04-27-02 Saturday.pdf - The Sheridan Press

B2 The Sheridan Press, Saturday, April 27, 2002
Wireless TV
binoculars
aim to enhance
live sports events
ATLANTA (AP) — Not sure the runner touched the bag rounding
second? Wondering whether that last pitch was off the plate?
A new wireless video device available to fans at Atlanta Braves
games offers personal instant replays from multiple camera angles.
And when the game is a yawner, it’s no problem: The gadget gets
seven channels to watch other games, the news — even cartoons.
The device, called The Insider, was introduced on opening day at
the Turner Field. It looks like a fancy pair of binoculars and rents for
$20 a game.
Baseball may be just the beginning.
Creator Taz Anderson envisions a day when golf fans use it to
keep an eye on holes they don’t feel like walking to, and NASCAR
fans tune in to a camera placed in their favorite driver’s car.
Victor Boudolf borrowed one from his friend at a recent Braves-
Diamondbacks game, slipping the gray, 1-pound device around his
neck, putting on the earphones and switching on the palm-sized
receiver/battery pack.
‘‘Whoa. It’s like one national pastime right with the other. You
got baseball, and you got sitting on your butt watching TV. This is
way cool,’’ he said.
Anderson, 60, is a booming ex-fullback from Georgia Tech who
can’t stop smiling at curious fans milling around The Insider booth at
Turner Field. A real estate salesman who dabbles in the outdooradvertising
business, Anderson came up with the idea as a way to
give sports fans a little more to do than, say, just watch the game.
Sports themselves aren’t enough to keep people coming back to
the park, Anderson said, pointing out the nearby baseball arcade
games, the speed-pitch machines, a face-painting booth and a costumed
Scooby Doo character walking by.
‘‘People want more,’’ he said.
Which is why, Anderson said, that venue owners won’t mind renting
a device that allows fans to watch events other than the one they
paid to see.
Anderson doesn’t claim to have invented any part of the device,
though he said its patent is pending and it has an experimental
Federal Communications Commission license.
A short-distance transmitter at the stadium sends several camera
feeds to the devices, which feature dual LCD screens. The Insider
also shows ESPNews, Headline News and the Cartoon Network.
The channels could be changed for major sporting events. For
example, baseball fans could switch over to local college football
games on Saturday evenings in the fall.
‘‘We see nothing but positive results so far,’’ Bob Wolfe, a senior
vice president for the Braves, said of the Insider. The devices will be
available at Georgia Tech and Atlanta Falcons football games this
fall, with possible expansion to other baseball parks next season.
The Braves aren’t the first to experiment with wireless gadgets at a
sports arena. In San Francisco, 3Com Stadium allows 49ers fans to
use handheld computers to check statistics or send e-mail, thanks to
50 transmitters in the stadium.
Anderson, meantime, is negotiating to make the Insider available
for rentals at NASCAR races and PGA events.
‘‘I think everyone’s waiting to see how it goes at the Braves
games,’’ said John Marshall, a spokesman for the PGA’s BellSouth
Classic tournament in Atlanta.
Not terrific, actually. After a dozen games at Turner, business
remains tepid. About 50 units are rented a game out of 200 available.
But Anderson and his two dozen employees have reason to hope
— at times curious fans were stacked five deep to get a look at the
binoculars.
‘‘Hey, y’all, you gotta come look at this,’’ Anderson waved to two
khaki-wearing, golf-shirted men. He handed the pair a couple of
demo Insiders. ‘‘Isn’t it great? Isn’t it the greatest thing you ever
saw?’’
The men took a look, nodded in agreement, then smiled apologetically
and declined to rent one.
Regan Gealy, 25, decided to rent one with a free coupon she got
elsewhere in the park. She later found the binoculars to be a little
unwieldy, the picture too fuzzy to justify the $20.
‘‘Where would it ever be convenient to use it? I don’t get it,’’
Gealy said, trying to cue up a replay of a Curt Schilling pitch and
struggling with the receiver.
Gealy’s friend gave it higher marks.
‘‘It’s good if you like to watch the pitchers,’’ said Bobby
Williamson. ‘‘Myself, I’d rather just watch the game.’’
The Insider costs about $1,000 to make, and is not currently for
sale to the public. Anderson said he’s waiting until the price drops to
about $500, hoping by then that the service will be available at many
venues.
One fan who tried The Insider, Elizabeth Boylin, initially scoffed
at the idea people would pay to watch TV when they already paid to
see a game.
