On The Sidelines

There's nothing new about people naming their kids after admired political figures and usually the practise involves a good deal more self-restraint on the part of the parents than some followers of football teams seem capable of exercising.

One of Donal Spring's sons is named, in part, after Nelson Mandella, while one of the gang here on the fourth floor has a daughter named in honour of Fidel Castro. You can, as a rule, see where the people are coming from.

Not so with the McLeans of Kingston, however. Their son, Nixon Alexei McNamara, who is reckoned to be the most promising member of the West Indies's next generation of fast bowlers, is named after a former American president, a former Russian leader and a former US Defence secretary.

A strange mix, you might think, but a somewhat clearer pattern emerges when Nixon's two brothers, Reagan and Kissinger, are brought into the equation. Their sister got similar treatment. Her name? Golda Meir McLean.

Residents of the roads around the IRFU's ground at Donnybrook are threatening to seek the removal of the Union's new floodlights if they do not receive a voluntary undertaking that their size will be reduced in the immediate future.

The lights, which were installed before Christmas, have full planning permission, but a number of residents, including broadcaster Cathal O'Shannon, have argued that it is not valid because of an alleged breach in procedures.

O'Shannon claims that many residents did not have any idea how big the lights were going to be (they're massive but the IRFU have ruled out any alterations, pointing out that as far as they are concerned everything was done properly and that it is too late now to start changing things. A meeting between residents and representatives of the Leinster Branch, aimed at resolving the dispute, is planned for the middle of next week.

The bid by Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna to sign Brazilian star Rodrigo Fabri received a major setback recently when the player claimed that the contract obtained by the club had not been signed by him, but by his mother.

Both Deportivo and Real Madrid were claiming to have signed the 21 year-old star last week, but the league champions began to emerge as favourites as soon as the player revealed that him mum had signed his name to Deportivo's contract and given it to the club's lawyer's without his knowledge.

Real Madrid said on Wednesday that they had signed the 21year-old, although he will remain in Brazil on loan to Rio club Flamengo until June 30th, 1999.

Thanks to Louis Mullen in Dundalk, who sends cuttings from the San Francisco Chronicle concerning former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash and heavyweight boxer Tommy Morrison.

Cash merits a mention in the paper, given the current debate over tobacco sponsorship, on the basis of his comments after winning the Salem Open. Accepting the first prize, the Australian apparently said that: "I'd like to thank the sponsors, even though I think it's a disgrace to smoke cigarettes."

Morrison, meanwhile, was on trial for drunk driving when a juror had to be excused from the case due to his seasonal work. The problem first came to light when the man was asked his name and replied "Santa Claus".

The ill-tempered battle between Reebok and Nike for supremacy in the sportswear market has taken a twist which may end up costing many leading athletes a considerable portion of their commercial earnings.

Reebok have decided to shift the emphasis in their marketing from celebrity endorsements towards better products, particularly in the area of trainers where they will start, by 1999, to use instore computers to customise shoes for individual customers.

"Getting stars to endorse products has been a priority for us for the past three years," said Reebok chief executive Paul Fireman, "but it hasn't given us much of a payback."

Reebok currently have roughly 15 per cent of the world market in sportswear compared to 32 per cent for Nike. Biggest winners in the footwear wars over the past year have been Adidas, however, with the European company doing well in the States by concentrating on producing high quality sports shoes rather than leisure-oriented products. The feeling is that America is completely saturated at the leisure end, with Nike and Reebok's sales stagnant, while another manufacturer, LA Gear, has recently filed for bankruptcy protection.

The market over here, however, is still said to have potential for growth, so expect even greater competition in the shops over the coming months.

It's been a bad few weeks for NBA star Latrell Sprewell, who was recently suspended for a year as a result of an attack on his Golden State Warriors coach. But an offer received this week from Atlantic City Seagulls will not have done much to cheer him up.

Sprewell had a $32 million contract with the Warriors, all of which was lost when he was fired by the club before Christmas. He is appealing the decision, but in the meantime the Seagulls, who he could play for because they are outside of the NBA, have stepped into the fray.

"If Latrell has the maturity and humanity to accept a salary equal to, but no higher than, the average salary of an American worker," says Atlantic City's president Ken Gross, "then he can play for the club."

The offer then is worth $592 per week. He has yet to officially respond.

A conference on nutrition for sports coaches, doctors and other health professionals involved in sport will be held next weekend at Jury's Hotel in Ballsbridge where speakers will, it is hoped, attempt to "bridge the gap between scientific theories and findings, and the daily practice of coaching and training".

Speakers from Loughborough, UCD and the University of Southampton will address the event which will starts at 10.30 next Saturday and runs, over about eight sessions, until 4.30 p.m.

Some places are still available at the event, which is sponsored by Mars, and anybody interested in attending should contact the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute on a weekday morning at 2987466.

Get well soon wishes go out to Evel Knievel from all his fans here in D'Olier Street. We were all saddened to hear that another sporting accident meant that the 59-year-old daredevil had to have a hip replacement operation just before Christmas in Florida.

There were no motorbikes, lorries or flaming cars involved in this mishap, however. And, thankfully, nobody else was injured. Then again, there are rarely any third party injuries when a golfer falls into a stream out there on the back nine.

It was another poor week at the Australian Open for Goran Ivanisevic. The 26-year-old from Crotia has never exactly thrived down in Melbourne - in fact, he's never been beyond the quarters - but this may actually have been the first time he managed to make a net loss on the trip.

The former world number two received $6,000 as a first round loser (he was beaten by Jan Siemerink), but had already forfeited $4,000 of it for a tantrum thrown during the course of the match. He then failed to show up for the post-match press conference. Mandatory fine . . . $5,000. Next year, one suspects, he may stay at home.

Please send any correspondence to On The Sidelines, Sports Dept, The Irish Times, 11-15 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2 or e-mail emalone@irish-times.ie