Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 12, 1995 TAG: 9502130038
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Then the celebration Thursday night fell flat, as an official ruled the puck hadn't quite crossed the goal line - it was less than an inch short. The fans booed, and began chanting ``Give him the car!''
Joe McGuire, general manager of Checkered Flag Honda, realized the Greater Hampton Roads Honda Dealers had a big problem.
``I didn't sleep all night,'' said McGuire, who drives a Honda - there's a different one for each game - on and off the ice for The Honda Shootout between periods of Hampton Roads Admirals' games.
At sunrise Friday, telephone calls from irate fans started pouring into Honda dealerships.
``They were calling from all over,'' said Michael Bridge, a car salesman at Riddle Honda in Portsmouth. ``They were pretty upset.''
At 8 a.m., McGuire began calling the six other Honda dealers in the area. By 11:30 a.m., they had conferred by conference call and agreed to give Palmer the car.
``Technically, he didn't win, but when I was talking with the other dealers, I told them that in five years of driving the car, it was the shot of a lifetime,'' McGuire said. ``I saw it go in. We know the rules, but he hit our target. We've had some close shots, but nobody hit the target like that.
``They [the other dealers] were more than willing to give him the car.''
With the crowd again shouting its approval, Palmer took possession of the $22,390 car during a break in Friday's game. The Hampton resident accepted the keys, shook his fists in exultation and took a victory lap around the ice.
``What a great feeling,'' said Palmer, who loads vending machines for Bon Ton Vending of Newport News. ``This is just wonderful.''
The Honda Shootout is simple, though it's nearly impossible to win. After being selected in by a blind draw, an Admirals fan can win a car by putting the puck through the hole.
Nobody had won a car in 191 games spanning nearly six years, and there's little wonder. The hole is one-quarter of an inch larger than a puck.
GOLF: Jacobsen leads Buick Open by 3
Shooting for his second straight win, Peter Jacobsen pulled away on the back nine with an eagle and two birdies, finishing with a 4-under-par 68 and a three-stroke lead after three rounds of the Buick Invitational.
Jacobsen, who had a 54-hole score of 15-under 201, won the AT&T National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach last weekend with a 17-under 271, a tournament record.
Tied for second at 12-under 204 were Hal Sutton, who also shot 68, and Kirk Triplett, who had a 66. Dan Pohl (66), Mark Calcavecchia (67) and Mike Hulbert (70) were tied at 205.
The final two rounds are being played on the par-72, 7,000-yard Torrey Pines South Course in San Diego.
At San Bartolome De Tirajana, Canary Islands, Spain's Seve Ballesteros stumbled slightly but still managed a 1-over-par 73 to hold a two-stroke lead after three rounds of the $375,000 Canary Islands Open.
Ballesteros was at 6-under-par 210, with four players tied at 212: Paul Eales and Gary Emerson of England, Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland and Jarmo Sandelin of Sweden.
In Naples, Fla., Bob Murphy shot a 2-under-par 70 to take a one-shot lead over Ray Floyd into today's final round of the Senior PGA Tour's IntelliNet Challenge. With a two-day total of 7-under-par, Murphy is one stroke in front of Floyd, who shot 69, and three in front of Mike Hill and Rockey Thompson, both at 4-under.
TENNIS: Agassi gains final in San Jose Open
Andre Agassi's march to No.1 took another strong turn when he dismantled MaliVai Washington 6-4, 6-2 in the semifinals of the San Jose Open.
``Right now, I'm not struggling at all,'' Agassi said. ``It's a joy to be out there and a joy to be playing. I've been saying that for seven months now, and there's no reason I can't do it for a few more.''
Agassi will play the winner of a late match between Jim Courier and Michael Chang in today's final.
Top-seeded in the tournament and ranked No.2 in the world, Agassi has gone 33-2 in match play since starting his drive to win the U.S. Open as an unseeded player last September.
In 1995, Agassi has won 29 of 30 sets he has played.
In Chicago, third-seeded Magdalena Maleeva took advantage of 14 double faults to beat second-seeded Gabriela Sabatini 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 and advance to the final of the Ameritech Cup tournament. Maleeva will meet the winner of a late match between the seventh seed, Zina Garrison-Jackson, and Lisa Raymond in the title match today.
At Marseille, France, top-seeded Boris Becker needed only about an hour to win his semifinal match in the Marseille Open, beating Frenchman Olivier Delaitre 6-4, 6-2. Becker will play Czech Daniel Vacek in today's final. Vacek beat another Frenchman, Lionel Roux, 6-1, 7-5 in the other semifinal.
Colt's career ended by leg injury
Holy Bull heard the cheers - for the last time.
The colt was cheered lustily as he walked onto the track for the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla.. He couldn't have heard the groans from the fans as he was pulled up on the backstretch with an injured left front leg.
``It's over,'' owner-trainer Jimmy Croll said when asked about the 1994 Horse of the Year's career.
Holy Bull was back in his barn, his left front leg in a steel cast, by the time jockey Mike Smith tearfully told his wife, Patrice: ``He's going to be all right.''
Although his life wasn't in jeopardy, Croll's dream horse had run into a career-ending nightmare - ligament damage apparently sustained while battling for the lead with Cigar, who went on to win the 11/8-mile race.
``I can't be more disappointed,'' said Croll, Holy Bull's 74-year-old owner-trainer.
Holy Bull, carrying high weight of 127 pounds, veered in sharply from the outside post at the break, causing horses inside of him to be checked, but he was running easily when Smith pulled him up.
``As we came into the backstretch,'' Jerry Bailey, Cigar's jockey, said, ``I heard a pop and then I heard Mike yell, `Oh, no.' Then I lost him as he pulled up his horse.''
Smith, who was aboard Prairie Bayou when that colt was fatally injured in the Belmont Stakes in 1993, said, ``Devastating. I can't put it into words. I feel like the life has come out of me.''
In Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Dave D'Entremont had nine strikes to win the championship in the Professional Bowlers Association's $275,000 Choice Hotels Classic. He then rolled nine more strikes to earn an extra $25,000 in the ``Winning Never Gets Old Challenge Match.''
D'Entremont, of Middleburg Heights, Ohio, defeated Tommy Evans 242-214 in the title match to earn $45,000 and his third career title. He then defeated Gene Stus 268-245 to win $70,000.
by CNB