Bill Johnson wants a chance to celebrate his survival and begin remembering his past.
So the former Olympic champion will ski Friday at the spot where a crash exactly one year ago left him near death and with brain injuries that might never heal.
“I don’t even know where I’m going. I have forgotten everything about that accident. It’s in Montana, and I really don’t remember skiing in Montana,” said Johnson, whose speech is still slurred.
Johnson crashed on March 22, 2001, during a preliminary race at the U.S. Alpine Championships in Whitefish, Mont.
Nasty business
Seve Ballesteros ripped into protege Sergio Garcia, saying he asked for appearance money and then declined to play in next month’s Seve Trophy, a team competition between top Europeans and Britain/Ireland pros.
“Garcia is the only player so far who doesn’t want to play,” Ballesteros said. “I’m a bit disappointed. And even more disappointed that he asked for appearance money. . . . There is no appearance money for anyone at the Seve Trophy. I don’t think it’s fair to ask.”
Say what?
`I hope I erase the memory of this one very, very quickly.’
–Southern Cal baseball coach Mike Gillespie after the once-mighty Trojans lost a worst-ever 31-7 decision to Loyola Marymount
