Dan O Brien

NEW ORLEANS -- Dave and Aric and Rob?It doesn't exactly have the same ring as Dan and Dave, but it will have to do for the U.S. Olympic decathlon team.Yesterday, while Olympic gold-medal favorite Dan O'Brien flopped in the pole vault and sank to 11th, new stories and careers were fashioned.Dave Johnson established a second-day world record of 4,455 points to win with 8,649. Aric Long, a 22-year-old who attends the University of Tennessee, was second with 8,237 points. And Rob Muzzio, a George Mason University graduate with a history of injuries, took the third spot at 8,163.

A rare chance to see a great American play is being offered by the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company. The Front Page, written in 1928 by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, is running through Feb. 25 at Howard County Center for the Arts. The Front Page takes us back to the 1920s, a time when a major city could support seven or eight newspapers. Reporters were badly paid and had no regular hours. If they were married, they didn't get home much. They were hard and cynical, with no respect for authority figures such as politicians or police, and they were not overly scrupulous about facts.

Yesterday, Dan O'Brien went out and knocked off a few 200-meter --es in 21.5 seconds. And he's not even a sprinter, really. Then he did some jumping with a fiberglass pole, clearing 17 feet consistently. That's on a leg that's not 100 percent right now."I'm prepared mentally and physically, and that's got me worried," Dan says. "I usually need to be hurting to go into a competition and do well."The competition is the World Championships of track and field Saturday through Aug. 22 in Stuttgart, Germany, and Dan O'Brien, in case you haven't been paying attention, is the uncrowned world's greatest athlete.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Jackie Joyner-Kersee is either limping, wheezing or getting massaged.She keeps an asthma inhaler tucked away in her tights, and a massage table near her training sites -- showing the signs of fatigue, injuries and age."It is challenging coping with the problems," said Joyner-Kersee, 33. "That's what I find interesting and exciting. To excel, that's why I keep doing it."Even on one leg in rainy weather and gusting winds that topped 20 mph, Joyner-Kersee is still one of the world's greatest athletes.

A rare chance to see a great American play is being offered by the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company. The Front Page, written in 1928 by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, is running through Feb. 25 at Howard County Center for the Arts. The Front Page takes us back to the 1920s, a time when a major city could support seven or eight newspapers. Reporters were badly paid and had no regular hours. If they were married, they didn't get home much. They were hard and cynical, with no respect for authority figures such as politicians or police, and they were not overly scrupulous about facts.

Johnson-Yang worth more than all the Dans & DavesYears from now, when we look back on the 1992 Olympic decathlon competition, we'll probably recall how a sneaker company's plans went awry.Last night, during its prime-time show, NBC recalled the 1960 decathlon, a matchup between American Rafer Johnson and Taiwan's C. K. Yang. It was a story of heated competition and friendship. No mention was made of commercials that promised "To be settled in Rome."Sure, it's probably better that the pretense of amateurism has left the Games and that reality has taken hold.

NEW ORLEANS -- You've seen their baby pictures, sweethearts and mothers. You've seen them face off like gunslingers in an Italian western, pump iron in high-tech gyms, and match drives with golf's most notorious frequent flier, John Daly.Now, you actually can watch them compete.Dan and Dave: The ad campaign comes to life.When the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials resume today, Dan O'Brien and Dave Johnson will play starring roles in the %o decathlon, the two-day, 10-skill test that determines the unofficial title of world's greatest athlete.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Jackie Joyner-Kersee is either limping, wheezing or getting massaged.She keeps an asthma inhaler tucked away in her tights, and a massage table near her training sites -- showing the signs of fatigue, injuries and age."It is challenging coping with the problems," said Joyner-Kersee, 33. "That's what I find interesting and exciting. To excel, that's why I keep doing it."Even on one leg in rainy weather and gusting winds that topped 20 mph, Joyner-Kersee is still one of the world's greatest athletes.

Tragedy was the word used and that seemed a might excessive.To be sure, it's a huge disappointment not only to Dan O'Brien but to track and field fans everywhere that Dan won't be representing the United States in the Summer Olympics. But is it calamitous, disastrous or fatal?The decathlete cried a little bit, took a deep breath and was back out competing after failing to attain a height in the pole vault, thus killing his chances to compete in the Barcelona Games.Meanwhile, his sponsor, Reebok, cried a whole lot, contemplated hara-kiri and quickly moved to salvage all it could from the $25 million "Dan & Dave" advertising campaign.

"Accountants are predictable."Bankers are cautious."Politicians are tentative."But athletes are glorious."BARCELONA, Spain -- That's what the first Reebok post-mortem said, but Dan O'Brien doesn't always feel so glorious, knowing he cost himself an estimated $5 million."I kind of look at that," he said, "and go, 'Yuck.' "He went from Olympic decathlon favorite to NBC analystReebok spokesman and Dave Johnson supporter, but he came to Barcelona anyway, going for the gold in dignity if nothing else."

