From Tiger to Tyson, Marv to Marlins, This Year Definitely Packed Some Bite

Not counting the off-camera activity of certain sportscasters, there were three stories in 1997 that had Californians, Americans and indeed the whole wide world of sports wide-eyed with disbelief.

One came six days into the new year. Peter O’Malley, whose father had brought major league baseball to Los Angeles, put the Dodgers up for sale. He did so just as baseball was about to pay tribute to two of the truest-blue Dodgers of them all, Jackie Robinson, whose No. 42 would be retired by every team, and Tom Lasorda, whose bust was bound for the Hall of Fame.

The next thing that sports fans couldn’t believe they were seeing came in April, at the Masters golf tournament, where a 21-year-old fresh from college not only won, but won by an unheard-of 12 strokes. At the moment Tiger Woods strode off the 18th green and into his Vietnam vet father’s arms, there wasn’t a dry eye in the clubhouse.

And then, on June 28, came a main event that boggled minds everywhere. Mike Tyson, either angry or hungry, bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear during their fight for the heavyweight championship of the world. Not only was Tyson’s boxing license revoked, but it answered the question of whether in prison he had become a vegetarian.

Any way you rank them, these were the 1-2-3 sports-page headlines of 1997. Oh, maybe over breakfast there was an equal amount of discussion--or joke-telling--over Marv Albert’s arrest and the wardrobe from the Marv’s Secret catalog, or over Frank Gifford’s tabloid tale or O.J. Simpson’s second judgment day, but for sheer impact, these stories hit home in Southern California like baby quakes.

Our losses also mounted up in ’97.

To retirement, the sports world lost three of its most illustrious coaches, Dean Smith of North Carolina basketball, Eddie Robinson of Grambling football and Tom Osborne of Nebraska football, plus a prince of the tennis court, Boris Becker; the king of track and field, Carl Lewis, and a lord of the rinks, Mario Lemieux.

To death, we lost as good a golfer as ever gripped a club, Ben Hogan; as good a jockey as ever straddled a saddle, Eddie Arcaro, and a sportsman who built an empire and an arena fit for an emperor, Jack Kent Cooke.

But, in the spirit of out with the old, in with the new, just as an era was ending for the man who built L.A.’s fabulous Forum, a luxurious new arena for hockey and basketball was being approved for the city.

And, with life moving on, along come the young to take the place of those who leave. For those who thought Woods precocious, there was Martina Hingis, who won three of tennis’ top prizes at the tender age of 16. And right there with her was Venus Williams, 17, who gained overnight stardom with a captivating performance at the U.S. Open.

While one sports team was returning to its former glory, the Green Bay Packers winning the 31st Super Bowl game just as they did the first two, another one was creating tradition from scratch, the Florida Marlins winning the World Series five years after being organized, and as a “wild-card” team at that.

If it took the Pack a long time to get back, consider the Detroit Red Wings, who suffered 42 years before recovering hockey’s Stanley Cup. It was well worth the wait, though tempered when a limousine crash after a team victory banquet left three members of the Red Wing organization hospitalized, including one star player in a coma.

No big surprises in pro basketball, where Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls made the Utah Jazz the fifth different opponent they have defeated in the NBA finals. Ah, but in college basketball, Arizona astounded everyone, upsetting favorite after favorite on the way to an NCAA championship.

There are upsets and there are upsets. A sentimental choice, Athens, was awarded the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, a few years after feelings were hurt over Greece not being the site of the Centennial Olympics as it had the first of the modern Olympics.

No figure skaters plotted violence this year, but Olympic gold medalist Oksana Baiul did run her car off a Connecticut road, while legally intoxicated. Another accident that left someone injured occurred at golfer Greg Norman’s home, where a guest took a spill that landed him on crutches. The guest happened to be a certain Bill Clinton, so it made news.

Outrages of the year?

Too many to list, but among them: golfer Fuzzy Zoeller’s off-color joke, basketball bozo Dennis Rodman’s boot of a cameraman and baseball player Tony Phillips getting busted in an Anaheim motel room with a substance that wasn’t pine tar. Washington Redskin Michael Westbrook attacked a teammate, Golden State Warrior Latrell Sprewell attacked a coach and Buffalo Sabre goaltender Dominik Hasek attacked a reporter, in more action than boxing had all year.

