A $10,000 Enticement for Moses

Issuing his own version of the Pepsi Challenge, track and field promoter Al Franken said Monday that he will pay $10,000 to the winner of the 400-meter intermediate hurdles if world record-holder Edwin Moses agrees to compete in the event at the UCLA Pepsi Invitational May 17 at Drake Stadium.

“Maybe this will smoke him out,” said Franken, who has been known to blow smoke if he thought it would result in a headline.

Moses, who has won 109 straight intermediate hurdles races, said recently that he plans to return to competition this year after sitting out 1985 with a knee injury. But he said he has not yet determined his schedule.

He was unavailable for comment Monday.

When asked about the offer, Moses’ financial representative, Gordon Baskin, said: “It seems quite amusing to me and would make for a good show. But I don’t feel this will have any influence on Edwin’s decision whether to run (at UCLA) because his decision will be made upon his personal determination of his physical condition.”

Franken issued the challenge at a Southern California Track & Field Writers’ luncheon, saying that the offer is an attempt to entice Moses to compete in the meet against Andre Phillips, who was ranked No. 1 in the world last year.

“I would like to find out when he’s going to gear up,” Phillips said Monday at the writers’ luncheon. “Maybe I can sneak in. When he’s ready, I’ll be ready.”

Baskin said: “I feel that during the year, regardless of whatever happens in this circumstance, Edwin and Andre will meet more than one time in other contests.”

Franken said last week that he had no plans to include the 400-intermediate hurdles in the meet at UCLA, but he said Monday that he would revise the schedule if Moses would commit to an appearance.