football coach of University of Central Florida, George O'Leary. Details of the Notre Dame résumé scandal in which he used false information; Career of O'Leary on the college and pro level, such as his time as a head coach at Georgia Tech; Challenges that O'Leary has faced at University of Central Florida, such as many of the scholarship players being on academic probation when he took over.

This article discusses football player Brock Berlin, who is the favorite to be the starting quarterback for the University of Miami in 2004. While plenty of Miami fans question whether Brock Berlin should be the Hurricanes' starting quarterback in 2004, no one can question the senior's commitment to earning their confidence. Every morning during a sometimes shaky 2003 season at Miami, the former Florida Gator would wake up at 6 a.m., grab a cup of joe from McDonald's and head to the Hurricanes' athletic department offices. In last Saturday's spring game, Berlin validated Coker's confidence, going 10 for 16 for 185 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown to Darnell Jenkins. Berlin notes that Miami's increased emphasis on downfield passing--a plan installed by Werner, who was promoted from quarterbacks coach in January when Rob Chudzinski took a job with the Cleveland Browns--could work in his favor. Can such optimism, along with a year of hard knocks and dogged film study, be enough to transform Berlin into the next great Miami quarterback? INSET: In Search of The Main Man.

This article focuses on the work of Bill Callahan as the new head coach of the University of Nebraska football team. There's a new look to Nebraska football, and you could see it on quarterback Joe Dailey's face last week. Callahan, the first Huskers coach to be hired from outside the program since 1962, is wasting no time in bringing Nebraska up to speed on his style of football. In less than three months the former Oakland Raiders coach has enacted more change than the tradition-entrenched program had seen in nearly three decades. To ease the transition, Callahan and his revamped staff, which includes two former Oakland assistants, worked tirelessly over the winter to assemble a top 25 recruiting class featuring players familiar with a pro-style offense. Until the results of that preparation are unveiled in September, the question of whether this new offense can propel the Cornhuskers into their first conference title game in five years will be the source of heated debate in football-mad Lincoln.

This article focuses on the efforts of hockey goaltender Joe Exter to play professionally after recovering from a fractured skull he sustained in a college game. Exter improved his record for the Wheeling Nailers to 7-1-1, goalie Joe Exter, who suffered a near-fatal skull fracture in a Hockey East playoff game for Merrimack last March (SI, March 24, 2003). Exter collided with Boston College's Patrick Eaves and hit his head on the ice, which caused his brain to swell. When doctors cleared Exter to play at the start of the 2003-04 season, he received limited interest from pro teams. After Exter passed a battery of mental and physical tests, the Penguins' AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre, Pa, signed him on Dec. 24 and sent him to Wheeling of the ECHL. If Exter, who has a 2.20 goals-against average, appears in at least two more games, Wilkes-Barre is contractually obligated to re-sign him for next season.

This article presents a quote from Herford, North Carolina native and baseball player Jim (Catfish) Hunter, who played with the Yankees and A's, from his 1987 Baseball Hall of Fame induction.

This article presents Sports Illustrated's selection for the greatest sports moment in the history of North Carolina. Avenging its only loss of the season, North Carolina State--led by forward David Thompson's 28 points--snapped UCLA's streak of seven straight national titles by defeating Bill Walton and the Bruins 80-77 in double overtime in the NCAA semifinals on March 23, 1974, in Greensboro. In an anticlimactic final two nights later, the Wolfpack easily beat Marquette to claim its first national title.

Presents Sports Illustrated's selections for the six greatest athletes ever to emerge from the state of North Carolina. Basketball player, Michael Jordon; Race car driver, Richard Petty; Baseball player, Buck Leonard; Basketball player, David Thompson; Race car driver, Dale Earnhardt; Basketball and tennis player, John Lucas.

Presents a map of important sports figures and locations in the state of North Carolina. University of North Carolina, Asheville; Site of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games; Home of stock car legend Junior Johnson; Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame; Statue of native stock car driver Dale Earnhardt; Lowe's Motor Speedway; Home of basketball player Jerry Stackhouse; Home of baseball legend Babe Ruth; Others.