Many of 1997’s events were more worthy of attention, but two in particular may have slipped through the cracks:

On Feb. 2, Jeremy Sonnenfeld, a sophomore at Nebraska, bowled a 300 game, then another 300, then another 300 . . . the first sanctioned 900 series in the history of the sport.

On July 19, Daniel Komen of Kenya covered two miles in 7:58.61. For anyone who remembers what a big deal a four-minute mile used to be, get a load of this.

And neither of these athletes bit anyone.

The Year in Baseball

Off the field, Dodgers were everywhere--O’Malley offering them Jan. 6 to the highest bidder, Robinson immortalized April 15 on the 50th anniversary of his first game and Lasorda enshrined Aug. 3 in baseball’s Hall of Fame. Throughout remarkably different careers, these three were affiliated with no other major league team.

On the field, the Dodgers and all others were outdone by the Marlins, who had so little history of their own, their choice to toss out the first pitch of World Series Game 7 was Lasorda.

It turned out to be a Game 7 for the ages. Lasting 11 innings and past midnight in Miami, the Oct. 26 deciding game was won by the Marlins over the Cleveland Indians, 3-2, before a crowd of 67,204. Florida tied the score in the bottom of the ninth inning, then won on Edgar Renteria’s bases-loaded single in the 11th.

Most valuable player of both the National League championship series and World Series was pitcher Livan Hernandez, who was 2-0 in each. A defector from Cuba whose mother was given permission to fly to the season’s final game, Hernandez astounded the baseball world Oct. 12--subbing for scheduled starter Kevin Brown, who was ill--with a 15-strikeout, three-hitter against the Atlanta Braves.

Brown pitched the season’s first no-hitter, June 10 against the San Francisco Giants.

Baseball’s big innovation was interleague play. The first official game between National and American league teams was played June 12, with visiting San Francisco defeating the Texas Rangers, 6-3. NL teams won 117 interleague games, the AL 97.

Not since the days of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris did two sluggers have baseball fans entertained the way Mark McGwire and Ken Griffey Jr. did, in pursuing Maris’ record of 61 home runs. McGwire--traded from Oakland to the National League--hit his 58th homer on Sept. 28, the final day of St. Louis’ season. Griffey hit 56, all for Seattle.

Having persevered through many years in the minors, Pete Rose Jr. got his first hit in the majors, a single, on Sept. 1, with his father cheering in the stands at Cincinnati.

Patience also was rewarded with Phil Niekro, who was inducted in the Hall of Fame after a number of near misses. Don Sutton came up short again, this time by nine votes.

Neither the Dodgers nor the Angels won 90 games or made the playoffs. L.A. got a monster year from catcher Mike Piazza, who hit .362--third-best in the NL--with 40 home runs among his 201 hits. The highlights of Anaheim’s season were seen repeatedly on TV screens--outfielder Jim Edmonds’ sensational catches, in particular one at Kansas City that is believed by some to be among the game’s all-time best.

Tony Gwynn took the NL batting title--again--at .372, but even he and Piazza had to take a back seat to MVP Larry Walker’s .366 average and 49 homers. Frank Thomas won his first American League batting crown at .347.

Roger Clemens, making Boston sorry he left, won 21 games for Toronto and his career 200th. Denny Neagle was the other league’s only 20-game winner, accounting for nearly a fifth of Atlanta’s 101 victories.

An expansion draft was held for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks, who begin play in April. First player chosen was pitcher Tony Saunders, who pitched Game 4 of the World Series. He goes to Tampa Bay wearing a championship ring.

An inspirational story belonged to Baltimore’s Eric Davis, who, while being treated with chemotherapy for cancer, batted .304. Similarly, cancer outpatient Brett Butler hit .283 for the Dodgers, then announced his retirement.

“I’m sorry,” Oriole infielder Roberto Alomar said to umpire John Hirschbeck when they met on the field in April, apologizing for a 1996 spitting incident.

“Let’s put it behind us,” Hirschbeck said, shaking Alomar’s hand.

Little Leaguers, who often behave better than big leaguers, kept fans in Williamsport, Pa., on the edges of their seats. A team representing Mission Viejo led by three runs going into the final inning of the Little League World Series, only to have Guadalupe, Mexico, pull out a 5-4 victory.

The Year in College Basketball

Upsetting three of the top-ranked teams in the country, Arizona was a huge surprise in the NCAA tournament. Miles Simon scored 30 points in the championship game at Indianapolis as Arizona, a nine-time loser during the season, overcame defending champion Kentucky, 84-79, in overtime.

