European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 4, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 b the stars and stripes thursday june 4, 1992 commentary pick olympians after Aba playoffs by Jim Luke a i sports writer it s too Cate to do anything this year. But Here a a suggestion that might come in Handy four years Down the Road something that this time around might have spared Isiah Thomas 40 stitches in the face Larry Bird a few months in a Hack Brace and the United states another International embarrassment f we re going to continue sending pros pick the olympic basketball team after the Aba season instead of before. A decade from now people May look Back at the . Roster and what it accomplished in the upcoming summer games and remember it As the a dream team it seemed at last september a unveiling. But examined in the harsher Glare of present realities it looks to be something less. And if the rest of the world Isnit too fractured to come up with a stiff Challenge or two in Barcelona we May yet find out exactly How much less. In Case you misplaced the announcement these were the 10 names originally selected for the summer games Michael Jordan and Scottie pippin of the bulls Karl Malone and John Stockton of the jazz Patrick Ewing of the kicks David Robinson of the spurs Charles Barkley of the 7gcrs Bird of the celtics magic Johnson of the lakers and Chris mul Lin of the warriors. The roster was increased to 12 players last month with the addition of Portland a Clyde Drexler and Christian laettner of two time Mcaa Champion Duke. Now think Back again to last fall and you la recall that the Only Flap resulting from the announcement was the exclusion of Detroit a Thomas. And the Only question being asked was whether Thomas Nemesis Jordan did some behind the scenes politicking to keep him there. But if the same names were to be announced at the conclusion of the Chicago Portland championship series sometime during the next two weeks there would almost certainly be As much screaming As dreaming As much second guessing As counting of blessings How for instance would the selection committee defend the invitation mailed to the ailing Bird or for that matter the one sent to Johnson his Brief shining moment in february Sall Star game aside and How Given the Way the postseason has gone would it have explained inviting Pippen while passing Over Drexler and All the questions Arentt hypothetical ones. As constituted the roster includes four genuine Small forwards a a Bird Pippen Mullin Barkley a and two others a Jordan and Drexler a who have put in some time at the position. But it Only has two True Point guards a magic and Stockton. And so  a few members of the selection committee probably be kicking themselves and rightly so because Golden states Tim Hardaway the Best Point Man in the pro game right now will be left stateside when he might be desperately needed Over there there Are other potential problems As Well. Johnson a Battle with the virus that causes aids forced him to retire and there Are significant doubts about his ability to endure the grueling training regimen the olympics will require. Ditto for Bird who has been increasingly hobbled by a bad Back and could certainly use the summer off if he plans to return for another Aba season. Even the Young and healthy or. Robinson is coming off surgery to repair torn ligaments in his shooting hand which could leave his tandem at Center Ewing logging a lot of playing time. Meanwhile Jordan Pippen and Drexler already severely tested by previous playoff series could be playing for the Aba championship As late As june 17, Only three Days before they arc scheduled to report to olympic training Camp in san Diego and barely a week after that the . Team opens qualifying play at a tournament in Portland. None of these obstacles Are insurmountable however. And it just might turn out that the a dream team a is everything its cracked up to be and judging by the outpouring of patriotic remarks from the players selected More. In that Case perhaps the Best argument for waiting until the Aba season is Over to make the selections is what happened to Thomas last Winter. Supporters of Thomas candidacy griped in september that Stockton was awarded the spot on the . Team that rightly should have been his. And Thomas appeared determined to prove it when he lit up Utah for 44 Points in a 123-115 Detroit win Stockton had 20 in Early december. The next time the two teams met the game was barely seven minutes old when the 6-foot-9, 250-Pound Malone flattened the much smaller Thomas on a drive to the Basket sending him to the Hospital for stitches and touching off a Melee. Malone denied he had retaliation in mind and the two later made their peace. But As this postseason has proven the Aba is rough enough without giving these Guys any More incentive to Knock one another around. The associated pres sports Boycott hurts Yugoslavia most by do san Stojanovic Belgrade Yugoslavia apr of All the Tough International sanctions slapped on Yugoslavia the one that appears to Hurt most is the sports Boycott. This sports crazy nation has been in Shock Over since it Learned the yugoslav soccer team will not play at the european championships in Sweden and that its world renowned basketball squad and other athletes May not take part at the Barcelona olympics. A we arc not killers. We arc world european and olympic champions a said a statement issued tuesday by Yugoslavia a sports association. It protested . Sanctions Banning the country s teams and athletes from International Competition. The sports ban was part of a Broad package of economic and diplomatic sanctions approved by the . Security Council last saturday to pressure Yugoslavia composed of Serbia and Montenegro to end their involvement in neigh Boring Bosnia. The measures also include a Trade and Oil embargo a cutoff of air links and the freezing of yugoslav assets abroad. A we can survive without gasoline and fancy imported goods a said mile Mitic a Belgrade pensioner. A but without soccer and basketball. I done to  the International olympic committee meets later this week to follow up on . Sanctions and exclude Yugoslavia from the Barcelona olympics. The yugoslav olympic committee has appealed to the Ioc not to expel yugoslav athletes. The Ioc on tuesday said it would make a decision by june 15. Yugoslavia a National basketball team which includes Vlade Divac of the los Angeles lakers has ceased preparations for a pre olympic qualifying tournament in France and was returning Home. A a it a simply not fair. We Are not politicians and warriors. We Are Only sportsmen and sports should not mix with politics a said Divac. Divack a squad is the current world and european Champion. It won a Silver medal at the 1988 Seoul olympics. In Barcelona Yugoslavia is expected to Field world class menus water Polo and handball teams As Well As women a handball and basketball squads. The yugoslav soccer team trying to get Home after being banned from the european championships was stranded for hours tuesday when British Petroleum said . Sanctions barred it from fueling the plane. The problem was resolved when the norwegian company stat Oil filled the tanks of the yugoslav airlines plane after making sure the action did not violate Sweden a sanctions which go into effect thursday. Malin Engstedt head of information at Arlanda said British Petroleum in Sweden was ordered by its head office in London not to refuel the yugoslav plane. A apparently the judgments differ on when the sanctions go into effect a she said. A great Britain sees the sanctions As taking effect As of today whereas Sweden wont enforce them until june 4.�?� a this soccer team has several players almost magicians Tike Harlem Glo Trot ters in basketball. They would have impressed Europe but were not allowed to a said the National team coach Ivan Ca Brinovic. A they took the players lives hearts and love. They did it  Denmark a team the yugoslavs beat by one goal to make the finals will replace them in the tournament. A protest by yugoslav athletes who have world and olympic titles is scheduled thursday. They plan to March through Belgrade wearing their medals. A we done to want to fight we want to compete will be the slogan of the protest. A the ban is a tragedy for yugoslav sports a said Dane Korica coach of Yugoslavia a track and Field team. A it is absolutely the worst punishment against sportsmen of any nation since world War , longhorns Advance to semifinals by Tom Vint Omaha neb. Apr Cal slate Fullerton and Texas May have percentages on their sides if they can pull off victories m the semifinals of the College world series which were scheduled for wednesday night and thursday. Only once have both teams that won the first two rounds of the modified double elimination tournament made it to the title game. That was last year when Louisiana state and Wichita stale did it with 3-0 records.  won 6-3. Both Cal state Fullerton and Texas have tasted defeat in Omaha both to their semifinal opponents. Fullerton ranked fifth nationally carried a 44-16 record into wednesdays contest against top ranked Miami 55-8. The hurricanes stopped Fullerton 4-3 in sunday s second round but Fullerton rebounded with a 6-0 shutout of Florida state in tuesdays elimination round. Texas an 8-5 Winner Over Oklahoma tuesday takes a 48-16 Mark against Pepperdine 46-11-1which Shu College world series out the longhorns 7-0 monday. Fullerton freshman Mike Parisi who was diagnosed monday with mononucleosis threw two hit shutout Ball through six innings before needing help from Paco Chavez who allowed two More hits in the final three innings for his fourth save. Only one Seminole runner advanced As far As third. Parisi 5-1 said there was no question that he would pitch despite his health. A i found out last night i had Mono a he said. A i was a Little weak today but nothing was going to keep me from pitching in the College world  Steve Sisco had two hits and a pair of Bis and baseball America player of the year Phil Neva chosen first by Houston in the major league draft had two hits and drove in one for All the offence the titans needed. The loss eliminated Florida state. Texas continued its Mastery of Oklahoma this sea son having stomped the sooner 15-3 on a 14-hit attack saturday and using 13 hits to win again on tuesday. It was the fifth win in As Many meetings for Texas Over of this season but coach Cliff Gustafson warned his team traditionally has had letdown after a big hit night. That Hap evened in the first meeting with Pepperdine As the longhorns were shut out 7-0 As the Waves Derek Wallace and Steve Montgomery scattered eight Texas hits. Gustafson said he did no to consider tuesday nights 8-5 win in the same class As last saturday because it Wasny to a Blowout. Oklahoma battled to stay within 6-5 until Brooks Kieschnick and Calvin Murray knocked in runs in the Bottom of the eighth. Kieschnick named american baseball coaches association division i player of the year hit his 10th Homer in the first and singled in a run in a two run eighth for Texas. Calvin Murray another first round draft pick san Francisco had two hits scored twice and drove in two for Texas