FanFare 11/21/02

Baseball

Matt Williams will decide today whether to accept a trade to the Colorado Rockies.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have a deal in place that would send Williams and three other players to the Rockies for all-star outfielder Larry Walker.

However, Williams and Walker must waive no-trade clauses for the trade to go through.

A man was convicted of assault Thursday for punching Yankees pitcher David Wells and knocking out two of his teeth during an early morning fight in a diner.

Rocco Graziosa was acquitted of two other charges after a weeklong trial in Manhattan Criminal Court. The jury deliberated less than three hours.

The 27-year-old Graziosa faces up to a year in jail when he is sentenced Jan. 15. He will remain free on $1,500 bail and was ordered to stay away from Wells.

Basketball

Shaquille O'Neal could make his season debut tonight, but if he plays he probably won't start the Lakers' home game against the Chicago Bulls.

O'Neal received a shoe support from his doctor Thursday to ease the pressure on his arthritic right foot, and he wore the device at practice.

"He said everything was OK," O'Neal said. "I played today, and I felt pretty good. We'll just see tomorrow. Tonight is the true test, when I'm sleeping."

Lakers spokesman John Black said O'Neal's availability will depend on how he feels after this morning's shootaround.

College

Colorado's Chris Brown, the nation's leading rusher, is one of eight semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award, presented annually to the nation's top college running back.

Brown has 1,744 yards rushing and is averaging 158.5 yards a game for the 16th-ranked Buffaloes, the Big 12 North division champions.

Penn State's Larry Johnson (157.8 yards a game) and Northern Illinois' Michael Turner (154.7) also are semifinalists. The others are Quentin Griffin, Oklahoma; Avon Cobourne, West Virginia; Willis McGahee, Miami; Artose Pinner, Kentucky; and Cecil Sapp, Colorado State.

Golf

Tiger Woods, in his first tournament since the Tour Championship in Atlanta almost three weeks ago, settled for a 71 Thursday at the $1.65 million Dunlop Phoenix. He is seven strokes behind leader Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland.

"To shoot even par is a minor miracle," Woods said. "I didn't hit it well and didn't putt well but managed to salvage the round with a couple of birdies near the end."

Clarke, who is competing in his fifth Dunlop Phoenix, has a two-stroke lead over England's Justin Rose and Japan's Kaname Yokoo and Tsukasa Watanabe. Spanish star Sergio Garcia topped a five-player group at 67.

Woods, playing in his third tournament in Japan, had four birdies and four bogeys in wet conditions at the 6,917-yard, par-71 Dunlop Phoenix Country Club.

The end of the year is no different from the beginning or any part in the middle. Annika Sorenstam is on her game, contending for yet another title in the ADT Championship.

Sorenstam gave herself ample birdie chances Thursday at Trump International and converted enough of them for a 5-under 67, giving her a share of the first-round lead with an ailing Se Ri Pak and Meg Mallon.

-- From wire reports