Presents the results of a poll taken of North Carolina sports fans about sports in their home state. Favorite major league baseball team; Favorite pro team; Favorite college; Greatest athlete who ever lived in or played for a team in your state; State's biggest rivalry; Favorite sports announcer; Favorite sport to play; Favorite sport to watch on television.

This article reports that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been hired by the New York Knicks as a scout and assistant coach. With four decades and a 1,560-game career behind him, Abdul-Jabbar is getting an opportunity to contribute to his original favorite team. A chance meeting with New York G.M. Isiah Thomas at a party during All-Star weekend in L.A. has led to Abdul-Jabbar's taking a job that will most likely include evaluating talent for the Knicks and coaching the team's punchless post players. "We were hanging out when Isiah said, 'You could really help us out,'" says Abdul-Jabbar. "It was music to my ears."

It was billed as a matchup of Division I-AA's two best players, but the title game between Delaware and Colgate last Friday in Chattanooga turned out to be no contest. Colgate junior running back Jamaal Branch, who'd rushed for 2,271 yards and 29 TDs to win the Walter Payton Award, was held to 55 yards on 20 carries, while Delaware senior QB Andy Hall, a Payton finalist, completed 12 of 20 passes for 182 yards and two TDs in leading the Blue Hens to a 40-0 victory and their first I-AA title. During the season Hall, a Georgia Tech transfer, played through a broken finger, a bad back, a hip pointer and finally a separated left shoulder, which was hurting him on Friday night.

From controversy to outstanding performances to surprises, this season had it all. As the BCS computers overheat, we give you our choices for the major awards, and throw in some categories of our own. HEISMAN: Pittsburgh sophomore receiver Larry Fitzgerald stumbled in the Panthers' regular-season finale, catching only three passes in a 28-14 loss to Miami. But he was still the best player in the nation and had the statistics to back it up: 87 catches for 1,595 yards and an NCAA record of at least one touchdown reception in 18 consecutive games. DOAK WALKER (BEST RUNNING BACK): After rushing for just 26 yards in an early loss at Oregon, Michigan senior Chris Perry got stronger as the season wore on. BEST COMEBACK: In changing his life, Michigan State senior quarterback Jeff Smoker helped lift his team. Smoker, who was sidelined by a substance-abuse problem in 2002, returned to lead the Spartans (4-8 last season) to an 8-4 record. BEST GAME: Was anyone surprised that the battle between Florida State and Florida on Nov. 29 ended in fisticuffs? The two bitter rivals swapped the lead four times in the fourth quarter before Seminoles quarterback Chris Rix hit P.K. Sam on a 52-yard scoring strike with 55 seconds remaining to give Florida State a 38-34 victory.

This article reports on the match up of rivals Louisiana State University and the University of Mississippi. Mike Hillman, LSU's starting quarterback in 1968 and '69, tapped the shoulder of Archie Manning, the Ole Miss signal-caller from 1968 to '70 and father of Rebels starter Eli. For 94-year-old John Vaught, it had to do with the eight times LSU had gotten the better of him during his 190-61-12 coaching run in 25 seasons with the Rebels. "I sure hope your boy wins the Heisman," said Hillman, shaking his old rival's hand." But LSU had better win this game." Every one of the 62,552 fans attending the 92nd meeting of these cross-border rivals had a reason why his or her team deserved to win the biggest game between the schools in more than 30 years. An LSU loss to Arkansas would keep Ole Miss's SEC West title hopes alive. That was small consolation to Archie Manning, whose youngest son was playing his final college home game. "Today just wasn't meant to be," said Archie. "But I know this: We're going to kick State's butt next week".

This article discusses the victory of the Ohio State University football team over Purdue University, and preparations for the upcoming game with the University of Michigan. There are a slew of statistics by which a defense can measure itself after a game, from takeaways to yardage allowed to the opponent's third-down conversion percentage. But the Ohio State D can accurately gauge its performance by the number of up-and-downs that defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio makes players do at the following week's practices. Ohio State's most electric play occurred with 11: 23 left in the fourth quarter, when defensive linemen Tim Anderson and Will Smith sandwiched Boilermakers quarterback Kyle Orton, knocking the ball loose, and Mike Kudla pounced on it in the end zone to give the Buckeyes a 13-6 lead. The win boosted Ohio State's national title hopes and set up a showdown for the Big Ten crown with Michigan on Saturday.

