The Prince George Citizen - Saturday, July 3,1999 - 11 S p o r t s — ■m u ™ < 1 B o g e y m a n Top pick thrilledto be a Raptorbites Appleby by DOUG SMITH “I almost cried,” said Radojevic. “I was just so hap­ Toronto Star py, for my family, for me. I know I have a lot of workLEMONT, 111. (AP) — Tiger Woods TORONTO — Alek Radojevic was cruising the halls to do to get better, a lot of things to improve, butwalked I off the 18th green thinking he’d of the MCI Center, rushing from one interview ses­ will. Toronto knows how hard I will work.” had a pretty good round. It looked even sion to another when he spied an open door and a The wheels are already in motion to bring the rest better after Stuart Appleby ran into trou­ ble on the last two holes. sign. Players Telephone Room, it read. of Radojevic’s family to Toronto, where they’ll fit in Suddenly, his already wide smile grew wider, his with the large Yugoslavian population. After notching an eagle eyes lit up and he turned to one of the dozens of NBA .“It’s been two years since I saw them. It’s going toand seven birdies, Apple­ head office minders watching over the just-drafted be great. It will be the greatest time of my life.” by bogeyed Nos. 17 and youngsters. “It’s okay to call Yugoslavia, to my moth­ 18 Friday, leaving him tied with Woods at 10- er?” he asked. Sure, came the reply. Then unfolded an animated transatlantic family re­ M artin hurt in w reck under 134 after the sec­ ond round of the West­ WOODS union that capped an extraordinary evening for a DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Mark Martin man with an extraordinary tale to tell. ern Open. Both shot 6- thought he was driving the best car he had ever under 66s on Friday. “I don’t know what they were saying,” said an NBA brought to Daytona. executive. “But, man, were they happy.” Mike Brisky, the first-round leader, He won’t have the chance to find out, due to an ac­shot a 69 and is one shot back at 9-un- Happy? Try overjoyed. Delirious. Ecstatic. Over­ cident in the NASCAR Pepsi 400 practice Friday night whelmed. Emotional. Stunned. Put all those adjec­ der 135. Vijay Singh, the 1998 runner- that left his arm in a splint and his car on a wrecker. up, is among four at 7-under 137 in the tives together and they might come close to describ­ The right front tire on Martin’s Ford split as he was ing Radojevic’s feelings when the Raptors made him $2.5 million tournament on the 7,073- entering the third turn of the 2.5-mile trioval at Day­yard Dubsdread course at the Cog Hill the 12th pick in the NBA draft. “This,” he said, near tona International Speedway during the final “happy tears, “is the greatest day of my life.” Golf and Country Club. hour” practice session before today’s race. Mike Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont., • For a 22-year-old who hasn’t seen his mother in He received minor injuries to his left wrist and left more than two years, who watched as war crept close fired a 5-under 67 after an even-par72 leg, although it’s his psyche that surely took theon Thursday to creep into contention. to his family’s Montenegro hometown, who came to biggest beating. “I hit the wall about as hard as I’ve CP photo He’s five strokes off Woods and Apple­ North America just to get a college education, landing ever tangled with it,” Martin said. “I’m a little bit sore, employment that will guarantee him more than $3 by at 139. Toronto Raptors’ first round draft pick Alek but I’m going to be OK. Calgary resident Stephen Ames card- . million over the course of the next three years isRadojevic a jokes around following a news confer­ “We had a fabulous car. This is the best restrictor- stroke of good fortune unimaginable not too long ago. ed a 1-under 71 on Friday but at 2- ence Friday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. plate car I’ve ever driven.” over after two rounds, he missed the While Radojevic was working out privately forThe seven-foot-three, Radojevic went to the Officials from Goodyear said it didn’t appear there cut. more than half the teams in the NBA and showing a Raptors 12th overall in the draft. was anything structurally wrong with the tire. “I feel bad for Stuart, but I feel pretty raw talent, soft shooting touch and solid understand­ “From what we can see, it appears there was a cut ing of the game, Toronto officials were hoping he’d The next call? From Glen Grunwald. And then the good for myself,” said Woods, who long walk up the podium to dwarf David Stern and close to the inside shoulder of the tread that caused won the Western Open in 1997. still be available at No. 12 on Wednesday night. rapid air loss,” said Goodyear public relations manag­ A couple of minutes after Cleveland chose Trajan put on the Raptor ball cap Radojevic would still be “To finish like that is always tough, wearing seven hours later, grin still on his face, in the er Carole Swartz. “That would explain why there was especially with how well he was play­ Langdon with the 11th choice, a cell phone rang. Butch so little warning before the accident.!’ Carter was telling Radojevic he’d likely be a Raptor. NBA’s raucous hospitality suite. ing.” Wings run low on goaltenders by BOB DUFF ' Southam Newspapers • TROY, Mich. — If Jim Nill is con- . cerned about the sudden lack of goal- “ tending depth in the Detroit Red Wings ! organization, he masks it well. ‘ Then again, he could be using one of the of spare masks laying around the Detroit dressing room. At the moment, there are plenty of them available. As he watched the future of De­ troit’s goaltending work out during t h e c l u b ’ s prospects camp at the Troy Sports Center, the Red Wings’ assistant gener­ al manager tendered the club’s solution to their sudden goaltender dilemma. “We’re looking at signing a free agent,” Nill said. A few months ago, the Red Wings had more National Hockey League goalies (three) than they had consecu­ tive Stanley Cup wins (two). Then their Stanley Cup run stopped and their goalie glut gutted. Kevin Hodson was traded to Tampa Bay. Bill Ranford, acquired from Tam­ pa Bay, was released. Norm Maracle was snatched by Atlanta in the ex­ pansion draft, leaving Detroit to hang out a vacancy sign in the dressing THE LIMITED EDITION ROCKY M OUNTAIN BLAZER room stall next to No. 1 goalie Chris Osgood. “It just shows how expansion is INCLUDING A ROCKY MOUNTAIN DIKE AND BIKE RACK depleting rosters,” Nill said after watching a position of strength turn into a position for hire in the span of FEATU R IN G • V ortec 4300 SFI V 6 190 H P engine • O ff-road suspension • 4-w heel drive w ith locking three months, leaving the Red Wings to resort to their backup differential • 4-speed autom atic w ith overdrive • A M /F M stereo cassette • 4-w heel A B S brakes plan. “There’s lots of guys out there (with • P A S S Lock security system • N ext G eneration driver and passenger air bags potential to be stop-gap stoppers),” Nill said of the free-agent poll. There are experienced guys out there Sm a r tL e a s e PURCHASE PRICE — puckstoppers like Ken Wregget, Sm a r tL ea s eO P T IO N S Corey Hirsch, Kirk McLean, Rick Lease Payment Down Payment Tabaracci, Jimmy Waite, Mark Fitz­ $ 2 9 8 * $ 4 , 5 1 8 patrick and former Wing Essensa - are $32,268 1.9% $ 3 6 6 $ 2 , 2 0 0 on the unrestricted free-agent list re­ Lease terms for 30 months Includes freight of $755 and PDI leased Thursday. $ 4 3 0 Security deposit of $350 required Purchase financing up to 48 months Lim o driver in OR GET INTO A trouble again 4-DOOR ROCKY MOUNTAIN BLAZER WESTLAND, Mich. (AP) — The dri­ ver of the limousine that crashed two years ago, severely injuring two mem­ bers of the Detroit Red Wings organi­ FOR ONLY A MONTH/36 MONTHS zation, was arrested Friday on a drunk­ en-driving charge. INCLUDES ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIKE AND BIKE RACK Richard Gnida was arrested just months after his licence was reinstated following a three-year revocation, which was in effect at the time of the accident. CHEVYTRUCKS He was stopped along Michigan Av­ CHEVROLET enue after he allegedly ran a stop sign We'd like you to know more: Come visit us at your local dealer, on our website at www.gmcanada.com or call us at 1 -800-GM-DRIVE. ‘ Based on a 36 month lease for Chevy Rocky Mountain Blazer R7Z. A down payment or trade of Oidsmobie about 2 a.m. Friday, Wayne County $4518/54893 and security deposit of $350/$400 required. Total obligation Is $15,474/517,061. Annual kilometer limit 20,000 km, $0.12 per excess kilometer. Other lease options available. tFrelght included. License, Insurance, and taxes not included.