The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, September 28, 2000 - 9A
'Shoegate' over for Badgers
M hockey lands another
001 verbal commitment
Eric Nystrom of the U.S. National
Team Development Program Under-
lI team has verbally agreed to play
'ht the University of Michigan next
fall.
Nystrom, a 6-foot-1, 191-pound
forward from Syosset, NY, and son
6f former New York Islander Bob
ystrom, currently has two goals
and three assists in seven games. He
joins forwards Dwight Helminen
and Mike Woodford, defensemen
Reilly Olson and Eric Werner, and
goaltender Jason Bacashihua for the
2001-02 freshman class.
- from staff reports
Longtime Pacers center
Smuts calls it quits at 34
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Rik Smits
never lost his love for basketball, but
his aching size-21I feet told him it was
time to get out.
The 7-foot-4 center, who played
more games for the Indiana Pacers than
any player except Reggie Miller, retired
yesterday, less than a week before train-
ing camp opens.
He said he made his decision several
.weeks ago, but at the urging of team
president Donnie Walsh took mor
time to think things over.
"1 always felt like l~would retire at or
near the top," Smits said during a news
conference at Conseco Fieldhouse.
"This past year, I felt I went a little over
the top. I said from the beginning as
soon as I'm going downhill or I'm over
the hill, I'd like to call it quits"
Smits, one of NBA's best shooting
big men, wouldn't rule out a comeback
with the Pacers, provided his lags feel
better.
"I'll leave the door open," he said.
"These years have flown by so fast, it's
going to be interesting to see how fast
this year is going to go. It's going to be
different sitting at home watching the
guys on TV every night. I'm not sure
I'm going to like it or not"
Fox Sports pays $2.5
billion for MLB coverage
NEW YORK (AP) - Cowabunga!
Fox, the network that emerged
with "The Simpsons" and didn't own
the TV rights to any sport until 1994,
is paying $2.5 billion to be the
exclusive home of major league
baseball's postseason and All-Star
game for six years.
Under the deal, which raises base-
ball's TV revenues by about 50 per-
cent starting in 2001, Fox retains its
regular-season games and no longer
has to split the playoffs with NBC
and ESPN.
"The World Series is the No. 2
championship event in sports in
: terms of ratings," Fox Sports
Television Group chairman David
Hill said Wednesday. You couldn't
revant a better promotional platform
Z=-for your entertainment programs."
'M' schedule
woday: Men's Soccer at Bowling Green. 5 pm.
-e Yomorrow: Men's Cross Country at central Collegiate
(Mt. Pleasant, Mich.). 4:30 p.m.
¢ Field Hockey at lowe. 4 p~m. CDT
omens Soccer at Idwa, 4 p.m. CDI
..e Ilckey in Blue/White lntrasquad. 7:35 p.m.
w Volleyball at Illinos. 7 p.m. CDT
Women~s Golf at Lady Northern (Minneapolis. Minn.)
Major League Basebal
I - AMERICAN LEAGUE
By Mary Motzko
The Badger Herald
The wait is finally over.
After completing the last of the Shoe
Box scandal suspensions in Saturday's
game against Northwestern, Wisconsin
is. finally able to go into this week
knowing they will have access to its
entire squad.
Not only will all of the 26 suspended
players be reinstated into the Badgers'
rotation, but also the offense will wel-
come back wide receiver Chris
Chambers, who served his three-game
suspension while sitting out with an
ankle injury.
With all of the players back, which
includes a sufficient amount of presea-
son starters, Wisconsin will have to
jumble its lineup and depth chart for
the fifth consecutive week.
Although the reserve players filled
in for their suspended teammates dur-
ing the first four games, Wisconsin will
finally be able to play their real starters
this weekend against Michigan.
The receiving core will back to full
strength with Chambers and Nick
Davis, who returned to the starting
lineup last week, sending replacements
Lee Evans and Conroy Whyte to the
sidelines.
"We finally have everyone back,"
running back Michael Bennett said.
"Guys like Chris Chambers and Jamar
Fletcher, they're going to add a lot to
our game along with Lee Evans. We'll
be hitting on all cylinders."
Although Evans provided key recep-
tions in the absence of the starters,
offensive coordinator Brian White is
confident in giving Chambers and
Davis back their positions.
"We have our whole team back,"
White said. "We're going to play the
people that are expected to be starters."
One starter whom White will. miss is
offensive lineman Dave Costa, who
suffered a broken ankle against last
week against Northwestern and will
likely miss the rest of the season. This
injury means that the offensive line
will once again be juggled, placing Bill
Ferrario, Al Johnson, Ben Johnson,
Brian Lamont and Casey Rabach in the
starting rotation.
On the other side of the ball, defen-
sive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said
he will also return to his preseason
starting lineup, but he has a few more
concerns than White does.