This article focuses on the upcoming match-up between wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald of the University of Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech cornerback Eric Green. Fitzgerald, a 6'3", 225-pound sophomore, has 60 catches and leads Division I-A with 146.7 receiving yards per game. With Hokies star corner DeAngelo Hall suspended for the first half, after getting ejected for fighting against Miami, the pressure of containing Fitzgerald falls to Green, a 5'11", 189-pound junior. Green isn't as good as Hall(DeAngelo Hall), but he's an above average corner and has two interceptions.

This article discusses the success of the Virginia Tech Hokies football team. In Frank Beamer's 23 years of coaching, no stretch was tougher than the last 10 days of October. It started when his third-ranked Virginia Tech team let a potential undefeated season slip away for the fourth time in as many years, losing 28-7 at West Virginia on Oct. 22. Then, having been caught on camera slapping receiver Ernest Wilford on the helmet during the game, Beamer was ashamed and apologized for his uncharacteristic behavior. Finally there was the intense preparation for last Saturday's game against Big East nemesis Miami, which hadn't lost a regular-season game since September 2000 and hadn't been beaten by a conference opponent since November 1999. By demolishing Miami 31-7, the Hokies moved back into the national title picture, jumping five spots in the Associated Press poll to No. 5 and moving up to No. 6 in the bowl championship series standings. Among the highlights: junior cornerback Eric Green's blocked field goal in the first quarter, junior cornerback DeAngelo Hall's fumble recovery and 28-yard return for a touchdown in the second quarter, and Green's 51-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Tennessee's 51-43 victory over Alabama in five overtimes last Saturday is a perfect example of why the college format is superior. In a game that lasted nearly five hours, the Vols tried everything, including concocting new plays on the sideline. Tennessee has a 700-page playbook, but during the third overtime offensive coordinator Randy Sanders came up with a quarterback keeper that led to the field goal that forced the fourth overtime.Sanders drew up a few other plays, but his best move may have been in the fifth OT, when he inserted seldom-used running back Corey Larkins, who ripped off runs of 15 and six yards to set up Casey Clausen's game-winning one-yard TD.

This article analyzes the match-up between University of Southern California wide receiver Mike Williams and Washington State cornerback Jason David. Washington State's blitzing, pressure defense has the 6'5", 230-pound Williams, a sophomore who has 54 catches for 786 yards and eight touchdowns, salivating because he'll often see one-on-one coverage. The daunting task of trying to check Williams falls to David, a senior who will give up nine inches and 50 pounds to Williams, but has 29 tackles, five interceptions and 10 pass breakups.

This article focuses on the performance of quarterback Josh Harris of Bowling Green State University. It's safe to say that Bowling Green, set in a blip of a burgh in northwest Ohio, was a little bowled over by the attention paid to its showdown last Saturday with No. 12 Northern Illinois. The national attention would have cowed many small-school quarterbacks, but not senior Josh Harris. When asked in the postgame press conference whether he could have foreseen throwing for 438 yards in a 34-18 win over the Huskies, Harris didn't hesitate. "Yes, I did," he said. "That's why I came to Bowling Green." The 6'3", 238-pound Harris is the brightest star in a burgeoning Mid-American Conference. But watching the multithreat quarterback tear up defenses--the Falcons upset Purdue earlier this season and narrowly lost to Ohio State--one wonders why Harris isn't on a Top 10 team himself. Harris was in fact recruited by several major-conference schools as an option quarterback at Westerville (Ohio) North High, in a suburb of Columbus, in 1999. Problem was, Ohio State, Penn State and others wanted to use his speed and athleticism at cornerback, running back, anywhere, it seemed, but quarterback. Harris, who had a passion for passing, stood firm.

