Fox, Shifting Gears, Will Show Logos

Fox said it will show the logos of companies that sponsor NASCAR drivers during prerace introductions at the Daytona 500, a week after the network showed only sponsors that bought advertising on its telecast.

Fox Sports Chairman David Hill made the change after meeting with NASCAR officials.

Hill called the controversy a “tempest in a carburetor.”

Tennis

Ivan Lendl, winner of eight Grand Slam events, and Mervyn Rose, an Australian star from the 1950s, will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on July 14.

“It’s the ultimate honor in the game,” said Lendl, who won 94 singles titles and spent 270 weeks at No. 1. “The ceremony in July will be a great closure to my career and a part of my life which is over now.”

Lendl, 40, who was born in Czechoslovakia and became a U.S. citizen in 1992, reached eight consecutive U.S. Open finals, winning three. He also won the French Open three times and the Australian Open twice.

Rose was a member of Australia’s 1951 and ’52 Davis Cup champion teams and won the 1954 Australian and 1958 French titles.

Three-time Marseille Open winner Marc Rosset of Switzerland began his title defense with a 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 first-round victory over Gianluca Pozzi of Italy at Marseille, France. . . . Second-seeded Vladimir Voltchkov of Belarus was upset by Wayne Black of Zimbabwe, 6-4, 6-2, in the first round of the Copenhagen Open. . . . Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria, a semifinalist last week in Paris, defeated Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3, in the first round of the Terazura tournament at Nice, France. . . . Maria Vento, a wild-card entry from Venezuela, defeated Barbara Rittner of Germany, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (2), 6-3, in the first round of the Qatar Open at Doha and will play top-seeded Martina Hingis in the second round.

Miscellany

Los Angeles Avenger quarterback Todd Marinovich is scheduled to appear in county Superior Court today for a preliminary hearing. Marinovich is charged with felony possession of heroin, two counts of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

The New York Giants went to the Super Bowl last month with the third-lowest payroll in the league--$57.3 million, almost 50% less than the Washington Redskins spent to finish third in the NFC East.

The figures, released by the NFL Players Assn., show that the Redskins led in spending last season with $92.4 million in salaries and bonuses. The Baltimore Ravens, 34-7 winners over the Giants in the Super Bowl, were second, at $90.7 million.

Quarterback Steve McNair of the Tennessee Titans spent three days in the hospital last week because of an infected shoulder, the same problem that caused him to pull out of the Pro Bowl. Doctors operated on his right shoulder to clean up an infected area. . . . Pro Bowl cornerback Sam Madison of the Miami Dolphins underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle.

The Minnesota Vikings rescinded the final two years of David Palmer’s contract, allowing the kick returner and running back to become a free agent. . . . The Redskins said they will let wide receiver Albert Connell become a free agent rather than re-sign him. . . . The new stadium for the Arizona Cardinals will be built in Tempe, only a mile from where the team now plays. The Arizona Tourism and Sports Authority board voted 7-2 for the Tempe site over an undeveloped tract of land in suburban west Phoenix.

Chris Walsh of the Vikings will serve at least 12 days in jail after pleading guilty to a drunk-driving charge in Scottsdale, Ariz. . . . A court hearing in Littleton, Colo., for Denver Bronco quarterback Brian Griese on a drunk-driving charge was postponed because of a family emergency.

Bode Miller of the U.S. ski team will sit out the rest of the season because of injuries to both knees, but expects to be ready for the 2002 Olympics.

Olympic rowing gold medalist Rob Waddell of New Zealand has quit rowing to sail for New Zealand in its 2003 America’s Cup defense.

An amateur hockey coach who instructed his 13-year-old goalie to allow a goal agreed to demands by parents and team directors that he quit.

Officials said Coach Mike McKenelry of the West Michigan Grizzlies wanted the Feb. 3 game to end in a tie to avoid meeting a tougher opponent in the next day’s semifinals.

The goalie, Jordan Barber, refused to follow his coach’s orders, so the coach pulled him.

Boxer Jose Luis Lopez has pneumonia and will be replaced by Tony Marshall for a 10-round junior middleweight bout against Alex Bunema on March 2 at Las Vegas.

Baseball

The prognosis of Mike Sirotka’s shoulder remains a mystery--along with the status of the left-hander’s trade to the Toronto Blue Jays. Sirotka was traded to the Blue Jays on Jan. 14 as part of a six-player deal that sent David Wells to the White Sox. Sirotka passed one physical after the trade, but the Blue Jays announced last week that a second exam revealed a tear in the shoulder and that Sirotka probably would have to sit out the season. . . . Pitcher Kevin Millwood of the Atlanta Braves lost his salary arbitration case and will get $3.1 million this season instead of the $3.9 million he wanted.

The New York Yankees have added another Cuban defector, agreeing to a major league contract with third baseman Andy Morales, the Associated Press reported. . . . Infielder Mike Caruso agreed to a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. . . . The St. Louis Cardinals signed right-handed pitcher Matt Morris to a one-year contract.

Right-hander Sidney Ponson and the Baltimore Orioles agreed to a one-year, $2.1-million contract. . . . Closer Antonio Alfonseca of the Florida Marlins agreed to a two-year, $6-million contract just before the scheduled start of his arbitration hearing. . . . Shortstop Neifi Perez of the Colorado Rockies agreed to a one-year, $3.55-million contract.