One year from today a lot will be missing from the world of sports
The new year was barely two days old when Georgia State's Lefty Driesell, a fixture on the college basketball scene for 41 years, announced he had coached his last game. It was another reminder that while the rhythms of sport delight and endure, the landscape is always changing. The Expos? Iffy. The Ottawa Senators, who failed to distribute paychecks last week, look as if they're going the way of the Hartford Whalers. And the WNBA, which recently lost franchises in Miami and Orlando and Portland, has become the Incredible Shrinking Women's League. Herewith, the people and things that will be, might be and, if there is a God in heaven, should be gone by January 2004.
WILL BE GONE
Michael Jordan "After this season," he says, "there will be no more want."
Roger Clemens One mo' time, for $10.1 million and then, with more than 300 wins, that's it.
ESPN's Around the Horn with Max Kellerman Babbling panelists, an overcaffeinated host: enough already.
Art Howe's hair What was already in full retreat can't survive a year of managing the drama-a-day Mets.
NFL at Veterans Stadium How will Eagles fans cope with the clean, new confines of Lincoln Financial Field?
David Robinson Now on his farewell tour he says, "When you make a decision and you know it's right, you have a peace come over you."
Darren Baker Dusty's three-year-old son is 13 years short of the new minimum age for batboys.
Augusta's policy barring women members Hootie's too rigid not to crack.
Tennis stars of the '90s Pete Sampras, Monica Seles and Michael Chang will play a few more sets and then bow out.
MIGHT BE GONE
Mark Messier He is old (41) and fading (just 12 goals) but still a proud and resolute leader who could return for a last attempt to skate in the playoffs in 2004.
Lennox Lewis After one more bout -- versus a Klitschko or a Tyson -- he'll be 38 and have no one left to fight.
ESPN's Around the Horn with Max Kellerman Oh, no! The network plans to retool and try again.
Ken Griffey Jr. from Cincinnati The Reds may prefer to invest in Austin Kearns and Adam Dunn.
Vince Carter from Toronto His dancing on stage at a Nelly show while out with a quadriceps injury raised an outcry.
Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame debate When will Bud Selig forgive him? The over-under is five months.
Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling as twin aces The Diamondbacks will have a hard time affording both of them, especially if the Yankees want to go with a 10-man rotation.
Louisiana Tech's NCAA-record 54-game win streak in women's hoops UConn is three wins shy.
Emmitt Smith as a Cowboy Read between the lines of Parcells' obfuscations.
SHOULD BE GONE
ESPN's Around the Horn with Max Kellerman How about a PTI rerun instead? How about a bass-fishing rerun?
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl And the Seattle Bowl, Mazda Tangerine Bowl, Sega Sports Las Vegas Bowl, Silicon Valley Classic, GMAC Bowl, ConAgra Foods Hawaii Bowl, Insight Bowl, Continental Tire Bowl, Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl, Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl. ...
Hank Williams Jr. Bocephus is an institution, but are we ready for another Monday Night Football theme song or what? After 14 years it's time to change that tune.
Evander Holyfield The 1984 Olympic bronze medalist has heart, but he's slow and sad and has won just two of his last seven fights.
Monochrome unis in the NFL A popular choice, for some reason, with green-clad teams. The getups made the Eagles, Jets and Seahawks sometimes look like sticks of roll-on deodorant.
Rally Monkeys And take those ThunderStix with you.
8:30 starting times for World Series Games Only benefit is that kids on the East Coast miss the Rally Monkeys.
Issue date: January 13, 2003
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