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3B SPORTS/The Charlotte Post Thursday, January 23, 1997 Rodman serves his time while Bulls await his return Continued from 1B Rodman’s suspension, the Bulls lost to the Houston Rockets on Sunday. The Rockets, who lost 110-86 at the United Center on Jan. 11, were without Charles Barkley. Chicago, currently. 35-5, visits Cleveland and hosts Tbronto at the United Center before embarking on a long and chal lenging road trip. The West Coast swing includes games at Vancouver, Sacramento, Golden State, Seattle, Portland and the Los Angeles Lakers. All without Rodman, who’s won five straight league rebounding titles, just recently grabbed his 10,000th career board and is averaging 16.5 this season. Now young players like Jason Caffey and Dickey Simpkins wfil get more playing time. “I think it will be great for the club. Now we have the challenge of going out eveiy night, rebounding and playing an all- around game,” said Scottie Pippen. “Most of us have had enough experience with this to know how to handle it,” said center Luc Longley, who didn’t want to talk about the Rodman situa tion. During a 10-game stretch Rodman missed because of a calf injury last season, the Bulls went 8-2, despite playing aU but two of the games on the road. The losses came at Orlando and Seattle. When Rodman was suspended six games last March for head butting referee Tfed Bernhardt, Chicago went 5-1 with four of the victories at home. The Bulls also played two games in that span without Pippen, who had sore knees, and the only loss came at 'Ibronto. In all, they were 15-3 without Rodman last season and are 3-0 in his absence this season. Jordan said if and when sus pension is lifted, the Bulls will be ready to welcome Rodman back to work. “I think it’s like a guy getting out of jail. I think he’s paid his dues in some respects. If he pays his dues, you take him back,” Jordan said. Packers approach Super Bowl with a husinesslike attitude Continued from 1B Holmgren said. Free safety Eugene Robinson, one of several veter ans who are enjoying their first taste of the Super Bowl, said he’s going to take in all the eats that New Orleans has to offer. “I’m eating everything,” Robinson said. “You got any dreams? Tm eating them, too. “I’m eating everything down here. I don’t eat oysters, but I’m going to eat them just to say I ate oysters. Frog legs, I’m eating them. They got any rat tlesnake? I’m eating that, too. I’m not going to worry about my diet. I’ll just take some Pepto-Bismol,” Robinson said. 'light end Mark Chmura said he doubted his teammates would hang out into the wee hours on Bourbon Street flirt ing with mischief. “I don’t think so. I mean, we’re going to have fun, just like any other team would, but we know where to draw the line,” he said. “We know the reason we’re dovm here is to play a football game, not to treat it like a vacation and tium it into one big party.” That would come oiily after a victory, split end Antonio Freeman said. “I think our approach has to be just as it has been all year; we’ll focus at practice, and when practices and meetings are over, then it’s time to have fun,” Freeman said. “We just can’t let them run together, because that’s when you run into problems.” Holmgren said middle line backer Ron Cox, who took over two weeks ago afi»r starter George Koonce’s season-end ing knee injury, missed a workout last week because he had the flu. But he said every body else is fine and his team is as healthy as it’s been all year. Holmgren may want this players to have some fun in the Big Easy, but he’s not giv ing them any days off this week. That didn’t bother All-Pro strong safety LeRoy Butler, who is a fan of Holmgren’s no pads practices. “The way we practice eveiy day is like a day off,” Butler said. “That didn’t bother me as much as we can’t play golf. That really bothered me.” Credit Holmgren with draw ing the Une somewhere. He fig ured bringing the clubs along might have turned this trip into a little bit more pleasure than he had in mind. Cubs believe they can win NL Central Division race inexpensively Continued from 1B 'They also re-signed three of their own free agents, first basemim Mark Grace, center fielder Brian McRae and sec ond baseman Ryne Sandberg, as their payroll has climbed from last year’s $32.6 million to more than $40 million. But compared to the huge signings across town - the White Sox got Albert Belle for $55 million over five years, ex- Cub Jaime Navarro for $20 million over four years and several other players — the Cubs seem relatively frugal. MacPhail has heard some fans grumble that the Tribune Co., which owns the Cubs, did n’t spend enough to add a power hitter, a left fielder and a third baseman. “How much are fans willing to pay to foot the bill for these players? Fans want $90 mil- hon payrolls and $4 box seats,” said MacPhail, who arrived in 1994 after nearly a decade with the small-market Minnesota Twins. “We have significant resources - just as (Twins owner) Carl Pohlad has great personal wealth. But it’s not healthy for the game that players become charitable entities. There are better out lets for charitable contribu tions. “I think the players deserve to be paid for all the income they generate. Also, I don’t think teams should be giant profit centers and the way the game is now, I don’t think we have to worry about that.” “I’ve always had faith in this organization, in MacPhail, in Lynch and in Riggleman,” Grace said. “Mostly, I have faith in my teammates. If Alexander grapples to wrestling top Continued from page 1B wrestling.” Alexander’s versatility gives Stefano several options in preparing Myers Park for opponents. Because Alexander can be effective in every weight class between 130-145, the Mustangs have a good chance of winning matches that they otherwise might lose. “I put him up against a kid we need to beat, and I know he can beat them,” Stefano said. “He’s strong enough to wrestle in the upper weight class...just to help the team.” Stefano is convinced that wrestling is one of, if not the most demanding of all sports. His