Showbits - Winnipeg Free Press

Today in music history

In 1980, former Beatle Paul McCartney was released from a Japanese jail where he had been held for nine days on charges of smuggling marijuana into the country. He was immediately deported.

Born this day

* Dean Jones, 1930

* Etta James, 1938

* Ana Ortiz, 1971

* Alicia Keys, 1981

Today's lineup

Concerts

Hundredfold

With Cities I've Never Seen, Murder Scene Memories, Uncertain Glory and Instant Enemy, Garrick Centre, 6:30 p.m.; $10.50.

Unity: A Tribute to Desmond Dekker

With The Afterbeat, Wedgewoods, Greg Milka Crowe and The Seed Organization, West End Cultural Centre, 8 p.m.; $8.

WSO: Stepping Out

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers tribute, Centennial Concert Hall, 8 p.m. today and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday; $29 to $55, students/seniors $26 to $50 at 949-3999.

Out and About

The Age of Chivalry: Stories from the Middle Ages

Plus music by Michael Cobus and Liz Goosen and This Merrie Companie, Unitarian Church Hall, 603 Wellington Cres., 8 p.m.; $15 at the door or $12 in advance at McNally Robinson

Grant Park and Prairie Sky Books.

Exhibit Opening

Invisible Dignity, student exhibition from River East Transcona School Division, Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery, 600 Shaftesbury, 7:30 p.m.

Theatre

MametFest

Manitoba Theatre Centre's 8th Master Playwright Festival, a tribute to cleverly obscene playwright David Mamet, to Feb. 10; $59 for a MametPass at 942-6537.

Glengarry Glen Ross

Mamet's gang of real estate salesmen are bringing their bag of tricks to MTC Warehouse. 8 p.m. today, continues to Feb. 9; $10.50 to $39.22 at 942-6537.

Boston Marriage

The Mamet play that asks, 'How do you bluff your way back into a lover's heart?' Presented by Theatre Incarnate, 8 p.m. today and Saturday, 320-70 Albert; $15.

Romance

Mamet's no-holds-barred court case where you never really know who or what is on trial, presented by University of Manitoba's Black Hole Theatre Company, 8 p.m. today and 2 & 7 p.m. Saturday, Gas Station Theatre; $11, students and seniors $9 at 474-6880.

Squirrels, A Sermon

Mamet's fast-paced riff on hack writing that simultaneously scoffs at and celebrates the power of language, presented by The Incompletely Strangled Theatre Company, 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday, Prairie Theatre Exchange's Colin Jackson Studio; $12, students/seniors $10.

Sexual Perversity in Chicago

This Mamet play captures the sexual politics of an age when penicillin would cure the ills of promiscuity but there was no cure for a broken heart, 9:30 p.m. today and Saturday, Ragpickers Antifashion Emporium, xxx McDermot; $12, students/seniors $10.

The Poet and the Rent

Echoe Theatre stages this madcap Mamet comedy for all ages, 7 p.m. today and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Ragpickers, 216 McDermot; $8.

Tara Players: The Shawl

A small-time mystic sets out to bilk a bereaved woman out of her inheritance, Irish Cultural Centre Theatre, 8 p.m. today and Saturday, 654 Erin; $15, students/seniors $10 at 772-9830.

The Frog Prince

Mamet's contemporary adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, presented by Academy Productions, 4:30 p.m. today and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Ragpickers Antifashion Emporium, 216 McDermot; $8, students/seniors $7.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

A cunning fox must outsmart three greedy farmers, performed by England's Little Angel Theatre Company, Manitoba Theatre for Young People, Can West Global Performing Arts Centre, 7 p.m. today; $13 at 942-8898.

All Restaurant Fires are Arson

Bruce McManus' new play looks at our relationship with our own mortality, and with each other, as we struggle to face the inevitable, 8 p.m. today, Prairie Theatre Exchange, to Feb. 10; $34.55, students/seniors $25.21 at 942-5483.

Fiddler on the Roof

Manitoba Theatre Centre, to Jan. 26, 2 & 7:30 p.m. today; $17 to $81 by calling 942-6537.

Cercle Moli�re: Une Dangereuse Obsession

By Manitoba author Nigel J. Crisp, Th��tre de la Chapelle, 825 Saint-Joseph, to Feb. 2, 8 p.m. today; $25.50, students/seniors $23 at 233-8053.

Comedy

Rumor's

Steve Hofstetter, who's also a weekly humour columnist for Sports Illustrated.com and NHL.com, 7:45 & 10:30 p.m. today and Saturday; $15 by calling 488-4520.

Movies

IMAX

Beowulf: The IMAX Experience and Mysteries of Egypt; call 956-4629 for times.

Cinematheque

Lakeboat, Mamet returns to his blue-collar Chicago roots, bringing his own life experiences to the screen, 7 p.m. today and 2 p.m. Saturday; Control, about the late, tormented and brilliant lead singer Ian Curtis of Joy Division, 9:30 p.m., to Sunday; Artspace, 100 Arthur; admission $7.

Nightspots

Academy Food, Drinks & Music (437 Stradbrook): SPF 90.

Alive (140 Bannatyne): Marc LaBossiere.

Brooklands (8 Keewatin): Fabulous Fat Band.

Candor Books & Music (390 Provencher): Ray St. Germain.

Cavern (112 Osborne, downstairs): Andrew Neville & The Poor Choices.

Club Regent (1425 Regent): Pauly & The Goodfellas.

Coyote's (1931 Pembina): Mother Groove.

Country Corral (3740 Portage): Pop the Trunk.

Current (Inn At The Forks): Amber Epp.

Dylan O'Connor's (2609 Portage): Big Johnson Railroad.

Jaguars (Club Regent): Free Ride.

Joe's Garage (Pandora Inn): Ashland Court.

King's Head (120 King): Whole Lotta Angus.

La Salle (346 Nairn): Soul Patch.

Marion (393 Marion): Slip of the Tung.

Mirrors (Assiniboine Inn, 1975 Portage): Simon Says.

Neon Lights (Canadiana Hotel, 1400 Notre Dame): Without a Trace.

Nicolett (632 Lafleche): Ace in the Hole.

Norwood (112 Marion): Last on the Road.

Palomino (1133 Portage): OPM.

Palm Lounge (Fort Garry Hotel, 222 Broadway): Walle Larsson.

Park Theatre (698 Osborne): Rocket Circus.

Pyramid (176 Fort): Rock, Paper, Sciccors.

Regal Beagle (Marlborough Hotel, 331 Smith): Funky Monkey Band.

Royal Albert (48 Albert): Nutty Klub DJs.

Royal George (123 Regent West): Kathy Kennedy.

Shannon's Irish Pub (175 Carlton): B.U.M.P.

Silver Spike (202 Bond): Altered State.

Times Changed (Main & St. Mary Ave.): Jakebrakes and Paul Bergman.

Westbrook (Keewatin & Pacific): State of Grace.

Windsor (187 Garry): Steep Rock Blues Band.

Woodbine (466 Main): Deputy.

Names: Whiten signs 1-year deal with Yankees - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

The Yankees agreed to a one-year, $1 million contract with freeagent outfielder Mark Whiten yesterday in a move that gives the clubthe flexibility to trade Paul O'Neill. New York's outfield hadappeared set with Bernie Williams in center, O'Neill in right andDarryl Strawberry and Tim Raines splitting time in left. O'Neillimped through the second half of last season because of a tornhamstring and finished with a .302 average, 19 homers and 91 RBIs.Whiten, 30, who was briefly with the Red Sox, hit .243 with 10 homersand 38 RBIs for Philadelphia and Atlanta last season, then hit .300with 12 homers and 33 RBIs for Seattle . . . Baseball isinvestigating allegations that Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schottused the names of Reds employees to falsify sales and attain quotasat her Chevrolet-Geo dealership . . . David F. D'Alessandro, who iscredited with saving the Boston Marathon and made John Hancock MutualLife Insurance Co. a worldwide Olympic sponsor, was named No. 47 onThe Sporting News' 1996 list of The 100 Most Powerful People inSports . . . Sheryl Swoopes, perhaps the biggest star of thefledgling Women's NBA, will miss most of its inaugural season becauseshe is pregnant. The 25-year-old Olympic gold medalist is due todeliver shortly before the WNBA season begins June 21, and willresume playing in August. The season ends Aug. 30 . . . MinnesotaTimberwolves rookie Stephon Marbury faces charges in Family Court inNew York that he has failed to financially support his 22-month-olddaughter . . . Hall of Famers Red Auerbach and Red Holzman,legendary coaches for the Celtics and the Knicks, will coach the 1997Rookie All-Star Game Feb. 8 in Cleveland . . . Three-timeIndianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser, who survived two nights in thewilderness on the New Mexico-Colorado border, was cited for violatingthe Wilderness Act by driving a snowmobile into a wilderness area.Unser said he shouldn't be prosecuted for getting lost during ablizzard.Miscellany: Former Kings owner McNall sentenced to nearly six yearsFormer Kings owner Bruce McNall was sentenced in Los Angeles to 5years 10 months in prison and ordered to repay $5 million for hisadmitted role in a scheme to bilk banks, a securities firm and theNHL team of more than $236 million . . . Connecticut Gov. John G.Rowland said that the state will look into building a new arena forthe Hartford Whalers after he was convinced by team owner PeterKarmanos and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman that even a refurbishedCivic Center won't be sufficient in the long run . . . New YorkRangers right wing Alexei Kovalev may return to the lineup thisseason despite a full tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in hisright knee. If he postpones surgery and plays with a knee brace,Kovalev could return in about six weeks. With surgery, he will beout for the rest of the season . . . Chicago Blackhawk Tony Amonte'sknee injury is not as bad as first feared and Amonte, whose 26 goalsrank fourth in the NHL, could return as early as tonight. Amonte,hurt Wednesday night, thought he hyperextended his left knee, butsubsequent tests revealed no serious damage and the injury wasdiagnosed as a bruise . . . Former Dolphins coach Don Shula leadsthe list of finalists for induction into the Pro Football Hall ofFame. Also on the list are cornerback Mike Haynes, who played forthe Patriots from 1976-82, centers Dwight Stephenson and MikeWebster, defensive ends Carl Eller and Jack Youngblood, widereceivers John Stallworth and Lynn Swann, punter Ray Guy, safety PaulKrause, guard Tom Mack, tight end Ozzie Newsome, tackle Ron Yary,seniors nominee Jerry Kramer and Giants president Wellington Mara . .. Pete Sampras and Steffi Graf were named top seeds for theAustralian Open. Yevgeny Kafelnikov is out with a broken hand . . .Heavyweight Andrew Golota received a two-year suspended prisonsentence and a $7,000 fine for beating up a man in a May 1990 discobrawl in Warsaw.

New coach rules with an iron fist - The Record (Bergen County, NJ)

ADRIAN WOJNAROWSKI
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
01-07-2004

New coach rules with an iron fist
ADRIAN WOJNAROWSKI
Date: 01-07-2004, Wednesday
Section: SPORTS
Edtion: All Editions.=.Two Star B. Two Star P. One Star B

Before the Giants had slid his nameplate onto his office door, Tom Coughlin had muscled his first power play on management, declaring himself Giants' coach and issuing a statement to an Associated Press reporter promising to restore the franchise's 'tradition of physically controlling the line of scrimmage.'

Just the kind of tough, no-nonsense football declaration out of the crusty coach who would move Giants' training camp to Junction, Texas, if Wellington Mara and Bob Tisch could only get out of that agreement with Albany.

Only, there was one problem, Ernie Accorsi countered a little later on Tuesday afternoon.

'It's not just the contract is not signed,' the Giants' GM said.

'There is no agreement.'

This didn't take long, did it? Bear Coughlin was taking over the franchise. So accustomed to complete autonomy in his eight seasons lording over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Coughlin just marched into the Meadowlands and hired himself. Even if this misstep belonged to his overzealous agent, consider it a foreshadowing of conflicts threatening to play out within the franchise.

When the Maras, Tisch, and Accorsi stand shoulder to shoulder with Coughlin today to make official his four-year, $12 million contract, they'll speak reverently of the Giants' way, the separation of decision-making authority born out of the most archaic NFL tradition.

This is fine with him, Coughlin will say. He respects the structure. He can live with it.

Just understand: As much as any coach in the sport, including his mentor, Bill Parcells, Coughlin has a history of craving control.

'I don't need to have that,' Coughlin told the Boston Globe a month ago. 'What I need to have is feeling good about the people who are making those decisions.'

