STERN APPROACH STILL AN AGE-OLD PROBLEM.(Sports)(Column) - Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)

Byline: Dave Krieger, Rocky Mountain News

Musings for a Monday morning on overkill and other amusements of the rich and famous . . .

* David Stern's insistence on a minimum age of 20 to play in the NBA, for example.

* There's only one legitimate argument for this idea, but it's a pretty good one: The NBA has no place to put teenagers who are not ready for prime time, so they end up wasting away at the end of the bench or on the injured list.

* Detroit's Darko Milicic, Minnesota's Ndudi Ebi, Miami's Dorell Wright, Seattle's Robert Swift and Golden State's Nikoloz Tskitishvili, just to name a few.

* Baseball doesn't require a minimum age because kids who aren't ready get ready in the minor leagues.

* Not coincidentally, Stern is proposing this solution, too. He wants the players' association to recognize the National Basketball Developmental League as an official minor league to which NBA teams can assign players.

* If the union agrees - and indications are it will - the minimum age becomes unnecessary, not to mention offensive, as Jermaine O'Neal pointed out.

* What, 18 is old enough to die for your country but not old enough to play pro basketball? Huh?

* Speaking of overkill, George Steinbrenner is very upset with the Yankees' 4-8 start. Naturally, he considers it Joe Torre's fault.

* After all, if you can't buy a championship for $205 million, the Yankees' payroll this season, exactly how much does it cost?

* Just wondering: Is it time to trade Byung-Hyun Kim yet?

* Granted, he hasn't reached Allan Simpson's earned-run average of 67.50, but he does have two losses in six appearances and 10 walks in 81/3 innings.

* Boulder's Tyler Hamilton could find out today whether his cycling career, which produced a gold medal in Athens, is over.

* Hamilton, who finished fourth in last summer's Tour de France, allegedly tested positive for blood doping at the Tour of Spain later in the season. If an arbitration panel sustains that finding, Hamilton, 34, faces a two-year ban from the sport.

* Speaking of cyclists, Lance Armstrong has half the Euro sporting press in Macon, Ga., today for a promised announcement on his future.

* He might announce he'll retire after the Tour de France.

* On the other hand, he might announce he'll sing a duet with Sheryl Crow on her next record. Lance is funny that way.

* The Rockets might have been guilty of a little overkill of their own in Saturday's 28-point thrashing of the Nuggets, but you can hardly blame them when the prize was playing Seattle in the first round of the playoffs.

* Yes, the Rockets were wearing throwback jerseys. No, the Nuggets were not required to cooperate by recalling the Dick Motta era.

* Now, everybody's seen their Achilles' heel. The Nuggets dominate by getting gimmes at the basket - throw-downs on the break, throw-downs on the alley-oop, even a throw-down or two on the offensive boards.

* But not when you put a legit shot blocker back there.

* Against Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo, the gimmes were gone. That left the Nuggets struggling to make contested perimeter shots, just like the bad old days. Does Carmelo Anthony shooting 4-for-17 ring a bell?

* Unfortunately, their other shooters, DerMarr Johnson and Wesley Person, can't stay on the floor if they have to check top scorers themselves.

* And yes, Virginia, Tim Duncan is a pretty fair shot blocker.

* Sad but true: The Rockies' team ERA, an astonishing 7.84, is more than two runs higher than the next worst in baseball, the Giants and Royals at 5.40.

* The Rocks put an average of almost two men on base every inning - 93 innings pitched, 116 hits, a league-high 64 walks and three hit batsmen.

* They've caught one of 12 basestealers. They even lead the league in balks.

* Other than that, the young pitching is coming along.

* Still, all this whining about the local nine is premature. There's no whining in baseball until you're long-suffering, and you can't be long-suffering in Year 13. Now, if you're a Cubs fan, feel free.

Conquest wins second straight.(Sports) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: PHILLIP RAMATI Special to the Times Union

Conquest 52

Knights 37

MACON, Ga. - All it took was a slight defensive adjustment for Albany.

Conquest coach Richard Davis switched his corners to a straight man-to-man coverage, and dared the Macon offense to beat them.

The Knights couldn't.

Albany manhandled Macon on the line of scrimmage in the second half of a 52-37 victory in front of 3,105 at the Macon Coliseum.

'We got the heck beat out of us up front,' Knights coach Mike Hold said. 'We couldn't protect (quarterback Lionel Hayes). I may be wrong, and I have to check the film, but from my point of view we couldn't protect the quarterback.'

The Knights (2-4) provided Hayes some protection in the first half, and he produced. After struggling over the past two games, Hayes led Macon to a 21-20 halftime lead, completing 12 of 18 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns.

But in the second half, the Conquest (2-3) turned up the pressure on defense. Committing the corners to single coverage was the key.

'The second half, we sucked it up,' Davis said. 'It was an unbelievably good effort. I'm pretty happy. In the first half, we were sloppy, probably from spending 10 days down here. We had a conversation in the locker room. We were going to press them. We were in pure man, and it helped our linemen' pressure Hayes.

Hayes spent most of the second half either hurried, sacked or knocked down after rushing his passes, resulting in a scoreless third quarter for the Knights in which the Conquest, which established a season high for points, put the game away.

While Macon managed a great deal of pressure on Albany quarterback D. Bryant in the first half, it evaporated in the third quarter. Bryant needed just four plays before hitting Manwel Talbert with a 6-yard scoring pass that put Albany ahead 27-21 with 12:36 left in the third quarter.

Macon never responded, and the result was Albany's second win in a row after an 0-3 start.

Obey Arah sacked Hayes in the end zone to give the Conquest a 29-21 with 9:03 to go in the period. After the ensuing kickoff, Bryant led a four-play drive that ended with a 29-yard touchdown strike to Jeremiah Pope with 5:39 left in the quarter. A field goal on the next series made it 39-21.

'I thought in the second half we really came together as a team,' said Conquest wide receiver/linebacker Jeff Higgins, named the ironman of the game. 'Everyone was winning the physical battles and we were able to stymie their offense.'

Bryant, the offensive player of the game, connected with offensive specialist Jeremiah Pope on three scoring passes.

'Things are starting to jell for us,' Bryant said. 'The defense stepped up big time in the second half and gave us a lift late in the game.'

CONQUEST 52, KNIGHTS 37

-7

ru,.5

Albany 14 6 16 16-52

Macon 6 15 0 16-37

ru,.5

First Quarter

Alb-Pope 5 pass from Bryant (Samuel kick), 10:42.

Mac-Johnson 14 pass from Hayes (kick failed), 6:09.

Alb-Butler 9 pass from Bryant (Samuel kick), 1:30.

Second Quarter

Mac-Collins 1 run (Holmes, kick), 12:27.

Mac-Garman 15 pass from Hayes (kick failed), 5:14.

Alb-Butler 4 run (run fumbled), :42.

Mac-Lee fumble return, :42.

Third Quarter

Alb-Talbert 6 pass from Bryant (Samuel kick), 12:16.

Alb-Arah safety, 9:03.

Alb-Pope 29 pass from Bryant (Samuel kick), 5:39.

Fourth Quarter

Alb-Samuel 24 FG, 11:35.

Mac-Jackson 45 pass from Hayes (Jackson run), 10:52.

Alb-Pope 14 pass from Bryant (Samuel kick), 8:07.

Mac-Johnson 5 pass from Hayes (Johnson pass from Hayes), 2:36.

Alb-Thomas 9 pass from Bryant (kick failed), 1:08.

Alb Mac

First downs 18 20

Rushes-yards 9-11 6-14

Passing 205 272

Comp-Att-Int 21-43-2 23-40-1

Kickoff Returns 4-95 4-91

Interceptions Ret. 1-0 2-16

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 3-2

Penalties-Yards 4-25 6-43

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING- Albany, Bryan 3-6, Butler 2-5, Higgins 1-1, Harris 1-0, Hill 2-(minus 1). Macon, Jackson 1-11, Lloyd 1-1, Lucas 1-1, Collins 1-1, Hayes 2-0.

PASSING- Albany, Bryant 21-43-2-211, Team 0-0-0-(minus 6). Macon, Hayes 23-40-1-289, Team 0-0-0-(minus 17)

MIMBS TWINS DOUBLE THEIR PLEASURE AND MAKE HISTORY.(SPORTS) - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

Byline: Bob Molinaro

NORFOLK -- Here's something you don't see every day. This afternoon at Harbor Park, identical twins will take the identical mound to start the identical Triple-A baseball game.

Mark Mimbs is pitching for the Norfolk Tides against Michael Mimbs of the Columbus Clippers.

In honor of the Mimbs brothers, maybe the Tides should cobble together a promotion: Double Vision Day.

Through the years, baseball has had its share of pitching duels between brothers Niekro and Perry and Mathewson. But Mark and Mike take the sibling act to a new level. These lefthanders look, speak and think alike. Their repertoire of pitches? Identical.

These are the ``Psychic Southpaws,'' so designated by the National Enquirer in a 1992 story.

The year before, the Mimbs brothers produced eerily identical statistics pitching for different Class A teams in different states.

Mark, pitching in California, won 12 games. Michael, working in Florida, won 12 games. ``And,'' said Mark, ``we had the same hits and strikeouts per nine innings.''

But for eeriness, even that can't compare with the Hallmark Moment.

That same year, Mark bought his father a birthday card in California. Meanwhile, Michael picked out a card in Florida. When their father opened his mailbox at the family's Macon, Ga., home, he found that his sons had sent ... you guessed it, identical Hallmark greetings.

``We never talked about it,'' Mark said. ``We just see things the same way.''

The Mimbs matchup is a chance for baseball fans - and no sport savors trivia more than baseball - to double their pleasure.

Twins, identical or otherwise, have never started a regular-season professional baseball game against one another. This is as far as the keepers of baseball's treasured memories (at least those who could be reached) know.

But one need not hype today's game any more than is necessary. As Mark Mimbs says, ``It's wild that we're even pitching on the same day, much less against one another.''

Once before, the two started the same game. In '96, they pitched against one another for two innings in Clearwater, Fla., in spring training.

``I struck him out,'' Michael said, ``on three pitches. An oh-two changeup.''

Even so, Mark contends, ``Most of the time, I can tell what he's going to throw.''

And say.

``If you talk to us,'' Mark notes, ``you'll hear us say the same things, talk in the same sentences.''

Says Michael, ``We've got the same voice.''

And the same interests. Both attended Mercer University in Georgia. Mark earned his degree in business administration. Michael is a couple classes away from his degree ... in business administration.

It's a twin thing. Ask Tides manager Rick Dempsey about the Mimbs brothers, and he'll recall the seasons he managed Mark in Triple-A Albuquerque. At the time, big-brother Mike, older by five minutes, was with the Philadelphia Phillies.

