Mcintosh

Before the Spirit's practice at Du Burns Arena yesterday for tonight's game with the Rockers Detroit at the Baltimore Arena, Franklin McIntosh was playing in the goal.McIntosh was at the center of the pre-workout fun -- turning away shots by his laughing, joking teammates, doing his best impersonations of regular goalies Cris Vaccaro, who will start tonight, and Joe Mallia, who alternates starts with Vaccaro.That's a far cry from where McIntosh was a week ago.At that time, he was under indefinite suspension for what was called a team violation, which meant he'd popped off at coach Dave MacWilliams.

The man who tormented the Spirit and its fans for two years could be headed here.Franklin McIntosh, doubtless the most villainous opposing player in the eyes of the Spirit faithful, is on the Harrisburg Heat's trading block. The Heat notified National Professional Soccer League teams that it is willing to trade or sell McIntosh, a contract holdout."Franklin is contacting teams to gauge interest," Spirit vice president Drew Forrester said. "He told me yesterday he's interested in moving on, that Baltimore has a good franchise and fans and a solid team.

Gary McIntosh is back, but he is no longer the backup quarterback for the Naval Academy's football team.Coach George Chaump said yesterday that McIntosh, a senior who quit the team two days before the season opener and returned last Sunday after apologizing to his teammates for his actions, is just one of three players who could be called into action to replace four-year starter Alton Grizzard."

As the Spirit players raced downfield, a vintage Franklin McIntosh play unfolded.After he stole the ball from the Harrisburg Heat's Richard Chinapoo, McIntosh sensed that someone in a Spirit jersey was to his right. Once he brought Harrisburg goalie Todd Hoffard out of the goal, forced him to commit, McIntosh, instead of shooting himself, passed to the open man on his right, Zak Ibsen."All of a sudden the ball hit me on the foot," Ibsen recalled, smiling. "And then it was in the back of the net."

While the Spirit played at home Saturday, leading scorer Franklin McIntosh was on the road. Suspended for violating team rules last week, McIntosh returned to the team yesterday."

Omid Namazi is gone and Franklin McIntosh almost certainly is going. Both were key Spirit players last season.XTC The Spirit lost Namazi, the team captain and a defensive standout, to the Philadelphia Kixx in last week's National Professional Soccer League expansion draft.New Kixx coach Dave MacWilliams, who resigned from the Spirit last January in his second year as the team's coach, selected Namazi.Spirit general manager Drew Forrester said that "in all likelihood, Franklin will not return."

The suspension of leading scorer Franklin McIntosh will be extended through the Spirit's playoff series with the Cleveland Crunch, player/coach Mike Stankovic announced yesterday."

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- What a difference a week makes in the rivalry between the Spirit and the Harrisburg Heat.Last week in Baltimore, playing without injured playmaker Danny Kelly, Harrisburg was pounded by the Spirit in a 17-point loss. Franklin McIntosh had 10 points on three goals and four assists.Last night, with Kelly, Harrisburg pounded the Spirit, 19-10, before the second-largest State Farm Show Arena crowd of the season, 7,517. Kelly tied a Heat record with five goals."Kelly was the difference -- Kelly and restarts," said Spirit coach Dave MacWilliams.

MARBURY -- Day 3 of the B.A.S.S. Kmart Top 150 tournament produced the largest limits of the week and put Indiana angler Ken McIntosh on the threshold of winning his first pro tournament.Entering yesterday's round, McIntosh, of Leesburg, Ind., was in third place, but the 40-year-old touring pro weighed in 16 pounds, 14 ounces to jump past some of the game's top names and into first place with 44 pounds, 6 ounces."This week, my goal was to make the top 10," said McIntosh, who, with the rest of the top 10 pro finishers, will compete in Round 4 on the Potomac River today.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Navy quarterback Alton Grizzard, who committed six turnovers in last week's loss to Boston College, apparently sustained a bruised right lung in that game and will miss today's contest here against Air Force.With Grizzard out at least until Wednesday, the Midshipmen will be led by backup quarterback Gary McIntosh, who quit the team before the start of the season after not being named the starter. McIntosh, who was reinstated after the second game, last started a year ago in a 14-10 loss to The Citadel.