Right, right. Just wait until Accorsi presents him his first Jeff Hatch on draft day, or his buddy Joe Paterno sells him on some slow-footed linebacker out of Penn State. Just wait. This isn't going to be Jim Fassel, understanding that his staying power directly correlated to his general agreeability. Gentleman Jim and his goofy grin are gone. Here comes Terrible Tom and his miserable, menacing way.

He's no Fassel, but chances are, Coughlin had to play the part in the interview process. He is threatening to general managers. Why do you think so few invited him to sit down for interviews? Besides the fact that the rest of the NFL knew it was political posturing on the part of the Giants to say they were seriously considering defensive coordinators Romeo Crennel and Lovie Smith - this was Coughlin's job, all the way - league executives feared Coughlin.

Nobody wanted to get into a power struggle with him. Why bother, when it's just easier to hire someone else.

With little leverage as an unemployed coach, Coughlin was wise to go easy on his personal demands for his next job. Owners hire fired coaches, but they don't hire fired emperors. No past GM/coach gets the dual role on the rebound and Coughlin knew it. Out of work, Coughlin couldn't dare command his past power, especially with his eye on the Giants' job. Coughlin isn't a stranger to the rigid Giants' chain of command. An assistant from 1988 to 1990, he has seen with his own eyes the struggle for player personnel control between Bill Parcells and the late George Young.

Without the promise of power, Coughlin wouldn't leave Boston College for the Giants in 1993. He waited until Jacksonville turned an expansion franchise over to him. Owner Wayne Weaver let Coughlin decide everything top to bottom in the organization. Within two seasons, Coughlin had the Jaguars within a whisper of the Super Bowl. He won with his players, his vision, his iron fist.

Truth be told, Coughlin has a far superior player personnel rsum than Accorsi. In just the Jags' second season, he had them in the AFC title game. He was responsible for everything there. And everyone. Nobody flushed a toilet in the Jaguars' practice complex without checking Coughlin's guidelines for jiggling the handle.

They had four straight winning seasons, including two trips to the conference championship, before Coughlin and ownership's lust to mortgage everything for a Super Bowl capped out the Jags like Layden's Knicks.

This time, they didn't hire this coach to crunch numbers, just bones. Now, Club Gent is officially over at Giants Stadium. Tom Coughlin marched into Giants Stadium, declared himself the coach before his bosses even did, and set one stone-cold, serious tone for his tenure. Maybe he doesn't have complete control of the Giants today, but check back tomorrow. All he knows is one way.

***

E-mail: wojnarowski@northjersey.com

NO. 12 TO HAUNT WILSON HARBOR, AID LOCAL CHARITIES - The Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY)

WILSON - A two-week affair in Wilson harbor aims to make 12 amagic number as 12 local businesses team up with 12 corporatesponsors in hopes of raising tens of thousands of dollars for 12Niagara County charities.

Activities, to begin Wednesday and continue to Halloween, willinclude more than 500 boat trips through the 'Haunted Harbor.'

'We're gearing up for a 1,000 people a night,' said PatrickBrady, a Buffalo-born developer and the main driving force behindthe unusual event.

The boat rides will be free, but patrons will be requested tomake a $5 donation to charity. In return, they will receive an all-area pass for the night, entitling them to a variety of Halloweenactivities along the boardwalk, including pumpkin carving, applebobbing, scary attractions and musical entertainment.

Starting Wednesday, six 21-foot tour boats will leave the dock bythe Boat House Restaurant every five minutes between 6:30 p.m. and9:30 p.m. daily through Oct. 31.

If the event draws 1,000 people a night for 15 nights, it wouldraise $75,000, and each of the 12 charities would receive $6,250each.

Even if the even fails to meet that goal, the charities wouldbenefit substantially, organizers say.

The charities include local chapters of the Red Cross,Opportunities Unlimited, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, GirlScouts, the Lions Club, Wilson Sports Boosters, Wilson CentralSchool, the local library and a Niagara Falls soup kitchen.

Wilson harbor has been rigged with 12 haunted sites, some onfloating docks, for the prolonged Halloween event. The tour boatswill encounter them all during the half-hour trip around Clark'sIsland, home of the Tuscarora Yacht Club.

'The sites are interactive,' Brady said, without giving away anysecrets. 'The boats pull up to each site, the scary stuff starts,and the boats escape in the nick of time.'

'The haunted sites are awesome,' said Wilson Town SupervisorJerry Dean, who was involved in the set up. 'The whole event isunique, something Wilson harbor has never seen before.'

'The most unusual thing about this event is the teaming of thehost business with the corporate sponsor and the charity,' saidBrady, who owns the Wilson Boat House restaurant. 'The wholecommunity came together in a common effort. Twelve by 12 by 12 - wedivided and conquered.'

The Garden Gate, a florist shop in the Harborfront complex, hasteamed up, for example, with three Wilson firms - White Siding, HighTech Concrete and Wellington Builders - to raise money for the localchapter of cystic fibrosis, a disease that afflicts a young Wilsonwoman.

Five Coconuts, a rum and spicy food bar below deck from the BoatHouse restaurant, has teamed up with Sevenson Industrial Services ofNiagara Falls to raise money for a soup kitchen in that city.

The two-week Halloween affair is the culmination of 'a millionmeetings,' Brady said.

A world traveler who now lives in Boston, Brady spent hischildhood summers in a cottage his father built on Lake Ontario inWilson, and he has been coming back to Wilson ever since. In thelast three years, he also has been building it back up.

Wilson is joining Olcott, a lakeside village a few miles east anditself a tourist mecca 100 years ago, in making a comeback.

Since buying and renovating the Boat House restaurant three yearsago, Brady has built several harborfront shops on four acres ofadjoining property he also owns. Over the past two years, the numberof shops has grown from four to 12.

Brady has improved the docks, installed power and cable hookupsfor boats, and begun free tours of the harbor. The Boat Houserestaurant added an outdoor deck and live music.

With land and money he donated, the town has built a communitypool near the harbor that provides free swimming lessons forchildren and swim programs for all residents of the town andvillage.

The restaurant, shops and Wilson harbor itself, which used toclose down for the winter on Sept. 30, now will stay open year-round, Brady said.

Local attorney Walter Moxham Jr. also has been a major forcebehind the harborfront transformation, sponsoring free concerts andprograms in Clark's Park, behind the new swimming pool. About 50local businesses donated money to present programs, and last yearthey launched Harborfest, a three-day affair featuring a tall ship,fireworks, art show, car show and Coast Guard helicopter rescuedemonstrations in the harbor.

The revitalization, festivals and free concerts not only haveattracted tourists, but also have boosted local businesses.Employment in the tiny village has skyrocketed about 500 percent,officials say.

Australian dynasty that's hard to toppleDominance is unwavering over 30 years RUGBY LEAGUE - International Herald Tribune

Huw Richards
International Herald Tribune
10-25-2004
The New York Yankees missed baseball's World Series, Real Madrid won nada in soccer, and the U.S. men's Olympic basketball squad was a dream team only for its gratified opponents. But not every sporting dynasty is collapsing without a fight in 2004.Australia's rugby league team established an early grip on the sport's new Gillette Tri-Nations tournament, where it plays New Zealand and Britain, by beating the Kiwis 32-12 on Saturday night at the Queens Park Rangers soccer ground in London.The tournament is the biggest thing in league this year. It has had a World Cup for 50 years, much longer than the rival code of rugby union, but never established it as a regular competition. The next is in 2008, a gap of eight years.The three teams play each other twice apiece, then the top two meet in the final at Elland Road in Leeds on Nov. 27.The timing of domestic seasons Britain's Grand Final, in which Leeds beat Bradford 16-8 last week, fell two weeks after Australia's grand final means Australia and New Zealand have played the first two matches, drawing, 16-16, last week in Auckland, New Zealand.Britain now plays its rivals on alternate Saturdays for the next four weeks, starting next week against Australia.The outcome will determine the world pecking order. That hierarchy has been largely unchanged in more than 30 years. Australia has not lost a series to New Zealand since 1953 or to Britain since 1970, and it has won all six World Cups since 1975. Rugby league is like American football, a fruitful outcrop from rugby union. It broke away in 1895 over payment for players a concept that ''union,'' named after the administrative body that ran the sport at the time, rejected for another century. League is played with 13 men, compared with union's 15, and while methods of scoring are the same, values are different. Four points are given for a try, or touchdown, two for a goal when the ball is kicked over the bar and between the posts and one for a drop-goal, kicked as a dropped ball strikes the ground.League supporters point to players' speed of movement, dexterous handling and ferocious hitting all apparent on Saturday night.The British historian Tony Collins once likened it to Yiddish, because it has never been associated with a ruling class in any of the countries where it is played. It has not, though, matched the ability of Yiddish to cross national boundaries.League is heavily concentrated in a few regions in the Tri-Nations. Once-powerful France has fallen away and no new fourth force has arisen, although league is Papua New Guinea's national game.It is, however as a roster including names like Tonga, Rooney, Webcke, Minichello, Buderus and Civoniceva indicates more reflective of Australia's ethnic richness than cricket or rugby union, and it has long been more popular than union among the Pacific Islanders and Maoris of the poorest districts of New Zealand's two largest cities, Auckland and Wellington.But even if unfashionable with ruling classes, it is not invariably unpopular with individual rulers. Liking league is about the only thing John Howard, Australia's conservative prime minister, and Helen Clark, his leftish intellectual counterpart from New Zealand, have in common. The decision to play a game between two nations from the other side of the world in London was vindicated on Saturday when the game at Loftus Road, normally home to a lower-division English soccer club, drew a capacity crowd of 16,750. If Britain's league fans are mostly in the north, its Australians and New Zealanders concentrate in London, where schools, bars and law firms would struggle without them.New Zealand started well, with the prodigious 19-year-old forward Sonny-Joe Williams's remarkable dexterity helping to create a second-minute try for fullback Brent Webb. Though Australia struck back rapidly with a try by wing Luke Rooney and two goals from forward Craig Fitzgibbon, New Zealand still led 12-8 at halftime with further tries by wing Lesley Vainikolo and halfback Vinnie Anderson.The second 40-minute half, though, was all Australia once its captain, Darren Lockyer, had sliced through within two minutes. Willie Tonga and Shaun Berrigan, both centers, and forward Petero Civoniceva, a replacement, scored tries, while Fitzgibbon, Lockyer with two and Berrigan kicked goals. New Zealand went scoreless in increasingly unpleasant rain- and wind-swept conditions.British fans habitually support New Zealand against Australia but may not be too sorry. If Britain reaches the final, Australia is now its likelier opponent. As well as wanting to win, the players will want, like Boston Red Sox fans, to beat their old tormentors.

2004 Copyright International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com

You never know who's sleeping near the air-conditioner in this... [Derived headline] - Winnipeg Free Press

You never know who's sleeping near the air-conditioner in this town, with four movies on the go! Debra Martin Chase, the famous director of Princess Diaries, which made $109 million in the U.S. alone, just slipped into Winnipeg.

She's lensing a sixth American Girl movie with young heroine Jade Pettyjohn and Winnipeg-born actress Nia Vardalos of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame. The former lawyer is also the producer of Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, Cinderella (starring Brandy, Whitney and Whoopi) and The Cheetah Girls movies. She and crew started filming Monday (she won't reveal the plot, though rumour has it there's a gymnastics theme) and they're using Winnipeg locations such as Tec Voc, Riverbend Elementary and the Exchange Cafe.

Martin Chase, who lives in the Hollywood Hills, says she's had a great time dining out at 529 Wellington, has been to 10 Spa in the Fort Garry Hotel several times and is planning to hit some fringe shows. As for filming in the 'Peg, she says, 'Winnipeg is incredibly supportive. The tax incentives are really, really great, and people have bent over backward to be supportive.'

So why does this big-time producer, associated with Disney, like doing young-girl movies? 'There are great stories to be told, and if you tell it right, both the young girls and older women relate to it.' And then there's the young star power she attracts. 'We were very fortunate to have Anne Hathaway in Princess Diaries -- enormously talented. Scarlett Johansson and January Jones and everybody came to try out, but Annie was just 'it' from the moment we saw her audition.'

'And we put America Ferrera (of Ugly Betty) in her first movie, and we got Blake Lively right out of Burbank High School (both in Sisterhood).'

As for working with grown-up divas, Martin Chase says Queen Latifah of Just Wright is just as you'd expect her to be -- smart and funny -- and Whitney Houston was gracious and co-operative.

