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Sports briefs

By Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 9, 2000

Announcer McGuire ailing

Al McGuire, the former Marquette basketball coach who retired as a CBS broadcaster earlier this year, is living in a hospice-like facility and being treated for an unspecified illness, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Friday.

He was transferred to the facility a few days after entering a hospital July 27.

McGuire, who turned 72 on Thursday, retired from CBS-TV as a college basketball broadcaster after calling the Wisconsin-Indiana game March 5. He said then that he was suffering from a form of anemia.

Asked why he was not more forthcoming about his condition, McGuire said, "If I cry, everybody will cry."

His wife, Pat, said he has been getting blood transfusions.

"Al's anemic, so things hang around a little bit longer," she said. "So, he's had a little infection there. But, you know, he gets up and goes out. He's not at home. This works better. They give him some intravenous stuff, and the nurses check his blood and everything. So that's better than every day running someplace and having people in and out of here constantly. So it's better that they do this with him."

McGuire said in March that his condition had been diagnosed in February 1999.

"I don't want to get into it," he said then. Asked if his condition was life-threatening, McGuire said: "I don't think at the present time. I think I'll be around for quite a while, I hope."

CBS announced his retirement while introducing the NCAA basketball broadcast teams.

Dick Enberg, who worked with McGuire and Billy Packer at NBC, said McGuire cried March 4 when he told Enberg he wouldn't be able to handle NCAA Tournament duty.

McGuire retired from coaching after Marquette won the national championship in 1977.

BASKETBALL: Knicks center Patrick Ewing put the Magic on his list of teams to which he would accept a trade. Ewing, 38, who has a no-trade clause in his contract, has spent all 15 of his NBA seasons with New York. A trade to the Magic is unlikely because of his salary ($14-million this season) and age. The Knicks were close to a deal that would have sent him to Seattle for Vin Baker and others. There also were reports about a possible deal with Washington for Juwan Howard. Other teams reportedly on Ewing's list are Portland, Miami, Phoenix, Toronto and New Jersey. ... An arbitration hearing is scheduled for Sept. 21 to settle the dispute between Phoenix and the Greek club AEK over Suns draft pick Iakovos "Jake" Tsakalidis. AEK claims to have the 7-foot-1 center under contract.

BOXING: Light heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr. (42-1, 34 KOs) is a heavy favorite to beat Eric Harding (19-0-1, 6 KOs) tonight. Harding, whose career was interrupted for 31/2 years while he was in and out of jail, has victories against Montell Griffin and Ray Berry. He beat Antonio Tarver in June for the right to fight Jones, breaking Tarver's jaw and two ribs in a 12-round decision. Harding is guaranteed $600,000, but Jones opted for a percentage of the pay-per-view profits.

COLLEGES: Miami signed guard Yolanda "Lonnie" Whigham of Plant City. The freshman transfer from Georgia was touted as the No. 24 prospect in the nation by Blue Star Recruiting Service. She was a four-year starter and four-time Most Valuable Player at Plant City High School. ... Miami senior Shannon Sarabyn and junior Jeff Gaulrapp were the top finishers at the UCF Invitational in Orlando. Sarabyn ran the 5,000-meter course in 17:59. Gaulrapp completed the 8,000-meter course in 26:37. The Hurricane women finished fourth, and the men third. Host Central Florida won the women's team title, and Florida International took first in the men's competition. ... Forwards Marit Foss and Trine Riis Groven and defender Hanni Wenzell each had a pair of goals as Jacksonville's soccer team defeated Howard 9-0 in the JU Legends Classic. Foss also had two assists. Freshman midfielder Erika Chapman of Bradenton also scored for the Dolphins.

CRICKET: Former South Africa coach Bob Woolmer said opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs deserved to get a six-month international ban. Gibbs, 26, was banned and fined for agreeing to perform badly in a one-day tournament in India at the request of South Africa captain Hansie Cronje. Gibbs didn't go through with the agreement to score fewer than 20 runs in return for cash.

HORSES: Say Florida Sandy raced to his sixth victory in 12 Belmont Park starts, beating Hearts At Risk by 11/4 lengths in the $83,475 General Douglas MacArthur Handicap. ... Fantastic Light, aiming to give the Dubai-based Godolphin Racing stable a second straight win in the Breeders' Cup Turf, kicks off his U.S. campaign today in the Man o'War at New York's Belmont Park. Also making U.S. debuts in the Grade I stakes over 13/8 miles are Timboroa and the filly Ela Athena. Leading five U.S.-based horses is John's Call, winner of the Grade I Sword Dancer Handicap at Saratoga. Secret Status will oppose seven other 3-year-old fillies in the 11/8-mile Gazelle. ... Churchill Downs Inc. completed its $75.6-million acquisition of Arlington International Racecourse and five Illinois off-track betting facilities.

COLLEGE SOCCER: Florida State (4-2) scored two goals in the first 13 minutes and beat Texas A&M (3-2) 4-1. Freshman Emma Breland led the Seminoles to their fourth consecutive home win. Host Nebraska defeated Florida 7-2, dropping the Gators to 2-3. The Cornhuskers' scoreless streak ended at 379.59 minutes (dating to a 1999 NCAA quarterfinal) when Erica Schubert put in a shot set up by Andi Sellers. Forwards Marit Foss and Trine Riis Groven and defender Hanni Wenzell had two goals each as Jacksonville defeated Howard 9-0 in the JU Legends Classic. Foss also had two assists. Freshman midfielder Erika Chapman of Bradenton scored for the Dolphins.

PREPS: Edgar William Johnson, 17, a junior at Harrells Academy in North Carolina, died after collapsing on the field. Sampson County Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Ann Butler said she was not sure what type of injuries Johnson suffered. Witnesses said he was hit in the chest during a football game with Wake Christian Academy.

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