Detroit Free Press

SEOUL, South Korea -- He was the Olympian who went bump in the night."Did you see that?" someone whispered."Did you see that?" someone shrieked.

Kenyatta Jefferson did not see the gun until it was inches away. The man shot him in the head. He fell to the ground, and landed at the feet of his friend, Willie Tucker. He remembers his blood dripping on Willie's Nike sneakers, and someone pleading, "Don't shoot, don't shoot."Then Willie ran. The man shot him in the shoulder. Derrick, Kenyatta's older brother, heard the shots and came running back toward the store. "You shot Kenyatta!" he screamed. The man said, "Here's what you get for Kenyatta." He shot Derrick in the leg. Then he fled.

The TV behind the bar flashed a picture of Gary Kasparov, who had just won the world chess championships in Moscow."What a bore," said the man next to me. Not really, I said. Chess can be exciting."Yeah? How?"Strategy. Pressure. Timing."But there's no action. They just sit there."Not all of them."Come off it," he said, slurping down his beer. "Those guys are just a bunch of sissies in suits."

PASADENA, Calif. -- They came, they saw, they conquered. Now it is time for the New York Giants to do what all great American sports heroes must do:Endorsements.Phil Simms for American Express:

He has snuck into the spotlight like a sweet old uncle you never knew you had, the kind who brings lots of presents."HEY, JAMES!" the crowd screamed, slapping his hands, as he walked through the Silverdome tunnel after the Pistons beat the Celtics, 98-94, in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. "WAY TO GO, JAMES! ALL RIGHT, JAMES!"

Hey. I'm into participation sports, right?So there I am, naked, alone, inside a dark, fiberglass tank, floating in water.Floating? Yes. I am told this is the latest thing. I am told this is what the modern athlete does. Here is what I want to know: Where's the soap?"Flotation tanks are great for reducing stress, healing injuries, and allowing athletes to focus on performance," says Pete Panelli, owner of Tranquil Visions, 4514 N. Woodward in Birmingham."Uh-huh," I say. "They can't accidentally lock, can they?"

ST. LOUIS -- How would you feel if your boss suddenly said you could keep your job but not do any work?Quit cheering. It's a hypothetical question.Except in baseball.Consider Hal McRae, age 39. Occupation: Designated hitter, Kansas City Royals. Job Performance: Excellent. Experience: First rate. Priority to team: Highest.Starting Role in World Series: None.Reason: Rules.