-- -- --

PLAYERS CUP AUCTION: Chicago Blackhawks star Jonathan Toews, who is the host of the week-long Players Cup golf-related events held this week, was dead last to go up as a golf mate on the auction block at the big Boston Pizza bash Monday night. Still, he and his Can Tour star golf partner Adam Hadwin fetched $2,000 from a beaming Laurie Finley, sales and marketing exec at the Winnipeg Free Press after MC Joe Aiello called out 'I'll go back to delivering papers if you'll go to $2,000.'

Dragon's Den reality show star Jim Treliving of Boston Pizza fame and fortune, who's never short of investment money, earlier put out $4,000 to get a great game Tuesday with NHL celeb Doug Gilmour and Can Tour Star Matt Johnson at Pine Ridge Golf Club.

Spotted: executive director of the Players Cup and prez of Market Force One (MF1) Ryan Hart, also Grant Skinner of Pro Ice Sports and Rumor's comedian Dan Verville. Christine Schellenberg of Rehab Centre for Children and Chuck LaFleche of the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation were happy to be in attendance, as proceeds will be split between the two groups this year.

-- -- --

PLAYERS CUP ACTION: Jonathan Toews' parents are a couple of lovebirds! They were out supporting their son Monday night -- and celebrating their anniversary. 'He's my first and my best husband!' said Andree Gilbert of hubby Bryan Toews. 'Well, I came first and then there were the two kids, so I guess I'm No. 3,' laughed Toews. 'I'm just kidding!' he said, hugging her closely.

-- -- --

STAR-SPOTTING: Winnipeg marathon runner Janet Kastellanos moved her ballerina daughter, Alexa, to star-studded New York City this weekend where she will be attending the prestigious Joffrey Ballet school. Mom stayed in the Trump Soho while Alexa was moving into residence.

And who appeared in the elevator but red-headed film star Ann-Margret. Kastellanos also saw the newly svelte Kirstie Alley of Dancing with The Stars in the glam hotel lobby.

-- -- --

BACK TO GRADE 7 WITH CAREY WILSON: You'll never guess whom yours truly caught stuffing his face with pizza -- NHL great Carey Wilson, my old Grade 7 student from General Byng. I was in my early 20s (honest!) teaching junior high -- English, music, theatre and sex ed, when we first knew each other.

'You were a kind of wild teacher,' he said. 'I remember you making us dance the three-step!' And I remember Wilson and his buddies never missing a sex ed class. In fact, if a few students were away sick, they'd slip in some pals and make it a suspiciously full house. I'd have to start out the class, by saying, 'I believe some of you boys belong across the hall?

NEW ENGLAND IN BRIEF - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

BOSTON

Man electrocuted on T's Orange Line

A man was electrocuted last night when he made contact with thethird rail after walking into the MBTA's Orange Line tunnel betweenNorth Station and Community College, said Joe Pesaturo, spokesman forthe Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. An MBTA crew spottedthe man inside the tunnel at about 10:30 p.m and brought anapproaching train to a halt, Pesaturo said. The man then crawledunder the train and was killed when he touched the electrified thirdrail, Pesaturo said. Service was temporarily halted betweenWellington and Haymarket stations.

Fla. man admits smuggling immigrants

A Florida man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Bostonto conspiring to smuggle illegal Brazilian immigrants from Mexico tovarious locations in the United States, including Massachusetts,Minnesota, and Washington, D.C. Edson Faustino, 47, of Pompano Beach,Fla., admitted that he served as a debt collector for the ring, whichcharged immigrants $10,000 to bring them to the United States.Faustino was arrested last year after collecting a fee through amiddle man from a Brazilian man who was transported by van toCambridge. Faustino is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 17. Another mancharged with serving as a debt collector for the ring, Jose MarcosSilva, of Medford, is scheduled to go to trial in federal court inOctober.

ATTLEBORO

Officer shoots driver after stolen-car chase

An Attleboro police officer shot a man in the arm early yesterdaymorning after authorities said he led police on a 4-mile chase in astolen sport utility vehicle and rammed a cruiser. John J. Peters,44, was expected to be released from Rhode Island Hospital yesterdayor today and will face several charges, according to Captain GeorgeG. Bussiere of the Attleboro Police Department. Joyce Sumpter, 45, apassenger in the SUV, was also arrested and charged with possessionof a stolen vehicle, a Jeep Grand Wagoneer taken in Paris, Maine. At12:20 a.m. yesterday, police said, an officer on patrol saw Petersspeeding. After police chased him on several local roads, Petersturned onto East Street and hit a dead end. An officer used hiscruiser to block the dead end and got out of his car, Bussiere said.Peters drove at the officer, who jumped out of the way, Bussieresaid. The officer drew his gun and fired several shots, hittingPeters once in the arm, Bussiere said. Peters rammed the cruiser anddrove into a tree. Police did not release the name of the officer whofired his gun. Following department protocol, the officer was placedon administrative leave while the shooting is reviewed.

HYANNISPORT

Girl, 10, tells police men approached her

A 10-year-old granddaughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy toldpolice that she was frightened at about 11:30 a.m. Thursday when twomen offered her a ride in their van as she was walking from a privatetennis club about a half-mile from the Kennedy family's compound inHyannisport, police say. Barnstable police said they areinvestigating the report. The girl, whom police would not identify byname because she is a minor, described the two men as white and intheir 50s and said the van was white with no markings. She said sheran when they offered her a ride, police said. 'They didn't try tophysically take her,' said Barnstable Sergeant Ben Baxter, addingthat police had added more patrols in the area.

HALIFAX

Town bans outdoor activities in evening

Team practices, the classic car shows in the Wal-Mart parking lot,and other organized outdoor activities must end by 6 p.m., sayHalifax health officials, who are concerned that people couldcontract a mosquito-borne illness. The ban will remain in effectuntil further notice. Health Agent Cathleen Drinan said Halifax is inone of three areas in Southeastern Massachusetts warned by the statethat they are at a high risk for human cases of West Nile virus orEastern equine encephalitis.

WENHAM

Couple donate $60m to Gordon College

DOMESTIC POLO MOST PLAYERS ARE MARRIED. IT MEANS A LOT OF FAMILY LIFE AT THE EDGE OF THE FIELD.(LIFE & LEISURE) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: FRANCES INGRAHAM Staff writer

Polo, as a sport and vocation, is by all accounts a family affair.

When husbands head off to work, most wives either go to their own jobs or stay home with the children. But many men who are called to the polo fields eat, sleep and work with their families as they travel the world to compete in tournaments.

``Polo is not like baseball, football or golf, where most of the players' wives stay behind at home or fly in just for the game,'' says Joanna Smicklas, wife of Dale Smicklas, captain of the Wellington, Fla.-based Outback team, and whose skills have earned him a lofty eight-goal ranking (out of a possible 10).

It's ``a family-consuming type of sport,'' she adds. ``You get used to the packing and traveling . . . After a while, you always get a bit of that feeling of it's time to move on. I've never not traveled with my husband, not even when (daughter) Tiana was born. She was at her first game two hours after leaving the hospital.''

There is a greater ``polo family'' as well.

Because there are four players to a polo team, some families not only travel together, but share a house when on the road.

``We're all very friendly on this team,'' says Polly Fawcett, wife of one-goal player Mike Fawcett, who owns and sponsors the Cold Comfort team, playing in Saratoga Springs this summer.

Fifteen people including the Fawcetts, their 10-year-old daughter Madeleine, and the family of team colleague nine-goal player Esteban Panalo are sharing a house in Saratoga for the third consecutive season.

When the Cold Comfort team plays in Florida, the families live inside the compound of the Palm Beach Club. They also live near each other in their home base in Hamilton, Mass.

Most of the players are married and have children of all ages. For these children, schedules are flexible, and life loses its sense of routine.

Because the children watch their fathers play polo, their bedtime usually comes later than that for children on a more traditional schedule. A polo match usually begins at 6 p.m. and lasts up to 2 hours. After returning to the bar, the horses must be tended.

``The children have dinner before the match but sometimes they don't get to bed until between 11 p.m. or 1 a.m.,'' says Joanna Smicklas.

``Because they don't have to get up early, they can sleep until 9 a.m. or 11 a.m. They usually go with the flow because there's no schedule, and it works beautifully,'' she adds.

Parents must take special measures when it comes to schooling their children.

In Argentina, where Esteban and Victoria Panalo own a farm, children attend school from March through December. Victoria Panalo explains that teachers there work with polo parents to ensure that a child's education isn't interrupted.

``Traveling is an education in itself for the children,'' adds Joanna Smicklas. ``They usually have perception beyond their young years and can change with any situation because they spend a lot of time around adults.''

Madeleine Fawcett's teachers prepare her study requirements so she can tend to them while they're traveling among matches, says Polly Fawcett.

``She has five books to read before heading back to school in September, one of which is the ``Odyssey.'' She's been handling it by reading for an hour or two every morning when she gets up. She has picked Spanish up on our trips to Argentina,'' says Polly Fawcett.

``The rest of our day is spent with Mike at the stable to tend to the horses and then we do different things following lunch before we have to go back to the stable and get ready for a match.''

Children who show an interest in the game start playing polo at an early age. In between her father's games, Tiana Smicklas, 6, goes through the paces of her own imaginary polo game.

Straightening her Victorian pinafore dress and large white bow in her blond hair, Joanna Smicklas quips, ``I let her play like a boy but she has to dress like a girl.''

As for the wives, their lives are dedicated to the needs of their families.

``I spend almost all of my waking hours with my children,'' says Victoria Panalo, mother of Esteban Jr., 3, and 5-month-old Joaquin.

``We have a nanny who also travels around the world with us. We need her to watch the children at night. There are so many social events to attend when you're involved with polo, from business people to friends. It depends on where the tournament is, but sometimes there are 15 to 20 families from Argentina who converge in the same place at one time.''

Panalo says she enjoys shopping when she travels to the United States. ``I like to go on house tours, the houses are so beautiful in Connecticut and Boston,'' she adds.

``We also play a lot of tennis and swim at the Golf and Polo Club here in Saratoga. And I spend time at the barn with my husband and sometimes we go for a leisurely ride on the horses. After the games, I like to cook pasta dishes with light sauces. I don't cook heavy foods because the players have to all stay in shape. So they like to eat a lot of carbohydrates.''

Panalo also likes to sew children's clothing while on their farm in Argentina, about 1 hours from Buenos Aires.

When she has free time, Fawcett enjoys reading. ``I do a lot of picture-taking,'' she adds. ``I give Michael an album every Christmas that's filled with pictures of all of his tournaments and other memories throughoutthe year.''

A typical day for the Smicklases involves tending to the horses mornings and afternoons, seven days a week. They usually ride together daily, and go to the races when in Saratoga Springs. ``On a professional basis, the horses are No. 1 in your life,'' says Joanna Smicklas.

Tim Gannon, co-owner with Dale Smicklas of the Outback team and a single parent, also rents a house in Saratoga for the polo season. Accompanying him are daughter Kathleen, 9; son Christopher, 10, who has just started taking polo lessons; and manager Phil Heatley, of El Paso, Texas. Gannon lives in Sarasota, Fla., where he manages a chain of 186 Outback restaurants, which he co-founded.

To field a high-goal polo team, like those in Saratoga Springs, it costs $150,000 to $2 million for a six-month season, Gannon says. Polo horses can cost from $10,000 to $50,000, and a team needs at least 10 in top shape, he adds.

The game can be dangerous, which is a source of concern for some wives.

``It would be devastating if anything happened to my husband,'' says Joanna Smicklas. ``But then again, it would be more devastating if I asked Dale to stop playing. It's a Catch-22 situation. I sit through a game and get very tense, while the spectators may only be thinking in terms of the player or team winning or loosing. My only concern is for my husband to be safe and come off of the field in one healthy piece.''

Such concerns aside, the life of a polo family is a full one.

Results. - The Herald on Sunday (Auckland, New Zealand)

Athletics

NZ Mountain Running Champs

Mt Campbell, Motueka.

Men, Senior 14.2km: P Costley (Nelson) 1h 10m 31s 1, D Butler (Hawera) 1h 12m 58s 2, G Hughes (Wgtn) 1h 14m 8s 3.

Women, Senior 7.2km: H Newbould (Canterbury) 48m 37s 1, M Ros (Wgtn) 50m 3s 2, H Rountree (Hamilton) 50m 55s 3.

