OCR Text |
Show • It NATIONAL SPORTS DIGEST HOBERT LOO~ING TO CH ALLENGE FOU STARTING JOB WITH BILLS: The Buffa !(, Bills will h:wc tbeir fi rs t 4ua r!erb;iek compctlt io n in J 2 rears ,vhcn t rnin 1.ng ta m p upcns, and L\1l1 y Joe Hobert plan ~ t0 be right i n the m id d le . H ohert passed h is ph y.s1cal and wa s introduced tn t he .:==:::.._ ...:. Bills' coaching staff vestc rdny alter they /lill)' /oe-llobert ncquired h ,m i n excl;,111gc fo r a Lh ird- - - - -- - roun d drnh ch o ice in " t rade w ith the O~kla nd Rai.ders. The ruur-yca:r backup will challe nge Todd Collins w become Bu.ffalt•'Rfirs t regular starter o ther thn.n Jim Kelly ~incc l9S5. " I sec i t ,1s a ijrca, opp1>rtun11y tL\ sturl 11 cnree-r,'' H o bert.sa id. " I' ve been 1n t hl'.; IL·ag-t1e io1.rr years and not o nce have J had a leg itima te c.bancc to be a s tarter " Hoben has be.en a backup since the Ra iders sdec.ted hi m i n t he thi rd 10und oi t he t 993 Jratt. He became cxpcnd,1blc when Oakland neeclcd w fret: i:rp money LLndcr tl1e salary cap ti) s ign George to a five- ,err year deal wo , t h $25 milhon . REALIGN i\ {ENT CQMMLTTEJ;; HA S B.RST MEETIN G: llaschall's rca lJgnmL'.nl commi t tee. d idn' t m:1kc 11n y mn1or 1.kcislcms TucSday wh en it hdd its [HH rncet 111~. The commirre.c, s~hc<luk d to issue ,ts report t!) the ruling cxcc urivc co\ u1c,.l, m ust decide ou the f11m;:n f,1r the 1998 scnedulc. It als() m ust dea.1 w ith what d ivis inn rhc ·ram pn B3y D evi l R,1ys w i ll play In - apparently the AL West - s u<l Knusss City's desire to !cove t he American League and join 1hc N L.. " We want to e>< am inc the whole schc,luling p rocess," ;,c11ng con11rnss1oncr llud Sci.lg s n,d foll ow,ng the t hree-hour session. The cam.mine.: w as crea te.ti fost m a n th afte r ~c.vcra.1 AL teams, kcl by 'tcxas and Kansas C iry, t hrea tened 10 block t h<.> vote to pl3ce Tampa B,iy i n the AL an,l 1hc A rizona D iamond backs i.n the NL. " 'N othi ng has been ruled out or tn/ 1 sa,d Bos ton Rc<l Sox C EO Jo hn Ha rrini to1), the C<•m mit tcc d iairrn ,1.n. "We' re going 10 explore al l p<1ss lblliti;,;. We're b.e gi 111tlni at tnc prci im in H y stag~. We talked about our m ission and our Lu1.der~tanth ng.." Si.::.1.ig 531d co,nmictec men1bcrs v.dll t:il k t ff 1)thcr o wners w get t heir inpu t, t hen report b~ck at the. nc..x r com1'1'1ittee 111cctini, ,l \ccordi11g rn scver~1I r11011ngcmc.nt sou rces, SCV(.',ra l tc.a ms. agreed :u last n~ onth's meeting in l'h uenlx to trnde.i n tc.rlcague o pp1mcms in 199S. T he New-Ymk Yankees t rndc<l g:1 mcs ag~i ns t the Atbnrn llrave~ a11d Flori Ja Marlins to Tampa "Bly i.n exchr.ngc fM g;1mcs against rhc Los Ang~les Dodgers and San Franc1sCll Gi:Jn ts, 1he sou r ces sa ,<l then o n t he cond i 1 10 11 they not be ,dcmificd. UTAH! Ame.rtars MaSll sp«Ual/41' OUtdoorMask4ll 1997 Auditions 5t. 6e0rge