It was a farewell game for Kentucky’s coach, Rick Pitino, who quit in favor of the Boston Celtics.

But that resignation caused barely a ripple compared to that of Smith, the distinguished coach of Jordan and basketball stars galore for 36 seasons at North Carolina. On March 15, in a game against Colorado, Smith moved past Adolph Rupp to become Division I basketball’s all-time winner with No. 877. His retirement announcement Oct. 9 touched many, among them Jordan, who described Smith as “a second father to me.”

Other coaches in transition included Dale Brown, who announced his retirement at Louisiana State on Jan. 2; Steve Fisher, fired abruptly by Michigan on Oct. 11, and Jim Harrick, the fired UCLA coach, who was hired by Rhode Island on May 5. Fisher and Harrick each coached teams to national championships.

UCLA’s Steve Lavin, with no experience as a head coach when he took over for Harrick, led the Bruins to within one game of the Final Four, for which he was rewarded with a long-term contract.

Bob Knight of Indiana became the seventh Division I coach to win 700 games.

Speaking of successful coaches, Pat Summitt added to her trophy case in women’s basketball, her Tennessee Lady Vols winning the NCAA title game for the second year in a row. Chamique Holdsclaw, with 24 points, led the 68-59 victory over Old Dominion.

A scandal rocked the men’s program at Arizona State, where former players were accused of a point-shaving scheme.

The Year in Pro Basketball

Joining the NBA this season was the WNBA, a sister act for women’s basketball. A crowd of 14,284 came to the Forum for the league’s inaugural game, won by the New York Liberty, 67-57, over the L.A. Sparks.

A sold-out Houston Summit was the site for the Aug. 30 WNBA championship game. It was won by the host Comets, 65-51, over the Liberty, behind most valuable player Cynthia Cooper’s 25 points.

The NBA was business as usual, the Chicago Bulls winning their fifth NBA title.

But for all of Jordan’s mighty efforts, few topped the one he gave June 11 in Game 5 of the finals against Utah. Queasy from a viral infection and suffering from dehydration, Jordan scored 38 points--15 in the fourth quarter--as the Bulls hung on, 90-88. They won Game 6, and the title, 90-86.

Despite losing, Utah did reach the finals for the first time, and Karl Malone earned the season’s MVP award, his first. Malone was instrumental in the elimination of both of L.A.’s teams from the playoffs.

The season went well for the Lakers until an injury Feb. 12 to their expensive off-season acquisition, Shaquille O’Neal, that sidelined him for several weeks. The Lakers ended up one game out of first place. They did eliminate Portland in the playoffs, impressively, with O’Neal back, but fell in five games to the Jazz, the last one in overtime.

Eddie Jones of the Lakers made his first All-Star Game appearance, scoring 10 points, and teenage teammate Kobe Bryant took the slam-dunk contest.

It was a year of progress for the Clippers, who won 36 games--more than 11 other NBA clubs--and made a rare playoff appearance. Utah swept them out.

David Robinson’s season-wrecking injury was a lucky break for the San Antonio Spurs. They came up with the No. 1 pick in the college draft, Wake Forest’s coveted Tim Duncan.

Of all people, Larry Bird became a coach. He left his executive position in Boston as soon as Pitino hit town May 6, agreeing two days later to coach the Indiana Pacers.

Bird’s longtime teammate, Robert Parish, finally retired as an active player, in his 40s.

Back on the sidelines were a couple of NBA coaching veterans. Chuck Daly was hired by the Orlando Magic. And after being named general manager and swinging a nine-player trade with New Jersey in his first days on the job, Don Nelson eventually became coach of the Dallas Mavericks as well.

On May 14, the NBA suspended five New York Knicks for the next game after a brawl with Miami Heat players. The Knicks lost three in a row and the series.

There were other ugly NBA incidents, Rodman kicking a cameraman and Charles Barkley manhandling a fan. But nothing was as bizarre as a player trying to choke his coach, as Sprewell tried to do to P.J. Carlesimo at a Golden State practice. Sprewell was suspended for the entire NBA season, without pay.

“I am a good person,” Sprewell contended. His appeal is pending.

The Year in Boxing

On June 28, challenger Tyson was fighting World Boxing Assn. heavyweight champion Holyfield for the title in Las Vegas. In Round 3, Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear during a clinch. He was warned by the referee. Tyson’s response was to bite off a piece of the champ’s other ear, for which he was disqualified. Tyson claimed Holyfield had butted him.

