Compromise Is Close: U.S. Bands Play On

An agreement is close that would end two months of bitter arguments and allow U.S. marching bands to perform in the opening ceremony at the Sydney Olympics, organizers said Wednesday.

All that stands in the way is money.

The Sydney Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games and the U.S.-based World Projects Corp. said they agree on a revised makeup of the band but differ by some $260,000 on how much the move will cost.

The SOCOG board decided in June to expel the 1,300 American and 200 Japanese students in the 2,000-member band originally envisaged by ceremonies director Ric Birch. The change followed a public backlash over the lack of Australians in the band.

The U.S. students refused a compromise offer by SOCOG to play at other less-important venues, pushing the matter to court.

Tennis

Third-seeded Andre Agassi advanced to the round of 16 in the $2.45-million ATP Championship by beating Arnaud Di Pasquale of France, 6-4, 6-1, at Mason, Ohio.

Other U.S. winners included Michael Chang, who beat eighth-seeded Alex Corretja of Spain, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2; Justin Gimelstob, who defeated fellow American and ninth-seeded Todd Martin, 6-4, 6-4; and Chris Woodruff, a 6-1, 7-5 winner over 13th-seeded Thomas Enqvist of Sweden.

Defending champion Patrick Rafter of Australia also advanced with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 win over 60th-ranked Czech Daniel Vacek.

Track and Field

Marion Jones stretched her winning streak in the 200 meters to 21 races by winning the event in the Weltlkasse meet at Zurich, Switzerland. Jones, who has not lost at the distance since 1997 and is the only woman to run under 22 seconds this summer, sped past U.S. champion Inger Miller and was clocked in 22.10 seconds. Miller was timed in 22.19.

World 200-meter champion Ato Boldon pulled out of the meet because of a lingering hamstring injury and said he will sit out the World Championships this month at Seville, Spain.

Auto Racing

Robert Yates said Kenny Irwin, driver of the No. 28 Ford Taurus since the start of the 1998 season, will not return to his racing team next year. Irwin, the top 1997 rookie in the Craftsman Truck Series and a surprise pick to replace Ernie Irvan last year, won Winston Cup rookie-of-the-year honors for 1998 after winning a pole, turning in one top-five and three top-10 performances and finishing 28th in points. But Yates was openly critical of Irwin at times during that first season, complaining that the former U.S. Auto Club short-track star was not concentrating enough on racing.

College Football

North Carolina defensive tackle Brian Norwood, 19, was arrested and charged with raping an 11-year-old girl. Norwood was charged with two counts of first-degree rape, three counts of first-degree sex offense of a child, three counts of felony crime against nature and two counts of felony indecent liberties with a child.

A grand jury indicted Norwood and nine other men on sex charges resulting from a series of incidents alleged to have occurred two years ago. North Carolina Coach Carl Torbush suspended Norwood from the team after learning of the situation Monday.

Middle linebacker Chris Ramseur was kicked off the Tennessee football team by Coach Phillip Fulmer. Ramseur, a junior, left school last spring for what were termed personal reasons. Fulmer said at the time he could regain his eligibility by meeting certain requirements, but said Wednesday that Ramseur was dismissed for violating team rules.

Golf

Kellee Booth, the nation’s top-ranked amateur golfer, rallied for two victories in the 99th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, but record-setting medalist Natalie Gulbis lost in the second round at Asheville, N.C. Booth, expected to turn pro after the tournament, advanced to the round of 16 for the fourth time in six years.

Gulbis, 16, lost, 1-up, to Mayumi Nakajima of Japan.

Miscellany

Former Boise State assistant basketball coach Don Kenney alleges Coach Rod Jensen told him he would be passed over for a promotion because he is white. Kenney’s claim was included in a discrimination complaint against the university filed with the Idaho Human Rights Commission. He resigned as the Broncos’ No. 3 assistant on July 16.

The NCAA, hoping to make metal baseball bats perform more like wood, will conduct further tests before adopting bat specifications for next year.

The association’s executive committee last week received a report from a research panel appointed in March to review non-wood bats and baseballs.

Names in the News

Olympic gymnastics champion Dominique Moceanu was expected to be able to return to her sport after undergoing surgery to treat a malformation on her right knee. . . . Edmonton Oiler center Rem Murray agreed to terms on a one-year, $825,000 contract, hours before he and the team were scheduled to attend an arbitration hearing.