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Show Inside Today Baseball complete look at Friday's WNBA action. B2 B3 B4 B5 B8 NFL - Scoreboard Weather feDITOR: TAD WALCH A SPORTS Bl THE DAILY HERALD 344-25- SAIl KDAY.Jl I V 21. U.S. squad 'on a mission' SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico The only thing stand(AP) ing between the United States and an Olympic berth is Argentina, which features a player brazen enough to dunk over Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan. That stuff by teenager Andres Nocioni in the first round of the Tournament of the Americas may have been the best by anyone in the entire Scott Bell Detmer needing to recapture fire pf his college days Olympic qualifying event. But Argentina's boasting ends there, and its outlook is bleak for today's semifinal the first round, winning by against the NBA stars. to go "We're on a mission to Australia and play in the Olympics," Tim Hardaway said. "We don't want to give anybody any ideas. "We want to go out there and play with our minds and our bodies and show everybody that we are the best team in the world." Two Olympic berths are at stake in today's semifinals, with Puerto Rico playing Canada in the other game. The United States had no problem with Argentina in 31 in the Americans' third game. The United States has won its first eight games by an average of 32.6 points and allowed no opponent to score more than 76. The only team that kept things tight into the second half was Brazil, which pulled within three points before the Americans pulled away. "Our next game is the most important game that our team could ever have to See QUALIFIER, B2 PKIKK ( OMJKOVKIhe AsMiminl - Man among boys: Kevin Garnett has been the driving force fur the U.S. in this week's Olympic qualifying tournament. , It's hard to know exactly how to feel for Ty Detmer these days, rn Detmer is entering his eighth season ia the NFL, and he has a starting job fir the expansion Cleveland Browns. Detmer has probably made a couple million bones over his career, and he's rtanaged to stick in a league that critics said he was too small to compete in. He also has the undying devotion ; c BYU fans everywhere, who still 1989-199- 1 years like pmember the jthey were last season. Detmer has the most prized piece f collegiate football hardware in all Armstrong comeback almost complete he land, the Heisman, to his credit. e also has a roomful of college ords to his name. So by no means has the guy's areer been a disappointment. Most f us armchair quarterbacks would ove to have a few of his accolades, hot to mention some of his cash. And most college players aspiring j (to be pros would love to stick for eight years in the most brutal professional jsports league in the world, FUTUROSCOPE, France (AP) Coasting from wine country to cognac country to a theme park. Lance Armstrong could be forgiven for think '-? i t i STILL, DETMER S current situa tion is a little unsettling. Perhaps even embarrassing. Detmer is basically keeping the seat warm for No. 1 draft pick Tim Couch Jn Cleveland. He's supposed to keep the team's head above water before The Chosen One steps in and leads 'the Browns to the promised land. He's kind of like those seat fillers at televised award ceremonies. At the Oscars or Emmys, people are paid to sit in the seats of celebrities when they go up to receive their awards so the cameras don't pick up any empty chairs. ' When the celebrities get back, the Seat fillers move out graciously and jwait for the next announcement. the man who Similarly, Detmer jonce threw for 5,188 yards in a single is expected to step jseason at BYU laside when Couch is ready. The Couch Ican't sit for too long. Even Detmer admits this. "Everybody knows Tim is the guy for the future," he told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I don't have any pressure on me right now. "I'm supposed to be a backup. I go out and play, do the best I can and Just have fun and enjoy it." J . , HERE'S HOPING Detmer doesn't really believe that. Of course, he has to be realistic. !The Browns aren't paying Couch millions for nothing. And we have to remember Detmer !has always been one of the most hum-Iblguys around. But still, it just doesn't feel right to see the guy who threw for 15,031 yards in his BYU career accepting the back seat. This is Ty Detmer we're talking about. The guy who beat Miami. The iguy who could hit a piece of dental 'floss 30 yards downfield if his shoul-'der- s weren't separated, f ' The NFL is filled with plenty of reality, plenty of stories of guys who Ihaven't made the grade. Detmer has never been a super-istabut he's put together a solid career, throwing for 4,897 career yards in 44 games (19 as a starter). This is a new beginning for Detmer in Cleveland. He most likely will start tthe first game in this chapter of Browns history. I Hopefully, he can