ALI

In between his swearing-in and attending receptions, S. Saqib Ali was changing diapers and preparing baby bottles. For his first legislative session, the Democratic delegate from Montgomery County has moved his wife and 8-month- old daughter to Annapolis, and the 31-year-old software engineer said he thinks that being part of a young family can help him connect with many of his constituents. S. Saqib Ali But Ali's distinction as the first Muslim to serve in the General Assembly has garnered the most attention, somewhat to his chagrin.

1974: Ali tops Foreman in 'Rumble in Jungle'1975: Fisk waves homer fair1977: Guthrie first woman to qualify at Indy 500

JERRY QUARRY died Sunday, the victim of pugilistica dementia, or in plain English, too many clean, hard shots to the head for too many years. If you're a hard-core boxing fan, your heart sank just a little more. First Archie Moore in December, now Quarry."Irish" Jerry Quarry did, indeed, seem to have a penchant for blocking punches with his face. But his pugilistic assets far outweighed his liabilities. He could dish 'em out as well as he took 'em, and he was the best counterpuncher of his day. The "greatest heavyweight champion we never had," some have called him.Classic Sports Network, the cable channel that's the perfect antidote to that affliction known as 1990s boxing, recently reran the first fight between Quarry and Joe Frazier in 1969.

Maryland Mania coach Darryl Gee's abrupt firing Monday after the team's first A-League game was rooted more than anything else in management's inability to deal with basic, player-related matters, ex-assistant coach Bill Stara said yesterday.Stara, who resigned one day after Mania founder and president A. J. Ali dismissed Gee, bristled at the implications of Ali's attributing the firing to "administrative differences" and the assertion that new coach Paul Kitson could bring focus to the team.

This is "Soccer Mom's Day," in the words of embattled Maryland Mania founder and president A. J. Ali, switching modes momentarily from crisis management to marketing.Tailoring Mother's Day to your business is fun, of course. And Ali said mothers attending the Mania's home opener this afternoon will get flowers.But for those moms and others -- Ali is hoping for about 1,500 -- who buy tickets this afternoon, not to mention Mania players, there can't help but be questions about what will happen on the field.

The expansion Maryland Mania, struggling on the field and at the gate, is seeking additional investment to offset chronic financial problems, team president A. J. Ali said before last night's ninth game of a 28-game A-League schedule."

The Maryland Mania's president has departed and the team has closed its Columbia offices, but the cash-strapped, A-League team's new day-to-day manager says the club expects to finish its first season and rebuild for next year.General manager Sheldon Phillips of Columbia, who was a law-school student when this season opened, said that founding owner A. J. Ali submitted a resignation letter this weekend."He wants to spend more time with his family, with his church, and said it was time to step away," Phillips said.

JERRY QUARRY died Sunday, the victim of pugilistica dementia, or in plain English, too many clean, hard shots to the head for too many years. If you're a hard-core boxing fan, your heart sank just a little more. First Archie Moore in December, now Quarry."Irish" Jerry Quarry did, indeed, seem to have a penchant for blocking punches with his face. But his pugilistic assets far outweighed his liabilities. He could dish 'em out as well as he took 'em, and he was the best counterpuncher of his day. The "greatest heavyweight champion we never had," some have called him.Classic Sports Network, the cable channel that's the perfect antidote to that affliction known as 1990s boxing, recently reran the first fight between Quarry and Joe Frazier in 1969.

Darryl Gee, the first Columbia-produced player to be successful in pro soccer, was fired yesterday as coach of the Maryland Mania, four days after the new A-League team lost its first game.A. J. Ali, the Columbia-based Mania president, described Gee's departure as "amicable probably best for both sides." The cause, he said, "boiled down to administrative differences."Ali declined to elaborate, other than to acknowledge the dismissal was for a combination of factors on and off the field, among them lack of preparation of the team to play at the A-League level in preseason scrimmages.

Ex-Syracuse running back Ali Culpepper, a former two-time All-Metro who helped Dunbar win back-to-back state titles, yesterday signed a national letter of intent to play under full scholarship for Morgan State.Citing the illnesses of his grandfathers, Harry Smith and George Culpepper, Ali Culpepper, who averaged 4.6 yards in six games as a true freshman for the Orangemen last year, received his official release two weeks ago from Division I-A Syracuse and, under NCAA rules, has three years of remaining eligibility and can play immediately for Stump Mitchell's Division I-AA Morgan State.

