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Show BEST AVAILABLE COPY 17 Ks, 1 ‘L’ for Pedro She Salt LakeTribune SPORTS BASEBALL, C4 ECTlOy, American League c+ Tampa Bay 1, Boston 0 N.Y.Yankees 3, Baltimore 1 BMARATHON:EYESTONE,PILKINGTON WILL MISS TRIALS National League c-4 St.Louis 3, Cincinnati 1 6, Atata0 Florida 8, NY, Mes 1 Los Angeles 9, Houston 6 im WPSL: SPIDERS WIN FIRSTGAME C-7 ‘The Jazz are'1-6 in best-of-seven playoffseries when they do not own the homecourt advantage: Utah knowsit will have to play better to beat Portland Underdog Label Motivates Jazz Against Blazers TODAY’S GAME Western Conference Semifinals ‘THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE “tT | & suum PORTLAND — The Jazz have owned the homecourt advantage in 10 oftheir last 11 1p.m.,today TV: Ch.5 Radio: KFNZ-AM (1320) BY STEVE LUHM playoff series. Notthis time. “Tcan't baby-sit ourguys. They'vegot to be who they are. I'm alwaysexcited to see ifthey'regoing to come and compete. I love it when our backs are to the wall. Then, Isee who’s going to step up. G ° SOMBAY Mm OBITS C-14 MAY 7, 2000 Jazz Ready for Challenge ¥ \ C-6 Kansas City11,Chicago Texas 11, Oakland 10 1997 NBA FINALS Lost to Chicago, 4-2 ‘The Jazz have been favored in every series since the 1997 NBA Finals against first round of the Western Conference playoffs with a 96-93 win in Friday’s Game Chicago. Notthis time. Yes, the Jazz outlasted Seattle in the 5, but all they earned was a shotatthe athletic, deep Trail Blazers starting today (1 p.m. MDT)in Portland. Fewgive Utah a chance. Few members of the Jazz care. “We've been underdogsall year,” Karl Malonesaid, “so what’s new? We'll just go play and not worry about what otherpeo- ple are saying.” “You never going into any series thinking aboutthat,” John Stockton said. “The only thing you worry aboutiis winning one game . the next game. y never worry aboutthat,” Coach Jerry. Sloan said. “ButI'll say this. I expect this team to win every time they step on the floor because,if you don’t have those ex: pectations, you're alwaysgoing to lose.” While the Jazz ae the West’s No.2 seed See JAZZ, Page C-12 That’salways kind offun. Who’s going to comeplay? That’s what I want to know. Who?” — Jerry Sloan. 126th KENTUCKY DERBY Fly Pegasus Fly The Jazz are aboutto find out. In the Western Conference semifinal series that begins today, they get the Portland Trail Blazers, the same team,only im- proved, that dumped them from the playoffs a year ago. It was moments afterlast postseason’s Game3,a pivotal 97-87 Portland victory which put the Blazers ahead2-1, whenSloan uttered the words above. Theyare justas fitting now. Despite a clean slate out ofthe gate, no 2-1 deficit to overcome, the challenge for the Jazz is even Betting favorite wins Kentucky Derbyfor first time since 1979 more formidablethis year. Forthefirst time since they BY ED SCHUYLERJR. ‘THE ASSOCIATED PRESS faced the Chicago Bulls in the 97 NBAFinals, the Jazz are underdogs ina playoff series. The Blaz- LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Fusaichi Pegasus ers, a team that finished with the second-best record in‘the regular kicked up his heels before the Kentucky Derby in whatlooked like a victory dance. season, are deep, young, tall, and talented. Plus, they have the homecourt advantage. “They're justplain g Olden Polynice says. ey have an amazing team, but. . we’re nottoo bad ourselves.” Polynige, in a general sense, Maybe he knew what was coming. Theplayful colt, who sometimesgets too exuberant, acted like a perfect gentleman Saturday in doing what good horses like Easy Goer, Arazi and Holy Bull couldn’t aawin the Derbyas thebetting favorite. The lasthorse to do that was Spectacular Bid in 1979. mates in thebrief run-upto today’s Game1. The Jazz seem to Those intentions are right where Sloan wants them. “Our guys like to play basketball enough to believe they can win,”he says. “That’s the most exciting thing aboutit. I believe we're going to win every game. Andso do our players.Ifthey didn’t havethatattitude,I'd get rid of them. If they can’t make this team better with their attitude, they wouldn’t be here. They might have somedoubts, but, whentheydo,they just keep fighting. “When a challengeis put in front of you, when everyone has their foot set up against your head.It makes it so clear. Are you going to stand up andfight, or just let people run right over you? I think our veterans enjoythis sit- uation.” Kar! Malonecan feelthe foot upagainst his head. He already has pronounced the Jazz underdogs. So have his teammates. “It’s a great thing,” Polynice says. “It takes the pressure offof Ryan Galbraith/The Salt Lake Tribune BYU's Kirsten Bolm of Germany won the 100 meters at the BYU TrackInvitational two weeks ago. Fusaichi Pegasus came onstrong in the Spoke the sentiments ofhis teamrelish the role of the underdog, but they also appear confident about knocking offthe Blazers. “We can beat them when we play well,” Jeff Hornacek says.