Scorecard

Eleven counts were read, and if convicted on all of them Kirk, 51, could face up to 62 years in prison and fines of as much as $912,000. Although the grand jury had looked into Kirk's associations with gamblers and the possibility of point-shaving at MSU (SI, June 24, 1985, et seq.), no gambling charges were filed. "Based on what we have determined, there is no evidence of any point-shaving or any game-fixing," said U.S. Attorney Hickman Ewing Jr. But on another serious matter—obstruction of justice—Kirk is alleged to have told Memphis State booster Ira Lichterman not to answer the grand jury's questions, or to lie to the grand jury if asked about buying basketball tickets from Kirk. According to the indictment, Lichterman replied that he would not lie, and Kirk told the Memphis businessman he would make him "look like a fool in front of all his friends and the [boosters] club."

A source close to the grand jury said Lichterman's testimony was a key to some of the charges in the indictment. "He was a surprise," the source said. "He was not an easy one to find. You don't find people like that very often."

PAPAL PREPARATIONS
Pope John Paul II is scheduled to say Mass before more than 70,000 people in Arizona State's football stadium during his 1987 swing through the U.S. Thomas J. O'Brien, bishop of Phoenix, was concerned about a possibly embarrassing situation. Would the pontiff take offense at the "Devil" in Sun Devil Stadium? The bishop's solution: "We're going to baptise the stadium before the Mass."

THE SHOE FITS
Last week the U.S. Baseball Federation presented pitcher Mike Loynd, who won 20 for Florida State before joining the Texas Rangers this year, with the 1986 Golden Spikes Award. The trophy, honoring the amateur player of the year, features a pair of gold-plated baseball shoes. It's a fitting tribute: Mike's dad. Richard, is chairman of Converse Inc.