Frtday, Feb. 21, 1997 1-10 p.m. TUac:alm Center for the Alt5 Al:IXJrs, s1noers, dilllCBts Season: June 20-Sept. 1 (no Sundays) Rehearsals begin May 19 f or principle rotes, May 27 for ensemble For more information, call 652-3201 . I Mavs round up a new team DALLAS [AP ) - lo Nmv Jersey, ba~kctball fons think Don Nelson is an ali;1s for Soma C laus. fn Dallas, fans Mc roasting him for dumplo11, a bunch O[ UllclCr·JChiCV>!Nl, Is he ''Ncllle the Fox" or ,u,t pla.i n " C razy Ne) lic!" lJnfazed by ih~ buzz he crcateJ by senJ,ng the Dallas Mavericks' rop four scorers u, tl,~ , ew jcr,,c)• NetS fo r four players, "Trader" Don was wmking t he phcmcs ,igain yes,crdav . Jlu1 wh)'1 Who's left ? 11·1 11c.re's no l:i,v that s11ys you can't scli what you p, st 1,Qught,'' Nelsan snid, laughrng. '1 J u WllOt l Lhln k is ngh , If 1 find good reason , I do it." In just l I days 0 11 the 10b, lrc.sb fmm un1.?mployment in t-1:1\'t'aii, general m a nager Nclsnn has fl ushed away w hat he c;, llcd the Mavc ncks' " bad g 11ttitudl'." nf playe rs s leepw alking t h rough Lhd r 1obs. ''So1ne people thin k T'm a d1:ok l:1k...:1.'' he. s.n id. " BUL I feel comfnrtahle with w lrnrl've dnnc so far. It Nelson Hrcd w1canng ccntt1' Oliver Mil ler, tridcll unhappy Jamal Mashb urn m M ,am, fo r t hree pln}'C<>, and comr1l.e tetl t11c overhaul Monday mght with a nine-player rrnJc t hat sem Jim f:<ckson UJ the New )t'Tscy Nets al o ng w ith Al l-Star Chris Gatling a:nd three o thers T he .\1,\vcricks got 7-1001-6 center Shaw n Bmdk> . foMard Eil O 'Bannon and prmll ~uards Robert Pack anJ Khalid R~evcs. 'TI1e Nets also received guards S~m Casse ll ,md Gcurgc McC lo ud anti ~,,nrcr faic 1\.1.(jncros..•;. The t rade is btl icvcd to be tbc lni:ge~t between t wo NBA teams m thl'. la,,1 1:i yea rs. The blockhuStcr swap foll,1w<:d Fnd s)"s trnJ.c of Mashburn to the Htat for thrc-c playe rs and the .,, .De:ce111hcr dea l tbk!t .t>l.'nl ~ Jason Kidd to PhuL·ni x S for Cassell, /\.C. Green >:. and Michr,cl Fin le)'· The b~llyhood t b, eo ·i)'s - Jacks,111, Mas hburn were <'11 t he ij and Kidd - l:OVCf In 1 J d11y, ,m tlrn 1r1/, u., lilt uf tht· n H.·t.1 1:1 guhll.! l ost yc-ar. The-y'tc all gon~ no\i.1 • 11 Tb 1s re:a.m nt.:t:ds k iclcrs and none uf tbum \\ril S \\' i lli nj.! LO ,ww D,1/los \i.1 ill cal<c a\i.rbilc ,o sec. tvltn·c:rttks gen4.tnd rt1tn111.',te·f ~ Don Nelson~ l:lnlf ih~ pcaple thin k it h,,, s <ent 1hr tet1m'S .,wttm~ lindup w 01/1er w us u good deal. Half ui the tl'<!m,. Cwnd fim /,1ckson. rli;lir, /.) one u/ p\l\1plc t hink it \ VAS ~ 1,~<l 11vv ph;y,«., ,em w New /eisey, Ne/.,(ln JCCCpt t hat deal, AnJ to ijUOt ll ·Yogi troded f,;rword /am,,/ Mo.,!ibu:n. Tuft, ru Berra •thu o t her hull o f rhc Mwn11 orr Fricld)' Cww/ /a.~<Ju Kidd ce11 ri>r. rc.s ponsib1hty,'' l lorpc1 .saul ''1\ ll they SO\ V \Vt.I:; people don't care."' was mu/"'1 w Plrtwnlx m Detem!