Columnist Dean Juipe: Champ may be underdog

A REIGNING boxing champion is rarely the betting underdog when he walks into the ring, but that looks as if it will be the case Saturday when World Boxing Council 130-pound champ Genaro Hernandez takes on Floyd Mayweather at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Hernandez, 38-1-1 and the WBC champion for almost two years, opened as a slight favorite in the Hilton sports book when the fight with the 17-0 Mayweather was announced. The fight quickly moved to pick 'em but now it's Mayweather getting the nod from bettors.

Monday he was a minus 150 favorite, with Hernandez a plus 110 underdog.

"There's been a barrage of Mayweather action," Hilton sports book manager Chuck Esposito said. "To be honest, I'm not sure why and it is unusual to see a challenger favored. But we're also starting to see some money come back around on Hernandez, so it may change again by fight time."

Rare that it is to see a challenger favored in Las Vegas sports books, it did happen prior to the second Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield fight last year when Tyson had the bettors' favor against the IBF-WBA champion.

Incidentally, if the Nevada State Athletic Commission wants to deny Tyson a license Saturday and extend its informal "lifetime" ban against the fighter, there's a precedent. Last week the Ontario (Canada) Court of Appeals upheld the lifetime ban given to sprinter Ben Johnson in 1993 by the International Amateur Athletic Federation. Johnson was banished for twice testing positive for steroids. ... Football broadcaster Dan Dierdorf, who worked ABC's Monday night telecast from Detroit, will have hip-replacement surgery this week. He expects to be back in the booth next Monday in Green Bay. ... ESPN's experiment with its "First & 10" feature during Sunday night's NFL game from Baltimore took some getting used to but it may turn out OK. The network illuminated the yard line the offensive team needed to reach to get a first down; it was visible only on TV. ... Former UNLV basketball coach Tim Grgurich is a wanted man. The Milwaukee Bucks have offered Grgurich $2 million in a four-year contract to serve as an assistant coach, and the Portland Trail Blazers have offered him $3.2 million over four years to fill the same role. ... The Daily Racing Form -- the bible of horse racing -- was recently sold for $40 million, although the asking price had been $80 million just a year and a half ago. The new owners promise a Form reversal and will try to stop a trend that has seen the periodical's circulation drop from 100,000 in the 1980s to 45,000 today.

Left-handed pitcher Terry Mulholland of the Chicago Cubs did not have an opposing player even attempt to steal a base against him this year. ... Roger Clemens of the Toronto Blue Jays did not lose a game after May 29 and finished the season with 22 consecutive starts without a defeat. He was 20-6 for the year. ... Look for the Los Angeles Dodgers to attempt to lure manager Felipe Alou from Montreal. ... Due to injuries and trades, the Dodgers finished the season with only one player -- right fielder Raul Mondesi -- left in their lineup from Opening Day. ... The Sporting Goods Manufacturers' Association reports that participation in sports for girls ages 6 through 11 is up 86 percent since 1987. It also found a 31 percent increase in girls playing high-school sports. ... Look for Houston to get the nod over Los Angeles when the NFL meetings on the subject of expansion are held Oct. 27. The league is looking to add a team for the 2001 season. ... It used to be that you could tell what position a football player played by the number he wore. Now here's UNLV defensive end Talance Sawyer wearing a very unconventional No. 9, and punter Joe Kristosik wearing No. 97. ... UNLV TV broadcaster Hunkie Cooper needed a rule book last Saturday after Colorado State blocked a Tim O'Reilly field goal attempt in the third quarter. "Pick up the ball and we'll score," Cooper shouted to the Rebels, incorrectly believing play was still alive.

Henderson's Chad Hermansen continues to stay on course toward reaching the Pittsburgh Pirates by the year 2000. Hermansen was named the Pirates' minor leaguer player of the year after hitting .258 with 28 home runs and 78 RBIs while playing at the triple-A level this year. Pittsburgh brass feels he needs one more season in the minors. ... Another local player, Chris Latham, will get a great shot at making the Minnesota Twins next season as they're cutting their payroll from $27 million to $20 million. ... Of the 14 Major League Baseball teams with a payroll less than $44 million, all 14 had losing seasons in 1998. ... One reason the Oakland Raiders were able to defeat the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday was the fact they were called for only four penalties. Still, the Raiders have had 42 penalties called against them in the season's first four games and are on pace to topple their own NFL single-season record of 156 (set in 1994 and equalled in '96). ... Two-time Olympic racewalker Victoria Herazo of Las Vegas has been invited to participate in the Pan Am Racewalk Saturday in Miami. ... College football streaks: Nebraska leads all Division I teams with 18 consecutive wins; Northern Illinois has lost a Division I leading 21 straight games; Hawaii has lost 21 consecutive WAC games on the mainland. ... UNLV sophomore linebacker Tyler Brickell wants to be a fireman after he gets out of college.

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