``All I had to do was see what his brother had done the day before and I'd know how Mark was going to pitch that night,'' Dempsey said. ``If his brother had a good day pitching for Philly, he had a good day. You talk about your ESPN.''

Not that there aren't differences in the 29-year-old twins. Mark is married, Michael single. Mark fashions a mustache and goatee, while Michael is clean shaven and a little fuller in the face.

``I talk a little more,'' Mark said. Also, ``We have different taste in a lot of things, especially girls.''

If either brother is anxious about today's game, he isn't letting on. Both gave the standard reply that they aren't really facing their brother, just nine other hitters.

They probably don't believe that themselves.

And what would each brother wish for from today's game? Asked about that, Mark ... or was it Mike, said, ``A 1-0 win would be fine.''

It's a sentiment that plays well in stereo.

CAPTION(S):

Color photo

NHAT MEYER/The Virginian-Pilot

Tides pitcher Mark Mimbs, right, will be matched against twin brother Michael Mimbs of Columbus today.

Graphics

TUESDAY

TODAY

HUGE DEALS SEND WRONG MESSAGE.(SPORTS) - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Byline: BOB KEISSER

Know what woke baseball legend Joe DiMaggio from that coma in a Florida hospital? Someone in his room mentioned that a 33-year-old pitcher named Kevin Brown had just signed a seven-year, $105 million contract.

The 84-year-old former Yankee shot up in bed, asked a nurse for his spikes and told his agent to get Scott Boras and Kevin Malone on the phone.

Seriously, Saturday's news flash hit baseball the way Hurricane Georges hit the Dominican Republic. Wreckage can be found from the commissioner's office to every small-market franchise.

This offseason money orgy wasn't the message baseball wanted to send its fans after a pretty magical season. All it does is drive home the prevailing theme of sports in the '90s: It's all about the money. There's no other interpretation. Everything boils down to who has it, who wants it and who gets it.

The big spenders have been those teams in big markets (Yankees, Mets) or flush with corporate money (Fox/Dodgers, Disney/Angels). Arizona has also been a player ($118 million worth), because having an expansion franchise these days pays off like bringing water to the desert.

The free-agent class of '99 will go down in history as the richest ever, and perhaps the most covetous. Every member of the nouveau riche signed on the dotted line for purely financial reasons. Don't listen to any of the spin about playing close to home, or playing for a contender, or wanting to stay with a particular franchise. It's all hooey.

Those fans still in Mike Piazza's camp are agog the Dodgers would give a pitcher seven years and $105 million after refusing to budge past six years and $84 million for a catcher with numbers like .300, 30 and 100. But in the final analysis, the man himself showed no proclivity to anything but getting the richest contract.

Why else would he stay in New York, where fans booed him? When push came to shove in L.A. and Fox-dom over Piazza, the words of Piazza's agent rang truest: If he doesn't get the jack here, he'll get it somewhere else. He did, $91 million from the Mets.

When Mo Vaughn turned down Boston's final offer and decided to play for $13 million-plus Disney dollars a year, Boston Globe columnist Will McDonough replayed the last few years of Vaughn's on-again, off-again negotiations with the Red Sox.

At various times in the process, McDonough reported, Vaughn turned down Red Sox offers of $9 million a year, $10 million a year, $11 million a year, $12 million a year and finally $13 million a year. In every case, the Red Sox offer would have made Vaughn one of the highest-salaried players in the game, if not the highest. Yet the Red Sox were the ones painted as disloyal.

When Randy Johnson and the Mariners were butting heads over a multiyear contract, Johnson accused the team of reneging on old promises and not caring about loyalty or fielding a winning team. But it was Johnson who mailed in his first-half performance last season before a post-trade salary drive in Houston.

And, it turns out, the entire free-agent game plan of Johnson and his agent from the start was to get the left-hander to the expansion D-Backs and his home in suburban Phoenix. And despite all of Arizona's investments, I doubt if Johnson will be playing for a winning team soon.

Today's news is Brown. By baseball standards, he's a pretty mercenary guy. The Dodgers will be his fourth team in five years. Yet the Dodgers' concern for his family, he says, put them over the top. The club agreed to jet them into town pretty much whenever he wants.

But if he was truly concerned about his family down in Macon, Ga., wouldn't Brown have agreed to take less money from the Braves and spare his family so much flight time? Or sign with St. Louis, which is much closer than L.A.? When your agent is Scott Boras, we're not inclined to believe anything mattered beyond becoming the first nine-digit man in baseball.

Tomorrow's news will be the trade of Roger Clemens to a franchise dedicated to winning, per a clause of the contract he signed with the Blue Jays. Toronto wasn't exactly sad sack city last year with a payroll of almost $40 million. But compared to the new ceilings being raised in New York and Los Angeles, the Jays are bottom feeders.

Ergo, a trade demand. Wherever Clemens goes, his agent will be sure to follow, with an offer to extend his client's contract and bring it in line with today's new reality. After all, Clemens is only 36, a mere three years older than Brown, who the Dodgers believe will pitch them into the 2005 World Series.

Spin the view of these numbers to the other direction and there's just as much carnage. This all started because owners like George Steinbrenner and Ted Turner refused to control themselves when free agency was in its diapers. As absurd as the Piazza and Brown contracts might seem, they make perfect sense alongside a few others.

Like Colorado giving Brian Bohanon $3.3 million a year, Baltimore giving Mike Timlin $4 million a year, Texas giving Royce Clayton $4.5 million a year, the Yankees giving Scott Brosius $5.2 million a year, Boston giving Jose Offerman $6.5 million a year, Detroit giving Dean Palmer $7.2 million a year and Arizona giving Todd Stottlemyre $8 million a year.

If I'm a baseball general manager, like the Dodgers' Kevin Malone, maybe I can explain all of this money malarkey. But I'm not a G.M. To me, anything over a $1 million is funny money. And I've stopped laughing.

MALONE METER

Rating moves made by Dodgers GM Kevin Malone.

Saturday: signed free agent right-hander Kevin Brown.

Our Rating: Home Run

This offseason: 4 for 4, single, double, HR

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

PHOTO The Dodgers made pitcher Kevin Brown, who's been with four teams in five years, the first $100-million man in baseball.

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press

VENA IS STANDING TALL.(SPORTS) - Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)

Byline: MARK SINGELAIS Staff writer

Albany Conquest quarterback Ryan Vena spent a day at the Great Escape amusement park last week, hanging out with teammates who were enjoying themselves after an outstanding regular season.

Vena had every right to relax after setting an arenafootball2 record for passing yards in a season as he guided the Conquest to a 13-3 mark and the Northeast Division title.

He's a front-runner for af2 Offensive Player of the Year honors as he leads the Conquest into its quarterfinal playoff game against Macon (Ga.) at 7:30 tonight in Pepsi Arena.

Yet as Vena toured the Great Escape, the Queensbury attraction known for its thrill rides, he got a call on his cellphone that reminded him why his career has become a roller coaster.

His height. Or lack of it.

``My agent called me and was like, `Hey, you're doing a heck of a job,' '' Vena recalled. `` `You've got some teams looking at you, but it's the same old thing. Everybody's worried about your size.' ''

Vena said he's 6 feet tall, ``or darn near close,'' hardly the stature of an ideal quarterback when teams are seeking someone 6-5 who can easily look over opposing linemen and throw laser-beam passes.

The criticism has motivated Vena, who believes he'll be on someone's roster next year in the Arena Football League, the parent league of the 4-year-old af2.

And Vena, who is 25 and was out of football only two years ago, has one answer for those who belittle him for his size.

``Just read the numbers,'' said Vena, who's listed at 220 pounds. ``I've lost what, five or six games the past two years? Come on. I don't care about the size thing. That's definitely a motivation, when I hear people on other teams call me short and whatever they want to say. It just makes me want to play that much harder.''

It's difficult to argue with the results. Vena is 25-6 as Albany's starter the past two seasons after going 30-12 in four seasons at Colgate University, a Division I-AA non-scholarship program.

That's a 55-18 record as a starter -- a .753 winning percentage.

Vena also put up eye-popping individual statistics this season, throwing 85 touchdown passes and establishing an af2 record with 4,452 passing yards. Known for his mobility, Vena also rushed for 174 yards and 17 TDs.

``He's definitely proven one thing -- he can play,'' Albany coach Pete Costanza said. ``You look at Ryan and he doesn't have that prototypical quarterback look. If he shows up at a workout, you'd think, `Is this guy joking?' But you have to be able to look (past) that appearance. There are a lot of guys that look like Tarzan and play like Jane.''

Costanza said that despite Vena's size, the quarterback has had only one pass batted down at the line of scrimmage this season.

Conquest receiver Corey Hill, who played with Vena at Colgate for three years, said it would be a ``travesty'' if the quarterback isn't playing at a higher level next year.

``Are we having a height-measuring contest, or are we playing football?'' said Hill, who rooms with Vena in a Troy apartment during the season. ``That's what amazes me the most about the entire game of football. It's transformed from what you do on the field to numbers and sizes.''

Hill said Vena has a poise in the huddle that rubs off on teammates.

Four times this season Vena has directed the Conquest to a game-winning touchdown with 15 seconds or less remaining.

``You can tell he's confident,'' Hill said. ``He's not a rah-rah guy. He's got that look in his eyes. And that's why the team takes to him.''

Vena said he gained confidence growing up near Denver as a die-hard fan of the NFL's Broncos. There he idolized quarterback John Elway, the master of the fourth-quarter comeback.

``I studied him a lot,'' Vena said. ``I kind of model my game after him. I can throw on the run and across the field. I can scramble when I need to. I don't have his height (6-3) and his cannon arm, but I know I have his heart, his desire, and his will to win.''

Vena said he developed his passion for football early in life.

Born in New Jersey, Vena sat on the couch as a toddler and watched NFL games with his father, Charlie, a Giants and Jets fan.

``When he was barely big enough to walk, I used to watch `Monday Night Football' and I'd get him all pumped up for the game,'' Charlie said. ``I'd prop him up along side of me. He didn't have a chance (of not liking football) from that start.''

His parents were divorced when he was 5, and Vena moved to Colorado with his mother, Jeanne.

Moving was difficult on Ryan, who saw his father only every summer on trips to New Jersey. But he maintained his love for his sport, and Vena began playing flag football at age 7 and tackle a year later.

He starred at Chatfield High School in Littleton, Colo., although he missed several games because of a broken ankle as a senior.

Vena and his father mailed out highlight tapes to dozens of colleges. He eventually chose Colgate over Hofstra because he thought he could get a superior education at the school in Hamilton.

The Red Raiders had a 12-game losing streak when Vena arrived. When they started 0-4 his freshman year, Vena wondered if he had made a mistake.