description of Alexander’s ability provides an in-depth look at what it takes to be suc cessful in the sport. “Kwame is a strategist. There’s 30 seconds left in the period and he doesn’t let the guy escape, he knows what I moves to put on in the match,” Stefano said. “Quickness, con ditioning, technique, strength, and strategy are the keys to wrestling, and he has all of that.” Although Alexander has enjoyed a successful high school career, he’s been able to keep winning and losing in perspective. The key is to maintain a sense of balance. “I really don’t mind losing, I just try to learn from my mis takes,” he said. “I just,try to go out and do what I can for the promoting of the sport in the South, and to help my coaches and teammates.” Dynamic duo gets Rams mnning By Eric Bozeman FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST In the specialized world of track and field, everything is narrowed dovra to tenths of a second and mere inches. The pressure is often more than most athletes can cope with, and the ones that do are rare. At Harding High, coach Arthur Tlicker has a pair of super sopho mores who have made the most of an opportunity to shave time off the girls track team. Kamata Potts and Angelic Grier are run key legs on Harding’s 400, and 800 meter relay teams. Tucker acknowl edges the separate talents of his two young stars, yet both run ners are veiy similar. “Me and my assistant Barry Cole noticed Kamata when she was in Wilson Middle School,” Tucker said. “I personally noticed myself when she won the open 100 and 200 in a middle school track meet. When she came up to high school, she ran with the upperclassmen, and nobody left her, she was always in the pack, and sometimes lead ing the pack.” Leading the pack became nat ural for Potts, be it relays or open events, as she displayed last week in a state indoor qual ifying meet at Chapel Hil., She won her heat of the 500 meter dash vrith a time of 1 minute, 32.16 seconds. Although she missed qualifying for the state in the event by a second, Potts built on her reputation from last sea son as she and Grier were the only freshmen on the 400 and 800 relay state qualifying teams. Potts is a firm believer in the training that has vaulted her to sudden success in her early high school career. Potts best times are 12.4 in the 100, 25.9 in the 200. “Indoor is like something that Kamata Potts and Angelic Grier lead Harding High’s relay teams. Potts and Grier were the only freshmen on the state qualifying 400 and 800 relay teams is to get me prepared for out door,” Potts said. ‘T prefer out door track because I just think its better because there’s more competition.” The competitive juices drive her to want more from every practice, and every track meet she participates in. “Kamata works hard in prac tice, and she will beg you to let her run five or six events, she’s just that competitive,” Tlicker said. In many ways, Grier is the same runner as Potts. Her best times are 12.6 seconds in the 100 and 25.9 in the 200. “Angelic is consistent, and is basically going to run the same pace,” Tucker said. “I knew Angehc was going to be good, just by looking at her run for the first time. She runs so smooth, you could put a glass of water on her head and at the end of the relay the cup would still be full.” Grier, like Potts, is a practiced athlete who is dedicated to her rigorous training. “We have a pretty rough work out, and we don’t allow the girls to use the word, ‘can’ti,” Tucker explained. “Angelic doesn’t com plain about the workouts, and if you ask her to do more she wUl.” Grier ran in the 500 meter dash at Chapel Hill, and like everybody takes care of busi ness and with Rojas anchoring our bullpen, I really think we can win the division.” McRae also hked the Cubs’ offseason moves. But he urged management to deal for pow erful Atlanta outfielder David Justice, who is on the trading block. “I just talked to him yester day and he said, Td look good in Cubs pinstripes,’” said McRae, who last season criti cized management for not improving the team. “When you finish 10 games under .500, you’ve got to make sure it won’t happen again.” But Lynch, who refused to discuss Justice because of tam pering rules, said he didn’t think the Cubs would add another big salary. “We set out to do certain things this offseason - add starting pitching, improve the bullpen, help the offense - and I think we did that,” Lynch said. “We’d be naive to think that what the White Sox do has no impact on us at all, because we’re competing for some of the same fans. But our focus has to be on our division, and I think we’ll give it a pret ty good run.” The Detailing & Auto c E N 8911 Nations Come See Us For All Of Your SERVICE & DETAIUNG NEEDS TER Ford Road 529-0650 Oil Change $19-95 *FREE Car Every Oil Change Tune-Ups (4 Cyl.) $49-95 + up Alignments standard “Thrust” $39-95 • 4 Wheel $49-95 Brake Speqal $59-95 Most Cars - Semi-Metallic Pads Extra Winterize Your Car $39-95 Do A Cooling System Flush Detailing Speoal $39-95 Tire Mounting & Balancing Hand Washing Shampooing Tire Repairs Polishing Engine Cleaning COMPLIMENTARY SHUTTLE SERVICE PHOTO/SUE ANN JOHNSON Potts, she missed qualifying by a second, with a time of 1:32.56. “So far this year, I think Fm doing well, Tm doing what I like to do, and Fm enjoying,” Grier said. “Right now, I need to work on my endurance, to become stronger, and faster...and believ ing in myself.” Believing in his young phe- noms has been easy for 'Bicker, as he has marveled at their per formances on the high school level. “They have worked their way into it, they were basically beat ing the rest of the juniors on the teams,” Tucker said. “I know that if I start Kamata out, I can depend on a lead, and Angelic can either maintain a lead or go get it.” n PAYLESS' CAR RENTAL Holliday Auto Rentals, Inc. a/b/a Payless Gar Rental Join tlioICluin'plonshrp Club’ ■Call for more Infol ' - , 3 locations: 1931 Roosevelt Hwy. 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The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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