Sports Desk

Obviously, ESPN and other networks are not convinced Lance Armstrong’s athletic prowess is worthy of live coverage. Sunday morning, while Armstrong peddled his way to his forth consecutive Tour de France victory, ESPN’s Bob Ley was discussing the ramifications of putting baseball scouts in the Hall of Fame. What does Armstrong have to do, besides ride his bike 2,423 miles, climb the Pyrenees in record fashion and survive cancer, to gain some respect? ESPN’s coverage of the British Open started at 6:30 a.m.; its Great Outdoor Games contain enough chopping timber to last a lifetime. So why not cover an American hero dominating his event on foreign soil? ♦ The Nashville Sounds have slid into a summer slump that may prove unsalvageable. With only one win in their last seven contests, they’re currently five games behind New Orleans in the Eastern Division and entering a very difficult portion of their schedule. Traveling to Oklahoma, Salt Lake City and Memphis for a 12-game road trip beginning this Thursday, Nashville must string together some serious road wins if they want to participate in postseason play. Speedsters Tike Redman and Curtis Pride need a severe jump-start. Redman is hitting just .122 for the month of July, with only one hit in his last 21 at-bats, while Pride has just three hits in his last 23 plate appearances. ♦ Ozzie Smith played the shortstop position like no one ever has, nor ever will. Therefore, it was certainly fitting that “The Wizard” went into the Hall of Fame Sunday as the lone inductee. In 19 seasons, Smith won 13 Gold Glove awards, was selected to 14 All-Star teams, set the modern record for double plays turned and career assists, and posted 2,460 hits with 580 steals. Smith could beat you with his glove and his speed, and just watching him do his famous back flip could make you doubt your own athletic capability. He was a showman, a little guy who did big things. ♦ The biggest reason for optimism heading into Titans’ training camp is neither the new acquisitions to the defensive roster, nor the potential contributions of their draft picks. In fact, the strongest element the Titans have returning is their special teams. Kicker Joe Nedney hit 20 of 28 field goal attempts—including three game-winners. Punter Craig Hentrich, a Pro Bowl alternate, punted 85 times and landed a 42-yard average—hitting 28 punts inside the opposing team’s 20. And let’s not forget Derrick Mason. His big-play ability cannot be emphasized enough. Look for Mason to improve on his lowly 6.4-yard punt return average. Jeff Fisher plays field position football—ugly and low-scoring. The special teams will make or break the Titans in 2002-03. ♦ Albert Haynesworth, the Titans’ first-round draft pick and 15th selection overall, inked a contract on Tuesday that will keep him in Nashville for at least five years, with a sixth year included as an option. After Haynesworth missed the first five days of training camp, Titans general manager Floyd Reese sent him and his agents an offer they could not refuse—$8.3 million for five years or $9.3 million for six.

—Brian Blackwell