Baseball

MAJOR LEAGUE

American League

Texas Rangers 4 Minnesota Twins 1; Oakland Athletics 4 Seattle Mariners 0; Baltimore Orioles 7 Toronto Blue Jays 5; Cleveland Indians 8 Kansas City Royals 3; Boston Red Sox 12 Tampa Bay Rays 2; Chicago White Sox 5 Detroit Tigers 2; New York Yankees 5 Los Angeles Angels 0.

National League

Atlanta Braves 10 Milwaukee Brewers 8; Miami Marlins 5 Houston Astros 4 F11; Los Angeles Dodgers 9 San Diego Padres 8; Washington Nationals 2 Cincinnati Reds 1 F13; New York Mets 5 Philadelphia Phillies 2; Colorado Rockies 7 Arizona Diamondbacks 6; Chicago Cubs 9 St. Louis Cardinals 5; San Francisco Giants 5 Pittsburgh Pirates 0.

Basketball

NBA

New Orleans Hornets 96 Utah Jazz 85; Oklahoma City Thunder 115 Sacramento Kings 89; Orlando Magic 81 Atlanta Hawks 109; Philadelphia 76ers 89 New Jersey Nets 95; Houston Rockets 105 Phoenix Suns 112; Indiana Pacers 102 Cleveland Cavaliers 83; Toronto Raptors 84 Boston Celtics 79; New York Knicks 103 Washington Wizards 65; Portland Trail Blazers 94 Dallas Mavericks 97; L.A. Lakers 103 Denver Nuggets 97; Miami Heat 105 Charlotte Bobcats 82; Detroit Pistons 97 Milwaukee Bucks 113.

Cricket

NATIONAL CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

Cornwall Park Auckland

Day Five Results:

St Albans (Canterbury) 155 (D Johnston 41; R Joseph 3-30) bt Easts (Wellington) 147 (R Joseph 35no; G Earl 4-44) by 8 runs

Otumoetai (Northern Districts) 259/7 (T Boult 79, J Boult 44, J Evemy 38) bt United Palmerston North (Central Districts) 202 (A Ganugapati 64, T Mancer 39, J Cunningham 30; M Bidois 3-29) By 57 runs Takapuna (Auckland) 433/4 (G Johnson 197, E Herd 174, Paul Hitchcock 31) bt Taieri (Otago) 175 (G Spittle 45, A Harris 43; R O'Donnell 4-23) BY 258 RUNS.

Football

England

Football League Championship: Southampton 1 (Lambert 48) Reading 3 (Roberts 19, Le Fondre 72, 90+2)

Ireland

First Division: Shamrock Rovers 6 (Turner 31, Twigg 33, 81, 87, Dennehy 46, Kavanagh 90+1) Dundalk 0; Shelbourne 2 (Gorman 10, 82) Bray Wanderers 1 (J Byrne 30); UCD 1 (Rusk 84 pen) Bohemians 2 (Ward 8, Corcoran 51); Drogheda United 0 St Patricks Athletic 0; Cork City 6 (Horgan 27, O'Neill 32, 65, 86pen, Sullivan 48, Purcell 77) Monaghan United 0; Sligo Rovers 1 (North 25) Derry 1 (McDaid 36 pen).

Norway

First Division: Fredrikstad 1 (Holm 36) Rosenborg 2 (Iversen 54, Larsen 79)

Wales

Premier League: Aberystwyth Town 2 (Thornton 56 pen, Kellaway 90) Airbus UK 0

Belgium

First Division: Cercle Brugge 0 Lierse SK 0. Relegation play-off: Westerlo 4 (Sidibe 27, 62, Reynaldo 75, 83) STVV 0.

Germany

Bundesliga: VfB Stuttgart 4 (Gentner 37, Harnik 45+1, 53, Cacau 89) Werder Bremen 1 (Rosenberg 25).

Sweden

First Division: Malmo 2 (Larsson 64, Durmaz 69) Kalmar 0.

Australia

A-League. Major final. Perth Glory 1 Central Coast Mariners 1 AET. Perth win 5-3 on penalties

NEW ZEALAND

Northern League

Premier:

Central Utd 3 (S Hogg, J Hall, D Saric) Waitakere City 0. HT: 1-0.

East Coast Bays 2 (K Escolme, N Palmer) Eastern Suburbs 0. HT: 1-0.

Manurewa 2 (M Eakins, J Horan) Melville Utd 0. HT: 0-0.

Bay Olympic 3 (S Holloway (pen), Y Tanabe, C Gardyne) Onehunga Sports (Iwa Shaker) 1. HT: 2-0.

Hamilton Wanderers 4 (D Frischknecht 3, R How) Three Kings Utd 1 (J Colligan). HT: 3-1.

Division 1

Mt Albert-Ponsonby 0 Ngaruawahia Utd 3 (N Holten 3). HT: 0-3)

Glenfield Rovers 2 (J Mattock, S Woodford) Birkenhead Utd 3 (K Linderboom 3). HT: 1-1.

Ellerslie 2 (W Hart 2) Lynn-Avon Utd 1 (D Beckham). HT: 1-1.

Papatoetoe 2 (D Carron, G Singh) North Force 1 (S Burgess). HT: 1-1.

Albany Utd (OG 2) 2 Takapuna 1 (D Park). HT: 1-0.

Division 2

Papakura City 1 (D Billot) Matamata Swifts 2 (S Parsonage, J McNab). HT: 1-0.

Fencibles Utd 3 (B Kayll, J Henry, B Murphy) Waiuku 7 (D Baldwin 2, W Trout 2, N Heron, D Sinclair, E Crean). HT: 2-4.

Western Springs 2 (P Lane 2) Tauranga City Utd 1 (C Irvine). HT: 2-0.

Warkworth 2 (S Gove, S Steffener) Mangere Utd 1 (OG). HT: 1-0.

Hibiscus Coast 1 (T Mayes) Manukau City 0. HT: 0-0.

Golf

CHARLES TOUR (NZ)

Taranaki Energy Open

New Plymouth Golf Club.

Third round scores (par 72)

206 D Klein (P, NZ) 71 69 66

207 R Fox (P, NZ) 73 66 68, J Pender (P, NZ) 73 66 68

209 J Cusdin (P, NZ) 72 69 68

210 G Moorhead (P, NZ) 67 72 71, J Carmichael (P, NZ) 67 71 72

211 B Stuart (P, NZ) 72 72 67, N Gillespie (P, NZ) 73 71 67, P Zwart (P, NZ) 72 72 67, F Wilkin (Royal Auckland) 70 71 70

213 C Hamilton (Omanu) 70 75 68

214 P Lee (Rotorua) 72 74 68, M Pettigrew (P, NZ) 70 74 70, M Purser (P, NZ) 70 73 71, L James (P, NZ) 72 71 71

215 M Brown (P, NZ) 67 75 73

216 A Brown (PAUS) 76 72 68

218 B Hayward (New Plymouth Inc) 74 71 73, K Muir (P, NZ) 72 73 73, S Han (P, NZ) 69 74 75, T Otene (Inglewood) 73 69 76

219 D Holloway (P, NZ) 75 77 67, J Chung (P, NZ) 73 76 70, D Sipson (P, NZ) 76 71 72, J Ratcliffe (Akarana) 69 77 73

220 P Spearman Burn (P, NZ) 71 77 72, S Wightman (P, NZ) 74 72 74, J Bevitt (P, NZ) 75 70 75

221 Ho Jun Sung (St. Andrews of Hamilton) 77 75 69, J Dasler (P, NZ) 74 76 71, C Osbourne (P, NZ) 70 72 79

223 H Bateman (Russley) 78 78 67, R Kauika (P, NZ) 74 77 72

224 A Green (P, NZ) 73 77 74, T Ropiha (P, NZ) 71 78 75, J Munn (Manawatu) 73 75 76, T Lannie (P, NZ) 72 75 77

225 B Martelletti (Inglewood) 80 73 72, C Owen (P, NZ) 74 76 75

226 L Toomey (Ngaruawahia) 75 80 71, J Reid (Fitzroy) 75 76 75

227 G Perry (Manawatu) 75 77 75, T Brockelsby (Royal Wellington) 77 75 75, L McDonald (Marton) 78 72 77

Women:

222 E Perry (Lochiel) 76 78 68

232 T Kingi (Opotiki) 76 81 75

237 E Clayton (Manawatu) 78 78 81

238 F Nickson (Peninsula) 79 78 81

239 C McLean (Manaia) 76 82 81

246 E Hodson (New Plymouth Inc.) 83 80 83

252 H Winter (Manaia) 88 84 80

PGA

RBC Heritage

Hilton Head Island, SC

Second round scores (par-71).

133: C Knost (USA) 67 66

135: C Pettersson (SWE) 70 65

136: B Weekley (USA) 70 66, H English (USA) 68 68

137: C Campbell (USA) 67 70, R Garrigus (USA) 71 66

138: F Jacobson (SWE) 71 67, B Estes (USA) 71 67, B Snedeker (USA) 71 67, K Na (USA) 70 68, M Bradley (USA) 74 64

139: C Hoffman (USA) 74 65, Z Johnson (USA) 71 68, B Cauley (USA) 71 68, G Christian (ENG) 71 68

140: C Reavie (USA) 69 71, B Davis (ENG) 72 68, V Taylor (USA) 67 73, T Clark (RSA) 73 67, M Every (USA) 68 72, G Chalmers (AUS) 71 69, T Gainey (USA) 70 70, C Howell III (USA) 72 68

141: T Gillis (USA) 70 71, J Mallinger (USA) 69 72, J Durant (USA) 70 71, L Janzen (USA) 71 70, M Thompson (USA) 71 70, J Kelly (USA) 72 69, M Kuchar (USA) 72 69, G Ogilvy (AUS) 74 67, C Wi (KOR) 68 73, B Harman (USA) 71 70, J Bohn (USA) 70 71

142: K Streelman (USA) 74 68, J Rollins (USA) 70 72, M Leishman (AUS) 71 71, K Chappell (USA) 70 72, G DeLaet (CAN) 74 68, M Bettencourt (USA) 73 69, S Appleby (AUS) 73 69, T Immelman (RSA) 71 71, S O'Hair (USA) 73 69, B Mayfair (USA) 72 70, W Claxton (USA) 70 72, B De Jonge (ZIM) 72 70, J Henry (USA) 72 70, R Sabbatini (RSA) 70 72, H Slocum (USA) 71 71, D Points (USA) 74 68

143: K Stadler (USA) 72 71, N O'Hern (AUS) 74 69, B Baird (USA) 74 69, K Stanley (USA) 71 72, J Furyk (USA) 68 75

144: K Duke (USA) 72 72, C Beckman (USA) 73 71, L Glover (USA) 72 72, J Daly (USA) 70 74, J Dufner (USA) 78 66, R Mediate (USA) 73 71, L Donald (ENG) 75 69, J Driscoll (USA) 72 72, M Anderson (USA) 73 71

145: S Levin (USA) 73 72, W Simpson (USA) 71 74, J Maggert (USA) 74 71, S Micheel (USA) 72 73, H Haas (USA) 71 74, S Ames (CAN) 71 74, M Wilson (USA) 73 72

EUROPEAN TOUR

Kuala Lumpur, MAL

Leading second round scores (par-72).