This article focuses on the performance of University of West Virginia running back Quincy Wilson. West Virginia senior running back Quincy Wilson nearly cried when the home fans chanted his name in celebration of the Mountaineers' 28-7 win over No. 3 Virginia Tech on Oct. 22. But that roar of approval didn't compare with the praise Wilson received later that night in the quiet of his apartment, where he watched a tape of the game with his father, Otis, the former Chicago Bears linebacker (1980-87) who had cheered himself hoarse in Mountaineer Field hours before. After serving as a backup behind Avon Cobourne, the Big East's alltime leading rusher, for two seasons and getting off to a disappointing start this year as West Virginia dropped four of its first five games, Wilson has established himself as one of the most dangerous ballcarriers in the nation. In a 22-20 loss to Miami on Oct. 2, he ran over one Hurricanes defender and vaulted over another to put West Virginia up 20-19 with 2:00 left in the game. Against Virginia Tech, Wilson carried 33 times for 178 yards and a touchdown.

This brief article introduces Oregon State running back Steven Jackson. The son of a Las Vegas casino manager, Jackson isn't on many Heisman watch lists yet, but don't bet against him. The 6'3", 229-pound junior, who has the speed to break away in the open field and the strength to run over defenders, is ranked second in the nation in rushing (146.2 yards a game) and has gone over 100 yards in 11 consecutive regular-season games. Cal cornerback Daymeion Hughes watched Jackson burn the Bears for 227 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-21 Oregon State win on Oct. 4, and Hughes cast his vote. "Steven Jackson for the Heisman," he said. "That's the best back we've seen all year, and we've played some good ones.".

This article reports on the success of Texas Christian University's football team thanks to efforts by coach Gary Patterson to tweak the team's defense. When it comes to defense, TCU coach Gary Patterson is admittedly obsessed. Last summer Patterson helped organize a summit in Arizona at which a handful of coaches who love the 4-2-5 defense spent hours analyzing film and debating strategies. And throughout the season the coach experiments relentlessly with player combinations and coverage schemes until he finds what works best. Under Patterson the Horned Frogs were No. 1 in total defense in 2000 and again last season, when TCU went 10-2. This year the defense is the main reason why the Horned Frogs are 4-0 after last Saturday's 13-10 overtime win over Arizona. Patterson says he's pleased with his players' opportunism, but he thinks they can cut down their foes' passing yardage by playing smarter.

The University of Nebraska defense was instrumental in defeating Penn State in college football. When did Nebraska players get an inkling that new defensive coordinator Bo Pelini was a little intense? Perhaps it was when he introduced himself to the Cornhuskers last January and delivered a speech so rousing "that it made the hair on your arms stand up," says junior linebacker Barrett Ruud. The attitude is catching on with players. After a 7-7 season during which Nebraska's vaunted Blackshirts surrendered 361.9 yards per game, the Cornhuskers are allowing an average of just 208 yards this season, fewest in the nation. In an 18-10 win over Penn State that improved Nebraska to 3-0, the Huskers' defense showed how far it has come since a punchless performance in a 40-7 loss to the Nittany Lions last September. Pelini, who earned a reputation for getting the best from his players as linebackers coach for the New England Patriots (1997 to '99) and the Green Bay Packers (2000 to '02), is proving to be the biggest score from Frank Solich's staff overhaul last winter. Pelini didn't waste time studying previous Huskers playbooks or entertaining players' notions about what went wrong under predecessor Craig Bohl. He reviewed video of Nebraska's games last season, but instead of taking notes on what schemes weren't working, he jotted down the names of the players who hustled hardest. "I knew I wanted to do very different things X's-and-O's-wise, so I didn't want a tainted view," says Pelini, who runs a zone-based defense in which speed is the chief weapon.

