European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 22, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                I Friday july 22, 1994 sports the stars and stripes Page 37 Azinger getting ready to return by Howard Ulman Sutton mass. Apr Paul Azinger Drew his Putter Back and hit the Ball firmly. It went about 20 feet stopping just to the left of the Hole on the practice Green. Then he walked Over to 16-year-old Derek Austin Bald beneath his Blue baseball Cap because of chemotherapy for leukaemia. A same hairstyle i had a Azinger told him. They chatted in the Bright Sun for five minutes a the Golf Star who overcame one form of cancer and the High school kid facing 18 months of treatment for another. Azinger gave him his autograph advice and phone  cancer knows no age a Azinger said wednesday. A a it a just a horrible  he was Only 33 when he found out last december Why his right shoulder had been bothering him for six months. He had Lymphoma in his shoulder Blade. But the disease was in its Early stages. He suffered through the hair loss the vomiting from chemotherapy and the uncertainty. He hoped to resume playing this week at the new England classic where he won last years tournament one month after tests showed something abnormal in his shoulder Bone. The event began thursday with a Field including Brad Faxon John Daly and Jeff Maggert but not Azinger. Leaning Back in his chair wednesday Azinger held two fingers about five inches apart a the length of a Gimme putt the length of the scar in his left Side that a the reason he delayed his return at least until the pea championship on aug. 11. He a also the defending Champion there. A fatty tumor that he had known about for at least two years was removed last month just to be Safe. Gripping a Putter in his left hand throughout the 40-minute session he talked about his changing priorities at a press conference. A year ago Golf was his Ife. He finished 1993 As the Tours second Reading Money Winner. Then his life was in danger. But his treatment has ended. He a taking no medication. He says he a cured. He a doing so Well that Golf is important again. A i hit my first three Iron in eight months my first three Wood in eight months and my first Driver in eight months Fon tuesday a said Azinger who had worked on the Shorter clubs earlier. A i did no to hit any of them very Good but i did hit them hard and i had no discomfort  he said his Short game and his physical condition Are better than Ever. His stamina he said is excellent a unless i have a setback that a unforeseen i can make the pea a he said Azinger is 6-foot-2 and his weight is Back up to 175 pounds after dropping to-158. A my hair started growing in about four weeks ago a he said. A a in be been threatening to carve stuff in my head but my wife  have anything to do with  not playing at pleasant Valley a is not killing me a he said. There a a Chance he could return for the Butch open starting aug. 4 but the pea is More Likely. And if he weren to the defending pea Champion he might have targeted a later return. He Hopes to play six to 10 tournaments this year. He says the cancer or. Frank Jobe told him he had is gone. But one of the Best golfers in the world who was blindsided by a disease that makes no distinctions knows nothing will be certain again. A nobody in this world can be 100 per Paul Azinger. Cured of cancer cent secure a Azinger said. A i Felt like i was pretty much in control of my life. I was making decisions for myself. A Cdr. Jobe took control away from me in three words a you have  a he talks about having a new calling to inspire other cancer patients that they too can overcome the disease. He a planning his own Golf tournament in Orlando in september to raise Money for cancer research. And he talks to people like Derek Austin the Worcester High school student diagnosed with cancer last March four months before his 16th birthday. A i wanted to see him a Austin said. A a he a a Good inspiration. He told me just to keep my head up a a a he a going through something a Heck of a lot harder than what i had to Deal with a Azinger said. Some Day Austin might be Able to  about what he went through just As Azinger can joke about his latest nuisance now that his hair is Back. Strike Date remains unsettled by Ronald Blum new York a the executive Board of the major league baseball players association probably will meet next week by Telephone Ana again will consider whether to set a strike Date. After wednesdays bargaining session with owners Union head Donald Fehr said the executive Board meeting probably will take place in the latter part of the week. Fehr said the setting of a strike Date was somewhere Between a possible and  he said the timing of the Board meeting depends of what happens at the next meeting with owners tentatively scheduled for next wednesday in new York. Fehr did no to stay for All of wednesdays session at the owners player relations committee. Ken Schanzer head of baseball a new joint venture with Abc and Abc was questioned by the Union staff. A we were just trying to secure information As to what is going on there How they re doing what their feeling is a Fehr  monday the Union rejected the salary Cap proposal