In a desperation move, Colgate coach Dick Biddle inserted Vena into the starting lineup, and the team won six of its remaining seven games. Vena captured the Patriot League Player of the Year Award, joining Georgia's Herschel Walker and Furman's Stanford Jennings as the only freshmen in Division I-A or I-AA history to win conference player of the year honors.

``We had lost 16 games in a row,'' Biddle said. ``We felt we had to make a change. (Vena) just made plays. He was very confident, but not a cocky person. When you talked to him, it was like talking to somebody your age.''

When his college career ended, Vena had won three Patriot League MVP awards and had guided the Red Raiders to two league titles and three NCAA playoff appearances. Biddle calls Vena the best player in Colgate history.

That didn't help him after he graduated because Vena was passed over by the NFL and Arena Football.

He played the 2000 season for Peoria (Ill.) and Erie (Pa.) in the now-defunct Indoor Football League, a former rival of af2. A year later, he left training camp with the af2's Norfolk Nighthawks when it was apparent he'd be no more than the third-string quarterback.

``I'm not a great practice player,'' Vena said. ``I'm a gamer.''

He sat out the 2001 season. Having moved to Holmdel, N.J., where he still lives in the off-season, Vena worked a series of jobs -- as a bartender, an insurance claims adjuster and a pizza delivery man -- to keep himself afloat.

``I didn't want to get any of those corporate jobs,'' said Vena, who is single and earns $200 a game, with a $50 bonus for each win. ``It was always in the back of my mind that I was going to play again.''

He got his break last year when Albany joined af2 as an expansion team. When former head coach Ron Selesky signed Hill to be his offensive specialist, Hill recommended Vena as a possibility at quarterback.

Vena started as the backup, but replaced a struggling John Krueger for good by the fifth game. Vena threw for 56 touchdowns and 3,041 yards in helping the Conquest to a 13-3 record in the regular season and the Northeast Division title. The Conquest lost to Cape Fear in the af2 playoff quarterfinals.

Still, Vena fielded only one offer from an AFL team -- to become Buffalo's third-string quarterback when Selesky was named coach there.

Instead, Vena returned to Albany to work on his game under Costanza, the new head coach. The move paid off.

Vena credits a better cast of receivers and an improved offensive line for his success. He also said he's making quicker decisions than a year ago.

``That's the key to this game,'' Vena said. ``You don't have a lot of time to throw and there's so little space in here that you have to get it there at the right time. My arm's gotten better and I'm making better decisions this year.''

It's hard to tell if that will lead to an opportunity in a better league.

Mike Dailey, head coach of the AFL's Colorado Crush, saw Vena play this season and said he was impressed. But like other coaches, Dailey isn't sure if Vena is big enough to play in the AFL.

``It's a concern,'' Dailey said. ``Does that shut the door on him completely? Probably not.''

Dailey said he's far from deciding whether to give Vena a shot in training camp. It would seem a natural fit, since Vena grew up in Colorado and the Crush is co-owned by Elway, his idol.

Vena insists, however, that thoughts of next season are only in the back of his mind. He is focusing on winning an af2 title.

``I wish God would have blessed me with a couple more inches, and that would have been great,'' he said. ``But I could be in a lot worse places and a lot worse position.''

CAPTION(S):

A DESPERATE DISHING OUT OF BIG DOUGH.(SPORTS) - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Byline: KAREN CROUSE

The story's as old as the Hollywood Hills. A fading member of the old guard lavishes cash and courtesies on the latest hot young thing, buying that which he no longer can effortlessly attract.

That could have been some gilded geezer's cologne we smelled Saturday around Dodger Stadium, so pungent was the scent of desperation. There certainly was nothing subtle about the doddering Dodgers' courtship of uber free agent Kevin Brown. That wasn't a romance they finally consummated, it was a conquest.

The Dodgers, on the rebound after a couple of very public rejections, went to absurd lengths to prove they haven't lost their appeal. They showered Brown, the right-handed ace of San Diego's World Series staff, with $105 million, a seventh season and a private plane for a dozen quick hops home to Macon, Ga.

Never mind that with the money they threw at him, Brown could buy his own corporate jet. Forget that he will be 40 years old in the final year of his contract, which is, like, 84 in pitching years.

Brown, 33, was able to demand the sun, the moon, the stars and a no-trade clause for pretty much the same reasons the latest hot young thing can extract diamonds from a sugar daddy. Brown had in the Dodgers a suitor with deep pockets and a deepening feeling of vulnerability.

The once-proud franchise had been spurned twice in the past few months alone, by manager Felipe Alou and left-handed pitcher Randy Johnson. There was no way the Dodgers could afford to strike out swinging at the negotiating table, no matter how much money it took.

Not if they wanted to save face.

Not if they wanted to stave off the annexation of the Southland by the Angels, who signed slugger Mo Vaughn and are pursuing a trade for pitcher Roger Clemens.

Not if Rupert Murdoch, whose Fox Group bought the team earlier this year, had any say in the matter.

In the end, ego drove the Dodgers where they had emphatically refused to tread in the early days of Fox's ownership. Five months after the team dealt catcher Mike Piazza to Florida rather than dignify his $100 million musings, the Dodgers locked Brown up for every penny of Piazza's asking price and more.

Say what you want about Piazza, whose seven-year, $91 million deal with the New York Mets all of a sudden seems pretty puny, but at least he is an everyday player. Brown will grace the mound every fourth or fifth game. All in all, not a bad way to go to earn so much dough.

We'll grant Brown this: He's a proven winner, having advanced to the World Series with his last two teams. That's more than can be said for Piazza, whose next postseason win will be his first. Brown is also a fiery leader in the clubhouse, a role Piazza was loath to assume.

The Dodgers will be a markedly better team with Brown in the short run. The team's staying power, however, will depend on the staying power of Brown's arm and therein lies the rub. General manager Kevin Malone was quick to point out that among pitchers in the '90s, Brown and Atlanta ace Greg Maddux have been the most durable.

His point was that Brown is blessed with a rubber arm. Our worry is that his arm is a ticking time bomb that could explode with his very next 97 mile-per-hour fastball.

The Dodgers are committed to paying Brown twice what National League champion San Diego doled out in players' salaries during its 1998 dream season. Brown collected $4.8 million in his only year with the Padres, who offered him $60 million over six years to stay awhile.

In October that figure would have been in the ballpark. Since then the fences have been stretched by baseball's haves to the point where the have-nots are starting to feel as though they're trapped in one of those fun houses with the distorted mirrors.

It's a little disorienting for everybody concerned to consider that in less time than it takes the average household to pick its Thanksgiving turkey carcass clean, the average yearly salary of the highest-paid player in baseball has jumped from $13 to $15 million. You'd have to go all the way back to Bob Beamon's 1968 Olympic effort to find a single leap that astounding.

Brown is not pro sports' first $100 million man. Five NBA players already have cracked that barrier. Not coincidentally, the NBA is in limbo right now, the players having been locked out by owners adamant about creating some sort of ceiling for the spiraling salaries. In 2002, that could be baseball.

John Moores, the Padres' majority owner, said the Dodgers' offer to Brown ``confirms my worst fears about what would happen if we let Murdoch buy the Dodgers.''

The worst fear of any Dodgers fan is that Brown will turn out to be like another pitcher, Don Gullett, who signed for big bucks as a free agent with the Yankees in 1977 and then hurt his arm and was out of baseball two years later.

ACC FOOTBALL REPORT.(SPORTS) - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

Byline: ED MILLER AND KYLE TUCKER

A weekly look around the ACC:

FLORIDA STATE: Coach Bobby Bowden will spend today at the funeral of his grandson and former son-in-law, who were killed Monday in an auto accident in Quincy, Fla.

From there, Bowden will fly directly to Miami, where the Seminoles will face Miami Friday night in a game postponed by Hurricane Frances.

Bowden said that over the years, he has counseled many players who lost loved ones. Now, he has a better understanding of what they were going through, he said.

'Somebody can't tell you how it feels when it hasn't happened to them,' he said. 'Now it's happened to me, and it's happened to some of my players in the past, and I believe I can sympathize a little bit more.'

Bowden's grandson, Bowden Madden, 15, and former son-in-law John Allen Madden, 45, were killed when their car was hit by a utility truck that was repairing outages caused by the hurricane.

GEORGIA TECH: Defensive end Eric Henderson, who missed the season opener against Samford, is listed as doubtful for Saturday's game at Clemson.

Henderson, an All-ACC selection who led the conference in sacks in 2003, is out with an injury that coach Chan Gailey has refused to disclose.

'Eric is a phenomenal player. He's essential to our defense,' linebacker Chris Reis told the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph. 'But we can do it without him.'

NORTH CAROLINA: Forgive the Tar Heels for opening with Division I-AA William and Mary last week. Starting with Virginia on Saturday, North Carolina faces eight consecutive teams that played in bowl games last year.

Carolina's next four opponents are ranked in the top 20, part of the reason its schedule is rated the fourth toughest in the nation by FoxSports.com.

For a team that finished 2-10 last year, this would seem to be a prescription for disaster. Quarterback Darian Durant is not looking at it that way.

'If we can go to Virginia and play well and win, then I think we'll be over that hump,' Durant said. 'Because we'll know what type of team we are. We'll know that we can beat anybody, instead of having speculation.'

N.C. STATE: Speaking of scheduling, the Wolfpack has an open date before hosting Ohio State on Sept. 18. It's the type of game coach Chuck Amato said he'll have to think hard about scheduling again, given the strength of the newly expanded ACC.

'Scheduling is the most important thing in our sport,' Amato said, adding that in conference play alone, 'You're going to be playing some bears.'

As to whether N.C. State will schedule another non-conference power like Ohio State, Amato said: 'We have to analyze that.'

The Wolfpack fell to Ohio State 44-38 in triple overtime last year.

WAKE FOREST: Junior running back Chris Barclay couldn't have done much more in his first two seasons with the Demon Deacons. He rushed for 21 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards. As a sophomore in 2003, Barclay led the ACC with 1,192 yards to go with 12 touchdowns.

Still, Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe thinks his star tailback doesn't always get the respect he should.

'I think he's somewhat underrated because of his size,' Grobe said of the 5-foot-10, 173-pound Barclay. 'But he's a pretty tough guy. He's not a big guy by any means, but he fights for tough yards.'

Barclay made a few believers in Wake Forest's opener against 16th-ranked Clemson. He ran 29 times for 179 yards, tops among ACC backs last week .

'He's small, but he runs straight down hill,' Clemson linebacker Leroy Hill told The State newspaper. 'He made a lot of people miss. We're going to have a lot of extra running after practice because of him.'

CLEMSON: The last time Wake Forest saw Chansi Stuckey, he was a freshman backing up Charlie Whitehurst at quarterback. Stuckey threw for 71 yards and two touchdowns against the Demon Deacons last season.

