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T he P ortland O bserver • A ugust
23 1995
P age
B3
Tyson Is Still A Very Big Question
BASKETBALL
Dominique
Defection
Stirs NBA
National Basketball Associa-
I tion may challenge the planned
It w as a sc e n e o u t o f
‘C asablanca.”
Everyone was shocked - shocked
- that something wrong had happened
Saturday night to mar the theatri­
cal return o f Mike Tyson The bout
lasted all o f I minute 29 seconds -
taking less time than the
singing of the national anthem -
before Peter M cN eeley’s m anager
jumped into the ring to em brace his
fallen young lion, thus disqualifying
him.
Yet, after the outrage expressed
by the referee, by the Nevada boxing
commissioner, by the fans who had
paid up to $ 1,500 a ticket and by the
pay-per-view audience at home, there
remained the same question everyone
asked before the bout: What do we
know about Mike Tyson?
The answer, for the $70 million
spent on the bout, including $25 m il­
lion to Tyson, is nothing. And that
could affect his future and the oppo­
nents he chooses.
I defection o f Boston Celtic forward
Dominique Wilkins to a profes­
sional team in Greece.
P anathinaikos A thens an ­
nounced the signing o f Wilkins to
| a two-year contract worth $7 mil­
lion, the richest deal for a player
| outside the NBA.
W aterfront Park to be trans­
formed into 3-on-3 basketball fun fes,
More than 1,800 players will
transform W aterfront Park into a bas­
ketball fantasyland, on Saturday and
Sunday, Sept. 16 and 17, as the first
annual Bank of America Hoop It Up
festival comes to Portland beginning
at 9 a.m. each day. Hoop It Up is the
official 3-on-3 street basketball tour
of the NBA
“Hoop It Up is a carnival where
all of the attractions arc about basket­
Player Fined For
Striking Reporter
Miami Dolphins Coach Don
Shula has fined starting free safety
G ene A tk in s an u n d isc lo se d
amount for striking a newspaper
reporter.
The incident apparently hap­
pened after an article by Jason
Cole appeared in the Fort Lauder­
dale News/Sun Sentinel.
Cole, who covers the Dol­
phins for the newspaper, claimed
in his article that Atkins’ new con­
tract had drawn the ire o f some o f |
the other Miami players.
The Dolphins confirmed that
Atkins physically confronted Cole,
but would not reveal any other
details.
N o m edical attention was
needed for the reporter and offi­
cials at the newspaper would not
comment on the matter.
•‘I’ve talked to both parties
concerned and first and foremost,
I want to make it clear that I don’t
condone any physical behavior
toward the media by members o f |
the Dolphins for any reason,” Shula
said. “On behalf o f Gene Atkins
and the club, I want to apologize to
Jason Cole for the unfortunate oc­
currence that took place.”
nine punches, and landed four or five.
He w asn’t sweating when he entered
the ring. And he wasn 't sweating when
he left the ring.
“ It gives the im pression the
McNeeley camp came here intake the
money and run,” the executive pro­
ducer ofShowtime Boxing, Jay Larkin,
said Sunday. “I could not blame the
public for being angry at this.”
That anger, and the public's cyni­
cism, is sure to affect what happens
next for Tyson.
ball," says Wally Scales, Blazers vice
president, special events. “The week­
end makes NBA entertainment a hands
on experience for fans, llie great thing
about Hoop It UP is that it allows
players o f all abilities to be basketball
stars for a weekend.”
Blazers wannabees of all shapes
and sizes will compete on four person
teams within divisions based on age,
sizeandexperience. While every Htxip
It Up participant receives acommemo-
rative event tank top, winners in the
“Top Gun" division advance to re­
gional competition in Huntington
Beach, CA, and then possibly to the
1995 Hoop II Up World Final, where
the championsface a team of NBA
Legends on the Hoop It Up “Court of
Dreams.” Winners in all other divi­
sion are named city champions and
earn official Hoop it Up merchandise.
The Hoop It Up registration dead­
line if Friday, Sept. 8 with the $84
team entry fee guaranteeing each squad
at least three games.
Blazers Offer Least Expensive Ticket
Rockets Buy Out
Maxwell Contract
FOOTBALL
Then he connected with a right
ju s t seconds into the fight and
McNeeley went down, but got up
quickly. More wild swinging. Then
tw o lefts by T yson, a right and
McNeeley fell backward while sneer­
ing at Tyson.
While Referee Mills Lane was
ushering Tyson to a neutral corner,
Vinny Vecchione, M cNeeley’s man­
ager, ran into the ring and waved his
arms and, in effect, disqualified his
fighter. Tyson had thrown eight or
Hoop It Up With The Blazers
Wilkins had two years left on
his contract with the Celtics, but
the deal contained a buyout clause.
Celtic officials refused comment,
but apparently are not interested in
retaining Wilkins, who is coming
I o ff the worst season o f his career.
The NBA is reportedly con­
cerned about permitting a player
under contract to leave for an over­
seas team without the league re-
| ceiving proper notification.
The Houston Rockets have
bought out troubled guard Vernon
M axwell’s contract and the
[ two parties have dropped griev­
ances against one another.
The team reportedly bought
o u t M a x w e ll’s c o n tra c t for
$500,000.
Maxwell had filed his griev­
ance with the team in July, a week
after the Rockets waived him.
Maxwell cleared waivers the day
before the current NBA lockout.
Maxwell, who claimed he in-
| jured his leg and did not play in the
playoffs, later said he was frustrat­
ed with a lack o f playing time.
M axw ell’s role diminished
greatly when Houston acquired
veteran guard Clyde Drexler from
Portland in a mid-season deal for |
forward Otis Thorpe.
