Columnist Dean Juipe: Tyson mum as July 9 nears

If he were so inclined, Mike Tyson could apply for reinstatement from the Nevada State Athletic Commission as early as July 9. While it's inevitable the former heavyweight champion will seek reinstatement, Tyson has yet to submit a request to the NSAC.

So, what's he waiting for?

"I just don't know," said NSAC executive director Marc Ratner. "Maybe he doesn't feel ready or maybe he just wants to wait a little while."

Tyson had his boxing license revoked by the commission last year, and, at that time, it said he could reapply in one calendar year.

After he does reapply, the NSAC will set a hearing and will likely reinstate Tyson although Ratner said he has intentionally dodged the issue while talking to individual commission members. "I've purposefully avoided discussing Tyson with them," he said.

Yet others are anxious to get a feel for what the NSAC might do.

"I'm starting to get a lot of phone calls," Ratner said. "It's building. Some people have called in support of him and some have called to protest. When the day comes that we do hold a hearing, it'll be a major event."

As far as Izzy DiMaria (Marion) is concerned, it was a major event the day Steve Gahn stepped down as head baseball coach at Las Vegas High. That move freed the school's players to participate in Legion baseball, which Gahn had prevented because he didn't feel DiMaria -- who has the school's Legion team -- was a competent coach. "I'm thrilled and I think the kids are really happy," he said. "What Gahn did set the kids back a couple of years. He didn't have their best interests at heart." DiMaria now has access to all Las Vegas High students as well as access to the school's field for practice or games. "Things are 100 percent better," he said. "Now maybe some of our guys can get seen by scouts and college coaches like (UNLV's) Rod Soesbe." ... The Big Ten Conference is considering a return to the days when freshmen were ineligible for basketball. ... According to The NCAA News, UNLV finished a very respectable 13th in the country in average basketball attendance for the 1997-98 season. The typical crowd to see the Rebels was 14,028; Kentucky led the country with an average of 23,946. ... In a huge boost to women's basketball at Nevada-Reno, the E.L. Weigand Foundation has contributed $1 million to the Lady Wolf Pack program. The Old Gymnasium, as it's known, will be refurbished and the program will also be able to use $100,000 per year for seven years as it sees fit. Angie Taylor, UNR's senior women's administrator, called the gift "remarkable."

For the first time since the 1976 season, there were no Major League Baseball games scheduled for Monday. ... Las Vegas resident Liz Manley, a 1988 Olympic silver medalist figure skater, is spending her summer at a resort in Sun Valley, Utah, and taking part in regular skating shows there. She passed up a chance to take part in the Campbell Soup Tour that stops Friday in Las Vegas. ... With Matt Anderson having been recalled by the Detroit Tigers, there are now two players in the major leagues with pierced tongues. California's Mike James is the other. ... If his team doesn't pick up its pace soon, the next MLB manager to get fired will be Colorado's Don Baylor. ... With '97 closer Mark Wohlers in the minor leagues, the Atlanta Braves are desperate for a one-inning relief whiz and may settle for the likes of Kansas City's Jeff Montgomery, Toronto's Randy Myers or Detroit's Todd Jones. ... Coming soon: The George Arias home run watch. The Las Vegas Stars' third baseman has 22 and the team's single-season record is 32 by Kevin McReynolds in 1983. ... The National Football League is negotiating to buy a piece of the Arena Football League, which once had a team in Las Vegas. The NFL would assist with merchandising and marketing for the 12-year-old AFL. ... Fireworks -- which ought to be banned except for use by professionals -- continue to attract crowds to baseball games. The Stars have two fireworks nights this week and the San Diego Padres drew an out-of-the-ordinary 60,789 for a game and fireworks display last week.

No one in the history of Major League Baseball has driven in 100 runs with fewer than 100 hits but two guys are threatening to do it this year. Juan Gonzalez of Texas has 98 hits and 96 RBI, while Mark McGwire of St. Louis has 78 hits and 86 RBI. ... Professional tennis is considering a drastic rule change that would keep "let" serves in play. The idea is to speed up the game but there's not a player alive who would be in favor of it. ... The Nevada State Athletic Commission will not penalize a boxer and his twin brother who attempted to dupe a promoter at an unofficial weigh-in before a recent card at The Orleans. When Aaron Mitchell couldn't make weight, his twin brother, Eric, stepped in for him and did, although he scurried from the room before the fraud could be exposed. Had it been an official weigh-in the NSAC would have reacted and fined or suspended the deviants. ... Auditioning as a boxing analyst, referee Mills Lane of Reno was not very good at Saturday's televised card from Philadelphia. ... Despite little advertising and "championship" bouts between women with records like 5-2, somehow 3,000 people saw fit to take in Friday's women's boxing card at Bally's. It's unclear what that indicates except it's a better crowd than any men's card has drawn in the city this year.

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