This year, in the season opener against Wake, Stuckey showed up earlier and a lot more often, just in different places. He's a receiver for the Tigers now and caught eight passes for 112 yards.

He also ran four times, breaking one for 14 yards, and blocked a punt for a safety. Stuckey narrowly missed blocking a second punt, then ran down the field and delivered a block that sprung a teammate's return for a score.

'He's special,' Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. 'Once he's got the ball in his hands, he just drives you crazy.'

MARYLAND: Ralph Friedgen knew it would take time to replace Scott McBrien, who was 21-6 as his starting quarterback. So he didn't flinch when Joel Statham struggled in his first career start against Northern Illinois.

Statham fumbled three times in the first quarter and later threw an interception. He went 12 for 23 for 169 yards.

'Joel obviously got off to a rough start,' Friedgen said. 'I went up to him to try to calm him down. He said, 'Coach, it can't get worse than this. I'm all right.' I said, 'You're right.' He's our quarterback. If I was going to change quarterbacks, I would have done it in the first three series. I have confidence in Joel.'

Luckily, Friedgen also has a pair of able running backs. Josh Allen and Sammy Maldonado combined for 186 rushing yards and two TDs to help the Terrapins narrowly avoid a second straight season-opening loss to Northern Illinois.

MIAMI: Make no mistake, it's still Florida State and Miami, a fierce rivalry with new conference title implications.

But after the 'Noles and 'Canes had to reschedule their epic opener because of Hurricane Frances, followed by the death of FSU coach Bobby Bowden's grandson, there may be some luster lost.

'I think it has,' Miami coach Larry Coker said. 'It really puts things in perspective. We feel for the Bowden family ? and all the homes lost. ? It gives us all a little bit of a reality check.'

Plus, the game is on a Friday night now, instead of the coveted Monday Night Football slot the game was scheduled to be played in. That's a downer for Coker .

'There was a lot of hesitation,' Coker said. 'We've had several requests to play on Friday night and we've declined them every time. High school football, it's our lifeblood, and I don't want to do anything to detract from high school football in the state of Florida.'

The Hurricanes, and no doubt Florida State, had invited several high school coaches and recruits to the game. But most high schools will be playing their own games Friday.

'It was going to be a big event,' Coker said.

DUKE: The Blue Devils lost their seventh season opener in nine years last Saturday against Navy.

They did it despite forcing three turnovers on the Midshipmen's first three possessions. Duke got just three points out of those miscues, then gave up 301 rushing yards to the Middies.

'Disgusted,' Duke coach Ted Roof said. 'We've got to be an opportunistic football team, and we didn't do that.'

Roof said the Blue Devils saw more than 1,700 reps in practice against Navy's triple-option offense. Despite seeing one of the Middies' plays 47 times, Roof said, it went for a big gain in the game anyway.

The Blue Devils are happy to be facing a more conventional offense this week against UConn. Or are they?

Huskies senior QB Dan Orlovsky threw for 382 yards and five TDs in their season opener. Against Navy, mainly a running team, Duke allowed 129 passing yards, including a critical 58-yard score.

CAPTION(S):

Friday

Florida State at Miami, 8 p.m., WVEC

Saturday

Duke at Connecticut, noon

W. Michigan at Va. Tech, noon

UNC at U.Va., 3:30 p.m., WVEC

Temple at Maryland, 6 p.m.

Wake Forest at ECU, 7 p.m.

Amazingly, Falcons treated like underdogs; GREEN BAY VS. ATLANTA; Despite 13-3 record and No. 1 seed in NFC, team of overachievers rarely given credit it deserves.(Sports) - The Seattle Times (Seattle, WA)

Byline: Michael A. Lough; The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Ovie Mughelli sat on the stool in front of his locker at Atlanta's practice facility and shook his head.

'I can't even turn on the TV without somebody saying that we're going to be the underdog,' said the Falcons fullback. 'What, 13-3 underdogs every single week? I think most people think we're going to be underdogs at home, again, this Saturday.'

But maybe it fits. Mughelli talked of being an underdog his whole life. Several of the Falcons' stars didn't play at BCS schools, such as Roddy White (Alabama-Birmingham), Michael Turner (Northern Illinois), Kroy Biermann (Montana) and Brent Grimes (Shippensburg), among others.

Mike Smith, the approachable and personable but intense head coach, had never been a coordinator before taking over in Atlanta, and he played college football at East Tennessee State, which dropped the sport in 2003.

The top seed in the NFC is perhaps the low seed at times when it comes to attention or, certainly with the Falcons' fan base, a perceived lack of attention. One recent message board offering called the Falcons the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL.

'I love it,' said Mughelli, who played at Wake Forest. 'I love being the underdog. I love not getting all the credit, and force them to respect you when you get on the field by your play.'

Even owner Arthur Blank understands why there are skeptics out there.

'It's only the fourth time in our history we've won our division,' he said. 'Only the second time in our history we've been the No. 1 seed.'

And that history started with a 3-11 debut season in 1966 and includes now only 10 trips to the postseason and finally consecutive winning seasons, the current three-in-a-row run.

Fan perception aside, the Falcons are among the most respected teams in the NFL. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had a league-high seven selections to the Pro Bowl.

Of course, those seven will be busy this weekend in chilly Atlanta as Green Bay comes to town in the NFC divisional playoff game Saturday night in the Georgia Dome.

As it is, the Falcons are 2-1/2-point favorites, while two of the other three home teams remaining -- Chicago and New England -- are favored by around 10. Pittsburgh is a three-point favorite over Baltimore.

But the Falcons haven't won big or pretty this season, and the rematch with the Packers is certainly one they could lose, even at home, where they're 20-4 over the past four seasons and 21-2 when quarterback Matt Ryan starts in the Georgia Dome.

NOTE

* Falcons cornerback Brian Williams is listed as doubtful with an injured left knee for the divisional game against Green Bay.

ALL-CNY SOCCER; The All-Central New York soccer teams were selected by a panel of Section III coaches.(SERIES: 2011 FALL SPORTS ALL-CNY EDITION)(Sports) - The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY)

CAPTION(S):

PHOTO

Photo by Mike Greenlar / The Post-Standard

GIRLS

FRONT ROW

Eva Gordon

CBA, Sophomore, forward

Season statistics: 18 goals, 3 assists.

Strangest moment: When we had a history lesson from our coach before practice that lasted 45 minutes.

Emma Firenze

Baldwinsville, Junior, forward

Season statistics: 20 goals, 12 assists.

Best moment: Team dinners and dying our hair red.

Kelly Ristoff

Westhill, Senior, midfield

What's next: Siena College to play D-I soccer.

Season statistics: 14 goals, 4 assists.

Prized possession: My stuffed animal dog Sammy.

Kathryn Busa

Marcellus, Senior, midfield

What's next: play soccer at Hobart and William Smith

Season statistics: 12 goals, 12 assists

Strangest moment of the season: The day we had to go out and practice in the snow in late October. A few of us were singing Christmas songs and making snow angels, and others were just not very happy to be practicing in the snow.

Erika Falinski

C-NS, Senior, center defense.

What's next: Soccer at Canisius College and studying athletic training. Go Griffs!

Season statistics: 9 goals, 3 assists.

Describe your style of play: Aggressive, fast, strong in the air, and always looking for teammates.

Jackie Firenze

Baldwinsville, Senior, center midfield.

What's next: Syracuse University to play soccer.

Season statistics: 11 goals 9 assists.

Best moment: Spending time with the seniors, made best friends, 'The Crew.'

Michelle Wiese

CBA, Senior, center midfield

What's next: Playing soccer at Villanova University.

Season statistics: 13 goals, 5 assists.

Best moment: Beating B'ville in sectionals to advance to the sectional championships because we weren't favored to win the game.

Taylor Haenlin

Lowville, Senior, forward

What's next: Syracuse University to play soccer. I plan on studying physical therapy.

Season statistics: 28 goals, 26 assists.

What's your prized possession: Our team sectional banner!

BACK ROW

Tori Corsaro

Liverpool, Senior, goalkeeper

Season statistics: 87 saves, .888 save percentage, 10 shutouts.

Prized possession: My tape ball!

Maddy Devereaux

Jamesville DeWitt, Junior, midfield

Season statistics: 13 goals, 9 assists.

Prized possession: My flashy yellow cleats. They were really bright.

Jessica Renee Holmes

Jamesville-DeWitt, Junior, forward

Season statistics: 18 goals, 19 assists.

Describe your style of play: I use my speed to combine with the midfielders and take people on up top.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kim Murphy

Liverpool, Senior, forward

What's next: Going to college and playing soccer at Mercer University in Macon, Ga. I plan to study pharmacy.

Season statistics: 20 goals, 13 assists.

Pre-game ritual: Before every game I had a pickle and I would eat an energy shot.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Kevin McGrane

Liverpool

Season record: 16-3-1

Career record: 53-17-5

Most distinct characteristic: I'm very competitive

How I get things done: I like to bring a fun, competitive atmosphere to practices and games. The girls know what is expected of them and they go out and execute it in practices and games.

Kayla Whalen

Liverpool, Senior, defense

Season statistics: 3 goals, 3 assists.

What was the strangest moment of the season: When the bus driver took a pit stop. I thought it was a non-stop ride home.

Jessica Anne Riggall

Tully, Senior, forward.

Season statistics: 29 goals and 7 assists.

Prized possession: My family, and all of my supporters throughout my years of playing sports.

Erin O'Connor

Remsen, Junior, forward

Season statistics: 43 goals 17 assists.

Pre-game ritual: Always have to listen to Drake, and I always have to have my hair braided in some sort of way.

Tessa Devereaux

Jamesville-DeWitt, Senior, midfield

What's next: Playing soccer at Stony Brook.

Season statistics: 31 goals, 13 assists.

Pre-game ritual: Team warmup CD to get in the zone, and a ritual in the corner of our field.

BOYS

Dennis Nett / The Post-Standard

COACH OF THE YEAR

Brian J. Latella, Hamilton Central

2010 record: 20-3-0

Career record: 136-34-14

Most memorable win this season: Well, how can it not be the 1-0 win in the state championship game vs. Chazy?

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

Benjamin Ramin

Baldwinsville, Senior, forward

Season statistics: 16 goals, 8 assists

Describe your style of play: Joga Bonito. Beautiful Game.

Alex Bono

Baldwinsville, Senior, goalkeeper

What's next: Syracuse University.

Pre-game ritual: Listening to Frank Sinatra, the theme from 'New York, New York' and Gerry and The Pacemakers 'You'll Never Walk Alone'

Drew Thompson

Hamilton, Senior, midfield/forward

What's next: Colgate University

Season statistics: 18 goals, 9 assists.

Best moment of the season: Scoring the game-winning goal in the sectional finals, because apparently the team we were playing was supposed to win states.

