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Show Sports The Salt LakeTribune FRIDAY, July 19, 1996 OLYMPIC TV SCHEDULE Page C-3 ¢ SECTION-C BASEBALL Page C-4 Shag Attack Is Headed West DICK ROSETTA Lakers Sign Center for Olympic March ‘Incomparable’ For Athletes $120 Million BY CHRIS SHERIDAN ‘THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA — Shaquille 0" ‘Neal became the first premier free agent to switch teams, abandon; ing the Orlando Magic on Thursday to sign a seven-year, $120 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. While three other top-of-theline players in this summer's bumpercropof free agents — chael Jordan, Gary Payton aiid Alonzo Mourning — elected to resign with their teams, O'Neal opt- A mere mention of the phrase arouses an “incomparable” emotion in Missy Marlowe. And for her former coach Mark Lee, the spellbinding marchof the athletes ‘makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.” Opening Ceremonies. When hundredsofathletes parade over Atlanta’s Olympic Stadium track tonight to the applause of some 83,000 spectators, Marlowe andLeeare sure to be consumed by memories of the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, South Korea, ed for a coast-to-coast move anda contractthat will pay him an average of $17.1 million per season. where they were part of the United States women’s gymnastics entourage. It is the most lucrative totat Marlowe, the most decorated of the University of Utah’s gymnastics gal- package in team sports history and the secondthis summerto.exceed $100 million. However, Joy: axy over the past two decades and now co-owner of Salt Lake Gymnastics, Inc., Thursday groped for the appro- dan’s contract signed last week with the Chicago Bulls is the largest one-year deal — $25 million to priate adjectives in reflecting on a September night on the other side of the world, “Overwhelming. You ask me to compare it to anything and I can't. For me,it was a three-hourfloat $30 million. O'Neal, who wonthe NBAscoringtitle last season, has averaged 27.2 points and 12.5 rebounds through space.” Now,we're talking about an athlete whotraveled to 11 countries as a member of the national team, one who watchedas a 13-year-old in L.A. as national teammate Mary Lou Retton wowed the world as the all-around gold medai winner. And later Marlowe would bea five-time NCAA individual Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune Karl Malone,right, isn’t exactlythrilled to meetthe international press corps. Teammate John Stockton paid moreattention. NBAFinals andin this year's conferencefinals. Malone Helps the Dream Team “I’m a military child, so I'm used to relocating every three or years,” said O'Neal, whose giate athlete. Make (Two) Points to Global Press BY LEX HEMPHILL THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE nalist from Denmark introduced himselfas being new in the business and then put the lumber to sie and fledgling movie career to serves as a teaching tool for her students. “You get in those openingceremonies, and you'll know you've ATLANTA — The phrase “back to basics” took on a more rudimentary meaning for the ery time you score?” Howisof laughter filled the theater in the Main “Myfinal decision was to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. I felt champion and winnerof the Broderick Awardin 1992 as the top femalecolleBut the Olympics marchof athletes stands aboveall the honors, overrides all the world-wide memories and even reached out and touched a star,” she tells aspiring gymnasts as 11-year-old students Sabrina Madsen and Ricki Sceili listen in rapt attention, It was a steamy night in Korea in 1988, recalls Marlowe. ‘They picked the worst kind of outfits for us to march in—hot, hot light blue sweaters id white slacks. But once we entered e stadium,all I rememberis looking Broundat 600 or 700 of my teammates and thinking, ‘I'm here with the world’s best athletes, world record folders, gold medal winners.Little ol the. ... Missy Marlowe.'” » The pageantry of opening night gave way to what Marlowe describes as “outright cheating” in the gymnastics team competition. ‘The East German judge penalized us one-half point for some obscure violation and we just happened to miss out on a bronze medal by three-tenths of a point to who, of all people? The East Germans.” Lee conceded there was a “‘lot of nefarious things" going on in Seoul. “But our sport has risen above underhand- ed tactics.” International shenanigans aside, both Salt Lake Olympic veterans agree the athletes in Atlanta's Centennial Games are about to enter a dream world. “What will happen is that American athletes will support each other,” says Lee. Marlowerecalls the “amazing patriotism of the South Ko- reans. It was like a Huntsman Center erowd — polite for the visitors, but ab$olutely nuts for the home team.” Andboth wish the Opening Ceremonies and the Games themselves could Jast forever. Their businesses are booming. ‘The Olympics always perk up our enrollment,” says Marlowe. Jazz's Karl Malone Thursday. He had to explain the most fundamentalbasketball principle: why one basket counts for two points. The scene was the Dream Team’s pre-Olympic news conference, a standing-room event that that a change was necessary,” O'Neal said. “Change is for the good and changeis for the better. whenpressed, hefinally answered, ‘Becauseit's how wedoit over here in America.” More laughter. Malone had unwittingly stolen the show. This was a dream.” O'Neal wili be the latest in a longline of superstar Lakers cén- And a show,of course, is what the American denced itself, and it was much the same Thursday — including some unusual questions from the not supposed to be a competition — not