made by owners on june 14, leaving the sides headed toward the sports eighth work stoppage since 1972. Owners from Small Market cities say they need a salary Cap in order to remain competitive. The Union says a Cap would destroy free Agency and claims baseball is a booming business. The Union fears owners would unilaterally impose a salary Cap after the season if there Isnit an agreement by then and is considering a strike Date from mid August to mid september in order to Force a Deal. Quot Well have to schedule meetings and continue going a Fehr said. A a it a not As formalistic As people seem to  management negotiator Richard Ravitch said wednesdays meeting was uneventful. Cast says dream ii is better Chicago apy a Shaquille of Neal by turns rap artist fledgling movie Star and  Center has proper deference for his dream team predecessors. Quot dream team i was excellent they did no to lose Ever a he said wednesday sweat pouring off him in a hot Chicago gym after the opening practice for dream team ii. A we want to play our game and do the same thing dream team i  As to How this aggregation of Aba stars a aiming to win next months world championships in Toronto a stacks up with he 1992 olympic team of Michael Jordan magic Johnson and Larry Bird of Neal said a a we a beat  added Alonzo mourning a a magic a out and Michael a in a whole another world now. I think we could give them a run think we could take them  dream team i won eight straight games at the Barcelona games by an average of 44  a it a much better than being on an Allstar team a Dominique Wilkins said. A a it a unfair however to try and compare the two teams. You have different players. Honestly though id have to go with dream ii. These Are my  Don Nelson coach of the Golden state warriors and the world championship team said the first dream team was unique. A i done to know if there will Ever be another dream team i because we had some of the biggest stars1 to Ever play in the game at the end of their careers a he said. A it was a real special team because of that. I done to think you can look at dream team ii other than to say that a full of great players and quite a few of them Are Young and Haven to reached their stardom or potential or have enough history behind them like magic Bird and the other Guy the baseball player a Nelson is Well aware that everyone is a Star and wants to make a contribution to what is expected to be an easy path to a world championship. The finals Are aug. 14, a we can to play 12 Guys and they All know that Quot Nelson said. A a it a a sensitive area we All have to work  Nelson said he probably would follow what Chuck Daly Aid in 1992 a use a different lineup each game. Of Neal who has another rap album in the works for a november release said hell do whatever is asked. A a in la probably be a rebounded and a shot Blocker play defense whatever coach Nelson asks a he said. A if he asks me not to score and kick it out to other Guys that a my role and i will do . Petersburg ready for games to Start St. Petersburg Russia a athletes began arriving wednesday for the Goodwill games and officials said the City was ready for the first International sports event in Russia since the soviet collapse. A for us the games began today a said Vitaly Mutko the first Deputy mayor. Workers continued to make last minute renovations at the army clubs Pool but promised to finish the work by Friday Mutko said. The other 11 major sports facilities Are prepared for the games which begin saturday. Mayor Anatoly Sobchak who chaired a City Council session wednesday thanked the 200,000 people involved in preparing for the games. A we have accomplished an enormous Job one said. A the funniest thing is that we nearly had to do it free of charge. The financial issues were finally settled Only in the last  according to Mutko the games budget stands at 150 billion rubles a about $74 million. Russia has already spent $32 million of that. Sobchak said the City Only had to remove garbage and put up decorations. A if there Are Clouds on the sky on opening Day we will disperse them a he said. A special planes will be ready to break up Clouds on the games opening and closing Days at a Cost of about $17,000, said Vyacheslav Cherepov one of the games organizers. There seemed to be Little cause for concern however. Meteorologists predicted but tar than usual weather for the Goodwill games with warmer temperatures and sunny Days. At the huge Gray Pri Saltiskaya hotel on the Gulf of Finland the chief Porter was Busy greeting the first 70 athletes who arrived on wednesday. The hotel will House All 2,400 athletes. The United states and Russia have the largest teams a 488 and 462 members respectively. A now they re arriving every two hours a said the Porter who would Only identify herself As Lena. About 5,500 people a students athletes and cadets of military academies a Are to take part in the opening ceremony saturday at the giant kirov stadium. President Boris Yeltsin promised to attend. A at the last moment some 300 Young americans arrived in the City to take part in the opening and we had to slightly change the ceremony to accommodate them but now its All Fine and ready a said Boris Petrov organizer of the ceremony