Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.sports From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: sports Tue, Jul 14 1992 Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 05:08:58 EDT Message-ID: 07-14 0000 DECISIONLINE: Sports USA TODAY Update July 14, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network NEWCOMERS HIT ALL-STAR GAME: Some of baseball's biggest names will be absent from Tuesday night's 63rd All-Star Game at Jack Murphy Stadium. But for every Robin Yount, Dave Winfield or Nolan Ryan who's not here, there's a Chuck Knoblauch, Ron Gant or Kevin Brown in his place. There are 24 players - 13 from the American League and 11 for the National League - that are making their first appearance in the annual game. GLAVINE, BROWN WILL START: Atlanta's Tom Glavine (13-3) will be the first National League pitcher since Robin Roberts, from 1954-55, to start two consecutive years when he pitches against the American League in the 63rd All-Star Game Tuesday. Kevin Brown (14-4) of Texas will start in his first All-Star Game for the American League. The AL has four consecutive victories, including a 4-2 win last year in Toronto. BRAVES CONSIDER OPTIONS: The Atlanta Braves have considered a deal to let Deion Sanders play football for the Atlanta Falcons on Sundays and baseball with the Braves the rest of the week. Braves general manager John Schuerholz refuses to discuss any negotiations, but did confirm he has explored with Sanders' agent, Eugene Parker, a wide-ranging course of options. SPELLMAN SIGNS WITH BEARS: The pace of rookie signings is picking up in the NFL, but about 300 unsigned veterans are playing a different waiting game this summer. The rules of bargaining could significantly change if there is a settlement in the NFL free agency trial now recessed for two weeks. The Chicago Bears signed Ohio State defensive lineman Alonzo Spellman Monday, the ninth first-round pick to sign. INDURAIN WINS TIME TRIAL: Defending champion Miguel Indurain of Spain Monday dominated the 41-mile individual Tour de France time trial, besting the field by three minutes in 1 hour, 19 minutes, 31 seconds, averaging 30.5 mph. He chopped more than four minutes off overall leader Pascal Lino's time, moving from 12th place to second. USA's Greg LeMond finished fifth in the time trial and is fifth overall. CAESARS PALACE TO HOST BATTLE: Rich Rose of Caesars Palace believes his Las Vegas casino is hitting another jackpot by hosting the Jimmy Connors-Martina Navratilova battle of the sexes Sept. 25. The match will be officially announced at a news conference in Los Angeles July 28. The two-of-three set, pay-for-view show will be in Caesars' 14,000-seat outdoor arena. Tickets will range from $20-$75. POLL FINDS DISGRUNTLED FANS: According to a USA TODAY:ESPN poll, lots of fans think they're not getting their money's worth from the nation's premiere spectator sports. And most told the poll that they're unlikely to increase their attendance at future games. The Gordon S. Black Corp. questioned 833 fans nationwide June 19-22. The poll margin of error is four percentage points. YUGOSLAVIA'S CHANCES SLIM: Any hope Yugoslavia's men's basketball team had of competing in the 1992 Summer Olympics has been downgraded from slim to none. While FIBA's executive committee met last weekend to address Yugoslavia's status, Yugoslav sports officials agreed to an International Olympic Committee plan under which their athletes compete in the Summer Games as individuals only. OLYMPIANS LEAVE FOR BARCELONA: The first of three U.S. Olympic Committee charter flights departed Tampa, Fla., Sunday, transporting about 150 athletes and coaches headed for the Summer Games in Barcelona. Some were dropped off in southern France, where U.S. training sites are established. Tampa is being used as the processing point for most U.S. Olympians. YOUTH SPORTS RECEIVE MONEY: The Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles, which has created a $1 million fund to develop youth sports programs in the areas affected by the recent rioting, has already awarded grants totaling $111,664 to five organizations. Local businesses are being asked to increase the fund through donations. The AAF also operates 11 sports clubs in the affected areas, none of which were damaged. BIRD LOOKS READY FOR OLYMPICS: Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, who has been bothered by back problems, appears ready for the U.S. Olympic basketball team after working out Monday. "I would say he's Barcelona-bound," said Celtics and USA trainer Ed Lacerte. MARADONA HOPES TO BUY FREEDOM: Argentina's former World Cup captain Diego Maradona wants to buy his freedom from Italian club Napoli, for which he played until banned from soccer for 15 months for failing a drug test. Maradona, who told a Buenos Aires radio station he will play for Boca Juniors in a friendly match Wednesday night, said Napoli, which holds his contract, should release him or allow him to buy himself out. BULLETS, KNICKS AWAIT HEARING: Representatives of the Washington Bullets and the New York Knicks will appear at a hearing Tuesday in New York. The Bullets contend the Knicks broke NBA rules by negotiating with free agent Harvey Grant before July 1, when free agents can deal with other teams. 24-HOUR TELEPHONE INFORMATION: USA TODAY Sports Hot Line. 95 cents a minute. 1-900-555-5555. Sports Editor: Kate Coughlin. (919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM