Names In The Game

CANTON, Ohio (AP) -- Dave Wilcox, who made seven Pro Bowls as a<br>linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers, has been selected this<br>year's seniors candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.<br>

Friday, August 20th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

CANTON, Ohio (AP) -- Dave Wilcox, who made seven Pro Bowls as a
linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers, has been selected this
year's seniors candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Wilcox will be voted on with 14 other finalists in the
balloting, which will take place Jan. 29 in Atlanta, the day before
the Super Bowl. He will need 80 percent of the ballots from the 38
voters, who will choose between four and seven players.

Among those eligible this year are two ex-San Francisco stars of
more recent vintage, Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Lance Armstrong is auctioning the yellow jersey
he wore when he won the Tour de France last month.

Proceeds will benefit the foundation Armstrong set up to fight
urological cancer. Armstrong overcame testicular cancer to win
cycling's most prestigious race.

Bids for the jersey are being accepted on the Internet via
activeusa.com for 22 days, the same length of time it took to
complete the race.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The Indiana Pacers are trying to determine
the greatest 50 basketball players to come out of the state.

Indiana native John Wooden, who played at Purdue but gained his
greatest fame as UCLA's coach, helped the NBA club put together a
panel to select the 50 players.

The project will be part of the grand opening festivities for
the Pacers' new home, Conseco Fieldhouse. The select 50 will be
honored at the arena Nov. 5, the night before the Pacers' home
opener.

BURLINGTON, N.C. (AP) -- Brien Taylor, a former top pick in
baseball's amateur draft, will work out with Cleveland's rookie
league affiliate in another attempt at a comeback.
Taylor, 27, passed a physical Friday and will be with the
Burlington Indians of the Appalachian League for about 10 days.

He won't play any games for Burlington because he is ineligible
for rookie ball because of his age and experience. But he may be
brought up to Cleveland's Class A Carolina League affiliate in
Kinston if all goes well, said Burlington manager Jack Mull.

"He still has a chance," Mull said. "It's not too late to
salvage what was at one time a promising career."

Taylor received a then-record $1.55 million bonus with the New
York Yankees in 1991. He wrecked his shoulder during a fight with a
childhood friend almost six years ago.

The left-hander played parts of the past three seasons for
Greensboro in the Class A South Atlantic League, with a combined
1-10 record.

The Yankees let him go after the 1998 season. Taylor signed a
minor league contract with Seattle, but was released in June. He
has been inactive since then.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Danny Ainge has always considered himself
a native son of Oregon, even if basketball fans in the state once
reviled him as a turncoat.

"It's always been my favorite place. I guess I'm one of those
few people who love the rain," said Ainge, who found fame outside
his home state but will return Saturday to be inducted to the
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.

Ainge, who won two NBA championships with the Boston Celtics and
later played two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, will join
one team and six other individuals for the ceremony.

"It's an honor," said Ainge, who retired in 1995 after 14 pro
seasons and became coach of the Phoenix Suns the following year.
"I think it means more to me now that I'm 40 than it would have
meant when I was still playing. And I'm sure it will mean even more
when I'm 50."

Ainge was a three-sport star at North Eugene High School,
leading the Highlanders to back-to-back Class 3A state basketball
championships in 1976 and '76, while winning state player of the
year both years. He also played wide receiver in football and
shortstop in baseball.

When it came time to pick a college, however, Ainge spurned
Oregon and Oregon State and went to Utah's Brigham Young. His
hometown fans were not pleased.

"But I certainly have no regrets, and feel like it was the best
situation for me," Ainge said. "I found my future wife there."

FLORENCE, Italy (AP) -- Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher took
his first spins Friday since he broke a leg July 11 in the British
Grand Prix crash.
Schumacher on Thursday was given approval to race his red F399
on the Mugello track after a team of doctors found he was in good
physical condition.

The two-time world champion limped a little when he got out of
car, which he drove around the track five times.

The Italian news agency ANSA reported that his time of 1:28.86
was better than the 1:29.90 clocked on Thursday by teammate Eddie
Irvine, who has won consecutive races and leads the standings with
five races left this season.

LONDON (AP) -- England spin bowler Phil Tufnell is under
investigation by the England Cricket Board after two boys
complained he swore at them when they asked for his autograph.

The 11-year-olds said it happened Thursday on the opening day of
the fourth test between England and New Zealand. The boys said
Tufnell ignored them at first and then used abusive language when
they persisted.

An England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman said he did not
condone players using foul language under any circumstances.

"We will be making every effort to contact the boys and forward
them autographs of the whole team," he said.