>er, losing, lns1ng; lo:,;ing H e added: " Thing~ were T hnt \\•ns fnu; rrau ng fo r the-1u ." in bad ,hope with t.b~ Mavericks. l hnJ tO make T he playcts with the longest tl;'llllt"5 o n ,he ~ change, Lcvn£ s h,,ekcd by some or Lhc t hinis I . DaJJns tc,un_ arc rc,oklo Samaki Walker, who was fo und. It 1\1t1cte me.: s ick." sign cJ ,n August, nnd Harper, who s igned as a .A.. ch,1n~c: An 1:1 sren,1d h aan~ Rcun jon Arcn:1 f:rc.:.~ :1gcnl in Ju ly. 1-larpcr has been run1ort-<l 1n co uldn' t have made n bigger impact t han t rade tal ks with Houston. Nelson's sc,in:h~J earth pr>licy. Hill fired by Magic, replaced by Adubato O RLANDO, Fl11. (AP] - Bri nn Hill was /ired ycsrer<l•y as coach <>f th~ OrlanJ o Magic, dismissed less tluin t wo seasons nftcr reach ing the NTJA Finals . He wns rcplacc<l by interim coach Rich ie ;\dubat0. G c11crn l m an.1gcr Jnhn G ab riel encl wnh Lhc p layers this ,nom in~ :,nd in fo r~'<! t hem of the decis ion, ,.hich com es w it h chc Magic o n a five-ga me losing s treak since ,he AllSta r h rcak T h ~ firin~ app.1rently was prompted by cr,mpl nints Imm plnycrs that H ill's rcJ;n 1onsh1p ,,,1th the. tC:llll Lhree-yc.ar cQnt:ract CXt\!nSinn last scaS(>n worth $750,000 n )' C3r Gahrid sai,1 he "':IS not closmg the door to brin~1ng lO 8 p,·1n11mcnt tht' pos-sihil ity replaceme nt before, t h u e nd of 1hesc,~on H~ or .det.h ncd, ho\\·e,,er, ct"> f1...:ld any questions nbou1 po, siblt "and idatcs. r•You h ave to get your nnJ in SOO) C C.a'iCS t<.?001 Ul'l, he d1dn', tlo thnt/' co· captain Hornce c;;uu11 ,aid 111 Hill " llut " lot oi 1hat r,,Us ba.ck on u~ :.i li.;o." Grnnt con firmed t he pl:Jycrs he!J a n1ecnng folluw111i: n lo,s ill M imu,-:sot~. the n 1·elatcd t he ir c<)nccms to Gah ,icl ,.,a!:i <lete-ri ntating a11tl a change wa$ Jlccdcu t o ha vc .1ny cli-ancc nf salvL1g1 ng rh.c <luring a <.;.C', n vcrs:i 1.lon by s ,.: :lSOLl. " We've. cn1oycd 1nuch sut.cess throug h hls leadership, rnmm itm C1lt and tkd ication," y<Lbnd said. " But we n1 u-st cont inu1:,: to look to ward t he future, Although ch:ingc 1s diffit ull, we m ust ta ke t he m·x t Step forward for our p.oaI <>< bringing a 1vr,rld speaker p hone. H o vlcver, Grnnl ;1nd ill rcony Ha rdow u)' ,km>.'d Llrnt ;iOae or bmh th~"" had gone ~dircct lr u>the gcncml l=m,mai:cr und - .,~ the ,,__. . . .'-l ti'"t[ Ot~am'S highest paid plnyc1s ~- \Oere responslble for the ch:rmpionsh ip co o ur fo ns and Orlando Ma}<JC. he.ad coa~h Bnan Hill was fir ed yes,(]Tday n/ru th:is City, 11 conching bis 1uam w fl five gam e Hi ll, wlw led Lhc Magic t ll lr1sfns $lrc:uk sincti thtJ. ,111-star 50, mid <,Ovlctunes the p :l.1,t thr\!~ s<:a.-sonfl, rc.cc i'v-cU a break. .,7 ~rmng. " VV1n1 lose o r Jr~\\! it's ,ilwa)'S g,iing ro fol.I 0 11 m ystll ontl it's goinit to J,.U on Horncc, But we ft.st have ~ !!!~!!~~[). i; ct> take the heat/' Rarda\\1:-ty said |