Contrite and agreeing to accept any sanctions against him, Tyson had his Nevada boxing license confiscated. He could not apply for reinstatement for a minimum of one year.

In another painful-to-watch scene Feb. 7, World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Oliver McCall--coming off drug rehab--broke down crying and stopped defending himself against Lennox Lewis, who was awarded the fight.

Lewis won again by disqualification July 12, when Henry Akinwande refused to stop holding him.

Yet another weird ending to a main event involved previously undefeated Roy Jones Jr., the 34-0 WBC light-heavyweight champion. On March 21, after opponent Montell Griffin dropped to one knee, Jones continued to slug him. Jones was disqualified, but won a rematch with Griffin on Aug. 7 with a first-round knockout.

Remaining undefeated was Oscar De La Hoya, who dispatched five opponents during 1997. De La Hoya won an April 12 WBC welterweight bout with Pernell Whitaker by unanimous decision, though Whitaker landed more punches, and some at ringside thought him the winner.

Sugar Ray Leonard, 41, attempted a comeback after a five-year absence. He called it off after a March 1 TKO at the hands of Hector “Macho” Camacho.

George Foreman, 48, called it quits after Shannon Briggs was awarded a questionable decision. Big George later changed his mind. He craves one more fight at 50.

The considerably younger Riddick Bowe did hang up his gloves. He joined the Marines but washed out after a few days. That earned him a nickname: “Bowmer Pyle.”

The Year in Figure Skating

Only 14, Tara Lipinski became the youngest U.S. champion when she upset Michelle Kwan, the world champ, on Feb. 15 at the nationals.

At the world championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, Lipinski again defeated Kwan, by a narrow margin, as Americans placed 1-2. The men’s title went to Elvis Stojko of Canada, who landed four quadruple jumps.

Just as the worlds were beginning, skaters were jolted with two bits of news: Scott Hamilton, the popular 1984 Olympic gold medalist, had entered a hospital and been diagnosed with testicular cancer, and Carlo Fassi, coach to many of skating’s greatest champions, collapsed in Lausanne and died of a heart attack. Fassi was 67.

Disgraced former champion Tonya Harding skated a two-minute routine before a Feb. 22 minor league hockey game at Reno, in her first public performance since the 1994 Winter Olympics.

The Year in College Football

Nineteen seconds from an undefeated season and a possible national championship, Arizona State lost the Rose Bowl game, 20-17, to Ohio State, on a five-yard touchdown pass from Joe Germaine to David Boston.

Instead, once-beaten Florida became the nation’s No. 1 team by avenging its loss to Florida State in a big way. Quarterback Danny Wuerffel--the 1996 Heisman Trophy winner--threw for three touchdowns and ran for a fourth in Florida’s 52-20 victory at the Sugar Bowl.

Eddie Robinson, a coach at Grambling for 57 years, made the 1997 season his last, finishing with a record 408 victories. Robinson coached many NFL stars, including Super Bowl MVP quarterback Doug Williams, who was named his successor at Grambling.

Another Robinson leaving the sideline was John, ending his second tour of duty as USC’s coach. The school named Paul Hackett to replace him.

After an 0-2 start, UCLA ran off nine consecutive victories. That earned the Bruins an invitation to the Cotton Bowl.

The 1997 Heisman went to two-way player Charles Woodson, whose pass defense and receptions led Michigan to an undefeated season and No. 1 ranking.

The Year in Pro Football

Desmond Howard, Michigan’s most recent Heisman winner before Woodson, ran 99 yards with a kickoff at Super Bowl XXXI in Tempe, Ariz, and was voted MVP of the Green Bay Packers’ 35-21 victory over the New England Patriots.

The surprise teams of the playoffs were the expansion teams. The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers both advanced to their conference championship games in their second seasons. Jacksonville stunned the Denver Broncos, 30-27, and Carolina eliminated the Dallas Cowboys, 26-17, knocking out two of the teams considered to be Green Bay’s strongest competition.

After a playoff loss to the Packers, the coach of the San Francisco 49ers, George Seifert, abruptly resigned Jan. 15. His replacement came from the college ranks: Cal’s Steve Mariucci.

Familiar NFL figures such as Mike Ditka and Dick Vermeil returned to coaching after long absences.

