Football

When Nicky Summerbee and Billy McKinlay appeared in the colors of the English Football League's Leicester City for its first game of the 2002-03 season against Watford last weekend, the two did more than merely suit up for a match. They also struck a dubious blow for the future of the sport — by becoming the first "amateurs" in the competition since the category was abolished in the 1970s. That's right. Summerbee and McKinlay — both footballers by trade but both currently without permanent contracts — played for free. "Obviously it's not ideal," Summerbee told the Guardian. "But I'd rather be playing football for nothing than sitting on my backside every Saturday afternoon." How perfectly McKinlay and Summerbee sum up the current hand-to-mouth plight of the Football League. Its 72 clubs inhabit the three tiers of competition beneath the country's Premiership and are still reeling financially after the League's three-year, $448 million deal with failed broadcaster ITV Digital collapsed last March. (Financial hiccups caused by shrinking revenues are familiar across European soccer these days: earlier this month, for example, Fiorentina was thrown out of Italy's Serie B division for failing to arrange cover for its $22 million debt.) Last week Football League CEO David Burns and chairman Keith Harris were forced to resign after the English High Court threw out the League's attempt to recover $271 million from itv Digital's parent companies, Carlton and Granada. And although the Football League has signed a new four-year deal with BSkyB, its $145 million price tag falls far short of the original — as a result, some clubs have released players in order to cut wage bills. With a glut of talent on the market and clubs facing shrinking revenues, Summerbee and McKinlay — who hope they will be picked up by Leicester City on a permanent basis — could be the first of many footballers taking to the pitch for love alone.

BOXING
Lewis Weighs His Options
The days of legendary heavyweight title fights seem like a rumble from the past, and the current champion, Lennox Lewis, appears to have been struck by the same apathy that has taken hold of the public in recent years. With Mike Tyson reduced to the sideshow ranks — decisively beaten by Lewis in June — there are few characters or worthy challengers to fire the imagination enough to justify those hefty pay-per-view fees. In fact, Lewis is so bored he may retire — unless of course the price is right. He told the London Observer: "What else is there for me to prove? That I can be Evander Holyfield and not know when to quit? Or prove that I'm stuck in the sport and won't get out until I'm speaking so people don't understand me?" Lewis is expected to announce his plans in the coming weeks, and a line of challengers is forming. But will he bother to fight any of them? A mandatory defense of his ibf title is due against Chris Byrd, wba holder John Ruiz is also waiting and there is the young Ukrainian WBO holder Wladimir Klitschko. Lewis may have lost some motivation, but he hasn't lost his financial sense. "If they want me to fight those guys they're gonna have to pay me money just to get me back into training," he said. "From now on it's strictly a business decision."