Rules to put
excitement
by L.C. Johnson
January fB, 2001
Knight-Ridder Tribune
ORLANDO - Fourth down the
most important down in foot
ball? That could be the case in
the XPL.
League founder Vince XFL •rules require the re-
McMahon wanted rules that ceiveridefender to have just
would make the game leiter, one foot in bounds on a recep
more physical and more enjoy- tion/interception, just like in
able when' the eight-team college. Likewise, the rules
league kicks off Feb. 3. The governing overtime will be
rules, announced Tuesday, of- similar to college in that each
fer a blend of college football, team will take possession at the
the NFL and the Arena Football opponent's 20 (it's the 25 in
League,-alongwith some mea- college).
surer the league hopes will An old NFL rule that allowed
make fourthr down one of the defensive backs to employ "
most exciting plays in the bump-and-run" coverage will
game, • be adopted. But there is a twist
44 McMahon did not like the
fair catch,!' said Mike Keller,
XFL vice president of player
development, "As a result,
fourth down will be the most
exciting dowa in the . XVI..
We're not going to have the fair
catch, but we're going to hold
in the gunners until the ball is
kicked. It will give the (return)
guy:the chance to catch the ball
without getting his clock
cleaned,
"The other , thing , . is that
when the ball goes past 25
Siragusa: goose is loose, ready for Donovan-like fun
by William Gildea
The Washington Post
Janury 22, 2001
OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Driving along
one day, Artie Donovan pointed to a res
taurant in Timonium, Md. "Up there,"
he said, "is where I used to have my
radio show. They must have had 500
people in this place, listening to this
goofy radio show. Ordell Braase and I
were on it.
"On my radio show, Miller was the
sponsor. And I'd say, 'Give me another
Miller.' And I'd open a can of Schlitz.
The liquor store here, they used to send
me up 12 cans of Schlitz on the house
so I could drink the Schlitz."
Fast forward 40 years.
Now Baltimore is enjoying the
Ravens and their players just as it used
to love the Colts of Donovan, Braase et
al. Baltimore is in a time warp: This sea
son, fans have gathered in the base
ments of their row houses on Sundays
to root for the Ravens on TV; drive al
most anywhere in Baltimore this week
and you will find a bar/restaurant plan
ning a Super Bowl Sunday bash when
the Ravens will play the New York Gi
ants. There are no second chapters?
There's even a second Artie Donovan
- he would be a reincarnation of
Donovan if Donovan weren't still
around and planning his own Super
Bowl party.
Tony Siragusa is a defensive tackle,
as Donovan was; Siragusa is a jolly,
round giant, the team prankster, the
same as Donovan - Siragusa is 6 feet 3,
340 pounds; Donovan was 6-2 and
claims to have played at 280 although
"I got up to 335"; the stories of what
Siragusa can eat and what Donovan
used to eat sound mythic except they
are true; Siragusa plays and Donovan
played alongside another mammoth
tackle, Sam Adams (6-6, 330) and Big
Daddy Lipscomb (6-6, 283), respec
tively - as they said in Baltimore then
and are saying again, it would be easier
for a camel to pass through the eye of a
needle than to run between the tackles;
both Siragusa and Donovan grew up
following the Giants, Donovan in the
Bronx when the Giants played at Yan
kee Stadium and Siragusa in the north
Jersey town of Kenilworth, near Giants
Stadium.
Both had sports-mad fathers - Art
Donovan Sr. was one of boxing's great
est referees; Pete Siragusa coached his
three sons in youth football before he
died of a heart attack in 1989 when Tony
was playing for the University of Pitts
burgh. Both Donovan and Siragusa had
religious mothers, loving but strict -
Mary Donovan, who used to pack Art
Sr.'s little bag with his ref's stuff in it;
Rosemarie Siragusa, who ruled Tony
and his girlfriend, Kathy Giacalone,
could not live together before marriage,
which finally took place after a 12-year
in punts
yards, it's a live ball. If the ball
hits the ground, no longer are
you going to see a bunch of
guys circling the ball waiting
for it to roll dead."
And the point-after kick is
dead. Instead, teams must run
or pass for the point.
in that the offense will be al
lowed to run a man in forward
motion outside of the tackles,
as permitted in the arena
league.
In an effort to shorten games,
XFL teams will have 35 sec
onds to get a play off after the
previous one is ruled dead and
25 seconds after any clock
stoppage.
" We're not going to have
those 31/2 and four-hour
games," Keller said.
courtship.
Siragusa and Donovan have had a
laugh together - Siragusa calls him "a
good guy, a great guy." But still
Siragusa says: "I don't like being com
pared to people. I am who I am. When
I first came to Indianapolis, they were
comparing me to the Refrigerator (the
Chicago Bears' William Perry). I like
With the Baltimore Ravens, Tony Siragusa's
job is to stop opponents' inside running game.
opening one, but not being compared
to one."