134: L Oosthuizen (RSA) 66 68

135: H Otto (RSA) 71 64, J Kruger (RSA) 70 65, S Gallacher (SCO) 67 68

136: R Wattel (FRA) 68 68

137: D Lipsky (USA) 70 67, M Kaymer (GER) 70 67

138: J Randhawa (IND) 66 72, D Willett (ENG) 69 69, J Milkha Singh (IND) 65 73, B Fox (USA) 70 68, R Davies (WAL) 70 68

139: S Dyson (ENG) 69 70, R Gonzalez (ARG) 68 71, R Cabrera (ESP) 67 72, C Schwartzel (RSA) 64 75

140: T Lewis (ENG) 70 70, L Wenchong (CHN) 72 68, N Colsaerts (BEL) 72 68, V Dubuisson (FRA) 72 68, J Gonnet (FRA) 71 69, S Kjeldsen (DEN) 68 72, A Quiros (ESP) 72 68, L Gagli (ITA) 69 71

141: S Lewton (ENG) 70 71, S Hend (AUS) 70 71, J Quesne (FRA) 69 72, B Grace (RSA) 69 72, D Kataoka (JPN) 70 71, I Garrido (ESP) 71 70, T Lascuna (PHI) 67 74, J Knutzon (USA) 66 75, T Khrongpha (THA) 73 68, D Drysdale (SCO) 72 69, J Granberg (FIN) 68 73, J Luiten (NED) 72 69, S Kapur (IND) 69 72

142: M Manassero (ITA) 70 72, R Karlberg (SWE) 73 69, P Karmis (RSA) 72 70, G Ghei (IND) 68 74, D Howell (ENG) 71 71, G Boyd (ENG) 75 67, M Siem (GER) 69 73, P Larrazabal (ESP) 69 73, S Hussin (MAS) 70 72, M Joong-Kyung (KOR) 71 71

143: P Meesawat (THA) 68 75, M Siddikur (BAN) 72 71, P Marksaeng (THA) 73 70, R McEvoy (ENG) 72 71, S Barr (AUS) 73 70, S Webster (ENG) 73 70, P Pittayarat (THA) 69 74, F Zanotti (PAR) 72 71, M CAMPBELL (NZL) 72 71, S Khan (ENG) 72 71, Z Moe (MYA) 72 71, R Green (AUS) 69 74, A Forsyth (SCO) 71 72

144: L Sung (KOR) 69 75, C Nirat (THA) 71 73, B Henson (USA) 72 72, Z Lianwei (CHN) 70 74, B Wiesberger (AUT) 73 71, K Horne (RSA) 72 72, G Bourdy (FRA) 75 69, M Mamat (SIN) 73 71, P Junhasavasdikul (THA) 76 68, R Derksen (NED) 71 73, M Both (AUS) 72 72, A Kang (USA) 69 75

Motorsport

FORMULA 1

Chinese Grand Prix

Shanghai, CHI

Starting grid: 1. Nico Rosberg (GER/MER); 2. Michael Schumacher (GER/MER) 3. Kamui Kobayashi (JPN/SAU); 4. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/LOT); 5. Jenson Button (ENG/MLA); 6. Mark Webber (AUS/RBR); 7. Lewis Hamilton (ENG/MLA); 8. Sergio Perez (MEX/SAU); 9. Fernando Alonso (ESP/FER); 10. Romain Grosjean (FRA/LOT); 11. Sebastian Vettel (GER/RBR); 12. Felipe Massa (BRA/FER); 13. Pastor Maldonado (VEN/WIL); 14. Bruno Senna (BRA/WIL); 15. Paul Di Resta (SCO/FOR); 16. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/FOR); 17. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/TOR); 18. Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA/TOR); 19. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN/CAT); 20. Vitaly Petrov (RUS/CAT); 21. Timo Glock (GER/MAR); 22. Charles Pic (FRA/MAR); 23. Pedro de la Rosa (ESP/HRT); 24. Narain Karthikeyan (IND/HRT).

Ice hockey

NHL

Quarter-finals (all series best-of-seven):

Eastern Conference at Sunrise

New Jersey Devils 3 Florida Panthers 2 (Devils leads series 1-0)

Western Conference at Nashville

Detroit Red Wings 3 Nashville Predators 2 (Series tied at 1-1).

Rugby

CLUB

Auckland

Premier

Alan McEvoy Memorial Shield

Ponsonby 47 (R Khan 2, T Mosen, W Ngaluafe, C Raui, P Kaveinga tries, T Koonwaiyou 4 con, 3 pen) Teachers Eastern 14 (J Taufa, S Makahili tries, S Nau 2 con) Halftime: 23-7

University 39 (N Fox-Matamua 2, U Pita 2, L Steele, R Sagote, D Ormrod tries, S Halanukanuka 2 con) Manukau Rovers 5 (C Teraitua try)Halftime: 20-0

Te Papapa-Mt Wellington 22 (F Talanoa try, M Lahana con, 5 pen) East Tamaki 22 (P Magele, L Ofoia, A Pasene tries, T Asora 2 con, pen) Halftime: 10-5

College Rifles 17 (N Humphries, G Marsden tries, G Marsden 2 con,pen) Marist 11 (V Fili try, K Anufe pen, d-goal) Halftime: 3-6

Pakuranga 34 (S Savea, M Fekitoa, A Silipa tries, T Fenner 2 con, 5 pen) Suburbs 32(G Williams-Spiers 2, N Hughes, I Iopu, L Visinia tries, L Visinia 2 con, pen) Halftime: 20-16

Grammar Carlton 53 (M Lam 2, L Maxwell, N Vella, K Hala, D Rangi, J Leauga, J Brown, T Vili tries, M Lam 4 con) Waitakere City 0 Halftime: 24-0

Waitemata 23 (S Savea, V Pihigia, C Pusi tries, D Stead con, pen, K Siemsen pen) Eden 15 (P Kaveinga, W Lotawa tries, J Gibbons pen, R Hurinui con)Halftime: 15-3

Fred Allen Challenge Cup

Papatoetoe 63 (B Masoe 2, O Noa, J Guthrie, V Tahitua, B Poluleuigaga, P Masoe, A Smith, T Iosua tries, T Iosua 4 con,A Nikoro 2 con, 2 pen) Otahuhu 10 (E Tuimauga, M Vai tries) Halftime: 17-5

Bay of Plenty

Premier One: Tauranga Sports 32 Te Puna 19, Whakarewarewa 46 Rangataua 10, Te Puke Sports 89 Waikite 5, Mount Maunganui 42 Greerton Marist 17, Rotoiti 30 Opotiki 21

Counties Manukau

McNamara Cup (Premier)

Papakura 0 Patumahoe 64 (K Hancy 3, N Egelmeer, H Halaeua, D Luteru, A Luteru, J Van Lieshout 2, A Olosoni tries; K Hancy con, J Wilkinson 6 con)

Onewhero 18 (J Foote 6 pen) Pukekohe 30 (Ma Lesavua, S Fifita 2, M Vaipulu tries; R Dennision con, J Reynolds con, 2 pen)

Karaka 34 (D Moroney, T Tuipulotu 2, S Tagicakibau, S Olive tries; con, V Setitaia con, Baden Kerr 2 con & pen) Bombay 7 ( S Taufa try; M Lelenoa con)

Ardmore Marist 20 (L David, W Rangiwai, S Nabou tries; AJ Alatimu con, pen) Waiuku 12 (N Tauafao, J Dawson tries; B Morey con).

King Country

Premier:

Taumarunui Eels 20 Waitomo 17

Taupo Sports 12 Tongariro Sports 5

Waitete 65 Bush United 0

Kio Kio United 52 Pio Pio 20

Taumarunui Districts 41 Taupo United 10

North Harbour

Premier: North Shore 31 (M Holland, A Sutherland, M Speck tries, W Walker con, 3 pen, J Botica con, pen) East Coast Bays 17. HT: 16-3.

Silverdale 39 (G Preston 2, L McQueen, A Doyle, J Poi-McAkter tries, M Clark 4 con, 2 pen) Northcote 25 (B Hall 2, S Katoa tries, B Searle 2 con, 2 pen). HT: 15-6.

Western Pioneers 56 (T Vea 2, A Waqabitu 2, R Ah Chong 2, M Farmer, J Williams, J Aiakopo tries, J Jerry-Taulagi 4 con, pen) Takapuna 11 (J Semple try, 2 pen). HT: 31-11.

Massey 85 (R Niuia 3, G Tuioti-Mariner 2, N Ratumaitavuki 2, T Li, D Pili-Gaitau, K Rolland, P Ahki, M Howling, D Ferreira tries, Ferreira 10 con) Mahurangi 7 (V Fihaki try, A Westbrook con). HT: 40-7.

Marist 22 (M Leiataua, F Saili, W Jacobsen tries, C Hay 2 con, pen) Glenfield 13 (T Hirst try, J McPhee con, 2 pen). HT: 14-10.

Northland

Premier:

Wellsford 21 Marist 18; Mid Northern 17 Kamo 11; Mid western 35 HoraHora 10; Old boys 22 Hikurangi 21; Western Sharks 24 Otamatea 5

Thames Valley

Senior A:

Thames 33 Hauraki North 11; Waihi 30 Whangamata 20; Paeroa West 16 Waihou 13; Cobras 14 Tairua 11.

Waikato

Premier A:

Hamilton Old Boys 26 Morrinsville Sports 22, Hinuera 13 Hamilton Marist 70, Melville 3 Fraser Tech 34, Hautapu 44 Otorohanga 3, University 10 Te Awamutu Sports 37

Tennis

ATP/WTA

US Clay Court Champs

Houston, TX

Men. Quarter-finals: M Russell (USA) bt R Harrison (USA) 6-1 5-7 6-3; 4-J Monaco (ARG) bt 5-K Anderson (RSA) 7-6(4) 7-5.

Barcelona Ladies Open

Barcelona, ESP

Women. Quarterfinals: 3-D Cibulkova (SVK) bt Y Beygelzimer (UKR) 3-6 6-0 6-0; S Cirstea (ROU) bt O Govortsova (BLR) 2-6 6-1 6-3; 7-S Errani (ITA) bt 2-J Gorges (GER) 6-2 6-3; C Suarez (ESP) bt S Halep (ROU) 6-4 6-1.

Danish Open

Copenhagen, DEN

Women. Quarterfinals: P Martic (CRO) bt B Jovanovski (SRB) 6-4 4-6 6-3; 1-C Wozniacki (DEN) bt A Cornet (FRA) 6-0 6-3; 3-J Jankovic (SRB) bt 5-K Kanepi (EST) 4-6 6-1 6-3; 2-A Kerber (GER) bt 6-M Barthel (GER) 6-2 0-6 7-5.

Moroccan Grand Prix

Casablanca, MAR

Men. Quarter-finals: 3-P Andujar (ESP) bt S Gutierrez (ESP) 6-4 1-6 6-3; 7-A Ramos (ESP) bt J Chardy (FRA) 6-3 6-4; I Andreev (RUS) bt G Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 6-4 6-2; F Cipolla (ITA) bt B Paire (FRA) 6-3 6-4.

Triathlon

ITU

World Champs Series

Sydney, AUS

Elite men:

S Justus (GER) 1h 51m 04s, 1; R Murray (SAF) 1h 51m 13s, 2; L Vidal (FRA) 1h 51m 15s, 3; D Hauss (FRA) 1h 51m 30s, 4; A Brukhankov (RUS) 1h 51m 31s, 5; I Vasiliev (RUS) 1h 51m 34s, 6; K GEMMELL (NZL) 1h 51m 42s, 7; W Clarke (GBR) 1h 51m 43s, 8; D Polyansky (RUS) 1h 51m 49s, 9; J Shoemaker (USA) 1h 51m 51s, 10. Also, B DOCHERTY (NZL) 1h 52m 03s, 12; C ELLICE (NZL) 1h 52m 43s, 26.

Elite women:

Eagle-eyed Calder keeps Wilkinson and Co focused on the battle ahead. - Daily Mail (London)

Byline: PETER JACKSON

SHERYLLE Calder joined Clive Woodward's coaching team six months ago with instructions to open England's eyes to a whole new ball game.

An expert in 'visual awareness,' the 42-year-old South African has played a key role in preparing Martin Johnson's team for the World Cup Final. Her job is simply to give every player a clearer sight of what's around him when it comes to making splitsecond decisions.

Calder's appointment completed a batch of highly-qualified specialists carefully selected by Woodward as a central plank of his master-plan to give the best players in the country the best coaches and therefore no excuse for failing on the field through any lack of preparation.

Nothing is left to chance, least of all the food. England have brought their own chef with them, Dave Campbell, a 32-year-old Glaswegian. His presence is designed to eliminate any danger of the team suffering food poisoning, the fate which befell the All Blacks before the 1995 final in Johannesburg.

Campbell will send England off to work on a plate of poached eggs on toast and baked beans. For those who prefer something different, the alternative is spaghetti with a light bolognese sauce.

'This really has been the experience of a lifetime,' he said. 'My job is to prepare two hot meals a day for 50 people and I feel as though I've been living a dream.' The England coach has gone far and wide to study a host of other sports in picking the team behind the team. Defence coach Phil Larder came from rugby league and kicking guru Dave Alred learned his trade in American gridiron with the Minnesota Vikings in the late Seventies.

Calder, a sports scientist and former hockey international, is engaged in her third World Cup. She worked for the All Blacks in 1995 and for this year's victorious Australia cricket squad.

Her work, based on what she calls 'improving visual motor performance,' is so secretive that Woodward has kept her out of the limelight rather than risk any rival team learning from what she does.

'The eyes can be trained like any other part of the body,' Calder said in a rare interview. 'You've got six muscles in each eye and speed, movement and flexibility can all be improved.

'Some players have come to me and said they cannot believe the difference.

