Sports: Sports briefs

Sports briefs

By BRANT JAMES, Times wires

Seles gets a scare

Monica Seles, still frightened since being stabbed in the back by an obsessed fan in Germany in 1993, got another scare Wednesday. This time, there were no injuries.

Seles was sitting courtside after her mixed-doubles match between the United States and Russia at the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, when a middle-aged man tapped her on the shoulder trying to get an autograph. Seles immediately grabbed playing partner Jan-Michael Gambill, who escorted her from the area.

Security officials at the Burswood Dome removed the man from the area, but no other action was taken. Tournament director Paul McNamee said he spoke to Seles and she did not complain about what happened. He also said she later signed an autograph for the man.

Seles beat Elena Likhovtseva 6-3, 6-3, then teamed with Gambill to defeat Marat Safin and Likhovtseva for a 2-1 victory. Seles and Gambill face Belgium today.

OBITUARY: Marty Glickman, a track star who was pulled from the 1936 Berlin Olympics because he was Jewish and later enjoyed a long career as a broadcaster, died Wednesday. He was 83. Mr. Glickman had heart bypass surgery Dec. 14 and died of complications from the operation, said his daughter, Elizabeth. He starred in track and football at Syracuse University and was selected for the Berlin Games. On the eve of the 400-meter relay, he and teammate Sam Stoller were pulled from the race. They were told by American team officials that because they were Jewish, a victory would embarrass the host Nazis. Two years ago, he was honored by the U.S. Olympic Committee with the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Award for service to the Olympic community. Mr. Glickman graduated from Syracuse in 1939 and went on to broadcast sports for 55 years. He first did college basketball doubleheaders from Madison Square Garden, then became the voice of the newly formed New York Knicks. He added the NFL Giants in 1949 and had two stints with the Jets, 1973-78 and 1988-92. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Sportscasters Hall of Fame and the New York Sports Hall of Fame. Mr. Glickman is survived by his wife, Marjorie; four children; 10 grandchildren; and six great grandchildren. He is to be cremated.

SOCCER: Jim McGeough, a former First Division midfielder in England and Ireland, has been named an assistant to new Tampa Bay Mutiny coach Alfonso Mondelo. He joins Perry Van Der Beck in filling Mondelo's staff. "Jim is a man who has been around the game at the highest level and brings a world of experience to help complement our coaching staff here," Mondelo said. McGeough, 57, a native of Northern Ireland, was an assistant to Mondelo with the A-1 league Long Island Rough Riders. Training camp opens at 11 a.m. Monday at the Land O'Lakes Recreational Complex.

HORSE RACING: Fourteen days into the live meet, Tampa Bay Downs management and the Tampa Bay Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association remain furlongs apart in talks to forge a new contract. The groups last met Saturday. An informal session was nixed Wednesday when track management refused to include Rick Hiles, national president of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. The sides have agreed in principle to a three-year contract with a 15-day "opt-out" window in each year, but several sticking points remain. ... Breeders' Cup champions Tiznow and Kona Gold, and major stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid are the finalists for the Eclipse Award as 2000 Horse of the Year. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, National Turf Writers Association and Daily Racing Form will announced the winners in 16 categories Jan. 30 in New Orleans.

BASEBALL: Led by Miami at No. 4, four Florida university teams are listed in the Baseball America Top 25 preseason poll. Florida State is ranked No. 7, Florida No. 13 and Central Florida No. 17. ... David Howard is returning to the Devil Rays' minor-league system after two years at Tampa Prep. Howard, who managed the Rays' rookie-level Princeton team in 1998, will be named manager of Class A Hudson Valley. ... Former umpires union leader Richie Phillips has sued Major League Baseball and commissioner Bud Selig, alleging they took part in an illegal conspiracy to destroy his 20-year relationship with the union during a labor dispute two years ago.

HOCKEY: Defending champion Czech Republic, a defense-minded team, and high-scoring Finland will play for the gold medal at the World Junior Championships in Moscow. The Czechs reached the final with a 1-0 victory over Sweden, and Finland defeated Canada 5-2. The United States beat Slovakia 3-2 and plays Switzerland for fifth place Friday.