Michael Schneider

Liverpool, Senior, midfield/forward

Best moment of the season: Senior Night against West Genesee. This was the best moment because it was the last time the other seniors and I would play together at home. I also scored a memorable goal from 36 yards out.

Describe your style of play: Aggressive and physical style with high intensity.

Anthony Scaravillo

Westhill, Senior, forward.

Season statistics: 31 goals, 9 assists.

Strangest moment of the season: The talks I would have with Barak Ben Yehuda before or after the games because they were always really weird and generally irrelevant to anything happening at the time.

Stefanos Stamoulacatos

West Genesee, Senior, forward

What's next: Syracuse University in the fall and playing soccer there.

Season statistics: 14 goals, 8 assists.

Describe your style of play: I play with flare. I try to create opportunities for my teammates and that's how I provide for my team.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Tyler Forbes

Fayetteville-Manlius, Senior, forward

What's next: Playing soccer at Colgate University as an economics major.

Season statistics: 22 goals, 8 assists.

Strangest moment of the season: Realizing that our team had not lost a game all season, but we were not going on to the state tournament (eliminated on penalty kicks). It was strange not being able to keep playing without losing.

Michael Zazzara

Fayetteville-Manlius, Senior, left defender

What's next: Applied early decision to Cornell.

Season statistics: 1 goal, 3 assists.

Best moment of the season: Playing in our first game on the turf. The FM community has spent so much time and money building the field that it was awesome to be able to play there.

Logan Roberts

Cicero-North Syracuse, Senior, midfield/forward

What's next: Playing soccer at Binghamton University.

Season statistics: 10 goals, 11 assists.

Describe your style of play: Pass first, try to use speed and skill, do whatever I can to help win the game

Manny Collins

CBA, Senior, forward

Season statistics: 14 goals, 4 assists.

What's your prized possession: 'News Channel 9/Nice and Easy grocery shop Athlete of the Week.'

Darren Cooper

CNS, Senior, forward/mid

Strangest moment of the season: Losing to Baldwinsville in PKs.

Pre-game ritual: Music (Drake), and a good healthy meal.

Jimmy Fazio

Jamesville DeWitt, Senior, midfield

What's next: Collegiate soccer at Binghamton University.

Season statistics: 11 goals, 8 assists.

Strangest moment of the season: Before every game when we did that 'ba-ba-ba' chant, because it's just embarrassing.

Adam Lauko

Baldwinsville, Senior, defense

What's next: Playing soccer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and studying biochemistry.

Best moment of the season: Winning the sectional championship because we completed the five-peat and I have now won it every year of my high-school career

Irfan Tihic

East Syracuse Minoa, Junior, left back

Season statistics: 4 goals, 1 assist.

Pre-game ritual: What I usually do before a game is text my girlfriend, and she always tells me good luck. I also grab something to eat and usually just relax for a bit and get focused.

A.M. Briefing.(Sports) - The Seattle Times (Seattle, WA)

Byline: Seattle Times news services

Soccer

Dempsey proves his point

Texan Clint Dempsey has 10 goals for Fulham in the English Premier League this season and is shattering the image of the United States as a nation still searching for a top scorer.

'Being an American, I think you have a little bit of a chip on your shoulder because there's a point to prove,' the 28-year-old Dempsey said as the U.S. team prepared for Wednesday's exhibition match against Italy in Genoa.

'I guess you'll kind of feel that way until maybe you're doing better as a country as far as going further in World Cups or you have Americans who are playing on the biggest teams in the world.'

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann, one of the top forwards in World Cup history as a player for Germany, said, 'It's a huge weapon that we have with him because of his vision on the field, because of his sharpness, his one-against-one skills. I'm going to push him.'

NHL

Canucks lose in shootout

The league-leading Vancouver Canucks lost to the Pacific Division-leading Phoenix Coyotes 2-1 in a shootout.

Alexander Edler scored for the Canucks.

Vancouver's Cory Schneider made 34 saves but allowed host Phoenix to score two times in three shootout attempts.

Golf

Woods' agent rips book

The agent for Tiger Woods lashed out against Hank Haney's book, saying Haney's 'armchair psychology' was 'ridiculous' and that Woods' former swing coach only cares about self-promotion.

Haney's book about his six years as Woods' coach is titled, 'The Big Miss.'

Mark Steinberg, Woods' agent at Excel Sports Management, said in a statement book excerpts show Haney's claim of the book being about golf is 'clearly false.'

The book was written with help from Jaime Diaz and is to go on sale March 27, the week before the Masters.

'The disruptive timing of this book shows that Haney's self-promotion is more important to him than any other person or tournament,' Steinberg said. 'What's been written violates the trust between a coach and player and someone also once considered a friend.'

Trump to purchase Doral

Famed real-estate developer Donald Trump is buying Doral Hotel & Country Club, home of the Blue Monster course and host to numerous pro tournaments over the years, for $150 million.

Doral, a property in Miami, has been in bankruptcy for about a year.

College football

Big 12 to get buyout money

Texas A&M and Missouri will give up a combined $25.3 million as part of an agreement to leave the Big 12 Conference for the Southeastern Conference on July 1.

Texas Tech coach is sued

Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville, 57, has been sued in federal court, accused of defrauding investors out of more than $1.7 million in Alabama after his tenure at Auburn.

Tuberville, John David Stroud and eight investment entities are listed as defendants in a suit filed by seven plaintiffs.

NCAA suspends linebacker

Linebacker D.J. Green of North Carolina State said the NCAA suspended him for the 2012 season after he tested positive for a banned substance he did not identify.

The sophomore said he was trying to gain weight during the offseason and took a supplement given to him by someone from his hometown of Macon, Ga.

Elsewhere

* Floyd Mayweather Jr. (42-0) and Miguel Cotto (37-2) were in New York for a news conference to promote their May 5 fight for the WBA super-welterweight title in Las Vegas. But there seemed to be more interest in a hypothetical bout between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather made it clear whether they meet in the ring depends on the money.

'Just by speaking to Pacquiao on the phone, I mean, he's not one of the sharpest knives in the drawer,' Mayweather said. 'He faces Floyd Mayweather, he's not getting 50-50. Not at all. No one is getting 50-50.'

Mayweather is to begin a 90-day jail sentence June 1. The punishment stems from a domestic-violence case.

* The WBC suspended British heavyweight Dereck Chisora indefinitely for his brawl with former WBA champion David Haye at a news conference after Chisora's title-fight loss to Vitali Klitschko of Ukraine on Feb. 18 in Germany.

* Gambling website Bodog was shut down and four Canadians indicted, including founder Calvin Ayre, for illegal gambling that generated more than $100 million in winnings, federal prosecutors announced.

The website's domain name was seized Monday and the indictments, which were returned last week, were unveiled Tuesday in Baltimore, prosecutors said. The indictments follow federal prosecutions last year of three of the biggest websites involved in online poker.

* Algorithms, who was among the early favorites for the May 5 Kentucky Derby in Louisville, is off the Triple Crown trail because of an injury to his right-front leg that will require surgery, trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Seattle Times news services

CAPTION(S):

Clint Dempsey (0413067082)

SPORTS LOG - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

Basketball

Bryant diagnosed with a concussion

The Lakers said Kobe Bryant saw a neurologist yesterday and hediagnosed the All-Star guard with a concussion from the broken nosehe suffered in Sunday's All-Star Game when he was fouled by theHeat's Dwyane Wade. Bryant will see Dr. Vern Williams again today,and his status for tonight's home game against Minnesota is unknown.

Wade, who was criticized for the foul, said he has apologized toBryant multiple times, first during the game and afterward when hesent him a message . . . Lamar Odom wasn't with the Mavericks fortheir first game after the All-Star break last night, and wasexpected to miss at least one more game after that. Odom missed theprevious game, Wednesday night before the break, against his formerteam, the Lakers. Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said then that Odomwas excused for a family matter and would rejoin the team after thebreak. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, without being specific on thereason for Odom's absence, said the team will do everything it canto support him and get him back. Cuban also denied speculation abouta possible buyout of Odom's contract.

Boxing

Mayweather slams Pacquiao again

Floyd Mayweather Jr. took time out from his news conference inNew York to promote his May 5 fight with Miguel Cotto in Las Vegasto talk about the fight that's not happening - a matchup againstManny Pacquiao. Mayweather made it clear that the fight is about themoney. 'Just by speaking to Pacquiao on the phone, I mean, he's notone of the sharpest knives in the drawer,' Mayweather said. WhileMayweather urged Pacquiao to 'take the test,' a reference to hisdemand for random drug testing, the payout appears to be the realsore point between Mayweather on one side, and Pacquiao and Top Rankpromoter Bob Arum on the other . . . The WBC suspended Britain'sDereck Chisora indefinitely following his Feb. 18 brawl with formerWBA champion David Haye at a news conference after Chisora lost atitle fight against Vitali Klitschko in Germany.

Colleges

Aggies, Missouri to pay for Big 12 exit

Texas A&M and Missouri have agreed to pay $12.4 million each toleave the Big 12 and join the Southeastern Conference in July. TexasA&M will receive unspecified benefits from the Big 12's newtelevision contract with Fox Sports. Missouri waived any claims torevenue from the TV deal, which takes effect in July, and agreed topay the Big 12 another $500,000 to cover officiating expenses for2011-12 . . . The Amherst women's basketball team remained No. 1 inthe USA Today/ESPN Division 3 Top 25 Coaches poll and Babson movedup two spots to No. 11. Amherst is 27-0. In Division 2, Bentley (24-3) held steady at No. 6 . . . Division 2 powers Bentley andMerrimack will face off in the third New England Lacrosse Classic atGillette Stadium April 21. In the second game, UMass will playHofstra. It will be the second lacrosse doubleheader hosted byGillette. In the women's doubleheader March 31, Northwestern willplay Ohio State and Syracuse will play Harvard. Information isavailable at www.gillettestadiumlacrosse.com.

Tuberville accused of investment fraud

Texas Tech football coach Tommy Tuberville has been sued infederal court, accused of defrauding investors out of more than $1.7million in Alabama following his coaching tenure at Auburn. Afederal lawsuit filed in US District Court in Montgomery, Ala.,names Tuberville, John David Stroud, and eight investment entitiesas defendants, claiming the two men 'employed devices, schemes, andartifices to defraud' seven plaintiffs from Arkansas, Alabama, andTennessee . . . North Carolina State linebacker D.J. Green says theNCAA has suspended him for the season after he tested positive forusing an unnamed banned substance. Green apologized in a statement.He says he took a supplement given to him by someone from hishometown in Macon, Ga., to gain weight.