They are catching the ball better, seeing it better and timing it better.

'Guys like Jonny Wilkinson have used it as much as they could have done.

This squad are not just good because they are talented.

They are good because they work hard and their team ethos and dynamics are fantastic.'

The backstage team behind the team

COACH: Andy Robinson, 39.

Career: Bath, England and Lions flanker, Lions assistant coach.

DEFENCE COACH: Phil Larder, 58. Career: Broughton Park, Sale, Oldham (RL), Great Britain rugby league coach.

KICKING COACH: Dave Alred, 55. Career: Bristol, Minnesota Vikings (American football), Lions assistant coach.

FITNESS COACH: Dave Reddin, 34. Career: Bedford RFC, Boston United, Kettering Town.

SCRUM COACH: Phil Keith-Roach, 60. Career: Rosslyn Park.

THROWING COACH: Simon Hardy, 47. Career: Saracens, Wasps.

VISIONARY COACH: Sherylle Calder, 42. Career: South Africa (hockey), All Blacks (rugby), Australia, Pakistan, Surrey and Kenya (cricket).Worked on America's Cup with Prada.

VIDEO ANALYST: Tony Biscombe, 58.

REFEREE COACH: Steve Lander. 48. Former PE teacher now fulltime RFU and international referee.

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Richard Prescott, 41.

TEAM MANAGER: Louise Ramsay, British Olympic Association administrator at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.

TEAM DOCTOR: Simon Kemp, RFU's first head of medicine.

Grandson of former RFU president Dudley Kemp.Was once team doctor with Wellington Hurricanes and Premiership's Fulham.

PHYSIOTHERAPISTS: Phil Pask, Northampton's club physio. Used to play for the club.

Barney Kenny, experienced physio was has worked with England over the last few years.

MASSEUR: Richard Wegrzyk, toured Australia and South Africa with the Lions.

KIT TECHNICIAN: Dave Tennison, responsible for 80 pieces of kit for each player.

LEGAL ADVISER: Richard Smith, QC, 40.

CHEF: Dave Campbell, 32.

BEYOND THE BELTWAY 1992; And You Thought Things Were Strange - The Washington Post

You say you memorized all the presidential debates and tapedCNN's entire coverage of Bosnia and personally know every one ofBill Clinton's Cabinet choices as well as what was really in hispassport file? And you sleep with a Walkman tuned to NPR, call CokieRoberts for congressional updates, yet still have the feeling thatsomething else happened in the world in 1992?

It did. The news wires told us so. Read on.

California (I)

LOS ANGELES - A Beverly Hills thief went on a two-dayrobbery spree, traveling from store to store by chauffeuredlimousine.

The driver of the white stretch limo told police that hispassenger had been acting strangely, directing the car to fast-foodoutlets, a hobby shop, a grocery store and a coin store. Policefound at least $26,000 in coins and jewelry in the limousine.

California (II)

LOS ANGELES - A 19-year-old man was sentenced to spend ayear in a prison psychiatric unit after pleading no contest tosetting fire to hair salons where he thought he had gotten badhaircuts.

Neo-California

TACOMA, Wash. - The ex-husband of a new age 'channeler' chargedthat his former wife coerced him into accepting an inadequatedivorce settlement by threatening to cut off his access to the35,000-year-old Atlantis warrior named 'Ramtha' for whom she claimsto speak.

Cows of the Universe (I)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Police on the outskirts of Kansas City, wherecattle rustling is still a hanging offense, have been puzzling overa string of what appear to be drive-by cow shootings.

'It's really not that easy to investigate,' said Clay CountyDetective Sgt. Ron Nicola. 'The remaining cows make poorwitnesses.'

Stand-Up Guy

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - Cowboy Jimmy Dale Struble, restless ina wheelchair for the last six years of his life, was finally buriedthe way he wanted: standing up, with his boots on.

Paralyzed from the neck down in 1986 during a fight withanother cowboy over who was the better roper, Struble 'hated lyingflat on his butt, and didn't want to be buried that way,' said GlennYounger, one of Struble's friends.

In a funeral procession tailored to Struble's last requests,mourners followed his saddle-draped casket as it was hauled to thegraveyard in a pickup truck. Struble's friends then lowered hiscasket, feet first, into the ground with their lariats.

Breath of Learning

OSLO - A 39-year-old Norwegian astrophysics student who livesin a cave and wears torn and dirty clothes was banned from takingexams because he smells so bad that he disturbs other students. Hesued and a court sided with the university.

Annals of Probate

LOS ANGELES - A judge ruled that a man could not will hisfrozen sperm to his girlfriend.

Women on Top

BOSTON - A new study estimates that as many as 15 percent ofall cases of sexual impotence are caused by injury duringintercourse, and its chief author is recommending that men practicewhat he calls 'defensive' sex.

'Men think their erections are made of concrete,' said IrwinGoldstein, a urologist at Boston University Medical Center. Whenthey learn what women can do to them, particularly in the superiorposition, they 'are often quite surprised,' he said.

Animal Rights (I)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A man was charged with intentionallyblowing up three parakeets with firecrackers during a burglary.

Animal Rights (II)

DENVER - Police are investigating what may be the ritualistickilling of an Australian black swan at the Denver Zoo, a year to theday after a similar attack on another swan, zoo officials said.

Animal Rights (III)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - A huge orangutan grabbed a startledFrench tourist in a Borneo park, pulled off his pants, shirt andunderwear and fled to the woods with the clothes, leaving thetourist naked.

The Economy, Stupid

TOKYO - The price for fugu, a costly and potentially deadlyblowfish prized by Japanese gourmets, dropped 30 percent this yearto $105 a pound. The fish's liver and ovaries, which turn you numband then kill you, are cheaper.

Cosmetic Religion

AMSTERDAM - Pairs of Christian missionaries have startedvisiting some of Amsterdam's estimated 8,000 prostitutes in theircanal-side windows. One trims and paints the woman's nails while theother talks about faith and says a prayer.

Annals of Sport (I)

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's football coach alloweda bull to be castrated in front of his team before a victory overthe Texas Longhorns. He described it as an educational andmotivational experience.

Annals of Sport (II)

LONDON - Female fans of a British rugby team were encouraged tohelp raise money by bidding on a chance to take a shower with theirfavorite players. And bring a friend.

'We hope the girls will come in their thousands to outbid eachother and spend some time with the finest men in the north ofEngland,' said John Mallinson, secretary for the Furness Rugby UnionClub.

Breath of Crime

MANILA - Philippine security forces arrested nine Indonesianseamen and seized their ship after they allegedly tried to smuggle100 tons of garlic into the country.

Cows of the Universe (II)

HARFSEN, Netherlands - Sunny Boy, a 7-year-old, 2,640-poundFrisian bull, produced his millionth dose of semen, a feat widelybelieved unequaled in cattle breeding.

No one knows exactly how many calves he has sired in the 10countries to which his sperm has been shipped, but they shouldnumber more than half a million, said Ronald van Giessen, head ofthe KI Oost cattle-breeding cooperative in this northern Dutchvillage. 'Sunny Boy's a phenomenon.'

He said Sunny Boy's semen is widely sought because hisoffspring produce 15 percent more milk than the average cow.

Frog Kick

LONDON - A substance in frog sweat has been found useful intreating human depression.

Anthropologists taking part in rituals using the drug havereported feeling 'godlike' after the experience.

Masculinity (I)

STUART, Fla. - A man accused of exposing himself to a womanfor years was sentenced to 10 months in jail after the victim caughthim in the act with a video camera.

Betty Napier said the man had been peering in her window andexposing himself daily for five years. She called police 30 timesbut was told police didn't have the manpower to do surveillance. OnMarch 20, she wrapped a video camera inside a T-shirt and set it ina laundry room outside her condominium. The camera caught himoutside her kitchen window masturbating.

'He was so predictable,' she said.

Forward With Technology

TOKYO - A Japanese rancher is herding his cattle by callingthem in with collar beepers.

Masculinity (II)

TORRINGTON, Conn. - Two men who were denied drinks at a tavernbecause they missed last call returned a few minutes later and cutthe bar in half with chain saws.

Multiculturalism (I)

PITTSBURG, Calif. - A self-proclaimed witch has come out ofthe broom closet, demanding that a school district ban the fairytale 'Hansel and Gretel' because she says it encourages the killingof witches.

Mourning Mom

NAPLES - A man who kept cocaine in his mother's tomb wasarrested by drug agents posing as cemetery workers, police said.

Annals of Litigation

TAMPA - A lawyer for a Florida man convicted of car theftdemanded a mistrial because a judge refused to allow a woman juroraccess to a tampon during the panel's deliberations.

The Economy, Stupid (II)

SAN ANTONIO - An upset bank customer was arrested after hestripped off his clothes and quacked like a duck when his loanapplication was denied.

Multiculturalism (II)

SAN FRANCISCO - A neighborhood library provided free meetingspace for two years to the North American Man-Boy Love Association,an organization of pedophiles who say they are oppressed by lawsbanning the seduction of children.

Excuses, Excuses

UNION SPRINGS, Ala. - A 20-year-old man was charged with sexualmolestation of two corpses at a funeral home, where a message lefton a bulletin board read: 'The devil made me do it.'

No Fun Allowed

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A young mother was charged with sexual abuseand jailed by county authorities after asking innocently if it wasnormal to experience arousal while nursing her child.

Sibling Rivalry

DENVER - An 11-year-old girl left to baby-sit her 3-week-oldsister bit off two of the infant's toes and part of her ear.

Nature Abhors a Vacuum

CORTEZ, Colo. - A Colorado entrepreneur who says the idea cameto him in a dream, has invented a machine that vacuums prairie dogsfrom their burrows and deposits them unharmed 'but somewhatconfused' in a truck for relocation. His business, Dog-Gone, isbooming.

Magic Kingdom

DENVER - The mother of a 20-month-old daughter, charged withassault on a flight attendant, explained she was stressed out from afamily vacation to Disney World.

Forward With Science

AMES, Iowa - Scientists at Iowa State University are working ona way to make plates and utensils out of corn starch plastic and soyprotein.

'Our ultimate goal is that your picnic plate will become yourdessert,' said Jay-lin Jane, a professor of food science and humannutrition.

Onward With Agriculture

LONDON - A giant potato weighing in at 30 pounds, nearly 23pounds above the previous world's record, was flown here from itsnative Saudi Arabia to be registered with the National VegetableSociety.

Scent of a Woman

LONDON - A French inventor has come up with a $150 dog collarthat quiets dogs by emitting a spray of perfume whenever they startbarking. About 40,000 French dog owners have purchased the device,which so confuses the dog with scent that it stops yapping.

Better in '93?

DELAND, Fla. - A lesbian prostitute who says she's a 'goodgirl' at heart confessed to killing seven middle-aged men,explaining, 'You know what? I just had a real bad year.'

Scout's Honor

SANDUSKY, Ohio - A police officer has been charged with stealingat least $300 in Girl Scout cookies he was supposed to distribute.

Be True to Your School

BOGOTA, Colombia - Police said security guards at a universityin Barranquilla lured street people into campus buildings, killedthem and sold the bodies to the university's medical school.

Where's Ronald?

MONTREAL - McDonald's filed a court suit seeking to block thesale of a contraceptive named McCondoms.

Annals of Sport (III)

GRENOBLE, France - A French court effectively annulled anInterior Ministry prohibition against dwarf-throwing, after25-year-old Manuel Wackenheim claimed it unconstitutionally deprivedhim of his livelihood.

Wackenheim, who performs with a helmet and padded clothing,returned to being tossed in a discotheque near this French Alpinecity.

Family Values (I)

TOLEDO - An 82-year-old man strangled his wife because shewouldn't turn down the volume on the television set, then coveredher with an afghan and went to bed.

Family Values (II)

LONDON - A woman tired of abuse from her bullying husband, beathim to death with a rolling pin, buried him in the garden and toldneighbors he'd gone to work in Saudi Arabia.

Family Values (III)

NEW ORLEANS - A woman shot and killed her teenage son over hisrefusal to clean his room.

Family Values (IV)

MILWAUKEE - A 300-pound woman fatally crushed her husband aftersitting on him during a family argument.

Park Place

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. - A 25-year-old man pleaded guilty to criminalhomicide for shooting a friend in the chest with an arrow after anargument over Monopoly rules.

Legal Brief

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - A Florida county seeking to ban skimpybikinis drafted an ordinance containing a 136-word legal definitionof 'buttocks.'