Comparisons, however, are inescap
able with the 33-year-old Siragusa.
During a game in October when he was
carted off the field and taken to a hos
pital only to return and play, longtime
Colts fans recalled a game from the
1960 s when the diminutive Colts
flanker, Jimmy Orr, was removed to a
hospital during a game and returned.
Orr ran back
into the
huddle to the
roar of the
Memorial
Stadium
crowd and
promptly
caught a
touchdown
pass in the
right corner
of the end
zone at the
closed end of
the stadium _
"Orrsville."
WASHINGTON POST PHOTO BY MICHAEL ROBINSON-CHAVEZ.
Ravens' Tony Siragusa, 340-pound radio show host, jokes
around with Keith Mills during a broadcast. He packs the house
Thursdays at a Baltimore area bar.
Siragusa
topped even
Orr's return
because his
injury was
frightening. His spinal cord was said
to have been "bruised" or "strained."
Nevertheless, he hustled back to the sta
dium from the shock trauma unit and
trotted back into the game against Ten
nessee as fans chanted "Goose." Later
rioNA
r 3.
NBA Report:
by Sam Smith
January 22, 2001
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO -- After their threat to
boycott practice, the constantly un
derachieving Denver Nuggets won
14 of 18 for their best record in 15
years at this point, and it has caught
some notice.
If that's what's working for them,
maybe we should try boycotting a
practice," Vancouver's Shareef
Abdur-Rahim said.
Grizzlies coach Sidney Lowe had
a different take. Denver is tough,
athletic. I think they're on a mission
and I predict they're going to go
deep, deep into the playoffs, very
deep," he said.
When they're going, these guys
are as good as anyone. They've got
a great post-up guy, Antonio
McDyess, who gets points in the post
or off offensive rebounds. He can
face up and shoot it. Then they have
great perimeter shooting -- not good,
great."
The test for the Nuggets comes
now, with eight of 11 games on the
road before the All-Star break. If they
play well maybe Denver will start to
notice. The Nuggets are on pace to
draw fewer fans than last season and
are averaging 14,170 with one sell
out.
The kid can play: The Pacers are
making noises about getting in the
playoff race again and Jermaine
O'Neal has been a big part of it. The
22-year-old power forward/center,
who skipped college, is averaging
13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.7
blocked shots over 33.1 minutes.
he said he didn't want to miss the fun.
In the Ravens' practice facility
locker room, Siragusa has been given
two lockers. He has too much stuff for
one, like 11 or more pairs of shoes.
Adalius Thomas, a rookie defensive
end, occupies the locker next door. "He
does things that nobody else can do
because he's Goose, he has his own
style," Thomas said. "He
keeps us laughing. But
Goose is pretty athletic
for a big guy. He has the
ability to get loose and
maneuver his way into a
quarterback."
But that rarely hap
pens. When Siragusa
came wide open at the
line of scrimmage and
fell on Oakland quarter
back Rich Gannon in the
AFC title game, drawing
a fine of $lO,OlO by the
NFL, it was as if the
Raiders had left a door
open. Siragusa had no
sacks in 1997 and 1998
and none this season.
"He blocks up the
middle," Donovan said.
"He doesn't get off the
line of scrimmage. He
takes the run away from
them. But when 340-something falls
on you like he did on Gannon,
something's got to give and it's not
going to he the ground. ... Hey, he's
fatter than I wa.:."
Unlike Donovan, a Hall of Famer,
Siragusa is a self-made player. In high
school, he was a New Jersey state
wrestling champion. In college, he
kept a boa constrictor and a tarantula
as pets. But he went undrafted by the
NFL in 1990; he went out for a long
walk to decide what to do with the rest
of his life. His life was football; he
caught on as a free agent with India
napolis.
Indianapolis gave him a signing bo-
Denver goes from threat to threatening
A year ago O'Neal had "The Year
of the Resurrection" tattooed on his
right arm along with a drawing of a
superhero character designed by his
cousin. It never happened in Portland,
but O'Neal has blossomed after a
trade for Dale Davis that Portland fig-
ures to regret for years.
"He hasn't even really played yet,"
Pacers veteran Sam Perkins said.
"When this man realizes what he
has and looks at it long-term, he can
be the best player in the NBA one day.
If he works at it, nobody can stop him
in my mind."
And in O'Neal's mind as well. " If
I make the jump shot, nobody in the
league will be able to guard me," he
said. " Even now I can get to the 1/
Bbasket 3/8 whenever I want without
being able to shoot it consistently."
Family feuds: Lakers coach Phil
Jackson, watching Jeff Van Gundy get
pummeled stepping between Marcus
Camby and Danny Ferry, recalled the
famous Doug Collins tight with the
Pistons' Rick Mahorn in which assis
tant John Bach tried to protect then-
Bulls coach Collins and wound up
with torn tendons in his hand. Jack
son said he goes by the adage: " Don't
grab anybody who's going to tear your
arms off."