Barry Switzer, the Cowboy coach, was detained at an airport Aug. 4 for possessing a gun. He was fined $75,000 by team owner Jerry Jones.

The Cowboys then failed to qualify for the NFL playoffs, putting Switzer’s coaching future in jeopardy.

At year’s end, Eddie DeBartolo, owner of the 49ers, stepped down from that position after being indicted on a criminal charge. DeBartolo did preside at a recent ceremony retiring quarterback Joe Montana’s 49er uniform number.

The Year in Golf

At 21 years 3 months 14 days, Woods became the youngest winner of the Masters. He won it by 12 shots over the nearest challenger, Tom Kite, in one of the most spectacular performances of any golfer, at any age.

Back on Jan. 12, when Woods had won the season-opening Mercedes Championship, everyone predicted a great year for him. When he began the Masters with a 70, the young golfer said he was hoping for a top-10 finish after an unimpressive showing in his only previous Masters tourneys.

Woods rattled off 66-65-69 over the next three days. He demonstrated why no less an authority than Jack Nicklaus had said about him, before the Masters even began: “I could see Tiger winning 10 of these, before he’s done.”

Two other young professionals won majors. Ernie Els took the U.S. Open at Congressional by a shot over Colin Montgomerie. And in matching the greatest final-day comeback of 125 years of British Open competition, Justin Leonard, having just turned 25, won the event by three strokes over Jesper Parnevik.

Shedding the rap “best golfer never to win a major,” Davis Love III captured the PGA Championship with a five-shot victory at Winged Foot. Leonard was runner-up.

Together, up-and-comers such as Woods and Leonard teamed with Love and others in the Ryder Cup. But the European team got off to a great advantage, then clung to it for a victory, 14 1/2 to 13 1/2, at Sotogrande, Spain.

Annika Sorenstam was the top money winner in women’s golf. She won several tournaments, though none of the majors.

Karrie Webb not only won the women’s British Open, she shot a 62.

At the U.S. Women’s Open, sentimental favorite Nancy Lopez came within one shot of capturing the title, breaking 70 in every round. But Alison Nicholas held her off at Pumpkin Ridge.

Two tour events--including the L.A. Women’s Championship--were won by Terry-Jo Myers, who acknowledged that because of a bladder illness that forced her to urinate dozens of times each day, at one point she had considered taking her own life. “I’m so grateful that I found the strength to continue,” she said.

The Year in Hockey

For the first time in 42 years, the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. They swept the Philadelphia Flyers in four games, making June 7 a night of excitement and joy.

Six nights later, just outside the Motor City, a car crashed. Inside were two of Detroit’s top players, Vladimir Konstantinov and Viacheslav Fetisov, plus one of the team’s masseurs. They were severely injured when their limousine crashed into a tree after a team dinner.

Konstantinov and the masseur, Sergei Mnatsakanov, remained comatose for several weeks. The driver of the limousine was found to have traces of marijuana in his blood system.

Detroit’s easy victory had been the NHL’s third consecutive sweep of a Stanley Cup final.

Making their first playoff splash were the Mighty Ducks, who rallied to win their opening series against Phoenix, then gave the Red Wings fits, taking one game to overtime, one to double overtime and one to triple overtime.

Nevertheless, after the last game, Coach Ron Wilson was fired.

Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya of the Ducks were 2-3 in NHL scoring, trailing only the great Mario Lemieux of Pittsburgh, who then retired.

Lemieux became the seventh player to score 600 goals in his career. He finished with 613 goals, 881 assists and six NHL scoring titles.

Wayne Gretzky, usually known for creating goals, went 21 games without scoring one during a stretch that ended Feb. 21. It was the longest goal-free span of his career.

A rookie goaltender, Patrick Lalime of the Pittsburgh Penguins, did not lose in his first 15 games, going 13-0-2.

Hartford’s franchise moved to North Carolina, where it began the 1997-98 season before crowds that didn’t seem to be terribly crazy about hockey.

The Year in Horse Racing

There hasn’t been a Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, but Silver Charm had a shot at it June 7 at Belmont Park.

With Gary Stevens in the saddle, Silver Charm had won a furious duel with Captain Bodgit at the Kentucky Derby. Then, at the Preakness, he won again for trainer Bob Baffert.

But in the Belmont, over the last 50 yards, Silver Charm was caught by Touch Gold--ridden by Chris McCarron--in a rousing stretch run.

