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Show SPORTS SECTION fq DailySHerald TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2006 ‘SPORTS EDITOR | Damell Dickson - 344-2555 - ddickson@heraldextra.com Poll: Most fans have doubts aboutsteroids, Bonds year-old Bonds is closing in on Ruth's record. For manybaseball fans, suspicion about Will Lester THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — Most baseball fans think Major League Baseball could do more to curb the use ofsteroids, and they have doubts about slugger Barry Bonds as he chases the sport's career homerun record. Baseball has fallen short on keeping the sport drug-free, according to 53 percent in an AP-AOL Sports poll. Those most likely to feel that way are fans 30 and older and those with more education. Almost two-thirds of fans have unfavorable or mixed feelings about Bonds, the San Francisco Giants star whois chasing the homerun record while fending off accusa- tions that he used steroids. Hank Aaron holds the home run record of 755, followed by Babe Ruth with 714. The 41- steroids is stealing the joy from watching Bonds’bid for history. “It’s upset me,” said William Dobney, a retired school superintendent and baseball fan from Grandy, N.C. “You see guys go out there on the field and you don’t know if they're using God-given strength or drug-enhanced strength.” Bonds has denied in sworn testimony ever using steroids, although he acknowledged using two substances that he says he didn’t know weresteroids. Prosecutors say they believe the substances weresteroids. Major League Baseball is investigating Bonds’ possible involvement with perfformance-enhancing ;. Almost two-thirds of fans say they ] POLL Curbingsteroid use in the majors Arecent poll shows baseball fansLiiews on steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs: into baseball's Hall of Fame if he's found to ‘On curbing steroid use, is Major. League Baseball doing ... haveused steroids or other such drugs. But the timing of any steroids use could be crucial in public support for Bonds getting into the Hall. Too much 5% Half the fans in the poll were asked if Bonds should be allowed into the Hall of Fame if he is found to have used steroids or other performance enhancing drugs, and 61 percentof them said no. However,the otherhalf of the sample was Giants? Favorable in 2002, and 57 percentsaid yes. Casual fans were most likely to shift their opinion about allowing Bonds in the Hall, depending on the Nonwhites weretwice as likely as whites See BASEBALL POLL, C2 steroitis? (Asked of hail of sample) Yes No Not enough Not sure 3% Not sure 2% ... he is found to have used fevers or or Do you have hove 9 favorable -«baseballl enacted rules against Bonds of the San Francisco he was found to have used such drugsonly before baseball enacted rules against them timing of steroids use. Should Barry Bonds be allowed into the Hall of Fame if... ~- he is found to have used Cs asked if he should be allowed in the Hall if think baseball is treating Bonds fairly. Manyfans say Bonds should not ‘be allowed ‘Aboutthe right amount Unfavorable those drugs in Mixed feelings (Volunteered) (Asked of otherhalf of sampie) Yes Not sure 9% No Not sure 2% NOTE: Margin of error + 3.5 percentage points; 2,006 adults interviewed, including 793 baseball fans polled April 10-12 and Apri 18-20. SOURCE: AP-AOLSports AP 2006 NBA PLAYOFFS New ‘do, same Dwayne Newly bald Wade helps Heat grab 2-0 lead over Bulls ae Reynolds PRESS ‘CHRIS CARLSON Associated Press Los Angeles Clippers’ Sam Cassell, right, celebrates with teammate Cuttino Mobley after successful defense against the Denver Nuggets in thefirst day night with a freshly shaved head,a first for the quarter on Monday night. dapper superstar. L.A. Clippers cruise past Nuggets, 98-87 MIAMI — Dwyane Wadearrived at the arena Mon- “It's the playoffs,” Wadesaid of his new ‘do,“I don’t wantto be worried about howI look.” Whateverthe reason, Wade looked wonderful again for the MiamiHeat. Playing with a sore calf, Wadehit a spinning jumperwith 1:04 left to halt a frantic Chicagorally, then blocked Ben Gordon's layup 38 seconds later to help John‘Nadel the Heat beat the Bulls 115-108 to take a 2-0 leadin the best-of-seven Eastern Conferencefirst-round series. ESS LOS ANGELES — Suddenly, the Los Angeles Clippers seem to haveall the playoff experience they need. points, Elton Brand had 19 points and 11 rebounds, andtheClippers took commandearly in beating the Denver Nuggets 98- 87 Mondaynight for a 2-0 lead in thefirst roundofthe playoffs. CLIPPERS DENVER Jason Williams and Shaquille O'Neal each scored 22 points for the Heat, with Wade getting 