August 4, 1996

Here and there around the Olympics

By STEVE SIMMONS
Toronto Sun ATLANTA -- My Olympic hero: Julie Pound.
When the wife of IOC vice-president Dick Pound was arrested the other night in Atlanta for jaywalking and then kneeing a local policewoman in the groin area, it drew applause from all who have put up with the unreasonable and officious attitude throughout the Olympics.
And on the same street on which Mrs. Pound was taken into custody, a similar incident occurred Friday night. A female Russian journalist was attempting to flag down a cab in downtown Atlanta. She was asked by a policeman to go back on to the sidewalk. Clearly, she didn't understand. He asked again -- louder this time. Again, she shrugged, not sure what was being said.
The policeman then lost it, grabbed the woman and slapped her. She slapped him back. He handcuffed and arrested her.
There was no need for any of this. But these are the Games of Atlanta, best forgotten: Sydney comes in four years.

THIS AND THAT: Here's my promotional advice for the week. One race. Pay per view. Donovan Bailey and Michael Johnson at 150 metres, halfway between both of their world records. Winner take all ... What's this I keep hearing about slow ticket sales for World Cup of Hockey games? ... What if Richard Jewell didn't do it? What if he isn't the Atlanta bomber? What kind of lawsuit can he launch after all the fingers have been pointed in his direction? ... There has to be more to the deal that sent Carlos Baerga from Cleveland to the Mets. You don't give up on a Baerga unless something else is going on ... First Kirby Puckett retires. Then Tommy Lasorda. These are not the best of times for baseball ... If I'm Mario Lemieux, I'd play in the World Cup if I'm planning to retire. It would be a terrific way to end his career. If he's not retiring, I wouldn't play. Why chance injury or further back trouble? It's not worth it ... Cancelled after the bomb hit Atlanta, another potential bomb: John Tesh in concert ... The biggest star of the Olympics in Quebec is not Bailey, but diver Annie Pelletier. The marketing possibilities in Quebec for her are enormous ... Most overrated concern in Atlanta: heat. It mostly is a non-factor. It was never as hot here as it was in Barcelona.

HERE AND THERE: Life isn't exactly rosy for Orioles GM Pat Gillick these days in Baltimore. The Orioles are struggling and word is that two deals Gillick agreed to were nixed by owner Peter Angelos ... An odd fashion statement: Cecil Fielder in pinstripes ... This just in, Michael Smith still is running the 400 metres ... About to be released: Rickey Henderson ... This is how sorry the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacking is looking at training camp: the team quietly is talking about how much it misses Neil O'Donnell ... Assuring, isn't it, that the B.C. Lions are having trouble making payroll and CFL chairman John Tory says their situation is nothing when compared to the mess in Ottawa? And that comes at a time when Montreal boss Jim Speros says his club may not have enough money to finish the season ... And it's working so well in Toronto and Hamilton these days ... Go figure baseball. Juan Guzman is having a great season. Erik Hanson isn't. Hanson has 10 wins and Guzman has nine.

SCENE AND HEARD: New great moments in Olympic security: I was stopped from bringing a salad into the boxing venue yesterday. It wasn't, for the record, a subversive salad ... Memo to Ray Leonard: don't do it. You have money. You have health. It's not worth coming back at age 40 just because you're bored with life ... No place to be yesterday: Canada vs. Zaire, the game to decide 11th place in the Olympic women's basketball tournament ... Spotted at an Atlanta restaurant the other night, the still unsigned Jeremy Roenick ... The biggest whiners in Atlanta aren't the media. The U.S. boxing team wins the gold medal in that discipline ... Boy, won't Eddie Murray brighten up that Baltimore Orioles clubhouse ... This is the new Olympics: gymnast Kerri Strug turns down a college scholarship, but signs on big-name agent Leigh Steinberg.

AND ANOTHER THING: True story: quality does not come from numbers. NBC has more drivers in Atlanta than CBC has employees broadcasting the Olympics ... How come the people holding up the "I need tickets" signs are always the ones who are selling tickets? ... The New York Post paid $3,000 for an Olympic parking pass. Only one problem. Most of the venue parking lots never were built ... If the Raptors traded away Jimmy King and released Martin Lewis, aren't they, in fact, justifying the moves made by fired coach Brendan Malone? ... Bernie Nicholls isn't at all happy with the contract Joe Murphy signed with the St. Louis Blues. The reason? Nicholls didn't get anywhere near Murphy's money. "I've played with Joe in Edmonton and Chicago and I've done everything he has.'' Everything but collect millions from the St. Louis Blues ... Taking a pay cut this hockey season: Wayne Gretzky, Craig Janney, Kelly Hrudey and Arturs Irbe.