In Sports from United Press International
Oklahoma, Nebraska lead BCS poll
MORRISTOWN, N.J., Oct. 22 (UPI) -- The first Bowl Championship Series poll again has Miami on the outside looking in.
The BCS released its first weekly rankings on Monday night and the Hurricanes (5-0), ranked first in both the coaches and media polls, are just fourth. Oklahoma (7-0) and Nebraska (8-0) are first and second in the BCS ratings, which set the pecking order of championship contenders.
For the fourth straight year, the first two teams in the BCS statistical rankings, based on the lowest combined point totals, will play in the national title game. This season's game is the Rose Bowl on January 3.
Oklahoma leads with 3.06 points, well ahead of Nebraska's 6.40. UCLA (6-0) is third in the poll with 8.34 points.
The system was a source of controversy last season when Miami was left out of the title game in favor of Florida State, which lost to the Hurricanes earlier in the year but was given the right to lose to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. A similar scenario is a possibility this year, but the Hurricanes will have the opportunity to gain some ground. Miami is being held back by a weak schedule that ranks 92nd out of 117 schools.
The Hurricanes have 12.01 points but, can pick up ground later in the season when they play Washington (5-1) and Virginia Tech (6-0). Washington is 12th and Virginia Tech fifth in Monday's BCS poll.
In addition, a shakeup in the poll is likely due to upcoming matchups between top teams. Oklahoma and Nebraska meet this weekend and UCLA still has games left with Stanford, Washington State and Oregon.
Texas (6-1) is sixth in the ratings, followed by Michigan (5-1), Maryland (7-0), Tennessee (4-1) and Washington State (7-0). Florida (5-1) is 11th and followed by Washington, Oregon (6-1), Stanford (4-1) and South Carolina (6-1).
Yankees one win away from World Series
NEW YORK, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- The New York Yankees hoped to blow past Seattle in the fifth game of the American League championship series Monday night and breeze into their fourth straight World Series and fifth in the six years.
The Yankees came through with an emotional victory in Sunday's Game Four after rookie Alfonso Soriano belted a two-run homer off Mariners' closer Kazuhiro Sasaki in the ninth inning to give New York a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Andy Pettitte (1-1, 1.26 ERA), the only starting pitcher who has been on all four of the World Series clubs since 1996, was slated to start for New York, opposed by Aaron Sele (0-2, 5.63).
The four-year-old Arizona Diamondbacks landed the other berth in the World Series with a 3-2 decision over the Atlanta Braves Sunday night, taking their series 4-1.
Davenport seeks third straight win
LINZ, Austria, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria overcame a tough opening set Monday to defeat Paola Suarez of Argentina, 7-5, 6-1, in the first round of the $565,000 Generali Ladies Open.
Croatian Iva Majoli rallied past Austrian wild card Evelyn Fauth, 5-7, 6-4, 6-0, and 1997 winner Chanda Rubin of the United States routed Henrieta Nagyova of Slovakia, 6-2, 6-1, in other first-round matches on Monday.
Top-seeded Lindsay Davenport meanwhile is seeking her third consecutive tournament win as she defends her title at the Design Center in Linz this week.
Maleeva, the seventh seed, has reached three WTA finals this year. But the 26-year-old's lone success came at the Budapest Open clay court event in April, when she captured her eighth career title. Maleeva awaits the winner of Tuesday's first-round encounter between local favorite Barbara Schett and Japan's Ai Sugiyama.
Majoli trailed 5-7, 1-4 before reeling off 11 straight games to get past the 147th ranked women in the world. She will meet the winner between American qualifier Alexandra Stevenson and Spaniard Cristina Torrens Valero. Despite having won seven career singles crowns, Majoli advanced to her only final of the year at the Bell Challenge hardcourt tournament in Quebec last month.
Davenport defeated Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia in Sunday's final of the Swisscom Challenge in Zurich Sunday's triumph was the sixth tournament win of the season and 36th in the career of Davenport, who claimed the Porsche Grand Prix two weeks ago.The 25-year-old American has not lost before the quarterfinals of any of the 15 tournaments she has played, despite missing three months in the middle of the season with a right knee bone bruise.