Hollywood Park served as host to the Breeders’ Cup races in November. Star of the show was Skip Away, who ran away with the $4-million Classic.

Jockey Laffit Pincay registered his 8,500th winner, and Pat Day his 7,000th.

The Year in Motor Racing

Jeff Gordon won three of NASCAR Winston Cup’s four major races. That included the Feb. 15 Daytona 500, where Gordon, at 25, became the race’s youngest winner.

A spectacular crash with 10 laps to go involved Dale Earnhardt, who failed in yet another bid to win this race for the first time. The race ended under a caution.

Gordon won the Southern 500 for the third consecutive time at Darlington, door to door with Jeff Burton for the last couple of laps. At the Pocono 500 in June, Gordon earned his 25th career victory faster than any driver previously.

A couple of weeks later, Gordon won the inaugural California 500 at the new California Speedway, which made its debut in Fontana. The new track earned wide praise for bringing first-class auto racing back to Southern California.

Back at the track where he was nearly killed in 1994, Ernie Irvan was victorious in an emotion-charged Miller 400 race in Michigan on June 15.

The 81st Indianapolis 500--run on a Tuesday, after a Sunday rainout and a Monday suspension--went to Arie Luyendyk. He won by 0.570 seconds over Scott Goodyear.

Canada’s Jacques Villeneuve was the leader in Formula One point standings, after a furious and often controversial battle with Germany’s Michael Schumacher. It was Villeneuve’s first Formula One title.

The Year in Soccer

It was touch and go for a while, but the U.S. team did qualify for the 32-team field in next summer’s World Cup in France.

A pair of ties against Mexico had put the Americans in a strong position to qualify and they clinched a berth with a 3-0 victory over Canada.

D.C. United won the Major League Soccer championship for the second consecutive year, defeating the Colorado Rapids for the title, 2-1, before 57,431 at RFK Stadium. Jaime Moreno was the game’s MVP.

UCLA claimed its third NCAA men’s championship Dec. 14 in Richmond, Va., with a 2-0 victory over Virginia. Seth George scored in the 80th and 82nd minutes for the Bruins, and goalkeeper Matt Reis gave up only one goal in his five NCAA tournament games.

The Year in Tennis

Overcoming a horse-riding accident, Hingis put together an extraordinary year.

She won three Grand Slam events, beginning with the Australian Open, where at 16 years six months, Hingis was the youngest woman to win a major.

After taking seven weeks off to recover from a spill from a friend’s horse, Hingis was not in top shape for the French Open, where she was defeated by Croatia’s Iva Majoli in the final. But Hingis did win at Wimbledon, becoming the youngest winner there since 1887.

Then came the U.S. Open, where Hingis won yet again. But the big story in New York was the emergence of Williams, a 17-year-old from Compton who took the tournament by storm.

With hundreds of beads in her braided hair clacking, Williams--who had never gone further than the quarterfinal round of any pro tournament--advanced to the championship match. Williams’ game created excitement, as did her collision with semifinal opponent Irina Spirlea, when they walked into each other during a changeover.

Among the men, Pete Sampras remained his dominant self, although he did bow out early from the U.S. Open. He won the Australian Open and Wimbledon for his ninth and 10th Grand Slam victories and retained the No. 1 ranking.

The 88th-ranked player, Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil, was the surprise winner of the French Open. And for the first time in 24 years, an Australian won the U.S. Open, Patrick Rafter.

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‘97 The Year in Review

TOP 10 STORIES

Mike Downey’s personal listing of the top sports stories of 1997:

1. The sale of the Dodgers.

2. Tiger Woods at the Masters.

3. Tyson vs. Holyfield.

4. Martina Hingis’ year in tennis.

5. Packers win the Super Bowl.

6. Red Wings win the Stanley Cup.

7. Dean Smith leaves North Carolina.

8. Marv Albert’s guilty plea.

9. Marlins win the World Series.

10. L.A. approves new arena.

IN REMEMBRANCE

Some of the prominent figures in athletics who died:

* JOHN AKII-BUA, track and field, June 20; won gold medal in 400-meter hurdles at 1972 Olympics.

* EDDIE ARCARO, jockey, Nov. 14; his 4,799 victories include five Kentucky Derby winners.

* RICHIE ASHBURN, baseball, Sept. 9; Hall of Fame outfielder, broadcaster for Philadelphia Phillies.

