FanFare 9/29/02

Baseball

Rey Ordonez backed off comments calling Mets fans stupid, blaming the frustration of a last-place season on his outburst. In an interview published in Saturday's New York Post, the Mets shortstop said the treatment from the fans would lead him to want to leave the team when his contract runs out after next season.

"The fans here are too stupid," he told the paper. Ordonez explained his comments before Saturday's game against the Braves. "I said that because it's been a long year," he said. "It's been frustrating for everybody.

Tim Raines announced his retirement Saturday -- and said this time it's for good. Raines, 43, was one of the best leadoff hitters of his era.

Basketball

Police want to see documents left with a lawyer by Miles Dabord, the late brother of former NBA player Bison Dele and a key witness in Dele's disappearance. Dabord, 35, died Friday night in Chula Vista, Calif., where he was hospitalized Sept. 14. He was found in a coma after returning from the islands of French Polynesia, where he sailed with Dele and two others who have been missing since early July. The FBI has learned that Dabord left behind papers to be opened after his death.

Horse racing

Evening Attire picked the right time for the best race of his career. With a rousing stretch run after a slow start, Evening Attire pulled away for a 2 3/4-length victory over Lido Palace in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.

Motorsports

Jeff Burton made his fourth Busch Series victory of the season look easy, beating rookie Kerry Earnhardt by more than three seconds in the Mr. Goodcents 300 at Kansas Speedway. Burton, who started on the outside front, took control after driving his Ford past Earnhardt's Chevrolet on the 172nd of 200 laps on the 1.5-mile tri-oval. Burton led 48 total laps. Joe Nemechek was third, followed by series leader Greg Biffle.

Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello gave Ferrari its fifth front row sweep of the season in qualifying for the SAP United States Grand Prix. The dominating Schumacher, with his fifth Formula One championship already clinched, took his sixth pole of the season and remains the only driver to win the Indy pole in the three years the race has been on the F1 calendar.

Olympics

The U.S. Olympic Committee is reviewing possible improper contact between Olympic officials and representatives of the two American cities vying for the 2012 Games. The probe of bid representatives in New York and San Francisco was confirmed a day after the USOC said it was checking into comments made by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg during a recent trip to Athens. The USOC also is looking at e-mails athletes sent to members of the USOC's board of directors promoting San Francisco's Olympic bid.

Tennis

Serena Williams moved within a victory of her sixth title in seven tournaments by beating Justine Henin 6-4, 6-2 in the $585,000 Sparkassen Cup semifinals. In today's final, Williams will play Anastasia Myskina of Russia, who knocked off defending champion Kim Clijsters 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (3). Myskina trailed 4-1 in the final set.

-- From wire report