Matt Leinart will replace 2002's Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer as the quarterback at the University of Southern California (USC). In three decades as a coach, USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow has used hundreds of elaborate practice drills. But this summer he had sophomore quarterback Matt Leinart doing countless repetitions of a yawningly basic footwork exercise that Chow simply calls Reset. "The goal is that we not lose a single step," says Chow. With a convincing 23-0 victory over Auburn, which was picked as a preseason No. 1 by two national publications, Southern California proved that it has not lost a step despite the departure of several key players from last year's 11-2 team. Two-time All-America strong safety Troy Polamalu departed for the National Football League (NFL) last spring? With a veteran defensive line and an able successor to Polamalu in freshman Darnell Bing, who had an interception and a fumble recovery, the Trojans' defense yielded no points and just 164 yards. Led by the poised Leinart, who completed 17 of 30 passes for 192 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions in his first college start, USC's offense was efficient (4 for 4 in the red zone) against a tough Auburn defense.

If the Heisman Trophy had a doubles division, the duo of Kansas State senior quarterback Ell Roberson and junior running back Darren Sproles would surely be an early favorite. Although the seventh-ranked Wildcats had some shaky moments in a 42-28 win over California in the Black Coaches Association Classic, Roberson and Sproles showed how dangerous a talented backfield tandem can be. Roberson, who broke the school record for quarterback rushing yards with 1,032 in 2002, had a career-high three passing touchdowns, while Sproles, who set eight Wildcats rushing records last year, carried the ball for a career-high 175 yards. Of the two, Roberson is the higher-profile player, an emotional leader who overcame a difficult start to his career before settling in as the starting quarterback early last season. Whereas many small runners are partial to the outside, Sproles often has his greatest success up the middle, as when he slalomed through a handful of Bears to begin a 53-yard run on Kansas State's first play from scrimmage.

The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers will compete for the championship in the Big Ten college football conference. Forget that Minnesota has finished no higher than fourth in the Big Ten in the past 17 years, or that it last claimed the conference title in 1967. Since spring practice each player has been toting in his wallet a laminated card, designed by strength coach Mike Chism, that bears a picture of the Rose Bowl (where the Gophers haven't played a January game since 1962) and three words: "WHY NOT US?" In 2002 the Gophers went 8-5, capping the year with a dominating 29-14 victory over heavily favored Arkansas in the Music City Bowl. A speech by quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq just before kickoff proved prophetic. The key to any title run, though, is Abdul-Khaliq. He came to Minnesota from a crime-ridden neighborhood in Elizabeth, N.J., and a postgrad stop at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy.

Indiana's Notre Dame Fighting Irish ranked number 17 on a list of the top 25 college football teams in 2003. Middle linebacker Courtney Watson was fired up, and there wasn't even a trash-talking tailback in sight. On this recent afternoon he was agitated over the plight of Notre Dame's campus cafeteria workers, who are not unionized. A business major with aspirations of law school as well as the NFL, Watson is outspoken on issues ranging from workers' rights to diversity on campus. Last year, in coach Tyrone Willingham's debut season, Notre Dame exceeded expectations with a 10-3 record, but the defensive captain still broods about how punchless the team was late in the season, most notably in a close call against Navy and a Gator Bowl loss to N.C. State. A wide receiver turned running back at Riverview High in Sarasota, Fla., Watson switched to linebacker in 2000 and 2 1/2 years later was a Butkus Award finalist with a team-high 90 tackles, four interceptions, eight pass break-ups and three sacks.

Pennsylvania's University of Pittsburgh Panthers ranked number 12 on a list of the top 25 college football teams in 2003. Most college players dream of life in the NFL; at age 19 sophomore wideout Larry Fitzgerald can already reminisce about it. His father, Larry, is a Minneapolis sports editor and close friend of former Minnesota Vikings coach Dennis Green, so as a kid Fitzgerald would regularly hang out on the Vikings' sidelines, and he became the team's ball boy in high school. Not surprisingly, then, Pitt's new star is well ahead of most sophomores in skill and maturity. He demonstrated both in Pitt's 28-21 upset of then undefeated Virginia Tech last fall, catching five passes for 105 yards, including three soaring touchdown grabs. Such performances made him the first freshman unanimously voted to the All-Big East First Team. On offense, head coach Walt Harris's complex West Coast attack features Fitzgerald and three talented seniors, quarterback Rod Rutherford, tailback Brandon Miree and tight end Kris Wilson. With linebackers coach David Blackwell off to Clemson and only one experienced player back, the Panthers turned to former Pitt linebacker Curtis Bray to coach the unit. He has already proved himself as Pitt's defensive ends coach, mentoring NFLer Bryan Knight and senior All-America candidate Claude Harriott.