* REX BARNEY, baseball, Aug. 12; pitched no-hitter for Brooklyn Dodgers on Sept. 9, 1948.

* EWELL BLACKWELL, baseball, Oct. 29; came within two outs of back-to-back no-hitters in 1947.

* ROGER BROWN, basketball, March 4; won three ABA championships with Indiana Pacers.

* JACK KENT COOKE, owner, April 6; built L.A. Forum, owned Lakers, Kings, Washington Redskins.

* BOB DEVANEY, football coach, May 9; won two national championships at University of Nebraska.

* YANICK DUPRE, hockey, Aug. 16; left wing for Philadelphia Flyers, died at 24 of leukemia.

* CARLO FASSI, figure skating coach, March 20; coached champions including Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill.

* HENRI FILION, harness racing, April 9; won 3,318 races; died after fall on track.

* CURT FLOOD, baseball, Jan. 20; St. Louis outfielder, crusader for players’ rights.

* ED FURGOL, golf, March 6; won 1954 U.S. Open.

* ABE GIBRON, football, Sept. 22; all-pro guard, coached Chicago Bears 1972-74.

* HILARY GRIVICH, gymnastics, May 4; University of Houston, died in auto accident at 19.

* JAY HEBERT, golf, May 25; winner of 1960 PGA Championship.

* CAMILLE HENRY, hockey, Sept. 11; star NHL center, mainly with New York Rangers.

* BEN HOGAN, golf, July 25; four-time U.S. Open champion; his 63 tournament victories included nine majors.

* DON HUTSON, football, June 26; led NFL in receiving eight times; Green Bay teams won three titles.

* ROBERT IRSAY, owner, Jan. 14; traded Rams for Colts, then moved team from Baltimore to Indianapolis.

* HELEN JACOBS, tennis, June 2; 1936 Wimbledon singles champion.

* DAVE MARR, golf, Jan. 12; popular broadcaster, winner of 1965 PGA Championship.

* BONES McKINNEY, basketball coach, May 16; took Wake Forest to 1962 Final Four.

* JEFF “SQUEEKY” MEDLEN, golf caddie, June 16; helped Nick Price, John Daly win majors.

* ROD MILBURN, track and field, Nov. 11; won gold medal in 110-meter high hurdles in 1972 Olympics.

* EMIL “BUS” MOSBACHER, yachting, Aug. 14; skipper of two America’s Cup winners, 1962 and 1967.

* JERRY NEUDECKER, baseball umpire, Jan. 11; American League ump, 1956-86.

* HENRY PICARD, golf, April 30; won Masters, PGA, 26 tour events.

* RAY RENFRO, football, Aug. 4; Cleveland Brown wide receiver for 11 years.

* TROY RUTTMAN, auto racing, May 19; youngest driver (22) to win Indy 500, in 1952.

* JOHNNY VANDER MEER, baseball, Oct. 6; pitched no-hitters June 11 and 15, 1938, for Cincinnati.

* JOANIE WESTON, roller derby, May 10; “Blonde Bomber,” starred at peak of sport’s popularity.

* TONY ZALE, boxing, March 20; middleweight champion, 1940-48.

Among the incidents that affected the sports world:

CRIME

* DENNY McLAIN, former major league baseball pitcher, was sentenced May 7 to eight years in prison and ordered to pay $2.5 million for stealing from a company’s pension plan.

* LAWRENCE TAYLOR, former linebacker for the New York Giants, pleaded guilty June 4 to filing a false income tax return.

* WIL CORDERO, outfielder for the Boston Red Sox, was charged June 11 with assault and battery with a deadly weapon after a domestic dispute.

* BRUCE McNALL, former owner of the Kings, was sentenced in January to 5 years 10 months in federal prison for charges relating to bank fraud.

* JESS KERSEY, NBA referee, submitted his resignation July 30 after pleading guilty to filing a false income tax return.

* JEFFREY SUDIKOFF, also a former owner of the Kings, was indicted by a federal grand jury for alleged securities fraud and insider trading.

* ALLEN IVERSON, rookie guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, was arrested in an automobile Aug. 3 for drug and firearm possession.

* TONY PHILLIPS, veteran player for the Angels, was suspended Aug. 18 after being arrested in a motel room and charged with felony cocaine possession.

* CHARLES BARKLEY, forward for the NBA’s Houston Rockets, was arrested in Orlando, Fla., for allegedly throwing a man through a window.