Miscellany

No Triple Crown races for Algorithms

Trainer Todd Pletcher said Kentucky Derby hopeful Algorithms isoff the Triple Crown trail because of a leg injury that will requiresurgery. Algorithms was the morning-line favorite for the Fountainof Youth Stakes last weekend at Gulfstream Park. He was scratchedbefore the race with a splint bone injury to his right front leg. X-rays revealed a fracture . . . Canadiens great Jean Beliveau had astroke for the second time in two years and is being treated at ahospital. The 80-year-old Hall of Famer was stricken Monday nightand is 'undergoing active investigation and treatments' in Montreal,the Canadiens said . . . Roger Federer brushed aside Michael Llodra,6-0, 7-6 (8-6), to reach the second round of the DubaiChampionships. Andy Murray beat qualifier Michael Berrer, 6-3, 4-6,6-4 . . . Top-seeded John Isner outlasted Jesse Levine, 6-4, 7-5 (17-15), in their first-round match at the Delray Beach InternationalChampionships . . . Tiger Woods's agent lashed out against HankHaney's book, saying his 'armchair psychology' about Woods was'ridiculous.' Haney's book about his six years as Woods's swingcoach is titled, 'The Big Miss.' It is to go on sale March 27, aweek before the Masters . . . Donald Trump is buying the Doral Hotel& Country Club, home of the Blue Monster golf course and host tonumerous pro tournaments, for $150 million.

Sports briefs - Deseret News (Salt Lake City)

Cycling

HAMILTON SUSPENDED: Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton wassuspended Monday from competitive cycling for two years for a blood-doping violation discovered at a race in September.

He can return to competition April 17, 2007, but he forfeits allcompetitive results since Sept. 11, 2004.

The positive test occurred the month after Hamilton won the timetrial at the Athens Olympics. Hamilton first tested positive inAthens, but that case was dropped after his backup sample was frozen.The Russian Olympic Committee filed an appeal with the Court ofArbitration for Sport seeking to strip Hamilton of his gold medal andgive it to Vyacheslav Ekimov.

Football

PLAYER REMEMBERED: Dozens of athletes and politicians were amongthe crowd of about 1,900 Monday in Macon, Ga., at the funeral of AlLucas, the lineman who died during an Arena Football League game andwas remembered as a person who 'taught us the fundamentals about lifeand playing.'

'When the old die, there's a sense they lived their time,' theRev. Jesse Jackson said. 'For Al, middle age was 13.' Lucas, whoplayed for the Los Angeles Avengers, was a former NFL player in histhird year in the Arena league. He died at 26 on April 10 aftertrying to tackle a New York Dragons kick returner.

Autopsy results were still pending Monday, the coroner's officesaid.The Avengers say Lucas died from a 'presumed spinal cordinjury.'

Hockey

GOMEZ HURT: New Jersey center Scott Gomez will be sidelined up toa month with a hairline fracture in his pelvic area, Devils presidentLou Lamoriello said Monday. Gomez was hurt after he got blindsidedwhile playing for the Alaska Aces of the ECHL in a playoff gameSaturday night in Bakersfield, Calif. The ECHL suspended Bakersfieldright wing Ashlee Langdone for the hit, pending further review.Gomez, 25, twice has won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Devils.He's a former NHL Rookie of the Year and an All-Star and skated forTeam USA in the World Cup.

College basketball

DOHERTY HIRED: Matt Doherty was hired as Florida Atlantic'sbasketball coach Monday, starting over two years after he resigned ascoach of North Carolina. Doherty, a former national coach of theyear, replaces Sidney Green, who was fired last month after threeconsecutive losing seasons, including a 10-17 mark this year.

Doherty worked as a broadcaster and businessman after leavingcoaching. He now joins a school in the Atlantic Sun Conference, along way from the Tar Heels and the Atlantic Coast Conference.

BUCS MAKE HISTORY IN ATLANTIC SUN ALL-SPORTS RACES; WIN FIFTH STRAIGHT BILL BIBB TROPHY - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

MACON, Ga., April 25 -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news release:

With six top-five finishes in the Atlantic Sun Conference Spring Championship season, ETSU clinched its fifth-straight Bill Bibb Trophy announced the conference office on Monday.

The Buccaneers earned conference titles in men's and women's tennis and finished strong with top-five finishes in both golf and track & field championships to push their 2010-11 points total to 328.5. UNF with 285 points leads Kennesaw State (271.5), Campbell (255) and Jacksonville (226.5) in the battle to finish in second place with two championships (softball & baseball) remaining.

The Bucs also sealed the men's all-sports race for the Jesse C. Fletcher trophy amassing 166.5 points with two conference titles. Campbell, Kennesaw State and UNF fall in line behind ETSU in a battle for runner-up with the Camels leading the way with 126, while the Owls and Ospreys sit at 124.5. The final baseball standings account for the last opportunity for points.

ETSU has won the Jesse C. Fletcher trophy six seasons in a row after joining the conference in 2005. The Buccaneers' six-year streak surpasses former member, Georgia Southern (1987-91), for the longest streak in conference history. The six Fletcher trophies ties ETSU with UCF for second most all-time and puts them one behind Georgia Southern for the league record.

On the women's side, Jacksonville's two conference championships in track & field this year secured the Sherman Day Trophy for the Dolphins as their softball team can finish no worse than a tie for second place. Jacksonville's 165-point total became inflated in the spring season when the Dolphins won the track & field competition and finished sixth and seventh in tennis and golf, respectively.

ETSU and UNF currently claim second and third place at 162 and 160.5 points with only softball remaining, while Kennesaw State (147), Campbell (129) and FGCU (129) round out the top-five. With the clinched title, Jacksonville earned their third Sherman Day Trophy in the past four seasons after finishing as the runner-up to the Owls last year. The Dolphins join FIU for third-most Day Trophies behind Georgia State (8) and UCF (7).

FGCU, ETSU and Kennesaw State share the year-long lead for most team championships with three just ahead of Jacksonville and UNF with two.

The Eagles sit in sixth place in the all-sports standings with 208.5 points ahead of Belmont (207), Lipscomb (189), Mercer (184.5), USC Upstate (174) and Stetson (166.5).

Sports Editor Helped To Lay Groundwork For Integration Into Baseball - New Pittsburgh Courier

Sports Editor Helped To Lay Groundwork For Integration Into Baseball

By TIM LACY

For New Pittsburgh Courier

When Jackie Robinson took the field Brooklyn Dodger uniform 50 years ago--the first Black man to play in the all-white major league--the African-American's sports editor, Sam Lacy was there.

Just three days earlier, the Afro's headlines had read, 'Brooklyn Signs Jackie Robinson Dodgers Pick Star for Utility Position; Branch Rickey Confirms Afro Report of Two Weeks Ago.'

April 15, 1947 was the fruit of a quest started by Lacy some 11 years earlier. In 1936, Lacy approached Washington Senators' owner Clark Griffith with the argument that there was as much talent in the Negro Leagues as there was in the white major leagues.

He was dismissed by Griffith who said, 'Southern-born major leaguers wouldn't play with Black players and there would be clashes on the field.' None the less Lacy continued on his quest alone.

While working for the Chicago Defender from 1940 to 1943, Lacy started a letter-writing campaign to major league owners. After much persistence, they eventually agreed to meet with him. But the Defender decided to send actor and political activist Paul Robeson to the meeting instead. While Robeson was a very visible figure, Lacy was angered by the choice because the actor lacked any real understand of the specific nuances of the situation.

Lacy ultimately returned to the Afro and with the assistance of publisher Carl Murphy, a meeting was arranged between Lacy, Larry MacPhail of the Yankees and Branch Rickey of the Dodgers. MacPhail failed to show up, so Lacy and Rickey met privately. The proposal offered by the Afro was that the Negro Leagues be used as a fourth Triple-A league that would provide players to major league teams.

While they arrived at no final resolution from that meeting, it was here that the idea of the 'great experiment' was born.

After much evaluation and discussions about the Negro leaguer who was most suited to carry the torch, Lacy and Wendel Smith of the Pittsburgh Courier (another key advocate for the integration of baseball) mutually agreed on Robinson.

Robinson was not only chosen for his obvious athletic ability because there were over players who were athletically superior. He was chosen because possessed some essential qualities: He had played on integrated teams while a student at UCLA; he had been an officer in the Army and he had the temperament to handle what would be a volatile and racist situation.

On that April day, Robinson made history when he took the field in Dodger Stadium. Lacy meanwhile was watching, having been assigned by his publisher to closely follow Robinson for the first three years of his career. The experience was filled with its share of obstacles because of racism and the legal enforcement of Jim Crow laws.

In the early days Robinson and Lacy would sometimes find themselves locked out of the stadium and would be forced to circle it looking for a loose board in the fence under which they could crawl. In Deland, Fla., the sheriff came out onto the field and broke up the game. At a Macon, Ga. boarding house, Lacy and Robinson woke up to find a cross had been burned on the lawn. At Pelican Stadium, Lacy was refused admission to the press box. Taking a folding chair to the roof, he was soon joined by other writers under the pretext that they were working on their tans.

Lacy's stories about how Robinson played are gems to read. And 50 years from that opening day, Lacy at age 93, is still going strong. He makes the nearly one-hour drive from his residence in Washington, D.C., to the Baltimore, Md., office of the Afro, three days a week. His column is still widely read.

MADDEN STARTS OVER IN THE AHL; LIVERPOOL GOALIE CONTINUES HIS HOCKEY CAREER AS BACKUP ON MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS.(Sports)(Column) - The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY)

Byline: Lindsay Kramer Staff writer

From the vantage point of Macon, Ga., Chris Madden could start to see the end of his career taking shape last year.

He didn't like that view, so he looked for a new perspective. He's found one in Milwaukee.

A year after his playing days seemed to be grinding to a halt in the East Coast Hockey League, Madden, a goalie from Liverpool, is once again sneering at the odds. He's found a home as a backup with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, once again continuing a career that seems to be chugging along on a year-by-year basis.

'If you give up, then that's it. You have to find something else to do,' said Madden, 23. 'I've never had anything else I was interested in. If somebody wants to tell you you can't play somewhere, the thing you want to do is turn it around.'

By this point, Madden should be dizzied by the sport's revolutions. He was drafted by Carolina in the fourth round of the 1998 draft but never reached contract terms with that team. He turned in a decent 2000-01 season with Hamilton of the AHL - 3.12 goals-against, .909

save percentage - but was stuck behind a couple of prospects and was easily discarded at the end of that season.

Madden dropped down to the Macon Whoopee of the ECHL last season, where he went 20-24-7 with a 2.90 goals-against and a .913 save percentage.

'I had a bad day here and there, but you can't just go there and count the days. You have to have a little fun,' Madden said. 'There's still some plusses in it (the ECHL). Last year was almost a 40-shot night every night. That helps out, too.'