Virginia Tech University Hokies ranked number six on a list of the top 25 college football teams in 2003. A year ago Virginia Tech's running back tandem of senior Lee Suggs and sophomore Kevin Jones were dubbed The Untouchables. Inspired by the 2002 performance of Ohio State sophomore Chris Gamble, who played cornerback and wideout, several coaches are considering using their best athletes on both sides of the ball. Virginia Tech wants to push the limits in many ways this year. With nine starters returning on defense, plus the stellar junior backfield duo of Jones and Bryan Randall--he passed for 2,134 yards and rushed for 507 last season--Virginia Tech has the personnel to get off to another strong start and this time extend it through December. The Hokies are deftly managing the quarterback battle between junior Bryan Randall and freshman Marcus Vick, defusing media speculation by stressing that Randall will enter the season as the starter and quietly boosting Vick's confidence by planning to give him equal first-team reps in preseason practice.

The University of Miami has moved from the Big East to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The decision came after nearly two months of negotiations among the school and representatives of the ACC and the Big East, which will need to restructure without its marquee member. Miami will be joined by Virginia Tech in the move, which is expected to take effect in the fall of 2004. Miami had been the linchpin of the ACC's plan to expand from nine to 12 schools, which would make it easier to have a lucrative annual conference football championship like the Big 12 and the SEC. After those selections met opposition from some ACC representatives--especially Virginia, which was lobbying for rival Virginia Tech to be included in the mix--the conference switched tactics and said it would invite only Miami and Virginia Tech.

Of all the people making a buck from this year's National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals, few will profit as handsomely, and none as effortlessly, as brothers Ozzie and Dan Silna. Ozzie runs an embroidery factory in Malibu, California, and Dan dabbles in various business and philanthropic ventures in Saddle River, New Jersey. They are not involved in professional basketball, but since 1976, the two have received one-seventh of the TV revenue generated by the four American Basketball Association franchises in the NBA--an arrangement that has so far made them more than $100 million. Twenty-seven years ago the brothers owned the ABA's Spirits of St. Louis. Under the terms of the 1976 merger, the NBA absorbed four ABA teams (the New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs) and left it to the ABA owners to deal with the remaining two franchises, the Kentucky Colonels and the Spirits. Colonels owner John Y. Brown, who later was elected governor of Kentucky, accepted a flat $3.3 million payout. But the Silnas refused to go quietly. At an all-night meeting in Hyannis, Massachusetts the Silnas swung a deal giving them $2.2 million up front as well as the TV revenue. Astonishingly, and in part because no one thought the TV money would be all that significant, the deal is in perpetuity, so as long as there is an NBA, the Silnas and their heirs (seven children and six grandchildren) will be paid.

Reports on the efforts of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) to lure the University of Miami away from the Big East Conference and the efforts of the Big East to prevent them. How a proposed move by Miami to the ACC would impact college football; Propositions being filed with Miami athletic director Paul Dee; Prospect for the Big East Conference, which, should it lose Miami, Boston College and Syracuse University as is being proposed, could become a basketball-first conference with its six remaining basketball-only schools.

The University of Alabama's decision to hire Mike Price last December was bold, unexpected and more than a little controversial. Alabama athletic director Mal Moore, announcing the hire on May 8, suggested that Mike Shula's experience as the son of football legend Don, as well as his tenure as an all-SEC quarterback at Alabama in the mid-1980s, would help him deal with the scrutiny that comes with representing the Crimson Tide. Moore confirmed late last week that well-regarded coach Sylvester Croom, an African-American, interviewed for the job on May 5, the day after Shula was screened. Croom, an All-America center under 'Bear' Bryant who has 10 years of college experience (as a linebackers coach at Alabama) and 16 years of National Football League (NFL) assistant coaching on his resume, seemed to be equally or more qualified than Shula. Although Moore pointed out that Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome, who is black, "supported Mike" when Moore consulted Newsome during the hiring process, critics say that Croom didn't stand a chance in the SEC, which has never had a black head coach in football.