But then the Diamondbacks jumped to an early 3-0 lead off a double
to left field that Chipper Jones should’ve caught. Boylin asked to
borrow her friend’s Insider.
‘‘It keeps going like this, the Cartoon Network’s gonna start looking
pretty good,’’ Boylin said.
———
On the Net:
http://www.theinsiderusa.com
Sheridan Recreation District
YOUTH GIRL’S
SOFTBALL
Sign-ups Going on Now
Join the fun this season!
T-Ball - Ages 7 to 9
Colt League - Ages 10 to 12
Ponies - Ages 13 to 15
Sign-up Today
at the Rec. District Office
now through May 10th!
M-F 8am - 5pm
Boulder DA declines to file rape charges
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Prosecutors will
not file charges in an alleged rape at a party
attended by University of Colorado football
players and recruits.
District Attorney Mary Keenan said Friday
her decision reflected ‘‘the many difficulties frequently
encountered in prosecutions of acquaintance
rape.’’ She said it was based on what prosecutors
thought was the likely success of the case
in trial.
The allegations were made by a female student
after a Dec. 7 party that was hosted by four
women at an off-campus location. University
officials have said it was not a sanctioned
recruiting event and that the women had no affiliation
with the athletic department.
Though no charges will be brought, the four
Colorado football players involved will be disciplined,
coach Gary Barnett said.
‘‘Our football program has been embarrassed
and those who brought this about will be pun-
BASEBALL
National League
By The Associated Press
All Times EDT
East Division
W L Pct GB
Montreal 14 9 .609 —
New York 13 10 .565 1
Atlanta 12 12 .500 2 1/2
Florida 11 12 .478 3
Philadelphia 8 14 .364 5 1/2
Central Division
W L Pct GB
Cincinnati 14 8 .636 —
Pittsburgh 13 8 .619 1/2
St. Louis 11 12 .478 3 1/2
Houston 9 13 .409 5
Chicago 8 13 .381 5 1/2
Milwaukee 7 16 .304 7 1/2
West Division
W L Pct GB
Arizona 15 8 .652 —
Los Angeles 14 9 .609 1
San Francisco 13 9 .591 1 1/2
San Diego 12 11 .522 3
Colorado 6 16 .273 8 1/2
———
Thursday’s Games
Pittsburgh 3, Los Angeles 2
Chicago Cubs 2, San Francisco 1
San Diego 6, Philadelphia 4
Florida 5, Houston 4
Montreal 5, Milwaukee 1
Cincinnati 4, Colorado 3
N.Y. Mets 7, St. Louis 6
Arizona 11, Atlanta 5
Friday’s Games
Los Angeles 10, Chicago Cubs 0
N.Y. Mets 1, Milwaukee 0
San Diego 10, Pittsburgh 1
Cincinnati 4, San Francisco 3
Atlanta 9, Houston 0
Arizona 5, Florida 3
St. Louis 7, Montreal 6, 11 innings
Philadelphia at Colorado, 9:05 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
Milwaukee (Neugebauer 1-2) at N.Y. Mets
(Astacio 3-1), 1:10 p.m.
San Francisco (Jensen 1-1) at Cincinnati
(Rijo 1-0), 1:15 p.m.
St. Louis (Undecided) at Montreal (Chen 2-
0), 1:35 p.m.
Los Angeles (Ashby 1-2) at Chicago Cubs
(Cruz 0-4), 2:20 p.m.
Philadelphia (Duckworth 1-1) at Colorado
(Chacon 1-3), 3:05 p.m.
Houston (Mlicki 2-2) at Atlanta (Millwood 2-
2), 7:05 p.m.
San Diego (Howard 0-0) at Pittsburgh
(K.Wells 3-1), 7:05 p.m.
Arizona (Batista 1-0) at Florida (Penny 2-1),
7:05 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Houston at Atlanta, 1:05 p.m.
Arizona at Florida, 1:05 p.m.
Milwaukee at N.Y. Mets, 1:10 p.m.
San Francisco at Cincinnati, 1:15 p.m.
San Diego at Pittsburgh, 1:35 p.m.
St. Louis at Montreal, 1:35 p.m.
Los Angeles at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 p.m.
Philadelphia at Colorado, 3:05 p.m.