with what is probably the wealthiest collection of athletes Malonefielded the most difficult one. A jour- See MALONE,Page C-7 men’s basketball team is expected to provide over the next fortnight, beginning Saturday night ters that includes George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,all Hall of Famers wholed the Lakers to NBA titles. Pr Trent Nelson/TheSalt Lake Tribune O'Neal will replace Viade Divag, Shaquille O'Neal — he of the overseas mi mega-contract — doeshis im- See SHAQ, Page C-7 pression of Gary Payton. Women’s Dream Team Finally Gets Home Court in Atlanta THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA — The U.S. women basketball players were shooting layups at the Georgia Dome on Thursday whenit finally dawned on them. After logging more than 100,000 miles in airplanes and playing 52 exhibition gamesin six different countries, they had reachedtheir ultimate destination. They were at the Olympics, ready to begin their quest for the gold medal. “We're finally at the point we wanted to he 14 months ago,” forward Katy Steding said. “When I walked in and looked up andsawall the banners hanging from the roof and lookedat the press section Team USA wasthe visitor against all here, we experienced little whatit wt the college teams and onlysix of the 30 games with international foes were played in the United States. The rest were in Russia, Ukraine, China, Australia and “But overall, when we have our Ametican fans waving those flags and cheering and all the seats, I got starry eyed, It was Canada. The three games in Russia took the while rarely playing on a home court. team to Siberia, in mid-January, noless. “We never really had a home crowd,” center Lisa Leslie said. ‘Getting an opportunity to play a few exhibition games like, this why we've doneallthis. Whatthey did was go unbeaten against a slew of college and international teams be like for us, it will give us a sense of whatla homecourt would be like. We hope {o give them about.” something to be excited Americans Jam Leaderboard at England’s ‘Balmy’ British Open BRITISH OPEN Wheaties ad. Mykids want to be like Dominique. Adds Lee of Rocky Mountain Gymnastics in Murray: “Women's gymnastics is the most-watched sport in the Olympics. We'll have a lot of new kids walk through our doors in the next month wantingto belike the stars on tv." And perhaps becoming the stars who march in Sydney's Opening Cere- monies in 2000. RONSIRAK BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England — The first round of the British Open was absolutely balmy, both the weather and the scoring. Who would've thought it would be 80 degrees with near dead calm wind at Royal Lytham and St. Annes Golf Club on the northwest coast of Eng- land, tucked nearthe Irish Sea? Who would've thought two dozens players would shoot in the 60s? And who would've thought seven Americans would be amongthe eight players tied for second,two strokes behind lead- Tennis Stars Aren't Worried About Safety at Olympics York on Wednesday, There have caused by a terrorist’s bomb. Andre Agass the topUS. men's player, agreed with Seles thatit's pointless for athletesto be overly nis court at 2 tournamentin Ger- been fears that the crash was fon] the tennis court,” Seles, the #. player on the U.S. team, said concerne “You can drive yourself nuts nan; y in 1993, said she isn't consenedabout her sefety at the Dlyr PT feel safe in the viliage and Hollywood. Press Center, as Malone tried to formulate an answer. First, he blamed Dr. Naismith. Then, against Argentina. The Olympic tournamentis on TV. They see [U.S, star] Dominique Moceanuin TV ads for Kodak, Hey,I wanted to be like Mary Lou in her Monica Seles, stabbed on 8 ten- father was a sergeant in the U.S. Army. Along with his muscular inside game, the 7-footer with the telegenic smileis bringing his rap mu- the Mailman:“How comeyouget two points ev- servesto introducethis rich and famous dozen to the international media. It was on this occasion four years ago in Barcelonathatthe global fascination with the U.S. basketball professionals evi- “Kids see nationals and Olympic Trials # during his four-year pro career. Although he led Orlando to 57plus wins thelast two seasons, the Magic were swept in the 1995 wursday. “I feel sure that the seturity is unbelievable Theissue of securityat the Clympics gained attentionfollow- thinking aboutit, You canstart losing touch with reality,” he said T subscribe to the ‘lot ofathletes theory, There are a lot of athletes ing the crash of a TWA jet in New here. yet are the chances American League Cleveland5, Minnesota4 6 er Paul Broadhurst of England? In fact, who would've thought Broadhurst — who has never been higher than 15th on the moneylist in seven years on the European Tour — would be leading? ‘I am surprised it is not windy,” Broadhurst said after shooting a 6-under-par 65 on Thursday. Normally it is Whether that’s the reason the Americans are doing so well, I have no idea. Most unusual.” Most unusual indeed. In fact downright balmy. The rolling fairways, recep- tive greens and wimpy wind See AMERICANS,Page C-2 The Axsociated Press Britain's Paul Broadhurst waves to the crowd on No. 17 while on his wayto first-round 65 Thursday at the 125th British Open. In Action Tonight | Pittsburgh 8,Cincinnati 3 | | National League SanDiego 9, Colorado 2 Pacific Coast League Baseball: Br 5. x at Franklin CPS)1 p.m. — NASCAR Auto est Field, 7 p.m Pioneer League Baseball:Raptors vs. Billings, at Serge B. Simmons Field, 7 p.m | TV Highlights CESER 7 a.m. — Golf, British Ope: : Racing, pole qualifying for MGD. z CES 2 p.m. — Golf, British i | =H P. .m. — SummerOlympic» Opening Ceremony 6 p.m, — Baseball, Atlanta at Astros _ |