At least a few people must have noticed. There is a glut of quality pro goalies on the market these days, so Madden had little leverage. But Nashville was looking for some depth on its affiliate in Milwaukee, so it invested in Madden.

But how much Madden gets to play is another issue. Milwaukee is riding starter Jan Lasak pretty hard. Madden has played in only four games, with a 2.50 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.

'I haven't gotten much ice time here so far, but I think that will change,' Madden said. 'Being here, working in practice every day, has been good so far. This year, I am happy to be going in the right direction.'

Morrisville coach searches

to find championship form

The smartest thing Morrisville College hockey players might do on their Thanksgiving break would be to skip their extra helpings of gluttony.

Mustangs coach Earl Utter sent them on their way with stern words. Utter was greatly peeved by his team's 4-3 loss to Erie Community College Friday, a game in which Morrisville gave up two short-handed goals.

Utter said his team got away from its system, one that ideally demands the Mustangs outwork their opponent from the start and then use their speed, skill and conditioning to take over late. Utter vowed that his players would return to basics in their post-vacation practices.

'We didn't hit (against Erie). If you don't get in there and control lanes and win one-on-one battles, you're not going to win,' Utter said. 'When we come back from Thanksgiving break, guys are going to get whipped into shape again. It's not going to be a comfortable week.'

The rantings of a demanding coach? Perhaps. But most instructive about the ire is that the loss was Morrisville's first of the year following a 6-0 start. Such are the standards when you are coming off an NJCAA championship, as are the Mustangs.

Utter has 16 returners from that title team, so Morrisville should know a thing or two about what it takes to win. But Utter is still antsy. He's waiting for leadership to emerge, a force that compels players to forgo freelancing in favor of the unglamorous grudge work.

Overall, Utter thinks his team has been playing 'sporadically.'

'A little bit of that is guys saying, 'Yeah, that system works but I want to try to do something else,'' Utter said. 'They haven't totally bought into the system yet. Every once in awhile they want to do their own thing. I see this team as probably the most talented team we've had. If we can come up with the leadership we need, I think we can do some good things.'

SPORTS TIME; 2004 PIONEER BOWL IS SET AND AUBURN VS GEORGIA...THE HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN - Columbus Times

Columbus Times
11-17-2004
The pairings for the 2004 Pioneer Bowl, which will be played this year in
Mobile Alabama, are set. It will be SIAC Conference Champion Tuskegee
Golden Tigers facing off against the CIAA Champion Shaw University Bears.

Tuskegee has been a perennial power in the SIAC while the Bears captured
their very first CIAA crown.

The Pioneer Bowl is the only Division II Bowl game for Historically Black
Colleges. Kick-off is scheduled for 1:00pm December 4th at Ladd Peebles
Stadium in Mobile.

Meanwhile, what a fantastic Fountain City Classic we got the opportunity to
witness this past Saturday. The Golden Rams of Albany State held on to
defeat their arch-rival the Wildcats of Fort Valley State 20-to-19. Fort
Valley missed an extra point attempt that would have tied the game with
about a minute left on the clock.

The win enabled the Rams to finish the season with a perfect 10-0 record.
They earned a first round bye in the Division II playoffs and will host the
winner of the Catawba-Arkansas Tech game on Saturday November 20th at the
Albany Municipal Stadium.

And the hottest ticket in the area right now has to be for the annual
showdown between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Auburn Tigers. Auburn is
ranked number three in the nation while the Dawgs come in at number eight.
Its been a while since the two teams met this highly ranked.

Auburn is a slight favorite for the big match-up which will be televised on
the local CBS affiliate WRBL beginning at 3:30p.m. this Saturday

Prediction:

Georgia - 28 Auburn - 21

Black College Football Schedule:

NC A&T @ Hampton - 1:00pm

Benedict @ Tuskegee - 1:00pm

Alcorn State @ Alabama A&M - 1:30pm

Mississippi Valley @ Alabama St. - 1:30pm

Texas Southern @ Southern - 7:00pm

Howard @ Bethune Cookman - 4:00pm

Jackson St. @ Prairie View - 3:00pm

Tennessee St. @ Eastern Kentucky - 12:30pm

Morgan St. @ S.C. State - 1:30pm

Grambling @ Savannah St. - 1:30pm

High School Football Playoff Predictions:

Pacelli - 45 Savannah Country Day - 14

Shaw-28 Cairo-21 (WOKS Radio 7:30 Friday)

Central - 35 Murphy-10 (WEAM Radio 8:00pm Friday)

COLUMBUS STATE TO HOST DRAGONS PRESEASON GAME NOVEMBER 16

Columbus State University and the Columbus Riverdragons will host a
basketball doubleheader on Tuesday, November 16th at the Frank G. Lumpkin
Center, featuring the CSU Lady Cougars season opener against Clark Atlanta
at 6:00 p.m. followed by the Dragons preseason game versus the Florida
Flame at 8:15 p.m..

Tickets for this special event are priced at $5 for general admission and
$3 for all non-CSU students with a valid student ID. All CSU students,
faculty, and staff showing their CSU ID receive free admission. To purchase
tickets for the basketball doubleheader, visit the Columbus State
University Athletics ticket office located at the Lumpkin Center or call
(706) 568-2204. This event marks the second time that Columbus State has
hosted a Riverdragons preseason game. The Dragons defeated the Greenville
Groove, 71-62, in a preseason match-up at the Lumpkin Center on November 9,
2002.

The opening game of the doubleheader features the CSU Lady Cougars taking
on regional foe, Clark Atlanta University. CSU Head Coach Jay Sparks
returns three starters and four letter winners from a team that finished
11-17 a year ago. The Lady Cougars will look to jumpstart their rise back
to the top of the Peach Belt Conference against a Lady Panthers squad that
finished 22-5 last season.

The NBDL preseason contest will feature a coaching matchup of two former
NBA stars in Dragons Head Coach Jeff Malone and Flame Head Coach Dennis
Johnson. Malone was a two-time NBA All-Star (1986, '87) during a 13-year
career which saw the Macon, Ga. native score over 17,000 points for the
Washington Bullets, Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami Heat. Johnson
joins the Flame staff after an extensive career with the NBA, both as a
player and coach. During his playing days with the Seattle Supersonics,
Phoenix Suns, and Boston Celtics, Johnson claimed three NBA championships
as well as other various awards and honors. Named to nine consecutive
All-Defensive Teams (1979-87), Johnson was also a five-time NBA All-Star
selection (1979-82, '85).

The NBDL includes the Fayetteville Patriots (N.C.), Florida Flame (Ft.
Myers), Huntsville Flight (Ala.), Roanoke Dazzle (Va.), Columbus
Riverdragons (Ga.) and Asheville Altitude (N.C.).

The league offers players the opportunity to develop their talent in a
highly competitive atmosphere under the NBA's umbrella. In addition to the
28 players, nine former NBDL coaches and five athletic trainers have been
called up since the start of the league's inaugural season in November
2001.

Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and
internationally, the league also offers fun, family entertainment at
affordable prices. The NBDL is a source of on-court talent for the NBA's 30
teams and is a diverse human resources pool for the NBA and its teams by
training employees in management, operations, public relations, sales and
marketing positions.

The Riverdragons open their 2004-05 regular season schedule on Saturday,
November 20 versus the Huntsville Flight at the Columbus Civic Center. For
more information, log on to www.columbusriverdragons.com or contact
Riverdragons Media Relations Manager Tim Becwar at (706) 225-1104, or
tbecwar@nba.com.

Article copyright The Columbus Times.
V.47;

FINISH LINE.(Sports) - Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)

COLLEGES

Coaching legend Gaines, 81, dies after a stroke

Clarence 'Big House' Gaines, one of college basketball's winningest coaches during his 47 seasons at Winston-Salem (N.C.) State, died Monday, his daughter said. He was 81.

Gaines entered a Winston-Salem hospital Friday with heart-related difficulties, WRAZ-TV at Raleigh, N.C., reported. He was released Saturday but had a stroke and returned to the hospital.

Lisa Gaines McDonald told The Associated Press her father died at 9:10 p.m. EDT, possibly from complications related to the stroke.

The Paducah, Ky., native retired in 1993 after 47 seasons at NCAA Division II Winston-Salem State. His 828 wins rank him fifth on the NCAA career coaching wins list, behind Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp, Bob Knight and Jim Phelan.

Winston-Salem had 20-win seasons under Gaines 18 times. In 1967, he led the Rams - which featured guard Earl 'The Pearl' Monroe - to a 31-1 record and the Division II national championship.

* Nebraska quarterback Joe

Dailey has been given permission to transfer after his demotion from starter last season to fourth-stringer.

* Former Rice coach Cristy McKinney was hired as the women's basketball coach at Clemson.

* Matt Doherty officially was introduced as as the new men's basketball coach at Florida Atlantic.

* Valparaiso sophomore basketball center Kenny Harris remained unconscious and in critical condition, one week after he collapsed while lifting weights on the Indiana campus.

* Forward Dennis Latimore will not return to Notre Dame for his final year of men's basketball eligibility.

* Former Arizona assistant coach Yeshimbra 'Shimmy' Gray was hired as the women's basketball coach at Saint Louis.

OLYMPICS

London dangles more carrots for 2012 Games

London offered tens of millions of dollars in new financial incentives as part of its bid for the 2012 Olympics.

One day after offering inducements to sports federations, London announced a package of financial support to athletes and national committees, including free round-trip flights to all 10,500 competitors and thousands of team officials attending the Games.

In addition, each of the 200 national committees would receive a $50,000 credit toward the cost of using training facilities in Great Britain.

Athletes would get $100 worth of free phone calls from the athletes' village, as well as free train travel throughout Britain after the Games.

* International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge reassured federations that it is unlikely any sports will be dropped from the Summer Games.

The IOC recently completed a report reviewing the 28 sports contested at Athens last year to consider whether any changes should be made for the program of the 2012 Olympics.

SOCCER

Australian melee leaves four officers injured

Fans jumped a fence and surged onto the field after a soccer game in Australia despite heavy security, throwing flares and bottles in an outburst that injured four police officers.

Police said they arrested only two men because further intervention probably would have sparked more violence.

About 400 fans from an estimated crowd of 9,000 at Melbourne clashed Sunday night. The Preston Lions, supported mostly by ethnic Macedonian immigrants, scored a 1-0 upset against host South Melbourne, which is backed mainly by expatriate Greeks.

* Yuri Syomin will become the new coach of Russia's national soccer team, which is in third place in its qualifying group for the 2006 World Cup. He will replace Georgy Yartsev.

FOOTNOTES

Georgia mourners honor fallen lineman Lucas

Dozens of athletes and politicians were among the crowd of about 1,900 at Macon, Ga., at the funeral of Al Lucas, a lineman who died during an Arena Football League game.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a friend of Lucas' father, state Rep. David Lucas, Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor and state House Speaker Glenn Richardson were at the service.