"It's nice to have these guys on the
field, but the bottom line is some guys
haven't played as much," Cosgrove
said.
WOMEN'
'cninued from.Page gA
Illinois is the fastest team that
Michigan has faced so far. The Illini
like to attack downfield - a strategy
that worries Rademacher.
"They atre very fast, very explosive,
especially up front - we have to pre-
pare for their speed," Rademacher said.
"Illinois is a team that has always been
fast."
Though Michigan has the speed to
run with Illinois, the Fighting Illini's
attacking style will press the defense
heavily. If the young Wolverines have
defensive lapses - something
Rademacher fears - Illinois will
unleash flurries of scoring chances on
goal.
For Michigan, leading scorers Abby
Crumpton, Amber Wilson, Stephanie
Chavez and Kacy Beitel need to finish
their chances. Beitel knows something
about finishing against Illinois - she
has scored six times against the
Fighting Illini throughout her career.
Though her teammates have been pro-
lific in generating scoring chances, they
have not been as consistent in finishing
them.
Michigan has had tremendous suc-
cess recently against both weekend
opponents. The Wolverines have beaten
Iowa three straight times, outscoring
the Hawkeyes by a total of 9-1, and
they've outscored Illinois 11-5 en route
to four straight wins.
While those statistics may serve as a
confidence boost on the road, they
reflect little on the accomplishments of
this year's roster. Most of Michigan's
key players are underclassmen. To win
the Big Ten, the youthful Wolverines
must methodically grind through everv
opponent in their path.
THIS WEEKEND IN
MICHIGAN ATHLETICS
Cool Clothes-!
Unbelievable Prices!
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apparel, shoes and accessories such as:
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w' At Plato's Closet, it's easy to save money and
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Presented by:
1
At
Hockey (Exhibition)
Friday, Sept. 29 Blue-White Game 7:30pm
-presented by Mr. Spots
Saturday, Sept. 30 vs. Wilfred-Laurier 7pm
MEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, Sept. 30 Alumni Game 10am
AVl Home Gexies at Elbel Field
ESPN COLLEGE GAME DAY
MICHIGAN VS. WISCONSIN
SATURDAY, SEPT. 30, 2000
10 AM INSIDE GATE 9
*MUST HAVE GAME TICKET*
PLATEYS
w4,0
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2459 W. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor (734) 669-9242
in the Westgate Shoppin Center at 1-94 & Jackson Road
Store Hours:Monday - Saturday 10am - 8pm,
Sunday 12pm - 5pm
MICHIGAN EXPERIENCE
-3 Hours before game time
- Interactive games
- live music, giveaways
" Television/Radio Remotes
FOR THE LATEST UPDATES ON MICHIGAN ATHLETICS
VIIIT OUR WEBSITE AT MGOBLUE.COM
Central
-Chicago Sox
Cleveland
,- Detroit
" Kansas City
Minnesota
f East
NY Yankees
Tnronto
Roston
Baltimore
Tampa Bay
" - West
Y.ASeat tle
Oakland
"Anaheim
Texas
W L Pct GB
93 65 .589 -
87 71 .551 6
76 82 .481 17
75 83 .475 18
68 90 .430 25
W L Pct GB
87 70 .554 -
83 75 .525 4.5
83 75 .525 4.5
70 88 .443 17.5
66 91 .420 21
W L Pct GB
88 69 .561 -
88 69 .561 -
80 78 .506 8.5
70 87 .446 18
Yesterday's games
- OAKLAND 9. Anaheim 7
TDRoNio 4. Baltimore 0
CLEVELANO 8. Minnesota 2
TAMPA BAY 11. NY Yankees 1
Boston 2. CHICAGO WHITE Sox 1
KANSAS CITY 3. Detroit 0
Texas at Seattle. inc.
Today's games
*sAnaheim at Oakland. 3:35 p.m.
'W Texas at Seattle, 6:35 p.m.
Toronto at Baltimore. 7:05 p.m.
Minnesota at Cleveland, 7:05 p.m.
NY Yankees at Tampa Bay. 7:15 p.m.
Boston at Chicago White Sox. 8:05 p.m.
Detroit at Kansas City, 8:05 p.m.
N4ATIONAL LEAGUE
East
W L Pct GB
Atlanta 94 64 .595 -
NY Mets 90 68 .570 4
Florida 75 82 .478 18.5
Montreal 67 91 .424 27
Philadelphia 64 94 .405 30
Central
W L Pct GB
St. Louis 92 65 .586 -
- Cincinnati 82 76 .519 10.5
ilwaukee 72 86 .456 20.5
} ouston 70 88 .443 22.5
Pittsburgh 66 92 .418 26.5
Chicago Cubs 64 94 .405 28.5
West
W L Pct GB
S.. jan Francisco 93 64 .592 -
m