Sports Watch
By Bill Kwon
Tuesday, May 28, 1996
Something to remember on
Memorial Day
IT was a Memorial Day weekend that was, well, memorable. And I'm not talking about alligator wrestling at the 50th State Fair. The only alligator I'd want to see is either one back in the bayous or in a ring with Dennis Alexio in a really ultimate kick-wrestling bout.
But, rather:
- Da Bulls, who swept four straight from the not so magical Orlando Magic. And the Seattle SuperSonics don't figure to have much of a chance against Michael Jordan, I mean, Chicago, in the NBA Finals, once they finish off the Utah Jazz today.
Meanwhile, the Bulls would be crazy not to pay Jordan the $18 million a year he wants to stay in Chicago. Shaquille O'Neal's also a free agent, although Orlando is supposed to pay him $20.5 next season to stick around.
In Shaq's case, he should skip Mickey Mouse East and head instead to Disneyland by signing with the Los Angeles Lakers. He's as much into showbiz as he is into basketball, so what better place than show-time Hollywood to pursue music and movies?
- What is Memorial Day without the Indy 500, even for those not into auto racing like me. But I found myself a little more interested than usual in the outcome of the Indianapolis 500 this year. It's because of the car wars the historic motor speedway ran into with the Championship Auto Racing Teams, which staged its own renegade U.S. 500 on the same day.
The CART-sanctioned event at the Michigan Speedway suffered a crash-marred inaugural, hardly living up to its prerace claim as the "real 500." There's only one Indy 500 and it'll always be the Super Bowl of auto racing, no matter what CART officials would want you to believe.
- While most of us enjoyed a day at the beach, the biggest news in the water world of sports came out of Nashville, Tenn. That's where the U.S. national water polo team made a big splash. In a world-class tournament, the Americans bested Yugoslavia, a two-time Olympic champion, Croatia and Italy, the defending Olympic and world champion.
Of particular interest, especially with the upcoming Olympics in Atlanta, is that former Punahou star, Chris Duplanty, is team captain and starting goalie.
Water polo was the first team sport added to the Olympic Games and Hawaii's first contribution to the sport was Duke Kahanamoku, who helped the American team win a bronze medal in the 1932 Games in Los Angeles.
- Golf fans were glad to see that Steve Stricker won the Kemper Open for his first PGA Tour victory.
Those who saw Stricker in the United Airlines Hawaiian Open earlier this year knew that it would be only a matter of time before he'd win. Stricker had finished third in the Hawaiian Open, a stroke behind Jim Furyk, who beat Brad Faxon in a playoff.
Faxon, who was in a four-way tie for second at Kemper, played with Stricker in the final two rounds of the Hawaiian Open. The two and Furyk were in the last group on Sunday.
"STEVE got unlucky, he outplayed both of us," Faxon said at the time. Stricker was stymied after his drive nestled up against a coconut tree on the final hole.
The outgoing Stricker was a gallery favorite with the local fans, partly because his wife, Nicki, was caddying for him, as she did at the Kemper. They met nine years ago when he took some lessons from her father, the University of Wisconsin golf coach.
One of the longest hitters on the tour, Stricker also won over Waialae Country Club members with his complimentary remarks about the golf course, normally a pussycat for the pros. Strong winds made playing conditions difficult and the scores this year didn't have anyone scurrying to the record book.
"It's like a U.S. Open course," Stricker explained. The conditions and Waialae's rough reminded him of Shinnecock Hills, according to Stricker, who played there the year before, finishing tied for 13th
Stricker's victory, if nothing else, made my weekend.
Bill Kwon has been writing
about sports for the Star-Bulletin since 1959.