Igwebuike

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Baltimore Stallions and the Memphis Mad Dogs faced off at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium last night, on a field that features perhaps the most unusual field in the Canadian Football League.The end zones are 14 yards deep, instead of the CFL-regulation 20 yards, and that only accounts for the deepest part of them.They are shaped like half-pentagons, not rectangles, thanks to a field that cannot accommodate the CFL. The sidelines extend just six yards into the end zone, before the lines veer diagonally to the zone's deepest point.

The slogan is "Living on the Edge," and the Baltimore CFLs live by it religiously.Last night they died by it.The final blow in the Sacramento Gold Miners' improbable 30-29 victory at Memorial Stadium was a 47-yard field goal by Roman Anderson.But the path to ruin was littered with Baltimore penalties and misplays.The CFLs could have sent a season-high crowd of 42,116 home happy if Donald Igwebuike -- a model of kicking consistency this season -- hadn't slipped on a 21-yard attempt with 39 seconds left.

TORONTO -- When opening night finally arrived, Tracy Ham was able to forget, Donald Igwebuike remembered, and Baltimore's Canadian Football League team proved resourceful again.Revisiting the site of his worst CFL season, Ham threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns -- both to Chris Armstrong -- as the Baltimore CFLs outlasted the Toronto Argonauts, 28-20, last night.Ham, booed in pregame introductions, silenced a scattered crowd of 13,101 with big-play offense and a critical, time-consuming drive in the fourth quarter.

Meskhi upsets Capriati in Family Circle tennisNinth-seed Leila Meskhi rallied yesterday to upset Jennifer Capriati, a finalist last year, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, in the third round of the Family Circle Magazine Cup in Hilton Head Island, S.C.* Michael Chang struggled to a 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 victory over South African Christo Van Rensburg and became the only seeded player left in the Hong Kong Open.* Defending champion Brad Gilbert moved into the quarterfinals of the $225,000 Prudential Securities Tennis Classic in Orlando, Fla. Gilbert, seeded third, defeated Germany's Patrick Baur, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)

Edberg defeats Connors in three setsStefan Edberg needed 2 hours, 42 minutes to beat Jimmy Connors, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1 in a third-round match at the Japan Open in Tokyo that was a battle of the world's current and former No. 1 players."

All the ominous elements were against them, a myriad of problems that may have deterred the strongest of men embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime mission. There was the unfamiliar field, hostile crowd, wind, freezing temperatures and artificial noise created by a bush-league sound system that was turned up full-bore to confuse their play-calling.Despite all the natural handicaps, and those contrived to distract them, the no-name Baltimore team in the Canadian Football League reached a level of unprecedented achievement that will be documented for perpetuity.

He's flying nowThe star-crossed football career of O'Neill Glenn of Maryland seems finally to have taken a turn for the better.A last-minute addition to the CFL Colts, Glenn enjoyed an impressive first week of training camp at Towson State. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound guard was brought in only after three offensive linemen failed to report.Glenn's career is a study in overcoming adversity. He broke his femur at Maryland, then was drafted by the New England Patriots despite playing only one season for the Terps.

The Memphis kicking game has been horrible this year, making nine of 24 field-goal attempts before last night's game against the Baltimore Stallions at Memorial Stadium.With former Stallion Donald Igwebuike unavailable last night because of work visa problems, the Mad Dogs turned to Nick Mystrom, and he turned in a solid performance, hitting three field goals covering 27, 39 and 22 yards. He had one blocked by Charles Anthony."Iggy wasn't with us, and the young fellow who kicked for us did a wonderful job," said coach Pepper Rodgers.

Tim Smith arrived in the CFL Colts' training camp 2 1/2 weeks ago overweight and out of shape.Yesterday, time ran out on his comeback.In a move that helped reduce the Colts' roster to 65 players, the former Super Bowl hero retired from football, the club said.The team also announced it had waived three players, including former Calvert Hall quarterback Kirk Maggio, trying to make the team as a punter.Also cut were place-kicker Ian Howfield and fullback Sean Doctor. The departure of Howfield awards the kicking job to Donald Igwebuike, attempting a comeback of his own after a four-year exile from pro football.

Scratch Charlie Baumann as the Baltimore CFLs' long-term answer to Donald Igwebuike.And say hello to Don Silvestri and Daron Alcorn.The CFLs' kicking game got more curious yesterday when coach Don Matthews cut Baumann one day after he missed his second 22-yard field goal in two games.In his brief Baltimore stint, Baumann made six of 10 field goal tries, missing from distances of 22, 34 and 36 yards.To find a replacement, Baltimore will bring in Silvestri and Alcorn, both cut by NFL teams this summer, to compete with punter Josh Miller for the job.Twelve weeks into the season, it's back to training camp for the kickers.