Section B·Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, April 28, 1999
Former Vikings star accused of assaulting female acquaintance
MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minnesota Vikings star Carl Eller said he knew the woman who accused him of sexual assault and thought their encounter was an "amicable situation."
The Associated Press
Eller said he had sex with the
woman in his motel room last week in North Mankato Police there
said Eller had not talked with them about what happened.
"It was someone I knew for about a year," Eler said in yesterday's Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune." "I thought it was an amicable situation. It had been in the past."
North Mankato Police Captain Wayne Hoffman said he hoped to make a report to the county attorney by next week.
The woman called police about 2 a.m. last Wednesday and said Eller assaulted her, police said. Eller had been in the Mankato area talking to groups about substance abuse.
Eller is on paid adn:inistrative leave from his job with the state Department of Human Services pending the outcome of the investigation, said deputy commissioner Tom Moss.
"This is an attack on my reputation," Eller said. "It is harmful and hurtful, and it's painful for my kids and my family. I spent a long time building my reputation, and that's what's important to me."
Eller was a star defensive end with the Vikings "Purple People Eaters," the front four that helped Minnesota to four Super Bowl appearances in the 1970s. Eller made six Pro Bowl appearances and was among 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, although he did not get in.
WNBA, players still negotiating
Disputes about salary benefits delay draft
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Negotiators for the WNBA and its players association returned to the bargaining table yesterday in an effort to finalize their first collective bargaining agreement
The sides talked for eight hours Monday, trying to resolve differences that caused an apparent agreement to fall apart last week. At that time, both sides claimed the other had
injected new terms at the last minute.
The league postponed its player draft, which had been scheduled for yesterday, causing Pam Wheeler, executive director of the WNBA players association, to issue a statement charging league officials with trying to intimidate the players.
Earlier, the union and league agreed on a 4-year deal that would increase minimum salaries from $15,000 to $30,000 for veterans and $25,000 for rookies. Those figures would increase to $40,000 and $30,000, respectively, by 2002. The benefits package was to include year-round health and dental benefits, pension, maternity benefits and life insurance.
The 10-week season is supposed to begin June 10.
The union claimed that the league introduced five issues in talks last Wednesday night and said that if the players association did not agree to them, there would be no deal.
Among the changes was the right to extend the 32-game season without increasing salaries, the addition of random drug testing and no increase in the rookie wage scale for the duration of the contract.
The 2-year-old WNBA has added expansion teams in Orlando and Minnesota for this season and plans to add four more cities by 2000, increasing membership to 16 franchises.
Malone earning reputation as bully of NBA
The Associated Press
His latest victim is Joe Kleine, who needed 30 stitches and plastic surgery after Malone's elbow reconstructed his face Monday night. Afterward, Malone made no apologies for sending another opponent to the hospital.
SALT LAKE CITY — Karl Malone has always said he's not out to hurt anybody. It's just that fewer and fewer people around the NBA believe him.
"That's the way I play," Malone said. "It's the way I'm going to play until I'm finished playing. That's just the way it is."
The Utah Jazz forward is having another standout year as the leading scorer on the team with the league's best record. But it's his trademark physical — many call it dirty — play that's getting the most attention as the regular season is ending.
With a string of controversial incidents in
past weeks, Malone's growing reputation as a bully might be the only thing that could prevent him from winning a second Most Valuable Player award. Ballots aren't due until the end of the regular season, and the growing backlash against Malone's tactics could sway a number of voters.
Kleine's lower lip might disagree. It was split nearly in two when Malone, who was going up for a shot, smacked Kleine in the face with his elbow. Malone ran to the other end of the floor, but Kleine followed him and gave Malone a hard shove in the chest, leaving a bloody handprint on Malone's terse.
The Suns were divided on the incident after the game, with former Jazzman Chris Morris
"There's that possibility," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "But Karl isn't going to change what he does. He's just a very tough player, and he's not trying to do what happens sometimes."
saying the elbow "looked pretty vicious" and Rex Chapman doubtting it was intentional.
"If Karl does this stuff intentionally, he's the best disguise artist ever," Utah's Bryon Russell said. "He wasn't trying to get anybody. He was just going up for a shot. Why would he want, to get it."
want to get Joe Kleine?"
Kleine returned to Phoenix and won't be with team for the last two games of its road trip. Suns spokesman Scott Leightman said.
At 35, Malone is still a fearsome physical specimen as he showed when he took off his bloody jersey on the court Monday before running to the locker room to change. He hasn't missed a game because of injury since the 1988-89 season.