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Show M. .!.. A I""" 1HI U U k l - l I : it- - I'.r.t B7 AMERICA'S ICING OF SOCCER r n ? .h. 4rnrican soccer star doesn't understand why everybody loves him NEW-YO- Somedav RK kexi Lalas knows he's going to wake up: The incredible has made him wealthy - and given him far nore than his 15 minutes of anie will end eventually. He has never been confused ith any- of the most gifted .layers in the world, or even in he United States, yet with his niL' redrmane and eoatee hp become the face of ui nave to moments before the 1994 Brazil-Swede- n .I RKA The division, with Padova. And a year later, it Associated Press was the Copa the Lalas is a America Eye for the ball: Alexi talented player, but it's his bubSecurity had to bly personality that has made come and escort him so popular. us into the sta lot of times I have no clue I'm'here. But I love it. It's diy ;reat. Sometimes I get the feei ng Somebody's going to tell me Sorry, it wasn't your number "A dium. It was scary." nine days earlier, when eventual champion Brazil beat the United States on July 4 in picked. South American nations cham in pionship Uruguay, where the United States finished fourth and Lalas was named to the tournament's best 11. Lalas' World Cup had ended 0 Pasadena. But it wasn't before Lalas became one of five Americans to play every minute of their four Mr. Popularity While ; the star of Major .eague Soccer's New England r . - -v - - ' f- - . . ; 'I as I) surrounded. - :- I Alexi. We were "- r - country's famed first recognized dnbrjle through a team: night do' something screwy on he field that will get me a a Rose just like we would have been able to do two weeks before when all of sudden these people American soccer. "There are many, many soc-- r players who have more pure icccr skill in their pinky toes ...... ... iii.i ! says. "I'm not going ve the Bowl. "We were walking across the parking lot - lot iced".'. team. From there it was on to Italy to become the first American to play in that match at 4 Center of attention - - : : . s. national team against Canada in 1990; played as a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 1992, and scored one of his most memorable goals a header, naturally against vicEngland in a surprising 1993. in June tory His list of accomplishments and awards are equal or better than those of any American to ever play the kind of football with a round ball: selected to FIFA Games, U.S. Soccer Player of the Year (1995); two Olympics; World American team. Cup; But he has never been known as a technically gifted player. In fact, he has been criticized by some as a defender with the touch of a tank. U.S. , ;er Ail-St- d Raking it in sun- ment package that, along with his MLS salary, reportedly earned Lalas between $1.5 million and $2 million last year. His MLS salary this year has been bumped up to the league 1 It iiian . J- -i i A LOIS Bl.RVSTLIN The Associated Press 'j . i.i t fhe competitor: Alexi Lalas jumps in the air with excitement after the U.S. upset Colombia riatch of .the 1994 World Cup. Lalas first got international attention during the '94 Cup. Pari in a pool V, KD All-Co- ads sporting Gargoyles I j' p- ar glasses. It's all part of an endorse- 1 tip 2-- 0 These days you can see Lalas in any number of TV commercials, checking out the accommodations in France for Adidas for the 1998 World Cup; reminiscing about soccer as an old man for All Sport; or breaking cement blocks with his head to promote MLS games. He can also be seen in print g" t national team who plays for the San Jose Clash. "It's a good thing. I kind of enjoy my privacy. But he's built for it. lie handles it so well. He's won over those who didn't believe in him." Lalas and his red mop of hair didn't just spring out of the ground in the summer of 1994. It just seems that way. He made his debut with the lead-foote- "He's got the beard, the hair. You can't miss him," says Eric Wynalda, a teammate from the - fit ; A U.S. mug beamed into homes around the world, and eventually became the only American to be named to World the Cup's honorable mention the ing t ream-4ha- games, had his now Revolution might not know how he got famous, his girlfriend does know exactly when. "It was the World Cup semi final," 6ays Jill McNeal, recall- Bv BRIAN TRISDELL '.' . Xi'spciated Press Writer k i - maximum of $192,500. Lalas gives a lot of the thanks to former U.S. national team coach Bora Milutinovic, who many criticized for naming Lalas to the 1994 World Cup team. "I think Alexi was born to be a star," says Milutinovic, now the coach of Mexico's national helps Pitino get ring back . HGA The Associalcd Press Back home: As a member of the New England Revolution, Alexi Lalas is hoping to help a soccer league blossom in the United States. team. "He's very intelligent, super. He progressed very fast, incredibly fast. It's very good to him. what happened Everybody recognizes him. When you play like he did at the World Cup, everybody sees you." He may have been born to be a star, but he wasn't destined to be a soccer player. Lalas the aggie With a writer for a mother and a professor for a father, the young Alexi grew up in Birmingham, Mich., pushed toward a more academic lifestyle. A better than average