Lucas played for the Los Angeles Avengers. He died at 26 on April 10 after trying to tackle a New York Dragons kick returner. An autopsy is pending.

* A panel of medical experts at Las Vegas recommended heavyweight Joe Mesi stop boxing after he suffered bleeding on the brain during a brutal fight last year.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission will consider the recommendation next month.

* Andre Agassi played doubles for the second time since 2001 and Jim Courier came out of retirement to join him, but lost to Martin Garcia and Luis Horna 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 in the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships at Houston.

* Blues And Royals will miss the Kentucky Derby because of a respiratory condition. The colt won the United Arab Emirates Derby by 12 lengths in his only start this year.

A-SUN ENJOYS STUNNING WEEK TINY LEAGUE BEATS BIG BOYS.(Sports) - The Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, OH)

Byline: Paul Newberry, Associated Press

ATLANTA -- The music channel VH1 pokes fun at the celebrity scene with its show 'Best Week Ever.' It might want to branch into sports this week to give a nod to the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Seriously.

The little-known league spread over five Southeastern states surely had its best week ever, knocking off three major schools in an amazing four-day period.

Gardner-Webb got the ball rolling, so to speak, with its shocking 16-point win at then-No. 20 Kentucky last Wednesday. Belmont followed up two nights later with an 11-point win at Cincinnati. Then came Saturday's stunner: Mercer bumped off then-No. 18 Southern Cal and its heralded freshman, O.J. Mayo, by 15 points.

Gardner-Webb? Belmont? Mercer?

Who are these guys anyway?

'Most of the time, all the efforts of our folks, all the stuff they are working on, don't get the spotlight they may necessarily deserve,' said Ted Gumbart, the A-Sun's commissioner. 'When we do get a chance to grab it, it's very satisfying.'

For those who may not know -- and that would be just about everyone -- the Atlantic Sun is a 12-team conference with members in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. Formerly known as the Trans-America Athletic Conference, it doesn't even qualify as a so-called mid-major.

Low-major is more like it, though it may be time for a promotion.

'Everyone dreams of playing in the BCS-type conferences. That's normal,' Mercer coach Mark Slonaker said by telephone Monday morning from the school's Macon, Ga., campus. 'What we've got to do is be diligent and find the type of kids who realize it's not going to happen there and they've got a better opportunity here.'

The A-Sun, once comprised heavily of transfers and junior-college signees, has done a better job in recent years of luring second-tier prospects from the high school level. Those kids have a chance to develop over four years -- after all, the NBA ain't exactly knockin' -- and provide the sort of continuity that not even the big boys can't match.

For instance, Mercer sophomore James Florence, who scored 30 points against Mayo and the Trojans, was a prep star in suburban Atlanta. The 6-foot-1 guard was recruited by Tulane and got a sniff from a few bigger schools but ultimately decided to stay closer to home.

Macon is less than 100 miles south of Atlanta.

'We've got to get across that we've got a good product, a good situation, and we can provide a great college experience,' Slonaker said. 'They might meet their wife here. They might meet the people in their wedding party here. We've got to give them the whole pitch.'

He chuckled at his recruiting methods, but it was no laughing matter for Kentucky, Cincinnati or USC. All three were blown out by a conference that went 0-35 against the six major conferences a year ago, and had not beaten a ranked team since Belmont's win over Missouri in December 2003.

'For me, it's about the credibility of the league,' Slonaker said. 'We're striving to be somewhere in the middle. It's not realistic to be in the top six. That's not going to happen. But we're trying to move up as a conference. The only way to do that is to keep winning these type of games.'

The Atlantic Sun has been around since 1978, though it spent most of its history known as the TAAC. Detractors referred to it as the 'Ticky-TAAC.'

The conference gained a more flattering name six years ago but, like so many smaller leagues (and even some bigger ones), struggled to maintain a stable roster of teams. Schools such as Central Florida, College of Charleston and Georgia State have come and gone, leaving behind a mix of small, private institutions and larger public schools with relatively new athletic programs.

Jacksonville, Stetson and Lipscomb all have enrollments of fewer than 3,000. The biggest school is Kennesaw State, a recent addition from Atlanta's sprawling suburbs that has nearly 20,000 students.

The league doesn't sponsor football, which makes it even harder to get noticed. And there will be another membership change to deal with after this academic year when Gardner-Webb, the school in Boiling Springs, N.C., that stunned Big Blue, moves to the Big South. But at least the A-Sun has plenty of unique, entertaining nicknames, such as Camels (Campbell), Hatters (Stetson) and Ospreys (North Florida).

Gumbart is eager to take advantage of the A-Sun's moment in the sun, no matter how fleeting it may be.

'The coaches and players have made it happen on the floor,' he said. 'Our job is to translate that into a little bit more of a lasting impression so A-Sun basketball rings a bell with folks.'

Mercer has a chance to make another big splash right away.

Coming off perhaps the most important win in school history, the Bears are hosting Alabama of the Southeastern Conference on Tuesday night, the first major-conference school to visit Mercer's new 3,200-seat campus arena.

These sorts of games could become more common for mid- and low-level conferences, who are demanding higher guarantees to go on the road and finding that many major schools are reluctant to pay up.

Alabama agreed to a 2-for-1 deal with Mercer, which will visit Tuscaloosa the next two years. The Crimson Tide saves some money and boosts its recruiting base in middle Georgia, while Mercer gets the sort of game that will have its place rockin'.

'There's going to be tailgating. There's going to be bands,' Slonaker said. 'The buzz on campus and the students' excitement about this game have been incredible. We don't have football here, so this is kind of like what the students at Georgia get to experience when Auburn comes to town for football.'

Well, not quite. After all, Mercer is a Baptist-affiliated university.

'We're a dry campus, so it may be a little different,' Slonaker quipped. 'But you can bet there will be an adrenaline high there, if not necessarily an alcohol high.'

No need for the hard stuff when you've just had your best week ever.

Text of fax box follows:

A-Sun upsets

Wednesday

* Gardner-Webb 84, No. 20 Kentucky 68

Friday

* Belmont 86, Cincinnati 75

Saturday

* Mercer 96, No. 18 Southern Cal 81

(rankings from last week)

CAPTION(S):

Photo

LUIS SINCO/Associated Press

Clubs raise question of sports equity: Kentucky schools try to control private athletic funds to level gender playing field.(USA) - The Christian Science Monitor

It's Friday night, only minutes to go until kickoff of the last home game for the Bryan Station High School Defenders, who are bound once again for the state playoffs.

Standing by a card table piled high with souvenirs, Laura Proctor and her husband, D.L., hawk programs for the local booster club. Announcements crackle over the PA system. The smell of grilled hotdogs scents the air.

Behind Mrs. Proctor rises a three-story bleacher painted team green by members of the booster club - one of many contributions the private group has made to the squad over the years. But that may be about to change.

Across the bluegrass playing fields of Kentucky, a fight is brewing over tens of thousands of dollars private booster clubs raise for high school athletics.

The line of scrimmage: Title IX, the federal law mandating gender equity in high school and college athletics. Local school boards, pressed for money to address inequities in sports programs, want more control over the private funds. But many booster club members argue it's their money and they have the right to spend it the way they want. The fight here - being mirrored in many states across the country - could change the face of high school athletics nationwide.

'We're the ones who have been out here working to make money, and ... they're now telling us how we can spend it,' says Mrs. Proctor, president of the booster club, whose son is a center and linebacker on the team. 'If we would like our boys to go to Louisville and be a part of a passing competition, and we have the money, why can't we send them?'

Here in Fayette County, the school board recently voted to require boosters to sign an agreement that will open their books and membership lists to school officials. District officials would be given veto power over fundraising activities if they're deemed to cause inequities.

While some boosters have accepted the restrictions, others resent the 'intrusion.' The phenomenon here in the rumpled hills of Kentucky, where athletics is as much a part of the culture as quarter horses and coal, is being repeated in various locations around the country:

* In California, the Title IX Coalition of Fresno County issued a report to the local school board contending that boosters' lavish treatment of boys teams had caused inequities for girls teams. They want closer monitoring of the groups.

* In Washington State, a donor's gift of $1 million to build a boys' baseball stadium led to the first-ever Title IX complaint in the Vancouver school district: A senior softball player charged there was a vast inequity between the gleaming new boys' facility and an off-campus field, with rotting wooden benches and dilapidated fencing, the girls used.

* In Macon, Ga., the school system mandated in September that boys not be allowed to play at an expensive booster-built baseball stadium until a comparable girls' facility can be constructed.

This issue is surfacing nearly three decades after Title IX's passage in 1972, in part because of the growth and popularity of women's athletics and the dearth of school funding. Some critics of the booster clubs argue that they represent the last vestige of gender discrimination that Title IX was intended to eradicate.

Kentucky largely ceded athletic funding to booster clubs more than 20 years ago. In addition to providing such things as routine maintenance - including painting the lines on the football field before every game - a group of parents at one high school guaranteed a loan for an indoor baseball facility built on school property.

Such unrestricted spending has led to inequities. A statewide Title IX audit found three high schools in Fayette County had inadequate girls' softball fields compared to boys' baseball fields. The county vows to build new fields, but some doubt it will follow through.

The Fayette County school board also plans to install 'equity monitoring committees' at local high schools, which will include a booster representative, to preempt some of the large-scale - and lopsided - moneymaking schemes.

Many booster parents are chafing at the new controls. Originally, they were concerned that their hard-earned bingo and bake-sale money will be given to a another sports team. That hasn't happened - yet. They also don't understand why they can't raise money to send the boys' baseball team to Florida for spring training, just because the softball boosters aren't able to raise an equivalent sum.

The new policies, say boosters, will lead to reduced parental support and less student participation in sports. As a result, the teams won't do as well, gate receipts will decline, the coaches won't be able to buy equipment. Ultimately, they say, the school district will be forced to eliminate boys' teams to correct disparities. 'If you have a son on the football team, are you going to work bingo, or a car wash, or sell hats and sweatshirts to benefit the swimming team?' asks Mr. Proctor. 'They're coming in here and telling us exactly what we can and can't do for the benefit of our children.'

But education officials say they are bound by law to exercise some control over the private portfolios, if they are to ensure equality on the gridiron and softball field. 'The money becomes public funds the moment they receive a donation, and we have to control it,' says Danny Reeves, a lawyer for the Kentucky High School Athletic Association. 'It is absolutely our responsibility to see that the money is spent equitably.'

Although he acknowledges there is a wide spectrum of booster activity, Mr. Reeves is not willing to look the other way, even in the case of small contributions - such as a post-season banquet. 'People say you shouldn't worry about the nickel and dime things. But where do you draw the line?' he says. 'If you come up with a way to make this stuff standard, you don't have to worry about that.'