Throughout most of Friday night's game, Poly quarterback Antoine Goodson and running back Gabriel Ali-El provided most of the offense, but when both got hurt and left the game in the third quarter, the No. 14 Engineers held on to beat No. 11 Patterson, 38-18, in a Baltimore City Division I game. Goodson ran for 153 yards on 17 carries and scored two touchdowns before he left the game with a shoulder injury early in the quarter. Shortly thereafter, Ali-El, who ran for 131 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries, went to the hospital to be checked out for a possible concussion.

LONDON -Three men accused of helping suicide bombers who killed 52 people in a 2005 attack on London's transportation system were acquitted Tuesday of the most serious charges they faced, a second defeat for prosecutors in the case. The jury found Waheed Ali, Mohammed Shakil and Sadeer Saleem not guilty of carrying out a reconnaissance mission to help the four bombers who boarded three subway trains and a bus with homemade explosives on July 7, 2005. Ali and Shakil were convicted of conspiring to attend a terrorist training camp in Pakistan, a lesser charge, and were scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday.

As the pathologist checked the list of injuries in his autopsy report of a Rodgers Forge toddler, he kept repeating the same phrase: blunt-force trauma. He must have said it 15 times. Zabiullah Ali, who performed the autopsy of Andrew Griffin on Dec. 27, 2007, the day after the child was pronounced dead in a Towson hospital, testified in Baltimore County Circuit Court yesterday that Andrew showed signs of trauma throughout his body - bruises, lacerations and abrasions, some months old and "too many to count."

In his first meeting of training camp, new Ravens coach John Harbaugh and the rest of his staff wore T-shirts with the famous black-and-white still frame of Muhammad Ali standing over a fallen Sonny Liston. On the back, there's a quote from Ali: "The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights." The message was intended to reinforce Harbaugh's mantra of hard work and discipline. But this truly represents the first great accomplishment of the rookie head coach - keeping his team focused behind the scenes when the season could have easily fallen apart before it began.

Ali Barbieri occupies just a sliver of her grown-up bed at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, her 5-month-old legs suspended in a miniature traction rig that holds in place the hips she dislocated at birth. Most days Ali's mother, Natalia, sits with her all day, caressing her, distracting her with the toys that share her bed, trying to introduce her to solid foods. Barbieri knows just how well her daughter is sleeping, eating and feeling. So it makes sense to involve her in Ali's care - and to have her on hand when the doctors do their early-morning rounds.

On April 18, 2008, JASMINE MAE JONES - ALI. On Wednesday, memorial services will be held at Vaughn C. Greene Funeral Chapel, 4905 York Road, where the family will receive friends from 11-11:30 A.M., with services to follow. Inquiries to 410-433-7500.

Sadly Ali (Fredo) Yeganeh lost his battle to ALS, on April 2, 2008. He is survived by his wife Maryam, two children Farima and Anthony Shain, former wife Tina Marie Yeganeh, his niece Tina Marie Yeganeh, nephew Rouzbeh Cheganeh. Also survived by sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, family and many friends. Fredo was loved by all and will be greatly missed. Prayers will be held Friday, 10am at IMEC, 2406 Putty Hill Ave., Parkville, MD. 21234. Interment Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens at 12 noon.

I'M GOING to a party this week for Alexandra Wentworth in Manhattan. She just happens to be the comedy crazy wife of ABC's rising news star George Stephanopoulos, and maybe you remember back when she and George attempted a talk show? Watching Ali last summer as she conducted her vacation obsession - netting crabs in the Hamptons' Mecox Bay with her two adorable daughters - little did I know she was percolating an epic TV bow. This show, titled Head Case, starts at 10 p.m. tomorrow on Starz Originals.

Don't miss the Hip Hop Live concert featuring performances by Ghostface Killah, Rakim and Brother Ali on Sunday at the 9:30 Club. All artists will be backed by the Rhythm Roots Allstars. Doors open at 10 p.m. at the club, 815 V St. N.W., Washington. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased by calling 800-955-5566 or online at tickets.com.

Clara B. Simmons-Gregg, a retired city Police Department worker who enjoyed acting and singing, died of congestive heart failure Sept. 26 at her Northwest Baltimore home. She was 59. The former Clara Bennett Simmons was born in Baltimore and raised in the Edgar Allan Poe Homes in West Baltimore. She was a 1967 graduate of Edmondson High School. She began her 36-year career with the city Police Department in 1968 and worked in communications until retiring in 2004. Ms. Simmons-Gregg then enrolled at Sojourner-Douglass College, where she studied for a bachelor's degree in business while working as secretary to college President Dr. Charles W. Simmons, a brother, who lives in Baltimore.