Thin Ice

NORTON, Mass. — Ernie Els waited for his TV interview slumped forward in a plastic chair, spent from another week of living on the edge. "It's been a hard couple of days," the Hall of Famer said wryly. More like a hard three weeks — this one going down to his final putt Monday in the Deutsche Bank Championship. Needing a birdie to keep his PGA Tour season alive, Els went long with his second shot at TPC Boston's par-5 closing hole. His chip rolled 6 feet past the pin — long enough to jangle the nerves — but Els holed the putt.

NORTON, Mass. — Ernie Els waited for his TV interview slumped forward in a plastic chair, spent from another week of living on the edge. "It's been a hard couple of days," the Hall of Famer said wryly. More like a hard three weeks — this one going down to his final putt Monday in the Deutsche Bank Championship. Needing a birdie to keep his PGA Tour season alive, Els went long with his second shot at TPC Boston's par-5 closing hole. His chip rolled 6 feet past the pin — long enough to jangle the nerves — but Els holed the putt.

Senate Ethics Committee hearings on the Keating Five ended on a sad note.The attorney for one of the senators on trial said, "What amazes me is that after one of the finest careers in public service of any man or woman in this country, after standing up for peace and justice for the ordinary people for [over 50 years], now, in the twilight of his career, Alan Cranston must face the accusation either expressed or implied that he became Charles Keating's marionette and single-handedly changed the course of decisions at the Federal Home Loan Bank Board."

Hawks over Canucks Harvey Fialkov Sun Sentinel While it would be entertaining to watch top-seeded Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau's expletive-laced press conference after another first-round ouster, the Rangers lack the firepower. Let's go with the Blackhawks as my upset pick over the President's Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks. History favors the Hawks, who bounced the Canucks in the last two conference semifinals, outscoring them 24-8 in third periods, while going 5-1 in Rogers Arena.

Good ice skating. Bad acting. Not a bad story. But too bad the producers didn't take the time to see if their particular story was representative of some larger truths about the way we live.That's the score card for "On Thin Ice: The Tai Babilonia Story" at 9 tonight on WMAR-TV (Channel 2). If I were an Olympic judge, my score card would read 8 for technical achievement and 4 for artistic merit."On Thin Ice" is the "fact-based" story of Tai Babilonia, the teen-age ice skater who was expected to win a gold medal with her partner, Randy Gardner, at the 1980 Olympics.

SEE TAI SKATE. See Randy skate. See Tai and Randy skate. See Tai and Randy win. See Randy fall. See Tai cry. See Tai drink. See Tai take pills. See Tai try to kill herself. See Tai skate.Look, the story of Tai Babilonia is an interesting and moving one, a cautionary tale for the many in our society who equate athletic prowess and fame with maturity.But the story-telling technique used in "On Thin Ice: The Tai Babilonia Story" is right out of a first-grade primer, running a dramatic Zamboni machine over this biography until it has the glossy sheen and thickness of the ice mentioned in the title.

Being laid up with a bad leg gives a man plenty of time to think, and mainly what he thinks about after he's slipped on the ice and fallen is: How does Rob Roblin do it? This all begins when I go outside at 7:30 a.m. a few days ago to retrieve my Baltimore Sun. Naturally, the paper is in a corner of the lawn. This is because the guy who delivers it has an arm like Nick Markakis and delights in firing the paper from his speeding Dodge Charger to the farthest reaches of my property. On this morning, the lawn is a sheet of snow and ice. Did I mention it slopes at a 45-degree angle?

TOKYO -- The man whose voice has been the soundtrack of figure skating for decades stood in a dank hallway beneath the stands at the U.S. championships two months ago and acknowledged that his long broadcasting career was on thin ice. Dick Button, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and television analyst, said his network contract was nearing an end, with no renewal in sight. ESPN, which is in the final year of a four-year contract, has not been in any hurry to fork over millions for a new deal, and therefore in no rush to re-sign Button, 77, or his broadcast partner Peggy Fleming, 58. Figure Skating worlds Through Sunday, Tokyo TV today: Men's short program, 7:30 p.m., ESPN (tape)

1 Playin' play-in: We're not supposed to call Alabama State-Morehead State (7:30 p.m., ESPN) the NCAA play-in game. It's the "opening round." What ... ever. 2 NIT pick: ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU are combining for six NIT games tonight. Best picks? Stephen Curry and Davidson vs. South Carolina at 7 on ESPN2. 3 Coach, chill: Maybe Jerry Sloan won't get ejected in the first quarter - as on Sunday - when his Jazz hosts the Wizards (9 p.m., Comcast SportsNet-Plus). 4 Thin ice: Wow, three hockey games are on TV tonight (7:30 on Comcast SportsNet and Versus, 10 on CN8)

TELEVISION HIGHLIGHTS NASCAR Sprint Cup: Food City 500 45, 5 Noon MLB ex. Orioles@Philadelphia MLB 1 Texas@San Diego (T) MLB 5 M. bask. NCAA second round: Syracuse vs. Gonzaga 13, 9 Noon NCAA second round: Maryland vs. Mich. St. 13, 9 2 NCAA second round: Duke vs. California 13, 9 4:30 W. bask. NCAA: first round ESPN2 Noon NCAA: first round ESPN 2:30 NCAA: James Madison vs. Temple ESPNU 2:30 NCAA: first round ESPN2 7 NCAA: Green Bay vs. Virginia ESPNU 7 NCAA: first round ESPN2 9:30 NCAA: N.C. State vs. UCLA ESPNU 9:30 NBA San Antonio@Atlanta ESPN 8 Washington@Lakers CSN 9:30 Portland@Phoenix ESPN 10:30 PBA Go RVing Match Play Championship ESPN 1 Boxing M. Pacquiao vs. J. Clottey (T)