student but not outstanding, Lalas wanted to continue an athletic career that earned him the Michigan state ice hockey title as captain of Cranbrook Kingswood High and the 1987 Michigan soccer Player of the Year award. So he showed up at coach Bob Reasso's door at Rutgers, a Chewbacca lookalike with a guitar in hand looking for a tryout. Lalas ended up in the school's agriculture department. "I had to transfer out of ag school," he says with a laugh. "I can definitely say I'm the only guy in MLS who's taken beef and sheep production." Lalas won the Hermann Trophy as the country's best college player in 1991, but left school early to join the Olympic team. "One of the reasons I was able get to a high level and stay there, was I grew up not thinking this was a given, being a professional athlete," Lalas explains. It's a mind-se- t that keeps Lalas' feet embedded in the grass. Rarely alone, Lalas can always be seen talking to a reporter, signing an autograph or posing with a fan for a photo. "From 1994 on, I can't remember leaving my house without signing an autograph or having somebody there," he says. "But if in my life signing an autograph or talking about myself is the extent of my difficulties, I've lived a charmed life, and I have. "Beats digging ditches." fJWNBA i oacli's stolen championship memento discovered in Puerto Rico LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) kick Pi'tmo has his stolen rinpo "! ' pack thanks to a Kentucky bas ketball fan and a complex nego- atlhnal-'rTiQmninnsh- jn - i'n 1 latioti. A vacationing Wildcats fan elped- the former Kentucky foach reclaim his 1996 NCAA - 'hampiowship ring. The ring was stolen from office in Boston, Ivhere he serves as the coach iHcLprijJent of the Celtics. a University of k iJaitgs-Simwas everitucjjs; graduate, naa man who a iipproactied by baseball Kentucky iiotice4:il)is :ap 'at noolside of the El jCo&qtiistscdor resort in Puerto Htino'a-ne- if w s, ffi co. 'The frism. a marketing direc- - lotion company pr,for-k;?unta- boston, asked aims whetner Rie wasfrom Kentucky. Sims re&Donded that he was, and 'ttien heard a startling revela- in tion,"He'!told me, 'You know one of my employees has a national championship ring, Sims said. The. rrprketing director told Si&s'jhjat the employee had siiOwn trim the ring. . that this kid had been rurming around with the Wrong ijqftwd (in Boston), and that some jkind of way the kid got a hold of this ring," Sims said. "Sims didn t believe the story "Hf-??T- rid until he saw the missing ring eihan $nfcmiliar hand. was this kid, who looked' he was maybe 19, 20 yeaijs olj)t with this ring on," man's hand. "I just knew that somehow, some wav, I had to get that ring back." Sirns called his friend Jodi DiRaimo, a business partner and good friend of Pitino, in called DiRaimo Lexington. who was also in Puerto Pitino Rico and confirmed that the indeed been stolen. had ring coach the Meanwhile, received an anonymous call at the hotel from a man who said he had his ring. The two arranged a meeting, but the caller never showed up. "Rick was going to have him prosecuted right then and there," DiRaimo said. "I guess the kid was a lot smarter than JBJS Wir.u.WM!.: COPY FREE and the marketing director and said Pitino will be sending a token of gratitude soon. WpUWld..,TRgg Wad.JaUL. VW&E K Prrsoiull hcUs ' (' bi rnt c ntKK m m ID1.T im.i. iiiiivi u' ii'ui niiinr hi.lJ....,.u.u C I RI E Stare i nip ncpjii lor v 2 S:ii i Car vr- - viitr Wr, Intpecrionuitlil ut Glass Act 392-107- sst U3 in ttimMiidd' ProvoOrem First Brought to you by.- - Security Don't be late, 1,000 Starxz team posters iviU be handed out courtesy of First Security Bank Plus it's... Act Hill waive up to $100.00 off your Insurance Deductible. How can W e do this? It's ,Simple...e bu Windshields by the Truck load and pass the savings on to sou! Insurance Approved pricing means your rates for slay low and We do all the paperwork. All work is Guaranteed 1110 aj long as you own your Vehicle. Trust your new car to the Specialists Act. where Aulo (.lass is all We do: C all tor Details tirf Monday 7:30 PM Delta Center WndMM FREE Windshield! rrnlill'dnu iAJthsf Thecking the ring out, Sims sa, the embedded the words "Pitino" Champions" and : NCAA side. the ,Cagavwiin we gave him credit for." DiRaimo said the young man told him he wanted $1,000. "I told him no way," DiRaimo said. "He was in possession of stolen property." Finally, the marketing director was able to persuade his employee to give up the ring, valued at $500, to Sims. "I told him that he needed to get that ring back or that young man was going to jail," Sims said. Sims then took the ring to Lexington and gave it to DiRaimo, who returned the ring to Pitino late last month. "I think it was divine intervention," Sims said. "Somebody up there wanted to get that ring back to coach Pitino. Everything just fell right into place." Sims has not yet heard from Pitino, but DiRaimo has delivered the address of both Sims "My jaw just dropped," he said. "Here you have a kid out in the middle of Puerto Rico with a UK national championship ring on. When I saw that ring on his finger, I felt like it had been stolen from me. Part of me was on that young i Family Night! 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