Kenny Cooper

When Kenny Cooper walks through Baltimore-Washington International Airport, people still call him "Coach" and ask about the team. And though Cooper is now a businessman in Dallas, it is fitting he is still identified with the indoor soccer team that would not even have come to Baltimore if not for him. Cooper and all-star players Mike Stankovic and the late Stan Stamenkovic will become the first inductees into the Blast Hall of Fame tonight during a...

Goalkeeper Scoop Stanisic was still a member of the Baltimore Blast yesterday, but his days appeared to be numbered.Blast coach Kenny Cooper continued his search for another goalkeeper, apparently to handle Stanisic's backup role until starter Scott Manning returns from a sprained left ankle.Cooper refused again to name any goalkeeper he is seeking to sign."At this point, all I can say is we're still having conversations [with prospective goalies]," said Cooper. "We haven't come to terms with anybody.

Kevin Smith had just returned home from his first day of work at a Jaguar dealership in Dallas on Monday when his wife, Sally, told him Kenny Cooper had called."

The last-place curse in the Major Soccer League hit St. Louis Storm coach Don Popovic yesterday.Popovic became the fourth MSL coach of a last-place team to be fired during the season in a little more than one year, as Storm officials told him his record (12-20) was not good enough.Popovic, 49, was 68-68 in three seasons with the Storm.He entered this season with Branko Segota and Preki, two of the top starsin MSL history on his side, prompting many to make St. Louis a preseason favorite to win the regular-season championship.

The 28 strapping young giants roaming the Inner Harbor an downtown area today don't mean we're growing 'em bigger in Baltimore. These men are NFL players here to represent their teams at tomorrow evening's Ed Block Courage Award banquet at Martin's West.In 1984, after the Colts left Baltimore, what had been a smallish local banquet named for the late Colts trainer, Ed Block, went national in scope.Behind founder and organizer Sam Lamantia, a Baltimore hair stylist, the affair has raised $1.4 million to help abused children.

After 10 seasons for his hometown Baltimore Blast, Tim Wittman has gone 3,000 miles away, to the nine-time champion San Diego Sockers.Tonight at 9:05 at the San Diego Sports Arena, Wittman will play against the Blast for the first time.Baltimore (1-3) needs a win tonight to climb out of last place in the MSL after losing to the Tacoma Stars, 5-4, Friday night at the Tacoma Dome.Gary Heale's goal off a cross from Ralph Black on a free kick with 27 seconds left in the game gave the Stars the victory.

Kai Haaskivi was beside himself last night. "Just sitting here flipping coins," he said. "Digging for bones." Trying to sort through his emotions and reach a decision fair to all sides.Blast coach Kenny Cooper has asked Haaskivi, the veteran All-Star midfielder, to join the Blast and help create some offense. With his team 1-4, Cooper is not waiting for miracles. He's trying to create some.Besides Haaskivi, Blast vice president Drew Forrester said he is also trying to reach Maryland Bays forward Jean Harbor.

Mike Stankovic may make yet another comeback with the Spirit.Last season, his first as a full-time assistant under coach Kenny Cooper, Stankovic played four games, collecting a goal and three assists, in March when injuries struck the team. He had come back from major knee surgery the year before.Now, at 37, the former six-time Major Soccer League All-Star may play following Tim Wittman's season-ending knee injury."We're looking to add somebody without giving up a player," Cooper said. "We haven't decided yet. Mike's not sure he wants to do it. If he does, it would be on a short-term basis."

No sooner had the game ended than Spirit coach Kenny Cooper strode onto the field and grabbed a microphone."I apologize for our performance tonight," Cooper said to the fans. "Thanks for coming out."The rare act by a coach was triggered by the Spirit's uninspired play in a 15-5 loss to the Harrisburg Heat last night at the Baltimore Arena before 9,122, the third-largest crowd of the season and fourth-largest in club history."It was fan appreciation night, and our fans deserved an apology," Cooper said later.

The problem with the way we Americans view soccer and the World Cup is that we think of it as an all-or-nothing thing.We know that soccer is the most popular sport in the world.We understand that World Cup competition, which begins at the end of this week, is the biggest sports event in the world -- bigger than our World Series or Super Bowl.So we ask when soccer will be as prominent here as football, baseball and basketball.We wonder when soccer will have a league of professional franchises, stretching from coast to coast, drawing crowds of 60,000-70,000.