Cheap Seats
Toilet seats
The advertisement pictures a toilet stall with its door partially open and the caption reads, “Hurry! This may be the only seat left.”
That’s how the Phoenix Coyotes, the transplanted Winnipeg Jets, are getting ready for their first season in the NHL.
In two weeks, the Coyotes have obtained commitments for 10,750 season tickets. Fans have paid a $100 non-refundable deposit for each seat they want to buy.
The team has a self-imposed cap of 12,500 season tickets so about 3,000 seats will remain available nightly for home games.
Checking out the Czech
Four days after winning his second straight Olympic gold medal, 30-year-old Czech Jan Zelezny worked out for the Atlanta Braves hoping to begin a new career as a pitcher.
In an event that looked more like a publicity stunt than a legitimate tryout, Zelezny spent 25 minutes throwing under the watchful eye of pitching coach Leo Mazzone, Braves officials and about 40 media members.
Zelezny’s lack of baseball knowledge was quickly apparent. Mazzone had to instruct him on even the most rudimentary aspects of pitching, including the grip and three-step delivery process.
His uniform was a bit unorthodox, too: red athletic tights trimmed in gold and black, a T-shirt and no cap.
The Braves said they would invite Zelezny to spring training next year, and the javelin thrower plans to be there. For the rest of this year, though, it’s back to Europe to continue his track and field career.
Women at war
Andrea DeShong and another woman yet to be chosen will make Madison Square Garden history later this month when they fight in the arena’s theater.
They will meet Aug. 20 in the first professional women’s bout ever staged at the Garden.
Women have fought in the arena before, but a Garden spokesman said those bouts were exhibitions.
Much like the great hair-pulling contest two women exhibited at the Riddick Bowe-Andrew Golota fiasco.
Straight from the Cowboys’ mouth
As the Miami Hurricanes emerge from their suspension-filled summer, no law that Hurricane coach Butch Davis could lay down matched the daily lectures the players received over the past two weeks.
Former Hurricane Michael Irvin worked out on campus with this year’s team, giving the players first-hand testimony of the price of going from famous to infamous.
Irvin, who worked out at Miami while sorting out his affairs, was suspended by the NFL for Dallas’ first five games of the 1996 season.
“He has been teaching us from his experience,” Miami senior linebacker Twan Russell said.
And from there, Irvin joined LT to warn kids about the dangers of drugs.
The last word …
“He thinks he’s the man because Michael (Irvin) is gone. He’s just a short little fat guy.”
- Raiders safety Lorenzo Lynch, on Dallas wide receiver Kevin Williams
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