American League
By The Associated Press
All Times EDT
East Division
W L Pct GB
Boston 14 6 .700 —
New York 14 9 .609 1 1/2
Tampa Bay 9 12 .429 5 1/2
Toronto 8 12 .400 6
Baltimore 8 13 .381 6 1/2
Central Division
W L Pct GB
Chicago 15 7 .682 —
Minnesota 14 9 .609 1 1/2
Cleveland 13 10 .565 2 1/2
Kansas City 7 12 .368 6 1/2
Detroit 5 16 .238 9 1/2
West Division
W L Pct GB
Seattle 17 5 .773 —
Oakland 12 10 .545 5
Anaheim 7 14 .333 9 1/2
Texas 7 15 .318 10
———
Thursday’s Games
Chicago White Sox 6, Cleveland 3
Minnesota 6, Tampa Bay 2
Boston 7, Baltimore 0
Texas 11, Toronto 9
Oakland 6, N.Y. Yankees 2
Friday’s Games
Boston 4, Tampa Bay 2
Detroit 3, Minnesota 2, 10 innings
Cleveland 7, Texas 4
Baltimore at Kansas City, 8:05 p.m.
Toronto at Anaheim, 10:05 p.m.
N.Y. Yankees at Seattle, 10:05 p.m.
Chicago White Sox at Oakland, 10:05 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
Tampa Bay (James 0-1) at Boston (Lowe 3-
1), 1:05 p.m.
Minnesota (Kinney 1-0) at Detroit (Cornejo
0-2), 2:05 p.m.
Chicago White Sox (Buehrle 4-1) at Oakland
(Fyhrie 0-1), 4:05 p.m.
Baltimore (Ponson 0-2) at Kansas City (Byrd
4-0), 7:05 p.m.
Cleveland (Baez 3-1) at Texas (Bell 0-0),
8:05 p.m.
N.Y. Yankees (Lilly 0-1) at Seattle (Garcia 2-
2), 9:05 p.m.
Toronto (Eyre 1-2) at Anaheim (Sele 0-2),
10:05 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Tampa Bay at Boston, 1:05 p.m.
Minnesota at Detroit, 2:05 p.m.
Baltimore at Kansas City, 2:05 p.m.
Toronto at Anaheim, 4:05 p.m.
Chicago White Sox at Oakland, 4:05 p.m.
N.Y. Yankees at Seattle, 4:35 p.m.
Cleveland at Texas, 8:05 p.m.
NASCAR
NASCAR—NAPA 500 Qualifying
By The Associated Press
Friday qualifying; Sunday race
At California Speedway
Fontana, Calif.
Race distance: 500 miles, 250 laps
1. (12) Ryan Newman, Ford, 187.432 mph.
2. (97) Kurt Busch, Ford, 187.412.
3. (88) Dale Jarrett, Ford, 186.853.
• Colorado
ished,’’ Barnett said.
Asked what rules the players broke, Barnett
said: ‘‘They brought great embarrassment to the
university. That is the standard they violated.’’
He refused to identify the players or say
whether they were still students at the university.
Barnett also refused to give any details about the
recruits, including how many there were or
whether any of them had enrolled at the university.
Barnett promised that the university’s recruiting
practices would be made more ‘‘wholesome.’’
He hinted that the players’ status as athletes
in a successful, well-loved program may
have played a role.
‘‘I truly do not believe that most people are
aware of the reality of college life or the pitfalls
4. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 186.620.
5. (25) Jerry Nadeau, Chevrolet, 186.244.
6. (15) Michael Waltrip, Chevrolet, 185.898.
7. (21) Elliott Sadler, Ford, 185.763.
8. (20) Tony Stewart, Pontiac, 185.481.
9. (8) Dale Earnhardt Jr, Chevrolet, 185.433.
10. (2) Rusty Wallace, Ford, 185.304.
11. (10) Johnny Benson, Pontiac, 185.185.
12. (7) Casey Atwood, Dodge, 185.104.
13. (26) Joe Nemechek, Ford, 185.076.
14. (19) Jeremy Mayfield, Dodge, 184.966.
15. (32) Ricky Craven, Ford, 184.933.
16. (30) Jeff Green, Chevrolet, 184.933.
17. (24) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 184.905.
18. (1) Steve Park, Chevrolet, 184.876.
19. (45) Kyle Petty, Dodge, 184.862.
20. (17) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 184.767.
21. (29) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 184.663.
22. (41) Jimmy Spencer, Dodge, 184.634.
23. (36) Ken Schrader, Pontiac, 184.521.
