4B • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
TUESDAY,MARCH 25,2003
Chiefs not offering Holmes a new deal
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Even though Priest Holmes has threatened to sit out the season unless his contract is reworked, the Kansas City Chiefs said a new deal isn't in the running back's future.
If Holmes plays for the Chiefs next season, it will be under his current contract, Chiefs' president and general manager Carl Peterson told The Kansas City Star while in Phoenix for the NFL meetings that started Sunday.
Three years are left on Holmes contract, which he signed two years ago. He is scheduled to be paid, with bonuses, $2.25 million this year, $2.5 million in 2004 and $2.75 million in 2005.
Peterson indicated his earlier statements regarding Holmes' contract were misinterpreted,
and he never said he would give Holmes a new deal.
"I've talked about extending his contract," Peterson said. "I'm not offering a new contract, and I'm not interested in tearing up his current contract and throwing that away. He signed a five-year deal. We both agreed on it."
Holmes' agent, Todd France, said he would not comment until he talked more with Peterson.
Although he missed the final two games of last season with a hip injury, Holmes still had the finest season by a running back in team history and was named an All-Pro for the second year in a row. In just 14 games, he rushed for 1,615 yards and scored 24 touchdowns.
The highest-paid runningback last year, according to figures provided by the NFL Players Association, was Emmitt Smith
of Dallas, who m a d e $10.3 million, including bonuse
At $2.25 million, Holmes wouldn't even make last season's list of the 10 highest-paid running backs.
But Peterson said that was months away, if it happens at all.
In a contract extension, a player typically receives a signing bonus, so Holmes could make more money this year even if the Chiefs don't raise his salary.
"The first order of business is to make sure he's 100 percent recovered from that injury such that he's still hopefully the same player he was when he got injured," Peterson said. "That's a process that's going to take some
time, into minicamp (in May) and probably into training camp. I've discussed this with him and his representative.
"The other thing I've discussed with him is until I get through at least the draft ... I need to get that far through this fiscal year to determine where we are cashwise and capwise. Then, I'll have a better sense of what I may be able to do with Priest on an extension. And that's what it would be — an extension."
The Chiefs have the space under the NFL's $75 million salary cap to make a deal with Holmes. But, for now at least, they have other plans for it.
They have made contract offers to St. Louis defensive lineman Jeff Zgonina and Buffalo running back Shawn Bryson. Peterson was hopeful both would sign shortly.
Missouri seeks improvement next season
The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, Mo. — It's become something of a March tradition in Columbia under Quin Snyder: As soon as his Missouri Tigers are bounced out of the NCAA tournament, the wait-until-next-year talk begins.
This time, there may really be something to look forward to—if the Tigers' top two stars decide against testing their luck in the NBA draft.
On Saturday, Missouri capped a 22-11 season with a 101-92 overtime loss to Marquette in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Indianapolis. Junior standouts Ricky Paulding and Arthur Johnson combined for 64 points against the Golden Eagles.
Now, if they'll only stick around.
"I'm just thinking about this loss right now," Johnson said after his 28-point,18-rebound performance. "I haven't really thought about anything like that. I already answered that question."
Last month, both said they planned to be back for their senior seasons. Then again, who could fault Paulding if, after his 36-point showing against Marquette, he decided to go pro.
"That's just something I'll have to address later on," Paulding said
"I'm not an NBA scout, so I don't know what's going to happen. I'm going to sit down with coach and evaluate things over the next few weeks."
With Paulding (17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds per game) and Johnson (16.1 points, 9.6 rebounds) back, the Tigers would appear to be a Final Four contender in 2003-04.
Also coming back are forwards Travon Bryant (8.9 points, 5.8 rebounds) and Kevin Young (2.3 points, 3.2 rebounds) and guards Ricky Clemons (14.2 points, 3.8 assists) and Jimmy McKinney (8.6
points, 3.4
assists).
They'll be
joined by
Jason
Conley,
a transfer f
Institute.
transfer from Virginia Military Institute.
In 2001-02, Conley became the first freshman to lead the nation in scoring, averaging 29.3 points per game. He'll be eligible to join the Tigers in the second semester.
Add another strong recruiting class and Snyder's fifth season at Missouri could shape up to be his best. In his first four, the Tigers have gotten progressively better, going 18-13 in 1999-00, followed by campaigns of 20-13, 24-12 and 22-11.
"We've got a great group of guys coming back, and some good recruits coming in," Paulding said.
There's certainly room for improved consistency. The same
Missouri team that beat Oklahoma and Kansas, both top 10 teams, also lost to Iowa State and Texas A&M.
Clemons, a junior college transfer in his first season with the Tigers, was supposed to be the point guard Missouri sorely lacked, and was impressive at times. But he struggled down the stretch with turnovers and shot just 10-of-47 (21.3 percent) from the floor in his last five games, including a 2-of-15 showing against Marquette.
He wasn't alone in his slump. McKinney, a freshman, went 4-of-12 and scored just 11 points in the two tournament games. Bryant was held scoreless with two rebounds before fouling out against Marquette, though he showed signs of reaching his potential during Missouri's impressive run to the Big 12 tournament finals, where the Tigers lost to Oklahoma 49-47.
Football players chosen for honors
The Associated Press
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Barry Sanders, Joe Theismann and Ricky Bell were among 11 players selected to the College Football Hall of Fame yesterday.
Sanders won the 1988 Heisman Trophy while playing for Oklahoma State, and became one of the NFL's best running backs with the Detroit Lions before his abrupt retirement prior to the 1999 season.