recapture a little of that old Detmer magic and keep the Couch in storage for more than a ing the party had already started. Texan needs to But the stay upright on his bike for two more days before he can pop open the champagne. Barring a mistimed flat tire or a bad fall, Armstrong will cap his remarkable comeback from cancel with a Tour de France victory Sunday in Paris. on the Champs-ElyseeHe moved a step closer with Friday's 18th stage, won by Italy's Gianpaolo s JASON OLSON The Daily Herald Jazzed to be here: Former Connecticut star Donny Marshall, left, hopes to join Todd Fuller, right, on next season's Utah roster. m wlM vMb RfflsirsIhisDn Another summer, another camp for NBA hopeful at Franklin Covey headquarters. By TAD WALCH already on the West Coast and when (Jazz VP) Scott Layden told my agent they'd love to have me here, I jumped at it. "To be a part of the Jazz organization is great." He really means it, not just as a guy hoping to get back in the league after two years on the outside. Marshall played small forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1995-9and 1996-97- , averaging 2.8 points over 90 games. He was cut by Cleveland on Oct. "So I was The Daily Herald If you WEST VALLEY CITY fancy yourself an NBA player but you don't have a job in the league, summer can be an adventure. Just ask Donny Marshall, the forNBA mer UConn star and two-yea- r veteran now trying out for the Utah Jazz. "I was in Los Angeles a week ago playing in a summer league for the Toronto Raptors," Marshall said Friday after the first of two practices 6 30, 1997, despite having a year left on a guaranteed contract, and sat out the season. This January, after the lockout ended, he went to camp with the Milwaukee Bucks, because he'd known coach George Karl since he'd been in high school in Seattle. "I made a decision from the heart instead of a business decision," he said. "I learn more every year." The lockout crammed personnel decisions into a three- - or four-wee- k Mondini. Staying safely in the pack, Armstrong came in 31st and didn't lose a second of his lead of 6 minutes, 15 seconds. 'The tactic is to protect the yellow jersey from danger," said Job an Bruyneel, director of Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service team. "We're in an ideal situation, but we have to he careful there isn't an accident." "We've had the perfect scenario play out here," he said. "I couldn't have made it up; myself." And the scenario couldn't be more promising for, today's time trial. Armstrong's specialty. He won the race's other two, time trials and is heavily favored in the last one. His exploits have brought out larger contingent of American fans. Penny Zim of Peoria, 111., is in France on a cycling trip and likes what is happening to her sport. -- w See TOUR, IU See CAMP, B2 ! e, ' 1 r, 1' I ;few games. j Scott Bell is a sports writer for The Daily Herald. Rogers headed to Mets o NEW YORK (AP) Kenny Rogers is ready to give New York a second try, this time in the National League with the Mets. Rogers, who washed out as free agent with a the New York Yankees, was acquired by the Mets from Oakland on Friday for two minor leaguers. The Mets, returning from road trip just two games a behind Atlanta in the NL East, sent outfielder Terrance Long and pitcher Leoner Vasquez to the A's for the SUSAN RAG AN 1 he Associated Press Another bite: Kenny Rogers is optimistic his second trip to the Big Apple will be a good one. 6-- 2 Rogers is excited about the H MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) Wide receiver and returner Mike Rigell, who transferred to the University of Montana from BYU in January, has Mick coach left UM, announced Friday. Dennehy d a Rigell has sophomore decided to attend Foothill .College in Los Altos Hills, Calif., "with hopes that he will realize his dreams of playing in the 175-poun- high-price- d left-hande- r. Rigell bails on Monftana Ex-Coug- ar ' chance to erase some memories from his first in New York. "I look forward to challenge," he said. happy it worked out this i' , OR COPY S. no, . ' bad stay this It's a chance to go back to New York and pitch well, "I have something to prove to myself more than anyone." "I'm way. See TRADE, B3 Dennehy said. Rigell was vying for one of UM's starting wide receiver spots and also would have returned kickoffs and punts. He averaged 28 yards per Pac-10,- " kickoff return last season to lead the WAC. "Although we are disappointed that Mike decided to go elsewhere, I feel that we will be better off because of his indecisiveness," Dennehy said in a press release. "It is obviously a big gamble on his part, and I hope that he settles in wherever he goes, and things work out for him." Another BYU transfer, quarterback Drew Miller, is slated to start for the Grizzlies this fall. Rigell and Miller were high school teammates at Lakes High in the Seattle area.. |