Jackson shouldn't joke. That Kobe
Bryant-Shaquille O'Neal feud may be
worse than reported. After scoring 41
points Friday against Houston,
O'Neal broke his weeklong silence to
take another jab at Bryant: "All nights
-- not most nights, all nights -- I can
score. And I've always been an un
selfish player. If I get doubled, I set
up my teammates."
Bryant, meanwhile, got the first
nus of $l,OOO - $674 after taxes. He
spent it all on dinner with friends.
After football, he wants to have his
own cooking show on TV - although
others say he has a future in the World
Wrestling Federation.
Siragusa and Donovan both are re
nowned as radio hosts. Siragusa works
out of a place called the Barn, in Carney,
a few beltway exits away from where
Donovan did his show. Every Thursday
night the Barn is jammed with people
dressed in purple for Siragusa's hour of
chaos beginning at 7. Last Thursday
night's crowd included a woman carry
ing a stuffed raven and a man with a
fake goose.
"Who let the Goose loose? ... Goose,
Goose, Goose," went the chants. It was
body to body, hundreds stuffed in the
bar, with another 50 or so held back at
the door, trying to peer in the steamed
up windows.
Siragusa swallowed two crab cakes
in what was announced as an unofficial
record time of 19 seconds.
Brian Billick, the Ravens' coach,
phoned in.
"A lot of people sort of refer to me as
a Refrigerator guy," Siragusa told
Billick on the air. "You know, the Re
frigerator carried the ball in the Super
Bowl. You think there's a shot at the
Goose maybe carrying the ball on the
short yardage?"
The Barn erupted in cheers.
"I'll tell you what. I'll tell you what,"
Billick tried to reply through the din.
"I'll give everyone Brian's address af
ter he gets off and his home telephone
number," Siragusa shouted.
"What do ya think, Bri? Do you think I
got a shot?"
"I'll tell you what. I'll make you a
deal," Billick said. "If we're up by four
touchdowns, okay, we'll work
something up for you then.
"If we're up by four touch-
downs -
"You're going in at fullback
and we'll give you the ball,"
Billick promised.
"Oooooooh, ha-haaaaaa,
yes," Siragusa screamed. "I'm
in. Hey, Trent (Dilfer, the quar
terback), I know you're listen
ing. You better score four or I'm
gonna kick your butt."
"There's some motivation
right there," Billick added.
The crowd screamed ap
proval.
It did again just before he
signed off, after he sang, not
badly, a Sinatra song; if only
Rosemarie and the guys in Jer
sey could have heard him, but
then, they've heard him. Finished,
Siragusa cried out: "C' mon, ladies and
gentlemen. Let's hear it for me."
triple-double of his career last week
after Magic Johnson challenged him to
try for one in hopes of defusing his feud
with O'Neal. But Bryant was having
teammates shout out how many assists
or rebounds he needed during the game
as Michael Jordan did in the late 1980 s
when he got 10 straight triple-doubles
to prove he could do anything Magic
could do.
Twan time: Antoine Walker has been
getting a lot of the blame for Rick
Pitino's failure in Boston, even from
broadcaster Howard David.
"Walker is part of the problem,"
David said. " He cares about winning
the scoring championship, not the team
championship. He has one thing in
mind -- scoring -- and there's an epi
demic of this around the NBA."
Added ex-Celtic Danny Ainge:
"Walker is a nice player, but if he's ex
pected to take you to the Promised
Land, you're in a lot of trouble. I'd ex
plore what I could get for him."
Obviously stung, Walker ran up 47
points against the Kings.
Around the league: The Rockets are
saying they won't trade Hakeem
Olajuwon, who is saying he wouldn't
mind being dealt, presumably to a con
tender. But any deal is difficult because
Olajuwon makes $16.7 million and
Houston won't take on any long-term
contracts as it seeks to get salary-cap
space. Miami remains in pursuit and
Olajuwon is lobbying to be released to
try to finish with a contender. ... The
staggering Sonics, dealing with Gary
Payton behavior issues again, are lis
tening to Toronto, which is offering
Corliss Williamson for Brent Barry.
Coach Nate McMillan wants to ease
his backcourt overload, but the talk is
He needs a ring to
complete this outfit
by Shav Glick
Los Angeles Times
January 23, 2001
•When the New York Giants' 6-
foot-7, 300-pound Keith Hamilton
stepped off the plane in Tampa, Fla.,
for the Super Bowl, he was wear
ing a black suit and black mock
turtleneck, and two silver necklaces.
one with a diamond cross and the
other with a diamond rectangular
medallion. He also wore a diamond
watch, a diamond bracelet and a dia
mond earring in his right ear.