TELEVISION HIGHLIGHTS NASCAR Sprint Cup: Food City 500 45, 5 Noon MLB ex. Orioles@Philadelphia MLB 1 Texas@San Diego (T) MLB 5 M. bask. NCAA second round: Syracuse vs. Gonzaga 13, 9 Noon NCAA second round: Maryland vs. Mich. St. 13, 9 2 NCAA second round: Duke vs. California 13, 9 4:30 W. bask. NCAA: first round ESPN2 Noon NCAA: first round ESPN 2:30 NCAA: James Madison vs. Temple ESPNU 2:30 NCAA: first round ESPN2 7 NCAA: Green Bay vs. Virginia ESPNU 7 NCAA: first round ESPN2 9:30 NCAA: N.C. State vs. UCLA ESPNU 9:30 NBA San Antonio@Atlanta ESPN 8 Washington@Lakers CSN 9:30 Portland@Phoenix ESPN 10:30 PBA Go RVing Match Play Championship ESPN 1 Boxing M. Pacquiao vs. J. Clottey (T)

More and more, They Might Be Giants seems to be a band with split personalities -- and split audiences. In 2002, the lovably off-kilter band released "No!" an album intended for the whole family. Two of the three albums that followed were children's albums, the most recent being "Here Comes Science." Now, They Might Be Giants separately books children's shows and concerts for the 14-and-older set. Their performance at the Recher Theatre tonight is the latter. At their "adult" shows, They Might Be Giants plays a mixture of wry, earnest staples such as "Particle Man" and " Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

1 Playin' play-in: We're not supposed to call Alabama State-Morehead State (7:30 p.m., ESPN) the NCAA play-in game. It's the "opening round." What ... ever. 2 NIT pick: ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU are combining for six NIT games tonight. Best picks? Stephen Curry and Davidson vs. South Carolina at 7 on ESPN2. 3 Coach, chill: Maybe Jerry Sloan won't get ejected in the first quarter - as on Sunday - when his Jazz hosts the Wizards (9 p.m., Comcast SportsNet-Plus). 4 Thin ice: Wow, three hockey games are on TV tonight (7:30 on Comcast SportsNet and Versus, 10 on CN8)

Being laid up with a bad leg gives a man plenty of time to think, and mainly what he thinks about after he's slipped on the ice and fallen is: How does Rob Roblin do it? This all begins when I go outside at 7:30 a.m. a few days ago to retrieve my Baltimore Sun. Naturally, the paper is in a corner of the lawn. This is because the guy who delivers it has an arm like Nick Markakis and delights in firing the paper from his speeding Dodge Charger to the farthest reaches of my property. On this morning, the lawn is a sheet of snow and ice. Did I mention it slopes at a 45-degree angle?

Time to push the panic button? Time to buy Kimmie Meissner a gold retirement watch and thank her for her service to figure skating? Not so fast. Rome, as skating analyst Julius Caesar used to say, wasn't built in a day. Meissner, who suffered through another poor performance last weekend at Skate America, is a puzzle at this point in her career. Good practices and good warm-ups but bad when the judges are watching. That's not the recipe for a championship. From a resume standpoint, the skater from Bel Air has checked most of the boxes - Olympic appearance, world title and national championship - all by the age of 18. Meissner, now 19, is one of only two U.S. women to land a triple axel, the other being Tonya Harding, she of knee-whacking fame.

In 1882, the first brick public school building was constructed on Gordon Street in Harford County. Called the Bel Air Academy and Graded School, the original two-story building contained four classrooms and was heated with stoves. Two wings were added to the building, one in 1897, and the second one in 1910. Students in grades four through 12 attended the school. Later, it was used as the central offices for the Board of Education. "The historical value of the building is unquestionable," said Chris Schlehr, the Bel Air town administrator.

Safeway's plans for supermarket in Deale advance The Safeway grocery chain has moved a step closer to building a 77,000-square-foot supermarket and strip mall in Deale with the county Board of Appeals' refusal to halt a county-issued grading permit. The board voted 5-1 Tuesday to deny an appeal by South Arundel Citizens for Responsible Development and the Food Rite grocery in Deale. Chris Bell, president of the Annapolis development company working for Safeway, said the board's decision shows that the plan conforms to all laws and regulations.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Thirteen. That's the lucky number for U.S. figure skating, the number team officials hope Kimmie Meissner and her two teammates can deliver in March at the world championships in Sweden. If two of the three skaters place in any combination that adds up to 13 or less, the United States will retain its three slots in women's competition for the 2009 worlds, the event that determines the number of spots each country receives for the 2010 Winter Olympics. But a poor showing by Meissner & Co. would allow the International Skating Union to reduce the number of women skaters at 2009 worlds by at least one, thereby diminishing the chance for Olympic medals.

TOKYO -- The man whose voice has been the soundtrack of figure skating for decades stood in a dank hallway beneath the stands at the U.S. championships two months ago and acknowledged that his long broadcasting career was on thin ice. Dick Button, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and television analyst, said his network contract was nearing an end, with no renewal in sight. ESPN, which is in the final year of a four-year contract, has not been in any hurry to fork over millions for a new deal, and therefore in no rush to re-sign Button, 77, or his broadcast partner Peggy Fleming, 58. Figure Skating worlds Through Sunday, Tokyo TV today: Men's short program, 7:30 p.m., ESPN (tape)