The American League East's last-place Toronto Blue Jays have been floundering on the mound and at the plate, yet the prospect of playing in Toronto (Ont.) makes some rivals queasy with fear. The city, a favorite among ballplayers for its restaurants and nightlife, has been added to the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of places to avoid because of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). No city outside China has been more affected by the virus, which has killed 20, infected 257 and forced the quarantine of at least 10,000 people in Toronto since February. Because the Toronto Raptors did not make the National Basketball Association postseason and the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated from the National Hockey League playoffs, baseball was the only major sport active in Toronto when the WHO issued its advisory. Unlike in Asia, where events such as the women's world hockey championships in Beijing and the Singapore Airlines horse race have been canceled, few Canadian sports have been affected.

When it comes to the fairer sex, 4-year-old stallions are usually not discriminating. Yet for reasons that elude War Emblem's new owners in Hokkaido, Japan, the 2002 Kentucky Derby champ has been a cool customer in the shed. Uninterested in most mares presented to him in his first season at stud, War Emblem has covered only six of them since mid-February. War Emblem's standoffishness isn't unheard of. As they negotiate with Lloyds of London for what compensation they would receive if the sire doesn't pan out, the family has called in two veterinarians to help.

Reports on the prospects of quarterback Brock Berlin, a transfer from the University of Florida, to win the starting quarterback job at the University of Miami. Comments from Miami's quarterback coach, Dan Werner, regarding Berlin's attitude; Why Berlin is the front-runner to win the job. INSET: New Beginnings.

Reports that two members of Zimbabwe's national cricket team, Henry Olonga and Andy Flower, have fled the country in protest of 'the death of democracy' in Zimbabwe under president Robert Mugabe. Human rights violations levied against Mugabe by Amnesty International; Country where Olonga is seeking political asylum.

Don't let his bashful smile fool you. Hunched over a chessboard, 15-year-old Hikaru Nakamura is one of the most ruthless competitors you'll ever see. A tennis-playing Tennessee Titans fan from White Plains, N.Y., Hikaru became the youngest U.S. grandmaster by scoring 7 1/2 points in 11 games at the Bermuda International Chess Festival. (Bobby Fischer was four months, four days older when he became a grandmaster in 1958). He's always been aggressive, sacrificing pieces to earn technical advantage.

Profiles Matt Crenshaw, who led Indiana University and Purdue University in Indianapolis (IUPUI) to its first-ever berth in the NCAA basketball tournament. Crenshaw's efforts in the Mid-Continent conference title game against Valparaiso; How Crenshaw made his way to IUPUI after six-year hitch in the U.S. Navy.

On the streets of London an experiment on the effects of sleep deprivation is being played out by six Europeans. On March 2, 2003, four men and two women set out on the first Flora 1,000 Mile Challenge, which requires the participants to complete exactly one mile every hour for 1,000 hours or be disqualified. Inspired by the exploits of British sportsman Capt. Robert Barclay, who covered 1,000 miles in 1,000 hours to win a bet in 1809, the race's madcap format allows competitors to rest (in a bus that accompanies their route along the London Marathon course) for little more than a half hour at a time for six straight weeks. Competitors who make it to the end of the race, which coincides with the start of the April 13, 2003 London Marathon, will receive 7,000 pounds ($11,200). The runners can then run the 26.2-mile race, for which the group's first male and female to finish in less than seven hours will get 3,000 pounds.