“If we don’t, forgetit.” Says Bryon Russell: “We're feeling good. This is like any otherseries, We're the underdog, but we haveintentions of winning,” SYDNEY 20008 Derby 1-2-3 stretch,taking the lead approaching Utah Schools Investing in Foreigners the eighth pole nm gtsahead le ead of of WIN Aptitude. Fusaichi eeetoes $1,038,400 And he did it while on his best behavior. rae is se colt Paras who PLACE cau! a brief delay at the Aptitude BY MICHAEL C. LEWIS starting gate at nits $170,000 as stow Impeachment Purse $85,000 : the Wood Memorial, who reared and threw his exercise rider and who has been THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Manyofthe athletes Utah sendsto the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney in Septemberwill not be wearingthe red, white and known to stop and just look around. But he was all business on this 82-degree day and before 153,204 cheering fans — the second largest Derby crowdin history. So gentlemanly was thecolt,eaewroas for $4 million as’a yearling, that blue. They won’t be humming the Star-Spangled Banneron their wayto the arena. They won't be dreaming about mom andherap- ple pie back home. That’s because mostofthe Olympiansfrom Utah won't be ey from the United States. Kent Desormeaux said he hicks ike a pony. Fusaichi Pegasuswas thehighestpriced While a few Utahns figure to compete for America at the Olympics, nearly a dozen foreign na- winnerbyfar in the Derby andhis victory came a year after the race was won by tionals whoattend universities in the state expect to participate, rep- eeeae whoonce ran with a $62,500 dl resenting their native countries: Andwhile most of them probably “Yournever know where a Derby winner aren't familiar to anybody outside is comingfrom,”trainer Neil Drysdale said before the race. “Some cost $15,000, some cost $15 million.” of study hall — do the names Akwenye, Nystrom or Ringwald ring a bell? — they will give this ho- Forinstance, Seattle Slew, the 1977 Tri- mogenousstate an uncommonly ple Crown winner was bought for $17,500 while Real Quiet, who carried Desormeaux diverse representation in Austra- lia. to victory in 1998, was a $17,000 yearling. Fusaichi Pegasus,on therail until he hit See FAVORITE, Page C-11 Fusaichi Pegasus, with jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard,drivesto thefinish linein front of Aptitude (ridden by Alex Solis) at Churchill Downsin Louisville, Ky., on Saturday. They comefrom Europe, Africa See OLYMPIANS,Page C-6, +e us, but, at the sametime, we look forward to making somenoise.” With the Jazz so pleased to call themselves the underdog,let’s look up the ord in Webster’s. ‘There are two definitions:/. a predicted loser in a contest; 2. a victim ofinjustice or persecution. It is the secondfrom which the Jazz now seem to be drawing both motivation andfuelfor their own collective conviction againsta difficult —and, probably, superior — opponent. “Whenathletes see themselves as the underdog, they usually give a strong effort,” says Keith Henschen,the Jazz’s team psychologist. “When you're the favorite, you try to protect. When you're the underdog, you attack, Everyone hasalready anointed the Blazers. So, how can the Jazz win? With aggressiveness,” Who,Sloan still wants to know,will come play? Who? The Jazz wantto believeit will be the predicted loser, the victim of injustice and persecution. Utes Honor Top 25 WomenAthletes More than 3,000 ballots used to select best from past 25 years i ‘THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE ‘The Universitysbf f Utah celebhated 25 years of women’s athletics day by lop 25 performers of the.quarter-century. The school The Salt Lake Tribune conducted fan #6ting during the school year to the women who were honored Sat ata Tribune-sponsored dinner in Salt Lake City. The U. of U.received morethan-3,000 ballots from fans worldwide, “I feel I was a pioneer for women's sports, just as the athletes whoare playing now will be pioneers in the next 25 years,” said honoree Lori Parrish-Salvo, who played volleyball, basketball and ran track at the U, from 1978-81. Parrish-Salvo was one of the first women in Utah to receive an athletic scholarship under Title IX, which became federal law in 1975. She spokeat the ceremony on behalf of all the honorees. Until she played for the U., Parrish said, “had seldom beenoutof the state of Utah. I was one of those sheltered Farmingtongirls.”In a trip with Ler team to New York, she recalled, “I was just sure those people there were going to cut offall myhair.” Parrish-Salvo urged the women who have reaped the benefits of parity with menin athletics to appreciate the efforts of those who have } aved their way, “You are given so much,” she said. “Thank your coaches. Thank the administrators. Remember, you didn’t get there all by yourself.” ‘The 25 athletes who were honored,in alphabetical order are: Elaine Alfano, gymnastics, 1962-85. Al- fano wasa three-time NCAA vault champion and a memberof four NCAA championship teams. Deb Asper, basketball, 1980-84. Asper was a three-timeall-conference basketball player and an All-American. She wasthe first female basketball player inducted into the Crimson Club HallofFame. —* Annette Ausseresses, softball, 1982-85. Ausseresses was a first-team AllAmerican and played for the gold medal Pan Americanteam. See 25 UTES,Page C-8 Michael Conray /The Associated Press Allen iverson is held by 76ers assistant Maurice Cheeks after he was ejected in @ 108-91 loss to Indiana. Story, C-12 ’ |
