Only Cheap Shot Gretzky Was On Rocket Ismail

ONLY CHEAP SHOT GRETZKY SAW WAS ON ROCKET ISMAIL

As far as hockey star Wayne Gretzky is concerned, Gary Suter is off the hook and Dan Wicklum isn't.

Gretzky missed last night's Canada Cup final against the United States with hyperextended back muscles, the result of a check into the boards by Suter Saturday night.

"I didn't see him coming," Gretzky said. "I've played against Gary for seven or eight years, and I know he's a clean player. I don't think in any way that he tried to hurt me. Maybe it should have been a penalty because the hit was from behind. But it was my own fault I didn't see him."

Gretzky isn't that forgiving with Wicklum, the Calgary Stampeders linebacker who speared Raghib "Rocket" Ismail of the Toronto Argonauts in a Canadian Football League game Sunday. Ismail suffered a slight concussion.

"I'm more upset about the hit on the Rocket than the hit on me," said Gretzky, a co-owner of the Argonauts. "That guy should be suspended for four or five games."

Mike McCarthy, Argonauts general manager, sad Ismail's concussion probably won't keep him out of any games.

-- OLYMPICS

Despite the independence of the Baltics and political upheavals across the country, the Soviet Olympic system is holding together and should field the world's strongest team at the 1992 Summer Games, a top Soviet sports official said today in Berlin.

"Our forecast is we are still leading - the No. 1 team," said Vitaly Smirnov, Soviet National Olympic Committee president.

Smirnov is in Berlin for a meeting of the International Olympic Committee's Executive Board, of which he is a member.

-- BASKETBALL

The NBA salary cap, raised significantly the past two years, was increased only $500,000 despite protests by the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks at this year's meetings in Palm Desert, Calif.

The NBA salary cap, increased $2.5 million and $2 million the last two seasons, jumped to $12.3 million at this year's meetings.

-- GOLF

Clarence Moore of Winnsboro, S.C., shot a 3-over-par 73 to take the lead after the first round of stroke play in the 37th U.S. Senior Amateur Championship in Frankfort, Mich.

-- SOCCER

The University of Washington women's team, which began its inaugural season Sept. 8, is ranked 20th in the weekly ISAA National Coaches Poll. North Carolina is No. 1. Washington's men's team is 17th in the nation.

-- RUNNING

Algerian runner Abbes Tehami had a novel ploy for winning the annual Brussels marathon - he got his coach to run the first 10 miles for him.

Officials said Tehami was disqualified immediately after he crossed the finish line, raising his arms aloft in victory despite being jeered by an angry crowd.

Reporters noticed that the runner wearing number 62 had lost his moustache and grown taller since the start of Sunday's race.

They reported this to race organizers, who discovered Tehami's coach had run the first part and then handed the jersey and number over to the runner.

-- BOXING

Jesus Chong (16-2, 12 KOs) of Los Angeles knocked out Argentina's Daniel Lagos (10-2-1, 4 KOs) in the fourth round of a scheduled 12-round bout in Inglewood, Calif., earning the World Boxing Council's Americas flyweight title.

-- COLLEGE

Corey Johnson, Long Beach State athletic director, has been selected to head Colorado State's athletic program, the Colorado school announced today.

School president Albert Yates said the university wanted an athletic director who would strengthen the school's athletic program.

-- VOLLEYBALL

Diane Flick, University of Washington junior setter, and Irene Renteria, UCLA sophomore, have been named 10 co-players of the week by the Pac-10 Conference.