Dutch Treat

DEURNE, Netherlands - Dutch police arrested six people forfraudulent dealings in pig dung.

Annals of Equity

HOUSTON - The lawyer for a 4-foot-6 man on trial for murdercharged that his client could not get a fair trial because therewere no short people on the jury.

Annals of Art

CINCINNATI - A surgeons' group was asked to investigatecomplaints that the chief surgeon at a Shriner's hospital drew'happy faces' on patients' sex organs during surgery.

Fat Bitch

BOCA RATON, Fla. - A residential association filed suit againsta homeowner charging that her 30-pound mixed-breed dog was too fatto meet neighborhood guidelines.

How About Pizza?

RACINE, Wis. - Mayor N. Owen Davies ordered a city clinic tocancel an order for 1,000 mint-flavored condoms after news of thepurchase 'hit the rock stations in Chicago' and created an uproar.

I'll Take Romance

NFL owners love to welcome inexperience.(Sports) - The Washington Times (Washington, DC)

Wanna know why the NFL is so head-over-cleats in love with Dan Snyder - aside, that is, from all the cash he's putting up to buy the Redskins?

Here's why: Because at 34, he figures to be very much The Junior Partner. That's what the league likes as much as anything: New owners who know their place. Get-along guys who won't rock the boat - or squawk too loudly if they get stuck with a bad schedule. Men who are willing to pay their dues before they do much filibustering at the league meeting.

Dan Snyder is perfect for the NFL, just as Howard Milstein was perfectly wrong. Milstein is one of those change-the-world types. He had a million ideas for turning around the Redskins - and about 999,997 of them were probably lousy.

Did you see who he just hired to coach the New York Islanders? Butch Goring, whose last head job in the NHL was 13 years ago with the Boston Bruins. (He got fired after barely a season.) Thank heaven Milstein didn't get to hire a Butch Goring to coach the Redskins.

But back to the NFL - and to Snyder. The league values subservience in its new owners. It likes guys who will hold the door open for Wellington Mara, Dan Rooney and the rest of the Old Guard. And it loves, absolutely loves, owners who have never been involved with professional sports before. Owners like Dan Snyder.

When Snyder says, as he did in a recent statement, that 'Football will be a new business for me, and I'm going to need experienced personnel to run the team,' it's music to the other owners' ears. It means they might have a pigeon on their hands. After all, Snyder may be a whiz in the communications field, but the football field is a whole different deal.

And make no mistake, the NFL is as cutthroat as businesses come. The owners may look very clubby when they're together, but they all want to win - badly. A newcomer to the league once described its dynamics this way: 'It is highly competitive, as the definition was understood by Captain Morgan, the pirate.'

He was talking about an earlier time, the 1940s, when the NFL was essentially run by four teams: the Bears, Giants, Redskins and Packers. (The other clubs, the country cousins, were just along for the ride.) When a new owner came into the league, George Halas, Tim Mara and George Preston Marshall couldn't wait to 'help' him - to sell him players they didn't want or to snooker him out of his first-round draft choice. It got so bad that a rule had to be passed prohibiting teams - for their own good - from trading their No. 1 picks.

One neophyte owner who was forever getting taken was Ted Collins, who launched a Boston franchise, the Yanks, in 1944. Anyone crazy enough to start a football team in the middle of a war, the other owners decided, had to be an easy mark. And Collins was a bit naive, no doubt about it. Example: Not long after the Yanks came into being, his equipment manager told him he needed to order 54 footballs. Ted was practically apoplectic.

'Fifty-four!' he said. 'What are we going to do, eat them?'

The NFL sure enjoyed having Collins around. He was 'so grateful for the privilege of losing his money,' a competitor said, 'that it's more of a shame not to accommodate him.' So accommodate him they did.

'Need a tackle, Ted? Don't worry, I'll send one over to you for 500 bucks.'

'A little thin at fullback? No problem, I've got an extra one. All it'll cost ya is the rights to that All-American end you can't sign.'

One of the players Marshall unloaded on him 'was 45 if he was a day, didn't have a spear of hair on his head and, let alone football, was scarcely in condition for walking,' Collins complained. But then, these were the war years. Players of any description were hard to find. The situation was so desperate in '45 that the Yanks suited up a lineman, one Ellis Jones, who was missing an arm.

All in all, Collins lost more than $1 million on the franchise. Welcome to the NFL.

'In my innocence,' he said, 'I supposed my new associates would be willing to help a newcomer. Instead, I found them fierce competitors thinking only of themselves. They have no thought of building a strong league.'

Things have changed a little since then. The owners have indeed built a strong league, one in which making a profit is virtually guaranteed. But the competition is still fierce. If a team is dumb enough to offer its entire draft - plus its first- and third-rounders next year - for the fifth overall pick, another team will gladly accept. And no owner seems in much of a hurry to share his luxury-box revenue with other clubs. In a lot of ways, it's still kill or be killed out there.

Which will it be for Dan Snyder? We will have to wait and see. The last boy wonder to be admitted to the lodge, though - Philadelphia's Jeff Lurie, who was a callow 42 when he took over the team in '94 - hasn't exactly distinguished himself, has he? The Eagles are worse off than the Redskins - with no end in sight.

So you can see why the owners are so enthusiastic about Snyder's application. If he turns out to be as clueless as Lurie, nobody will have to worry about the Redskins for years. Let's hope Dan the Man has a little more on the ball than that. Let's hope he's a bit quicker on the uptake than Abe Watner, the owner of the original Baltimore Colts.

They're puttin' on the Ritz and dishin' out the ribs - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

A weekly pair of updated capsule reviews to remind

readers of area restaurants that have made the most

favorable impression on the Boston Globe restaurant

critic.

THE RITZ-CARLTON DINING ROOM * * * 1/2

Ritz-Carlton, 15 Arlington St.,Boston Telephone 536-5700

BUSTER'S AMERICAN BARBECUE * * 1/2

1069 Broadway, Route 1, Saugus Telephone 233-7100Ah, the magnificent Ritz-Carlton Dining Room. For decades it stoodat the pinnacle in Boston dining. Elegant appointments, polishedtable service, deluxe Continental cuisine.

That was before serious competition moved into town. Today, Iwould not go there searching for the best-tasting meal in the city.But the Ritz remains a local treasure; so much more than a place tohave dinner. It is a dining room that confidently resists thepassage of time and waltzes to its own elegant tune.

The traditional French/Continental menu eschews anything remotelyresembling the nouvelle or the contemporary. It is grounded ratherin the cooking principles of Escoffier that were laid down at theturn of the century.

The popular Ritz standard, Sole de Douvre Sautee Meuniere, a wholeDover sole in parsley brown butter, was a marvelously prepared treat,boned at tableside and served simply with a bit of potato on theside. The current menu offers the whole sole sauteed with pine nutsand lemon butter.

Another famous entree, lobster in bourbon whiskey sauce, was avery successful treatment. An evening special of Boeuf Wellingtonwas a gorgeous slice of tenderloin coated with pate and baked in atempting pastry wrapper. Outstanding execution.

But some entrees were a bit flawed, beginning with the rack oflamb, which, though tender, was fatty and flavorless. A pair ofwhole woodcocks were too chewy, as were the slices of duck breast ina peppercorn kumquat sauce.

For first courses, we enjoyed smoked salmon carved tableside andserved with appropriate condiments. A pheasant consomme was clearand light with not a trace of saltiness. And a slice of foie grasroulade with truffles was a rich and regal treat.

Several other Ritz menu items are prepared tableside. On ourvisits, they included pleasures like the superior Caesar salad andthe famous Crepes Suzette Flambees dessert.

Everything is delivered in style. The classic approach to serviceinvolves a team of captain and waiters who transfer the completeddishes from silver serving platters onto your plate. But it allcomes at a notable price.

For dessert you can select from the pastry cart, or enjoysomething like the good creme brulee with its crunchy sugar crust orthe festive profiteroles filled with vanilla ice cream and toppedwith a silky, warm chocolate sauce. Those in search of pampered OldWorld dining can still find it at the Ritz.It has been a long time coming, but barbecue has finally carved outits place in the Boston restaurant scene. North Carolina pulledpork, Memphis ribs -- regional specialties that until recently wereseldom sampled in Massachusetts -- are now part of the local culinarylanguage.

Lovers of this messy, satisfying fare can now quibble over whichof the area's many barbecue joints is doing the best job.

Though not the best of the lot, the volume leader is surelyBuster's American Barbecue, Fish Shack and Rodeo Bar, a massive roadhouse on Route 1 North, Saugus, that opened last June hoping tocapitalize on this yen for finger-lickin' food.

The operational minds behind Buster's belong to Jimmy Burke andBobby Hillson, co-owners of the Cactus Club in the Back Bay. AtBuster's, Burke and Hillson were brought in by the owners of thisvast property to do something that might coax in big crowds and feedthem well at low prices in a 'fun' atmosphere. Bring your date.Bring the kids. Bring the softball team.

The physical setting might well have been conceived by DisneyWorld. The exterior is Western Frontier and the big interior spacesare bedecked with a playful, busy decor. Buster's is big.Considering a kitchen geared to turning out such tremendous quantity,the product is quite acceptable. We encountered plenty of decenteating at decent prices.

The Best Bet among the appetizers was a plate of 15, count 'em,plump and tasty, cold Peel 'n' Eat Shrimp with cocktail sauce servedon a bed of seaweed. If you want them hot you can choose from threeother versions: tasty garlic shrimp done in sort of a scampi style,BBQ shrimp, or hot and spicy shrimp.

All the barbecue was given plenty of smoke, but underseasoning wasa bit of a problem with the meats. The Memphis ribs, tender andslightly fatty, did not have a discernible rub of spices. Weencountered a similar restraint with the pulled pork. Goodtender/stringy texture, trace of vinegar flavor, but no real tang.But the seasoning issue need not be a problem, since each tablesports a quartet of chili pepper sauces, including one called Gib's'Hell Sauce,' that can blow the top of your head off. The house'sown sweet, regular and hot barbecue sauces are pretty good, too.

Recently, steak tips and a Texas T-bone have been added to themeat side of the menu. Both corn bread and potato salad came inworthy versions. And the savory BBQ baked beans were terrific.

Fishing: ANGLING WATERS; B'HAM ANGLERS' ASSOCIATION. - Birmingham Evening Mail (England)

Tomorrow - All BAA waters are available for pleasure fishing EXCEPT THE FOLLOWING:

River Avon at Salford Priors; Evesham; Charlton 1 & 2; Pershore RB; Bredon 5; Mythe Farm. River Severn at Newhalls; Ladyham.

Fazeley Canal - Marston Field-Dog & Doublet.

Sunday - All BAA waters are available for pleasure fishing EXCEPT THE FOLLOWING:

River Avon at Wasperton Manor Farm 2; Welford 1; Dorsington; Barton; Bidford; Marlcliff; Cleeve Prior; Salford Priors; Evesham; Parks Farm; Swifts 2; Wood Norton; Cropthorne 10 & 11; Fladbury Above; Lower Moor; Wick; Pershore RB; Pensham 1-4; Mythe Farm 2 & 3.

River Severn at Ribbesford 2 & 3; Stourport RB; Newhalls; Severn Stoke 104.

River Salwarpe at Claines. Uckinghall Pool - pegs 1-20.

Staffs/Worcester Canal - Br 7-9; 19-20; 25-26; 28-29; 33-41.

HAZELDINE ANGLERS' ASSOCIATION

Tomorrow: All waters available.

Sunday: All waters available.

TOMORROW

nFOOTBALL

FOOTBALL CONFERENCE: Barrow v Leek Town; Dover Athletic v Cheltenham Town; Forest Green v Farnborough; Hayes v Kettering; Northwich v Hereford; Telford v Morecambe; Welling v Woking.

DR MARTENS LEAGUE - Premier Division: Atherstone Utd v Hastings Town; Bath City v Merthyr Tydfil; Boston Utd v Burton Albion; Crawley Town v Tamworth; Dorchester Town v Salisbury City; Gloucester City v Bromsgrove Rovers; Grantham Town v Weymouth; Gresle y Rovers v King's Lynn; Halesowen Town v Worcester City; Ilkeston Town v Cambridge City; Rothwell Town v Nuneaton Borough.

Midland Division: Bedworth Utd v Paget Rangers; Bilston Town v Racing Club Warwick; Bloxwich Town v Evesham Utd; Moor Green v Newport AFC; Shepshed Dynamo v Stafford Rangers; Solihull Borough v Hinckley Utd; Stamford AFC v Cinderford Town; Stourbridge v Sutton Coldfield Town; VS Rugby v Blakenall; Weston Super Mare v Redditch Utd; Wisbech Town v Clevedon Town.