The troubled guard also was
suspended for 10 games during the
regular season after he charged
into the stands at Port land during a
game and assaulted a fan.
Maxwell laterclaimed the man
was heckling Maxwell about his
deceased daughter, who was still­
born.
Tyson, 29, had been away from
the ring more than four years, in prison
on a rape conviction for three o f those,
and yet his legend had grown He no
longer was the champion. His greatest
fights were in the 1980s.
This was no test. The 6-foot-2-
inch McNeeley did what he promised
he would. He charged out, crouched
to try to get down to Tyson’s 5-11
height and started throwing punches.
Tyson got caught up in the street fight
for a moment, flailing.
Area kids get a lesson about politics as Congressman FI on Wyden
visits the Police Activities League's Asian Basketball Camp. Wyden
donated 12 autographed basketballs and participated in a free throw
shooting contest.
(Photo by Duane Lewis)
Forthe first time ever, Trail Blaz­
ers tans will have the opportunity to
purchase four-game mini packages
priced at $5, $ 15 and $25 per ticket,
"four Packs" went on sale Saturday at
at all G.I. Joes Ticketmaster cutlets,
memorial coliseum box office and
Blazers on Braodway.
With 1,034 tickets available per
Keep Your Car Running Cool
Summer temperatures can be as
brutal on a poorly maintained auto­
mobile as the most chilling winter
weather.
“ It is trouble for many motorists
when the temperature hits 90 de­
grees, said AAA President Roger
Graybeal. “ Vehicles with weak bat­
teries may have difficulty starting,
air conditioning systems can fail and
poorly maintained cooling systems
can overheat. Cracked belts may snap
and worn hoses can blister and begin
leaking as temperatures rise inside
and outside the engine.
Have the car inspected by an
auto technician to keep vehicles free
from h e a t-re la te d p ro b le m s.
Throughout the summer, motorists
can conduct their own visual inspec­
tion o f hoses, tires and fluid levels,
but only when the engine is cold.
Keep a list handy o f the items that
need checking.
Keep the antifreeze/coolant lev­
el high to prevent the radiator from
overheating. Make certain proper 50/
50 mixture o f antifreeze and coolant
is present. If the coolant is rust col­
ored, have the radiator flushed out.
Once every 2 years, have the radiator
flushed out.
Check the owner’s manual and
follow the manufacturer’s recommen­
dation. Your car may require a sum­
mer grade oil.
Replace cracked belts, and worn,
cracked, blistered or soft hoses. A
$15 hose could save as much as
$1,000 in repairs on an overheated
engine.
Have the air conditioning sys­
tem checked for leaks.
Battery performance is compro­
mised by extremes in temperatures.
A weak batter should be tested and
replaced.
Keep you engine tuned-up A
misfiring spark plug can reduce fuel
efficiency by up to 30 percent.
Check your tire pressure. Un­
der-inflated tires can overheat, in­
crease wear, reduce fuel efficiency
and make your vehicle handling more
difficult.
Rotate and balance your car’s
tires every 6,000 to 8,000 miles. It
will help guard against blow-outs.
Motorists can keep the cabin
area cooler by using a cardboard
sunshade in the windshield when the
car is parked. Avoid discomfort and
minor burns by shading the vinyl and
plastic surfaces o f the car’s interior.
It will also help prevent cracks int he
seats, dashboard and doors.
“ Even a well-maintained car can
bread down,” said Graybeal. It is a
good idea to carry drinking water.
Also, carry a cellular telephone or a
citizens band radio so you can call
for help.”
WESTON
P O N T IA C -B U IC K -G M C
game, fans will have 11 different pack­
ages to choose from. There are 234 $5
tickets, 595 $15 tickets and 205 $25
tickets available for each game, of­
fered in four game increments. Over
the course of the NBA per- and regu­
lar season (44 home games total), that
translates to 2,574 mini packages
available in the $5 price category.
Road Construction
Information Available
Over 180 Department ofTrans-
portat ion road improvement projects
are underway throughout Oregon.
The odds are not in your favor -
you’re bound to run into one o f
them.
There is something you can do
about it.
An Oregon Road Construction
informational brochure is available
that will let you know where the
road projects are, plan for the delays
or avoid the construction entirely.
Nearly 100 projects are listed.
If the route you’re taking is not
shown, you can call O D O T ’s Road
Construction Hotline numbers at
731-3081 for the Portland area, or
I-503-976-7277 (30 cents tolljor 1-
503-889-3999 (long distance rate).
The phone rep o rts include
O regon ' s #1
V olume D ealer
255-3840
Dad’s
Speedy Service
Friendly
Call For Quote
4.8% I in. for 48 months APR
3.6% Fin. for 36 months APR
1995 mils in lieu of factory
rebate of $750.
655-2166 • 22555 SE Stark
ODOT construction and mainte­
nance delay information on routes,
in addition to those shown on the
brochure. The brochure is avail­
able at Transportation, Department
o f Motor Vehicles and State Police
offices and at visitor information
centers and chambers o f commerce
around the state.
Also, the new 1995-96 ODOT
Official Highway Map o f Oregon
is available now at the same loca­
tions.
Officials also remind motor­
ists to remember to obey all work
zone signing, stay alert for con­
struction related traffic impacts,
watch out for construction workers
and remember that when if comes
to road construction workers: “Give
‘Em A Brake.”
Service
1994 Pontiac
Bonnevilles
are still available:
Ask For Clarence Larkins
6,545 mini packages in the $15 price
category and 2,255 in the $25 price
category. Mini package tickets are
located in the upper sides and upper
end zones of the arena. Disabled ticket
packages are also available.
Credit card phone orders will be
accepted, through the Ticketmaster
phone center a, 224-4400.
heating oils
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282-5111