Davenport defeated Venus Williams in three sets to claim last year's event. Williams was to have been the second seed this week but withdrew with an irritated left wrist. She has not played since winning the U.S. Open due to concerns following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Pro Bowl moved to Feb. 9
NEW YORK, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- The NFL's Pro Bowl, originally scheduled for February 3, has been moved to Saturday, February 9, the NFL announced on Monday.
The date had to be switched because the Super Bowl, which was scheduled for January 27, was changed to February 3 in New Orleans after the NFL postponed a week of games after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
It will be the first Pro Bowl to be played on a Saturday in the 23 years Hawaii has hosted the event. The game will kick off at 4:30 pm EST from Aloha Stadium and will be televised nationally by ABC.
"We are very thankful to the state of Hawaii for its cooperation in rescheduling our game," said NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. "We are looking forward to visiting Hawaii in February and watching the NFL's best players in action."
The AFC and NFC All-Star squads are made up of the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group's vote counts one-third towards determining the 43-man rosters.
Eagles, Giants in Monday night football
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Coach Jim Fassel hoped to remain perfect against the Philadelphia Eagles when the New York Giants hosted their NFC East rivals on Monday night.
The Giants have dominated the rivalry, winning all nine meetings since Fassel took over as coach in 1997.
The last one was the sweetest for Fassel and the Giants, a 20-10 victory over the Eagles January 7 in the divisional playoffs. Ron Dixon returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and cornerback Jason Sehorn scored on an acrobatic 32-yard interception.
Bears eye temporary new home
LAKE FOREST, Ill., Oct. 22 (UPI) -- With Soldier Field undergoing a $587 million facelift, the Chicago Bears will play their 2002 home games at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.
The official announcement was made Monday by Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips.
Memorial Stadium has a seating capacity of 70,904, making it the obvious choice for the Bears. The most convenient site was Northwestern's Ryan Field, but it has a capacity of just 47,000 seats.
The agreement to play downstate in 2002 returns the Bears to their roots. The team started in Decatur, Illinois in 1920 shortly after team founder George Halas graduated from the University of Illinois in 1918. The team was known as the Decatur Staleys at its inception and had the familiar team colors of orange and blue. In 1921, Halas moved the team to Chicago, and after playing as the Staleys for one year, the team became known as the Bears in 1922.
Robinson lost for season
LAKE FOREST, Ill., Oct. 22 (UPI) --The Chicago Bears are off to a surprising 4-1 start, but their latest victory came at a high price. The team confirmed on Monday that wide receiver Marcus Robinson is out for the season.
Robinson tore the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his left knee in Sunday's win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
It is yet another setback for Robinson, who will undergo surgery within two weeks and faces eight to 12 months of rehabilitation. He had undergone back surgery in the summer and made a quicker than expected recovery, playing in all five games this season and recording 23 catches for 269 yards and two touchdowns.
Robinson had to be carted off the field with six minutes left in the first half of Sunday's game after he injured the knee.
Robinson, 26, emerged as one of the top receivers in the NFL in 1999, setting a Bears single-season record with 1,400 yards receiving and 84 receptions along with nine touchdowns. Robinson's yardage total was second overall in the NFC.
Detroit Lions lose second receiver
PONTIAC, Mich.,Oct. 22 (UPI) -- The lone remaining winless team in the NFL suffered more than just another loss on Sunday/ Detroit Lions Coach Marty Mornhinweg confirmed Monday that injured starting wide receiverGermane Crowell may miss the rest of the season.
Crowell tore the patella tendon in his left knee while leaping for a pass in the end zone in the second half of Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Tennessee Titans. It is the second major injury to a Lions receiver. Last week, the team lost veteran Herman Moore for the season with a hip injury.
Crowell, 25, was second on the Lions with 22 catches for 289 yards and two touchdowns. He had four catches for 60 yards, including a 46-yard TD, in Sunday's loss.
The Lions are 0-5 for the first time since losing their first five games in 1989.