24. (43) John Andretti, Dodge, 184.365.
25. (40) Sterling Marlin, Dodge, 184.280.
26. (6) Mark Martin, Ford, 184.233.
27. (22) Ward Burton, Dodge, 184.134.
28. (18) Bobby Labonte, Pontiac, 184.134.
29. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, 183.932.
30. (55) Bobby Hamilton, Chevrolet,
183.659.
31. (23) Hut Stricklin, Dodge, 183.524.
32. (77) Dave Blaney, Ford, 183.500.
33. (4) Mike Skinner, Chevrolet, 183.411.
34. (5) Terry Labonte, Chevrolet, 183.043.
35. (14) Stacy Compton, Pontiac, 182.922.
36. (11) Brett Bodine, Ford, 182.922.
37. (28) Ricky Rudd, Ford, Provisional.
38. (99) Jeff Burton, Ford, Provisional.
39. (9) Bill Elliott, Dodge, Provisional.
40. (31) Robby Gordon, Chevrolet,
Provisional.
41. (44) Steve Grissom, Dodge, Provisional.
42. (90) Rick Mast, Ford, Provisional.
43. (49) Shawna Robinson, Dodge,
Provisional.
Failed to qualify.
44. (62) Brendan Gaughan, Dodge, 182.764.
45. (74) Chad Little, Chevrolet, 182.486.
46. (02) Hermie Sadler, Chevrolet, 182.440.
GOLF
Greensboro Classic Scores
By The Associated Press
Friday
Purse: $3.8 million
At Forest Oaks Country Club
Greensboro, N.C.
Yardage: 7,062; Par 72
Second Round
Mark Calcavecchia 65-69 —134
Robert Gamez 67-67 —134
Rocco Mediate 68-67 —135
Phil Tataurangi 68-67 —135
John Huston 71-66 —137
Carl Paulson 68-70 —138
Pat Bates 71-67 —138
Lee Porter 67-71 —138
Michael Allen 70-69 —139
Jay Haas 69-70 —139
Kevin Sutherland 71-68 —139
Jerry Kelly 69-70 —139
Chad Campbell 67-72 —139
Bob Heintz 70-69 —139
Stephen Ames 71-69 —140
Willie Wood 69-71 —140
K.J. Choi 71-69 —140
Bart Bryant 72-68 —140
Edward Fryatt 71-69 —140
Geoff Ogilvy 73-67 —140
Mike Sposa 69-71 —140
Loren Roberts 68-72 —140
Russ Cochran 69-71 —140
Luke Donald 72-68 —140
Steve Jones 69-71 —140
Jim Gallagher, Jr. 67-73 —140
David Peoples 70-70 —140
Paul Stankowski 66-74 —140
Frank Nobilo 71-70 —141
Matt Gogel 73-68 —141
Dennis Paulson 73-68 —141
Joel Edwards 71-70 —141
Heath Slocum 72-69 —141
Tripp Isenhour 69-72 —141
Tim Clark 71-70 —141
Shaun Micheel 69-72 —141
Duffy Waldorf 71-70 —141
Jim Furyk 69-72 —141
Mathew Goggin 71-70 —141
Jonathan Kaye 69-72 —141
Paul Claxton 72-69 —141
John Senden 70-71 —141
Tradition Scores
By The Associated Press
Friday
Purse: $2 million
At Superstition Mountain Golf and Country
Club, Prospector Course
Supserstition Mountain, Ariz.