Yesterday, Dan O'Brien went out and knocked off a few 200-meter --es in 21.5 seconds. And he's not even a sprinter, really. Then he did some jumping with a fiberglass pole, clearing 17 feet consistently. That's on a leg that's not 100 percent right now."I'm prepared mentally and physically, and that's got me worried," Dan says. "I usually need to be hurting to go into a competition and do well."The competition is the World Championships of track and field Saturday through Aug. 22 in Stuttgart, Germany, and Dan O'Brien, in case you haven't been paying attention, is the uncrowned world's greatest athlete.

Johnson-Yang worth more than all the Dans & DavesYears from now, when we look back on the 1992 Olympic decathlon competition, we'll probably recall how a sneaker company's plans went awry.Last night, during its prime-time show, NBC recalled the 1960 decathlon, a matchup between American Rafer Johnson and Taiwan's C. K. Yang. It was a story of heated competition and friendship. No mention was made of commercials that promised "To be settled in Rome."Sure, it's probably better that the pretense of amateurism has left the Games and that reality has taken hold.

"Accountants are predictable."Bankers are cautious."Politicians are tentative."But athletes are glorious."BARCELONA, Spain -- That's what the first Reebok post-mortem said, but Dan O'Brien doesn't always feel so glorious, knowing he cost himself an estimated $5 million."I kind of look at that," he said, "and go, 'Yuck.' "He went from Olympic decathlon favorite to NBC analystReebok spokesman and Dave Johnson supporter, but he came to Barcelona anyway, going for the gold in dignity if nothing else."

Tragedy was the word used and that seemed a might excessive.To be sure, it's a huge disappointment not only to Dan O'Brien but to track and field fans everywhere that Dan won't be representing the United States in the Summer Olympics. But is it calamitous, disastrous or fatal?The decathlete cried a little bit, took a deep breath and was back out competing after failing to attain a height in the pole vault, thus killing his chances to compete in the Barcelona Games.Meanwhile, his sponsor, Reebok, cried a whole lot, contemplated hara-kiri and quickly moved to salvage all it could from the $25 million "Dan & Dave" advertising campaign.

NEW ORLEANS -- Carl Lewis walked away from the finish, his eyes searching the stands. Ahead of him, others were celebrating personal triumphs, waving American flags and pumping fists in the air.Lewis was alone. He had lost. An era had ended.Last night, in a stadium drenched with humidity and emotion, the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials closed one of the most eagerly anticipated races of the year -- the men's 200-meter final.But it was new star Michael Johnson, who finished first in 19.79 seconds, fourth fastest in history.

NEW ORLEANS -- Dave and Aric and Rob?It doesn't exactly have the same ring as Dan and Dave, but it will have to do for the U.S. Olympic decathlon team.Yesterday, while Olympic gold-medal favorite Dan O'Brien flopped in the pole vault and sank to 11th, new stories and careers were fashioned.Dave Johnson established a second-day world record of 4,455 points to win with 8,649. Aric Long, a 22-year-old who attends the University of Tennessee, was second with 8,237 points. And Rob Muzzio, a George Mason University graduate with a history of injuries, took the third spot at 8,163.

NEW ORLEANS -- All that stands between Dan and Dave are two Chrises and an Aric.But don't worry.Dan O'Brien and Dave Johnson are on course after Day One in the decathlon at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.As expected, yesterday belonged to O'Brien. The reigning world champion was ahead of the world-record pace with 4,698 points after five events.Johnson, the strongest second-day decathlete in the field, was fifth with 4,194 points. Bunched between O'Brien and Johnson were Chris Huffins (4,262)

NEW ORLEANS -- Carl Lewis walked away from the finish, his eyes searching the stands. Ahead of him, others were celebrating personal triumphs, waving American flags and pumping fists in the air.Lewis was alone. He had lost. An era had ended.Last night, in a stadium drenched with humidity and emotion, the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials closed one of the most eagerly anticipated races of the year -- the men's 200-meter final.But it was new star Michael Johnson, who finished first in 19.79 seconds, fourth fastest in history.

NEW ORLEANS -- All that stands between Dan and Dave are two Chrises and an Aric.But don't worry.Dan O'Brien and Dave Johnson are on course after Day One in the decathlon at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.As expected, yesterday belonged to O'Brien. The reigning world champion was ahead of the world-record pace with 4,698 points after five events.Johnson, the strongest second-day decathlete in the field, was fifth with 4,194 points. Bunched between O'Brien and Johnson were Chris Huffins (4,262)

NEW ORLEANS -- You've seen their baby pictures, sweethearts and mothers. You've seen them face off like gunslingers in an Italian western, pump iron in high-tech gyms, and match drives with golf's most notorious frequent flier, John Daly.Now, you actually can watch them compete.Dan and Dave: The ad campaign comes to life.When the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials resume today, Dan O'Brien and Dave Johnson will play starring roles in the %o decathlon, the two-day, 10-skill test that determines the unofficial title of world's greatest athlete.