21 Cuttino Mobley scored 21 98 87 Thebest-of-seven series moves to Denver for Game 3 Thursday night and Game4 Saturday night. TheClippers, in the postseason for the first time in nine years, blew a 10-pointleadin the last four minutes before winningthe opener89-87. With sevenoftheir 12 active players making their postseason debuts, there wasa casefor playoffjitters downthestretch. There were no suchproblems in Game 2. Teams taking2-0 leads in the NBA playoffs have won 176times in 186 opportunities — 94.6 percent. So at least on paper,things look bad for the Nuggets, in jeopardy ofbeing eliminated in the first round for a third straight year. The Clippers shot 47.5 percent to Denver's 34 percent. Los Angeles is 28-1 when holding the opposition under 40 percent this season. Sam ‘Cassell had 13 points and11 assists, Corey Maggette scored 12, and Chris Kaman and Quinton Ross each added 10 for the Clippers. Marcus Camby led the Nuggets with 16 points and14 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony, whoplayed less than 6 ¥ minutes in the first half because offoul trouble,scored all of his 16 pointsin the secondhalf. points, sevenassists, five rebounds and four steals. Miami held a 20pointleadin the third quarter and Saw it trimmed to four with 1:15 left, but Wade's heroics down the stretch ensured the Heat wouldn't suffer an epic colMIAMI CHICAGO 115 108 “Weplayed ata real high level again,” Heat coach Pat Riley said. “Tremendous amountof energy, spirit andballmovement, but wedidn't finish. That disturbs meandit should disturb ourplayers after working so hard andplayingso well.” Antoine Walker — whoplayed the first 40:20 with- outa rest, filling in for the suspended Udonis Haslem — added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat, who also got 12 points from James Posey and 11 from Gary Payton. AndresNocioni led all scorers with 30 points — on 13-for-15 shooting — for Chicago. Kirk Hinrich had 17 ofhis 29 points in the fourth quarter for the Bulls, who will host-Game3 on Thursday night. “We madeit interesting again at the end,” Bulls coach Scott Skiles said, “but pretty much got domi- nated again from beginningto end.” The Bulls allowed 111 points or more four times in the regular season. The Heat now have doneit twice in this series, ‘and shot 52 pom on Monday. Walkerscored off an offensive reboundwith 8:12 left, giving Miami a 102-84 lead — and a two-game series lead seemed all but certain. LYNNE SLADKY/Associated Press Miami's Dwyane Wade(3) blocks a shot by Chicago's Ben Gordonin the fourth quarter, helpingstifle a Bulls’ rally as the Heat wenton to win andtakea 2-0 leadin first-round See HEAT, C4 Eastern Conference playoff series on Monday. Greg Buckner, AndreMiller and Earl Boykins had 14 points apiece for Denver. NFL DRAFT APRIL 29-30 - Making somethingoutofnothing smart-enough to draft them SS Undrafted college football players allsssarin | ec b NFL t ously,” the former Chiefs coach | nar. rs | sometimes become stars said | Jerome Minerva THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 3 MVP ofthe Super Bowl. Andon Rod Smith, who's fourth on the Holmes went undrafted in 1997 | !00k at some athletes not after an injury-filled career at Tex- | drafted by any NFL team who as, but latched on with the Ravens | have become some of the 3 career yards receiving list among as a free agent. After showing a NEW YORK — Who says NFL__active players. glimmer of his potential, he signed scouts know everything? All those players didn't go inthe with the Chiefs in 2001. Holmes They missed on Antonio Gates, first roundof the draft. In fact, wentonto rush for aleague-record now considered the best tight end edie keeaa 27 touchdowns in 2003, a mark in football. the poking and prod- broken last season by NFi MVP They missed on Kurt Warner, dogoteNEL Compe ca un ander. who merely became a twotime [ee ee Vermeil, who won a Super Bow! NFL Most Valuable Player and an slow or too injured invariably go with the Rams in 1999, saidteams dA Se earsetalae cnevaingepeye. Priest Holmes (left), who went undrafted in the 1998 NFL draft, FILE PHOTO/Associated Press passed over personnel rectors and general manag di. Coho Win be ti yearsPrice: BanatedoeSOSwes tea Holmes? Dick Vermeil, for one, careerwith the Baltimore Ravens = ee andthe Kansas City Chiefs. “You'dliketo believe that we're on evaluating a “Ithink ev player. | league's top players: | || PLAYER Pos. TEAM | Bethomme Antonio Gates TE Chargers 3 ‘ | M bone | Ade Ogunleye DE Bears i| | oulsaas on somebody, that ope ey theygo back and— Loe \ ees eee Kurt Wamer See UNDRAFTED, C5 fe QB ni Cards NVWW.HERALDEXTRA.COM —375-5103TOSUBSCRIBE 4 . ‘ |