* MARV ALBERT, sportscaster, was fired Sept. 25 by NBC for confessing to misdemeanor assault and battery against a Virginia woman, after prosecutors dropped a charge of forcible sodomy.

ODDITIES

* RIDDICK BOWE, former heavyweight champion, decides to join the Marines and reports to boot camp in South Carolina in February. He stays 11 days, then is granted his wish to no longer be a Marine.

* JANET JONES, actress and wife of NHL superstar Wayne Gretzky, is attending a hockey game Oct. 22 at Madison Square Garden between the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks when a pane of plexiglass smashes in front of her. She suffers a cut lip and is knocked unconscious. While she is taken to the hospital, her husband continues playing in the game.

* THE AMERICA’S CUP trophy, on display in a New Zealand yacht club, is attacked March 13 by an intruder and struck repeatedly with a sledgehammer.

* GORDIE HOWE, hockey Hall of Famer, plays for the Detroit Vipers in an Oct. 3 International Hockey League game against Kansas City. At the time, he is 69 years old.

* TRACY McGRADY, a high school basketball player, is signed June 18 to an endorsement deal with Adidas worth a reported $12 million.

* OLIVER McCALL, heavyweight boxing champion, begins weeping in the ring during a Feb. 7 title fight against Lennox Lewis. He refuses to defend himself and is disqualified. He offers no explanation for his behavior.

* DENVER BRONCOS, needing to get out of town for an NFL game with the Denver airport closed, are rescued by their fans in a blizzard. Fans voluntarily clear roads and a runway with snow plows, pick up players at their homes or even hitchhiking, and enable the team to leave. One Bronco player drives himself to the airport on a snowmobile.

CHAMPIONS

* AUTO RACING: Indianapolis 500--Arie Luyendyk; U.S. 500--Alex Zanardi; Daytona 500--Jeff Gordon; Formula One World Championship--Jacques Villeneuve.

* BASEBALL: World Series--Florida Marlins defeat Cleveland Indians in seven games; All-Star Game--American League 3, National League 1; College World Series--Louisiana State; Little League World Series--Guadalupe, Mexico, 5, Mission Viejo 4.

* COLLEGE BASKETBALL: NCAA men--Arizona 84, Kentucky 79 (OT); NCAA women--Tennessee 68, Old Dominion 59.

* PRO BASKETBALL: NBA--Chicago Bulls defeat Utah Jazz in six games; All-Star Game--East 132, West 120; WNBA--Houston Comets 65, New York Liberty 61.

* BICYCLE RACING: Tour de France--Jan Ullrich, Germany.

* COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Fiesta Bowl--Penn State 38, Texas 15; Orange Bowl--Nebraska 41, Virginia Tech 21; Rose Bowl--Ohio State 20, Arizona State 17; Sugar Bowl--Florida 52, Florida State 20; National Champion--Florida.

* PRO FOOTBALL: Super Bowl--Green Bay Packers 35, New England Patriots 21; Pro Bowl--AFC 26, NFC 23; Canadian Football League--Toronto 43, Edmonton 37.

* GOLF: Masters--Tiger Woods; U.S. Open--Ernie Els; British Open--Justin Leonard; PGA--Davis Love III; U.S. Senior Open--Graham Marsh; Senior Players Championship--Larry Gilbert; U.S. Women’s Open--Alison Nicholas; LPGA Championship--Chris Johnson; Ryder Cup--Europe 14 1/2, United States 13 1/2.

* HOCKEY: Stanley Cup--Detroit Red Wings defeat Philadelphia Flyers in four games; All-Star Game--East 11, West 7; NCAA championship--North Dakota 6, Boston 4.

* HORSE RACING: Kentucky Derby--Silver Charm (Gary Stevens); Preakness--Silver Charm (Gary Stevens); Belmont--Touch Gold (Chris McCarron); Breeders’ Cup Classic--Skip Away (Mike Smith); Hambletonian--Malabar Man (Mal Burroughs).

* SOCCER: MLS Championship--D.C. United 2, Colorado 1; Copa America--Brazil; U.S. Cup ‘97--Mexico; NCAA men--UCLA; NCAA women--North Carolina.

* TENNIS: Australian Open--Pete Sampras; Martina Hingis; French Open--Gustavo Kuerten; Iva Majoli; Wimbledon--Pete Sampras; Martina Hingis; U.S. Open--Patrick Rafter; Martina Hingis.