"Might as well look good," he
told New York Daily News report
ers. Asked what the outfit cost,
Hamilton said, "About 150." As in
$150,000.
•Trivia time: Which stadium has
hosted the most Super Bowls, Los
Angeles Memorial Coliseum or the
Rose Bowl?
•Sounds logical:Venus Williams,
on her motivation to win the Aus-
tralian Open:
"I make a 24-hour trip just to
come. The ticket is pretty expensive.
I feel that I deserve to reward my
self by at least some type of title."
•Get used to it: New Philadelphia
Phillies Manager Larry Bowa has
vowed to change a franchise that has
learned to accept losing.
"I don't accept losing," Bowa
said.
"I deal with losses. I don't accept
them. Anybody who accepts losing
is in the wrong sport. You start ac
cepting losing and you'll get your
brains beat in."
•Bad timing: "Albertson's will
tear through Texas Motor Speedway
like a Tornado," trumpeted a news
release for the Albertson's 300
Busch series race at the track.
Two days earlier, a series of tor
nadoes had ripped the Dallas-Forth
Worth area, killing four people and
causing $5OO million in damages.
•Rough sport: Soccer star Rio
Ferdinand injured his knee so se
verely that he might sit out two
games in Britain's Premier League.
He was hurt sitting with his foot
propped up on a coffee table, watch
ing TV.
"He had (his foot) on the table in
a certain position for a number of
hours and strained a tendon behind
his knee," said Leeds spokesman
FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2001
if the Sonics miss the playoffs again -
- they're barely over .500 since
McMillan took over -- they'll look to
deal Payton after the season.... Detlef
Schrempf showed up at a Portland
practice last week and said he might
return later in the season.
Interesting dilemma for Suns owner
Jerry Colangelo, who released Dia
mondbacks pitcher Bobby Chouinard
after a domestic-violence arrest and
said the club has a zero-tolerance
policy on such acts. But Jason Kidd,
arrested for domestic violence on
Thursday, is the Suns' best player.
Chouinard was a mediocre relief
pitcher. ... One of the Spurs' biggest
problems has been Tim Duncan's
free-throw shooting, about 45 percent.
He missed all seven in a loss to the
Knicks.... Glen Rice is suffering from
plantar fascitis and the Knicks say the
foot injury could be a lasting prob
lem. ... Tyrone Nesby, who had to be
removed by arena security after curs
ing out coach Leonard Hamilton on
the Washington Wizards' bench,
complained about not starting the next
game.
Just Jazzy: It's wild even with the
normally staid Jazz. Last week the
team had Olden Polynice suspended
after he was convicted of imperson
ating a police officer for chasing mo
torists in Salt Lake City and flashing
a badge. Greg Ostertag was briefly
suspended for skipping practice after
a dispute with coach Jerry Sloan and
John Starks was suspended for vio
lating team rules regarding travel with
the team.
David O'Leary. Ferdinand joined
Leeds for a record $26-million
transfer fee in November.
•Concern:When Whitey Ford,
his old New York Yankee team
mate, had a recurrence of cancer,
Yogi Berra's reaction was to call
him up and ask. "You dead yet?"
•Super matchup: Trent Dilfer
vs. Kerry Collins. Columnist Tom
Fitz Gerald of the San Francisco
Chronicle says, "This should quiet
the talk that Jeff Garcia can't take
a team to the Super Bowl."
•More Fitz Gerald: "Prediction:
New York will hold Jamal Lewis
to 41 yards in 25 carries, with one
touchdown. What they'll be call
ing Jamal after the game: MVP."
•Another view: Mark Kriegel of
the New York Daily News has an
other candidate:
"There can be no debate as to this
year's MVP: Ed Garland. That's
Ray Lewis' defense attorney."
•Different sport: Tony Siragusa,
the Baltimore Ravens' 340-pound
plus tackle, was fined $lO,OOO for
falling on top of Oakland Raider
quarterback Rich Gannon and
separating Gannon's shoulder,
even though there was no flag
thrown on the play.
"I don't understand why I'd be
fined," Siragusa said. "This isn't
tennis,"
•The other side: When Raiders
center Barret Robbins was asked
if he'd like to retaliate and hurt
Siragusa, he said, "What do you
do? He's so big, you hurt your neck
trying to hit him."
•Trivia answer:Rose Bowl 5,
Coliseum 2
•And finally: Wayne Chrebet,
the New York Jets wide receiver,
is not that sorry to see the Bill
Parcells era end. Asked about what
he felt when the former coach was
in the general manager's role, he
told Paul Needell of the Newark
Star-Ledger:
"Fear! You didn't see him too
many times, but you knew he was
always lurking around one of those
corners. You could have one bad
play in the game, and believe me,
you were going to hear about it."