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Gonzaga’s
NCAA success credited to coaching staff
SPOKANE,
Wash. (AP) — Gonzaga lost in the first round of the NCAA basketball
tournament, but three of its coaches are drawing plenty of attention
at the Final Four in Atlanta.
Head
coach Mark Few and assistants Bill Grier and Leon Rice are all being
interviewed for new jobs at Division 1 schools.
That’s
highly unusual, and reflects the regard that Gonzaga’s No.
6 ranking this year and four-season run to the NCAA tournament have
earned. The Bulldogs were 29-4 this season after being upset by
Wyoming in the tournament opener.
“It’s
a very large compliment to our program, and the success those three
guys have brought,” athletic director Mike Roth said Wednesday.
“That does not happen very many places.”
All
three coaches left for Atlanta on Wednesday and were not available
for comment.
NFL
set to release team’s season schedules
NEW
YORK (AP) — The NFL ended its push for late-season scheduling
flexibility to help ABC’s sagging Monday Night Football ratings
and will release the 2002 schedule on Thursday, The Associated Press
has learned.
Earlier
this week, NFL officials met with executives from CBS and Fox, trying
to convince them to agree to some flexibility for the final four
weeks of the regular season.
“The
league will use the same format as in the past for Monday Night
Football,” an NFL source said Wednesday on condition of anonymity.
The
schedule will be a bit different, though. With the addition of the
Houston Texans, the NFL will have 32 teams grouped in eight four-team
divisions.
Williams
sisters to face off in tennis match
KEY
BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) — Little sis takes another crack at Venus
Williams on Thursday, this time with lower stakes and less hype
but lots of incentive.
Serena
Williams, who has beaten her older sister only once in six meetings,
will try again in the semifinals of the Nasdaq-100 Open.
Their
most recent showdown came in the U.S. Open last September, when
Venus won the first Grand Slam final between siblings in 117 years.
From the New York spotlight the rivalry moves to the Sunshine State,
with Serena eager to beat Venus — but not desperate.
“I’m
not looking for an unfair advantage,” Serena said, laughing.
“We have connecting rooms, but if I see her it’s not like
I’ll try to bump her, or hit her, or maybe put a pillow over
her in the middle of the night.”
Serena,
seeded eighth, has been the more impressive Williams en route to
the semifinals. On Wednesday, she routed two-time champion Martina
Hingis 6-4, 6-0.
Televised
hockey gaining popularity among teens
NEW
YORK (AP) — The NHL on ABC is gaining viewers.
In
ABC’s five NHL telecasts this season, viewership was up 29
percent from a year ago, from an average of 1.1 million to 1.5 million
households per game, the league said Wednesday.
The
latest figure marks the NHL’s highest regular-season audience
in five seasons. In 1996-97, regular-season games were watched by
1.8 million households.
Knee injury may keep Air Jordan
grounded
WASHINGTON
(AP) — Michael Jordan might not return to play with the Washington
Wizards next season because of his nagging knee injury, his coach
said Wednesday.
“I’d
be surprised, next year, if he did play,” coach Doug Collins
said on the ESPN show “Pardon the Interruption.”
“I
think Michael wants to play next year. But I think he’s going
to look long and hard.”
The
39-year-old Jordan said he would play for two years when he came
out of his second retirement last fall, but he has been bothered
nearly all season by a sore right knee.
He
was not available for comment Wednesday, a day off for Wizards players.
Jordan
had surgery Feb. 27 on his knee and missed 12 games. He returned
last week, earlier than expected, but has played sparingly and has
not started.
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