Focuses on the visit by Ted Williams's longtime friend Arthur "Buzz" Hamon to Alcor, the Scottsdale, Arizona facility where the Splendid Splinter's body is cryogenically frozen at the behest of his son, John Henry. Accompanied by his friend Bobbie Sgrillo, a former funeral home owner, Hamon, who ran the Ted Williams Museum in Hernando, Florida from 1995 through 1999, gained access to Alcor's high-security facility after Sgrillo claimed she had a professional interest in cryonics. Both visitors say they were unsettled by the operating room, which was cluttered with boxes, papers and other debris and where the absence of stainless steel on the work surfaces struck Sgrillo as "unsanitary." Alcor president Jerry Lemler, who says the tanks' nitrogen quantities are adequate, attributes the clutter to renovations and says that Hamon and Sgrillo are ignorant of the accepted guidelines in the cryonics industry. Hamon says a group of Williams's friends (he won't reveal their names) last week filed a request asking the Arizona attorney general to investigate Alcor's practices.

He had become the most anticipated visitor to spring training, a slim, silver-haired philosopher bearing tips to tame a young pitcher's curveball or rouse a veteran's confidence. But for one of the few times in the past half century, Sandy Koufax, will not make an appearance at the spring training camp of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The legendary lefty has cut ties to the team with which he spent his Hall of Fame career, all because of a bit of tabloid innuendo that was ignored by almost everyone but the famously private Koufax himself. Last week, when reporters noticed that Koufax was absent from camp, Hall went public with the news, saying that Koufax said he "felt foolish" working with an entity connected to News Corp. Though Koufax was seen at the Port St. Lucie, Florida training complex of the Mets--who are owned by his high school friend Fred Wilpon--he had, at press time, eluded all media.

Reports that Alan Webb made his debute as a professional in his signature event. Two years ago set a schoolboy record in the mile when he ran 3:53.43 for Reston, Virginia's South Lakes High School. Webb, who last June left Michigan after a disappointing freshman season to sign a six-year endorsement contract with Nike worth $250,000 annually, finished third in a 10man field last Saturday at New York City's Armory Collegiate Invitational. Webb paced the pack before being overtaken by James Thie, an unheralded Welshman, and Kenya's Eliud Njubi, on the backstretch. Webb, who was widely hailed as the future of American middle-distance running when he shattered Jim Ryun's 36-year-old high school mile mark at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. Relieved to have his first professional mile behind him, Webb returned to Reston, where he will work out with his former high school coach Scott Raczko and study economics at nearby George Mason University.

Focuses on Marsha Wetzel, the first deaf female referee in Division I college hockey history. How she rose through the ranks; Contention that her being deaf does not impact the way Wetzel officiates; How the deafness allows Wetzel to block out the boos and screams from the crowd.

Discusses potential candidates for the 2003 Heisman Trophy. Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett; University of Texas wide receiver Roy Williams; Virginia Tech running back Kevin Jones; University of Washington quarterback Cody Pickett; University of Missouri quarterback Brad Smith; Others

Discusses the decision of high school quarterback Chris Leak to attend the University of Florida and play football there. Announcement that was made on a nationally televised high-school all-star game that Leak played in; Starting quarterback job that Leak will compete for in 2003; Hope of University of Florida coach Ron Zook that other players will follow Leak to the school; Coaching decisions that Zook made in the Outback Bowl that has earned him criticism from many Florida fans.

Presents 24 football players, and one coach, who performed the best in the postseason according to 'Sports Illustrated.' Jeff Mack of Wisconsin; Mike Doss of Ohio State; Gerald Hayes of Pittsburgh; Others.

Presents a preview of top college football teams in the 2003 season. Reasons Ohio State could repeat as national champions; Predictions for Oklahoma and the University of Miami; Quarterback David Greene who is expected to lead the University of Georgia Bulldogs to a good season; Others.

Focuses on several college football bowl games that feature prominent seniors who will be evaluated by National Football League scouts. University of Michigan tight end Bennie Joppru in the Outback Bowl; University of Texas guard Derrick Dockery in the Cotton Bowl; Penn State University running back Larry Johnson in the Capital One Bowl; University of Oklahoma running back Quentin Griffin in the Rose Bowl; Florida State University defensive end Alonzo Jackson in the Sugar Bowl; University of Southern California quarterback Carson Palmer in the Orange Bowl; Others.