INTERLINK EXPRESS MIDLAND ALLIANCE: Barwell v Kings Norton Town; Chasetown v Oldbury Utd; Halesowen Harriers v Rushall Olympic; Knypersley Victoria v Pershore Town; Rocester v Boldmere St Michaels; Sandwell Borough v Stourport Swifts; Shifnal Town v West Midlands Police; Stapenhill v Wednesfield; Stratford Town v Bridgnorth Town; Willenhall Town v Pelsall Villa.

BANKS'S BREWERY LEAGUE - Premier Division: Bandon v Tipton Town; Brierley Hill Town v Tividale; Bustleholme v Smethwick Rangers; Cradley Town v Ludlow Town; Ettingshall HT v Dudley Town; Lye Town v Wolves Utd; Malvern Town v Darlaston Town; Stafford Town v Gornal Athletic; Star v Westfields; Wolves Casuals v Kington Town.

Division One North: Cannock Chase v Walsall Wood Res; Corestone Services v Brereton Social; Heath Hayes v Wolves Casuals Res; Little Drayton v Wyrley Rangers; Lucas Flight Controls v Wolves Town; Morda Utd v Shifnal Town Res; Newport v Sedgley White Lion s.

Division One South: Borgfeld Celtic v Lye Town Res; Hinton v Cradley Town Res; Leominster Town v Malvern Town Res; Pershore Town Res v Tividale Res; Sikh Hunters v Wellington.

ENDSLEIGH PRESIDENTS CUP - second round: Blackheath Electro v Northfield Town; Holly Lane v Studley BKL Res; Kings Norton Town Res v Burntwood.

ENDSLEIGH CHALLENGE VASE - third round: Fairfield Villa v GNP Sports.

ENDSLEIGH CHALLENGE URN - second round: Massey Ferguson Res v Knowle Res.

ENDSLEIGH MIDLAND COMBINATION - Premier Division: Alveston v Bolehall Swifts; Continental Star v Alvechurch; Coventry Sphinx v Highgate Utd; Dudley Sports v GPT (Coventry); Feckenham v Massey Ferguson; Handrahan Timbers v Coleshill Town; Kenilworth Town v Meir KA; Kings Heath v Southam Utd; Studley BKL v Cheslyn Hay.

Division One: Colletts Green v Chelmsley Town; Hams Hall v Alvis; Knowle v Swan Sports; Shirley Town v West Mids Fire; Thimblemill REC v Loughborough Athletic.

Division Two: Brownshills Town v Handsaker; Kenilworth Wardens v Wyre Forest; Ledbury Town v Earlswood Town; Mile Oak Rovers v County Sports; Old Hill Town v Barlestone St Giles; West Mids Police Res v Enville Athletic.

Division Three: Archdale v Continental Star Res; Bustleholme Res v Barnt Green Spartak; Chelmsley Town Res v Dudley Sports Res; MCL Claines v Burman Hi-Ton; Tipton Town Res v Leamington Hibernian; Wilmcote F&E v Lichfield Enots.

Reserve Division: Boldmere St Michaels v Barwell; Burton Albion v Stourbridge; Nuneaton Borough v Wisbech Town; Oldbury Utd v Gresley Rovers; Rushall Olympic v Bedworth Utd; Solihull Borough v Willenhall Town; Tamworth v Atherstone Utd; Worcester City v Rushden & Diamonds.

BIRMINGHAM COUNTY FA SATURDAY JUNIOR CUP - Round Three (2.00): Attleborough Village v Wonder Vaults; Britannia Old Boys v Bulkington S&S; Cadbury Athletic v Nuneaton Griff; Causeway Utd v Folly Lane BCOB; Christ the King v Village; Corestone Services v N orthfield Town Res; Coventry Sphinx v Triumph Athletic; Dunlop v Northfield Town res; Potterton Myson v Brooklands/Jaguar.

BIRMINGHAM & DISTRICT AFA - Jeffs Cup - Round Three: Willclare v Old Wulfs; Holly Lodge v Colinthians; Airmark v AFC SChwab; Holly Lodge OB v Kings Heath OB; Bantry Rovers v Cresconians; Silhill E v Parkfield Ams; Bass Taverns v Sutton Utd; Welwyn v Moxl ey OB.

Premier Division: Holly Lane SP v Handsworth GSOB; Silhill v Walsall Ph; Smethwick Hob v Kynoch IMI; Sutton Utd v Bartley Gn OB; Transaction v Old Wulfs; Wake Green Am v New Fullbrook.

Division One: Ajax Utd v Parkfield Ams; Colinthians v Wake Green Ams; Old Norts v College; Lloyds Bank v Tamworth QEOB.

Division Two: Bartley Ga v Old Wulfs; Cresconians v Shenstone P; Digby Am v Parkfield Am; Penncroft v Willclare Fuj; Shirley Ath v Sutton Utd; Univ Barbs v Welwyn.

Division Three: St Francis X v Barclays Bank; Britannic Ass v Aston Rangers; Silhill v Wood Wand; Sutton Utd v Village; Wake Green Am v Colinthians; Holly Lane Sports v West Hagley.

Division Four: Bantry Rovers v Britannia OB; Boldmere SS v Smethwick Hob; Colmore Rvrs v St Philips GSOB; Metakal v Sutton Utd; Walsall Ph v MG Star; West Mids Travel v Yardley Grange.

Division Five: Colinthians v Doll and Aitch; Cresconians v Old Norts; H'Worth Wood v Tamworth QEOB; Severn TW v S'Brook Elim; Old Wulfs v Solihull Gas; Willclare Fuj v Shirley Ath.

Division Six: Village v College; Perryfields L v Smethwick Hob.

Division Seven: Britannia OB v Aston 76; Sutton Utd v Walsall Ph; Wythall Sp v FCS Lasermail.

Division Eight: Acocks Green v Rowley; Digby Am v H'Worth GSOB; Florence and F v Britannic Ass; Wake Green Am v Walsall Ph; Willclare Fuj v Old Norts.

Division Nine: BA Plate v Wake Green Am; Old Wulfs v Village; Walsall Ph v H'Worth GSOB; Shirley C v Silhill.

Intermediate Cup: West Hagley v Dolland and Aitch.

YOUTH ALLIANCE (11.00): Northampton v Birmingham; Stoke v Wolves; WBA v Walsall.

nBASKETBALL

BUDWEISER LEAGUE: Exide London Towers v ITT L&E Worthing Bears (7.30, Crystal Palace NSC).

UNIBALL TROPHY: Renault Leicester Riders v Manchester Giants (7.30, Granby Halls); Milton Keynes Lions v Chester Jets (7.30, Bletchley LC); Newcastle Eagles v adidas Greater London Leopards (7.00, Newcastle Arena); Thames Valley Tigers v Westfield Sheffi eld Sharks (8.00, Bracknell SC).

nBOWLS

MIDLAND COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIP: Bedfordshire v Warwickshire (Perdiswell).

nHOCKEY

MEN'S EHL - Premier Division: Beeston v Reading (1.30, Highfields, Nottingham); Bournville v Canterbury (2.30, King Edward Girls School, Birmingham); Southgate v The Brooklands (2.00, Trent Park, Oakwood); Guildford v Old Loughtonians (12.30, Broadwater School, Godalming); Hounslow v Cannock (1.30, Chiswick Boathouse); Teddington v East Grinstead (2.00, Reeds School, Oxshott).

Division One: Hull v Barford Tigers (2.00, Schultz Sports Centre, North Hull); Stourport v Oxford Hawks (1.30, Kidderminster HS).

DTZ DEBENHAM THORPE LEAGUE - Midlands Premier: Coventry & North Warwick v Hampton in Arden; Harborne v Edgbaston; Leek v Olton & West Warwick; North Notts v Khalsa; North Stafford v Shrewsbury; Northampton Saints v Nottingham.

Midlands One: Bloxwich v John Player; Bridgnorth v Nottingham University; Chesterfield v Burton; Finchfield v Blossomfield; Lichfield v Belper; Old Halesonians v Kidderminster.

nICE HOCKEY

BENSON & HEDGES CUP - final: Ayr Scottish Eagles v Nottingham Panthers (7.00, Sheffield Arena).

BRITISH NATIONAL LEAGUE: Fife Flyers v Kingston Hawks (7.00).

CHRISTMAS CUP: Blackburn Hawks v Allsports Solihull Blaze.

nRUGBY UNION

WORLD CUP - European Qualifying Zone, Pool Three: Scotland v Spain (2.30, Murrayfield).

INTERNATIONAL MATCH: England v South Africa (2.30, Twickenham).

UNDER-21 INTERNATIONAL: England U21 v South Africa U21 (11.45, Twickenham).

CHELTENHAM AND GLOUCESTER CUP - First Round, Second Leg (2.30): Rotherham v Leeds (2.15); Wakefield v Bristol; Waterloo v Fylde (2.15).

JEWSON NATIONAL LEAGUE - Division One (2.30): Camberley v Liverpool St Helens; Henley v Birmingham/Solihull; Lydney v Reading; Manchester v Wharfedale (2.15); Morley v Rosslyn Park (3.00); Nottingham v Harrogate (3.00); Otley v Newbury (2.15).

Two North (2.30): Hinckley v Nuneaton; Kendal v Aspatria; Lichfield v Walsall; Preston Grasshoppers v New Brighton (2.15); Sandal v Sheffield (2.15); Sedgley Park v Winnington Park (2.30); Whitchurch v Stourbridge.

Two South (2.30): Bridgwater v Clifton (3.00); Havant v Bracknell; Norwich v North Walsham (2.15); Redruth v Plymouth; Tabard v Barking; Weston-S-Mare v Cheltenham (3.00).

ENGLISH CLUBS CHAMPIONSHIP - Midlands West Two: Warley v O Saltleians.

North Midlands Two: Aldridge v Veseyans; Bredon Star v Harborne; Cleobury Mortimer v Clee; Kynoch v Bournville; Wulfrun v Stourport.

NPI CUP - Round Four, Midlands: Ampthill v Stow-on-the-Wold; Dunstablians v Dudley Kingswinford; Ilkeston v Leamington; Market Bosworth v Old Laurentians; Newbold v Hereford; Oakham v Derby; Old Northamptonians v South Leicester; Stoke on Trent v Old Yar dleians.

TETLEY BITTER VASE - Round Four, Midland: Atherstone v Wigston; Bedford Swifts v Wheatley; Daventry v Rushden & Higham; Old Newtonians v Upton On Severn; Oswestry v Droitwich; Silhillians v Nottinghamians; Wellingborough OG v Uttoxeter.

MIDLAND CLUB MATCHES: Birmingham Exiles v Redditch; Broadstreet v Stroud; Bromsgrove v Selly Oak; Burbage v Coventry Technical; Earlsdon v O Wheatleyans; Evesham v Edwardian; Kibworth v Buckingham; Kidderminster v Bedworth; Kings Norton v Sutton Coldfiel d; Ludlow v Bridgnorth; Newport v O Halesonians; O Coventrians v Southam; Shipston v Stratford; Spartans v Manor Park; Stafford v Wolverhampton; Tamworth v Keresley; Vipers v South Leicester; Warley v Burntwood; Willenhall v Longton; Woodrush v Erdington .

SUNDAY

nFOOTBALL

AXA-SPONSORED FA CUP - Second Round: Kingstonian v Leyton Orient (1.00).

FA CARLING PREMIERSHIP: Middlesbrough v Newcastle (4.00).

SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Hearts v Celtic (6.05).

nBASKETBALL

UNIBALL TROPHY: Chester Jets v Thames Valley Tigers (5.30); Edinburgh Rocks v Peugeot Bullets Birmingham (5.00).

nHOCKEY

MEN'S CUP - round four: Cannock v Harrogate (2.00); Old Cranleighans v Bournville (12.00).

WOMEN'S CUP - round four: Hightown v Sherwood (12.30); Woking Swifts v Sutton Coldfield (2.00).

nICE HOCKEY

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Allsports Solihull Blaze v Wightlink Raiders.

nRUGBY UNION

CHELTENHAM AND GLOUCESTER CUP - First Round, Second Leg (3.00): Bedford v Coventry; Exeter v Worcester; Leicester v Rugby; London Welsh v Richmond (2.00); Moseley v Northampton (2.00); Orrell v Sale.