The 5-foot-8, 175-pound Sanders, who ran for a record 2,628 yards in 1988, set or tied 24 NCAA marks at Oklahoma State. In three years with the Cowboys, Sanders had 3,797 yards and 55 touchdowns.
Theismann quarterbacked Notre Dame to a 25-4-3 record in three seasons, and was second to Jim Plunkett in the 1970 Heisman voting. Theismann threw for 4,411 yards and 31 touchdowns and ranked second in school history in passing when he was done. He set 19 school records and ranks seventh on Notre Dame's all-time passing list.
Theismann attended a news conference yesterday announcing the new inductees. He said he cried when he learned he had been selected.
"I was very surprised. It was very unexpected. I never really had thought about it," he said. "When you sit in the gallery and look at all the great college football players and all the men who have played college football, that's the thing that boggles my mind. It's a tremendous honor."
Bell, who starred at Southern California in the mid 1970s, was a two-time All
American. He led the nation in rushing in 1975 with 1,957 yards, and finished second in the '76 Heisman balloting behind Tony Dorsett. Bell died in 1984 at 29 of cardiac arrest brought on by rare skin and muscle disease.
Former coaches Hayden Fry and Doug Dickey were also selected to the hall yesterday.
Fry was a head coach for 37 years, the last 20 at Iowa before retiring in 1998. He also coached 11 seasons at SMU and six at North Texas State, posting a record of 232-188-10 at the three schools.
Dickey, who coached at Tennessee from 1964-69 and Florida from 1970-78, had a combined record of 104-58-6.
Jimbo Covert, an offensive tackle at Pittsburgh from 1980-83, also was named to the hall
"When I saw the classes coming up year after year and my name wasn't up there, I was hoping one day I would get in because it is such a special honor," he said.
The other players chosen yesterday were Murry Bowden, a defensive back at Dartmouth from 1967-70; Tom Brown, a guard at Minnesota, from 1958-60; Jerry LeVias, an end at SMU from 1965-68 and the first black to receive an athletic scholarship at the school; Billy Neighbors, a tackle at Alabama, 1959-61; Ron Pritchard, a linebacker at Arizona State, 1966-88; John Rauch, a quarterback at Georgia, 1945-48; and Roger Wehrli, a defensive back at Missouri, 1966-68.
The new class will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Dec. 9 in New York. The new hall members will be enshrined in August 2004.
Sexual assault trial of Twins star underway
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Kirby Puckett's sexual assault trial began yesterday, with the Hall of Famer accused of dragging a woman into a restaurant men's room and groping her.
Prosecutors contend the former Minnesota Twins star grabbed the woman's breast before she escaped from the bathroom at the Redstone American Grill in suburban Eden Prairie on Sept. 6.
Puckett is charged with false imprisonment, criminal sexual conduct and assault. As proceedings began, he pleaded innocent to the misdemeanor assault charge, which prosecutors added last week.
If the jury finds Puckett guilty on all charges, prosecu
tors have said they will seek probation, fines, community service and no more than a year in jail.
The 42-year-old Puckett, once one of baseball's most beloved players, sat between his lawyers and showed little emotion as jury selection began. Opening statements and testimony could begin late this week.
Judge Stephen Swanson ruled the defense can present testimony that the woman bared her breasts in the restaurant. The woman denies doing it.
As he left the courthouse for lunch, a well-wisher said, "Kirby, I hope you can get some peace." He replied, "Thank you" and kept walking with his lawyers to a car. He did not appear for the afternoon session.
The Associated Press
NFL Europe to go as scheduled in spite of war
The Associated Press
PHOENIX — NFL Europe is starting as planned, despite the war in Iraq.
The developmental league's players and coaches will leave for Germany, Spain, Netherlands and Scotland this week after the 32 NFL owners decided overwhelmingly yesterday to proceed as usual.
"We're an American business in Europe," commissioner Paul Tagliabue said. "Like other American businesses, we have to continue on."
The decision came on the first day of the NFL's annual meeting, which is expected to focus on proposals to change the overtime system and expand the playoffs from 12 teams to 14.
While there's expected to be
plenty of debate on those issues, there wasn't much on NFL Europe, which starts play April 4. Its season ends in June.
The NFL had already discussed the situation with the six teams, which have been practicing in Florida and were told that neither players nor coaches were too apprehensive about playing.
Three of the teams are based in Germany: the Frankfurt Galaxy, Rhein Fire and Berlin Thunder. The other three are the Barcelona Dragons, Amsterdam Admirals and Scottish Claymores.
Tagliabue said there was relatively little concern about the safety of Americans playing in those four countries.
"We've had the same security procedures in effect as we had for the NFL after Sept. 11," he said.
"We're an American business in Europe. Like other American businesses, we have to continue on."
Paul Tagliabue NFLcommissioner
referring to searches of fans entering stadiums and increased police presence. "There was a strong consensus that we play the season."
The decision was not about money — the league has lost money, not made it, in an effort to develop players. Many who have made it from NFL Europe to the big league are fringe or special teams players, although that league also produced two-time NFL MVP Kurt Warner.
The meetings began with Tagliabue's state of the league speech to the owners. He emphasized the importance of racial diversity in the league's hirings, including a new policy requiring every team to interview at least one minority candidate before hiring a head coach.
He said later that it was unlikely that there would be a decision at these meetings on what action to take against the Detroit Lions. They hired Steve Mariucci after saying that five black candidates declined interviews because they believed the team already had decided to hire the former San Francisco coach.
Pittsburgh owner Dan Rooney chairman of the diversity committee, also said there was no consensus on what to recommend to the commissioner, who will make the final decision.