Yardage: 7,228; Par 72
Second Round
Bob Eastwood 71-66 —137
Bob Gilder 69-68 —137
Jim Thorpe 67-70 —137
Fuzzy Zoeller 68-70 —138
Tom Kite 67-72 —139
Allen Doyle 66-74 —140
Tom Jenkins 74-66 —140
Rocky Thompson 67-73 —140
Dick Mast 67-73 —140
Don Pooley 67-73 —140
John Jacobs 68-72 —140
Bruce Summerhays 70-70 —140
Ed Dougherty 70-71 —141
Butch Sheehan 69-72 —141
Bobby Wadkins 69-72 —141
Tom Weiskopf 71-70 —141
Bruce Fleisher 68-73 —141
John Mahaffey 70-72 —142
Tom Watson 72-70 —142
Walter Morgan 71-72 —143
Hale Irwin 71-72 —143
Ted Goin 71-72 —143
David Graham 72-71 —143
Sammy Rachels 70-74 —144
Terry Dill 69-75 —144
Jim Holtgrieve 70-74 —144
Jack Nicklaus 73-71 —144
Gil Morgan 73-71 —144
Tom Purtzer 72-72 —144
Fred Gibson 70-75 —145
Gary McCord 72-73 —145
Dave Eichelberger 76-69 —145
Mike McCullough 75-70 —145
Ray Floyd 71-74 —145
Dave Stockton 69-76 —145
Jim Colbert 73-72 —145
NHL PLAYOFFS
National Hockey League
Daily Playoff Glance
By The Associated Press
All Times EDT
FIRST ROUND
(Best-of-7)
Wednesday, April 24
Ottawa 3, Philadelphia 0
N.Y. Islanders 4, Toronto 3
Carolina 3, New Jersey 2, OT, Carolina
leads series 3-2
San Jose 2, Phoenix 1, San Jose leads
series 3-1
Thursday, April 25
Detroit 4, Vancouver 0, Detroit leads series
3-2
St. Louis 5, Chicago 3, St. Louis wins series
4-1
Boston 5, Montreal 2, series tied 2-2
Los Angeles 1, Colorado 0, OT, Colorado
leads series 3-2
Friday, April 26
Ottawa 2, Philadelphia 1, OT, Ottawa wins
series 4-1
Toronto 6, N.Y. Islanders 3, Toronto leads
series 3-2
Phoenix at San Jose, 10 p.m.
Saturday, April 27
Montreal at Boston, 1 p.m.
Carolina at New Jersey, 1 p.m.
Colorado at Los Angeles, 6 p.m.
Detroit at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 28
Toronto at N.Y. Islanders, 8 p.m.
San Jose at Phoenix, 10:30 p.m., if necessary
Monday, April 29
New Jersey at Carolina, 7 p.m., if necessary
Boston at Montreal, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Detroit, 7 p.m., if necessary
Los Angeles at Colorado, 9:30 p.m., if necessary
Tuesday, April 30
Montreal at Boston, 7 p.m., if necessary
N.Y. Islanders at Toronto, 7 p.m., if necessary
Phoenix at San Jose, 10 p.m., if necessary
SOCCER
Major League Soccer
By The Associated Press
All Times EDT
Eastern Division
W L T Pts GF GA
MetroStars 3 2 0 9 7 6
Chicago 2 2 0 6 5 4
D.C. United 2 3 0 6 6 7
New England 1 2 0 3 4 5
Columbus 1 3 0 3 2 6
Western Division
W L T Pts GF GA
San Jose 3 2 0 9 6 4
Los Angeles 2 0 2 8 6 4
Colorado 2 2 1 7 5 5
Dallas 1 1 2 5 4 5
Kansas City 1 1 1 4 4 3
NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for
tie.
———
Saturday’s Games
Colorado at Los Angeles, 4 p.m.
D.C. United at Columbus, 7:30 p.m.
San Jose at MetroStars, 7:30 p.m.
Kansas City at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
New England at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 4
Columbus at San Jose 4:00 p.m.
Los Angeles at Kansas City 7:30 p.m.
Chicago at DC United 7:30 p.m.
Dallas at MetroStars 8 p.m.
Women’s United Soccer Association
By The Associated Press
All Times EDT
W L T Pts GF GA
Carolina 1 0 0 3 2 1
Philadelphia 1 0 0 3 2 0
Boston 1 1 0 3 4 3
New York 1 1 0 3 5 7
San Diego 1 1 0 3 7 3
San Jose 1 1 0 3 3 3
Washington 1 1 0 3 3 5
Atlanta 0 2 0 0 1 5
NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for
tie.
———
Saturday’s Games
Washington at Atlanta, 4 p.m.
San Diego at Boston, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia at New York, 7 p.m.
Carolina at San Jose, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 4
Atlanta at Carolina, 4 p.m.
Boston at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 5
San Jose at New York, 6 p.m.
Washington at San Diego, 8 p.m.
NBA PLAYOFFS
National Basketball Association
Daily Playoff Glance
By The Associated Press
FIRST ROUND
(Best-of-5)
Monday, April 22
New Jersey 95, Indiana 79, series tied 1-1
Seattle 98, San Antonio 90, series tied 1-1
Tuesday, April 23
Orlando 111, Charlotte 103, OT, series tied
1-1
Utah 93, Sacramento 86, series tied 1-1
Wednesday, April 24
Detroit 96, Toronto 91, Detroit leads series
2-0
Dallas 122, Minnesota 110, Dallas leads
series 2-0
Thursday, April 25
Boston 93, Philadelphia 85, Boston leads
series 2-0
L.A. Lakers 103, Portland 96, L.A. Lakers
lead series 2-0
Friday, April 26
New Jersey at Indiana, 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 27
Charlotte at Orlando, 12:30 p.m.
Sacramento at Utah, 3 p.m.
San Antonio at Seattle, 5:30 p.m.
Detroit at Toronto, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 28
Boston at Philadelphia, 12:30 p.m.
Dallas at Minnesota, 3 p.m.
L.A. Lakers at Portland, 5:30 p.m.
that go along with being an intercollegiate athlete
in a very visible sport,’’ he said. ‘‘This does not
excuse any behavior, but it may help to explain
its context.’’
The Buffaloes were Big 12 champions last
season, finishing No. 9 in the national rankings.
Colorado Chancellor Richard L. Byyny has
ordered the athletic department to increase supervision
of athletes, including visiting recruits.
Curfews will be imposed and enforced and an
education program emphasizing the consequences
of misbehavior will be created.
‘‘We deeply regret that this incident occurred
at a time that should have been a positive experience
for both students and recruits,’’ he said.
The district attorney’s office and the police
department are evaluating the evidence to determine
if lesser charges are warranted, such as providing
alcohol to minors or theft.
Keenan planned to discuss her decision further
at a news conference Friday afternoon.
Scoreboard U.S. women
tennis players
eager to play
in Fed Cup
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) —
U.S. women return to Fed Cup
competition today, eager to earn
their 18th title after withdrawing
from the event last year in the
wake of Sept. 11.
The U.S. team did not attempt
to win its third straight title last
October, citing security concerns
for opting not to travel to Madrid
for the finals following the terrorist
attacks.
But with the opening round on
American soil for the women’s
version of Davis Cup tennis —
the United States plays Austria
beginning Saturday at the Olde
Providence Racquet Club — the
U.S. women are anxious to get the
trophy back.
‘‘It was unfortunate circumstances
last year, but I think we
made the right decision not to
do,’’ said Lisa Raymond, who
will team with Meghann
Shaughnessy in doubles on
Sunday.
‘‘As a team, we’re all hungry
to get the cup back and hopefully
win another title.’’
The U.S. has played in every
Fed Cup since 1963, winning it a
record 17 times with eight runnerup
finishes. Belgium won last
year when the Americans pulled
out.
The United States is the top
seed in the event and heavily
favored to beat Austria. The winner
plays the Czech Republic or
Croatia in a second-round match
July 20-21, and U.S. captain
Billie Jean King said the women
will be there.
‘‘We were upset we didn’t go
last year,’’ King said. ‘‘We are
not a no-show kind of people. We
show up, we play and we play
hard. When we win, we will have
to go in July and we will be there.
‘‘There has been no discussion
whatsoever of not going and getting
the cup and bringing it back
to the United States of America.’’
Play begins Saturday with
Monica Seles, the No. 2 player on
the U.S. team, facing Austria’s
top player, Barbara Schwartz.
Jennifer Capriati, the No. 2 player
in the world, plays Evelyn Fauth,
ranked No. 139 in the world, in
the second match.
On Sunday, Capriati plays
Schwartz, Seles plays Fauth, and
Raymond and Shaughnessy team
to play Schwartz and Marion
Maruska.
Austria will be without
Barbara Schett, its top player,
who opted not to play in the Fed
Cup to concentrate on getting
ready for next month’s French
Open.
She’s been criticized for the
decision because the Fed Cup
matches in Charlotte will be
played on clay and would have
been a good French Open tuneup
for Schett, who would have faced
both Capriati and Seles.
‘‘She said she had to play next
week in Hamburg,’’ Austria captain
Alfred Tesar said. ‘‘I’m not
happy about this.’’
King did not comment directly
on Schett’s absence, but said it
was important for the top players
to represent their countries each
year.
‘‘It is so important for our
sport and for our country that the
top players play because people
want to see the best,’’ King said.
‘‘Some players in other countries
don’t want to participate. They’ve
held up their federations for
tremendous amounts of money to
play, ridiculous amounts.
‘‘They don’t understand that
this is about hopefully having fun
with teammates and playing for
your country and relationships.
Maybe later in life they’ll understand
that winning matches is not
the most important thing.’’