THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2006
SPORTS
3B
LSU investigates whether players received discounts
BATON ROUGE, La.
BATON ROUGE, La.
— Louisiana State
University is conducting
an investigation into the
practice of baseball
players receiving special
rent rates or discounts, Athletics Director Skip Bertman confirmed Tuesday.
Senior Associate Director of Athletics Herb Vincent would not give further details of the investigation.
Former members of the baseball team said they were familiar with special programs in which players would receive rent discounts at the Tiger Plaza apartment complex, which is owned by R.W. Day and Associates, in Tiger Land.
"It wasn't just like pick up a leaf, and you get the money," former LSU pitcher Edgar Ramirez said. "We had to document everything."
Ramirez said the program was not only offered to student athletes.
"I worked to lower my rent," Ramirez said. "It wasn't just us. It was the people who lived there also."
When asked if Tiger Plaza was the apartment complex giving the
rates, Ramirez said, "That's the only place I ever lived."
— The Daily Reveille
The NCAA prohibits special benefits arranged by a university employee or representative that are offered to athletes if the programs are not also available to all students at a university, including free or reduced-cost housing.
Select Montana coaches offered longer contracts
MISSOULA, Mont.
— University of Montana
Athletic Director Jim
O'Day's job just got a
whole lot easier.
Looks like the Board
of Regents approved a measure to allow the University of Montana and Montana State University to offer three-year contracts to the head coaches of football and men's and women's basketball.
"It's definitely a positive to recruit coaches when they see the commitment you've made to them." O'Day said. "It's hard to visit with a lot of coaches when you say you've got a one-year contract."
sities that offer multi-year deals. Montana was one of the few states in the country that only offered one-year contracts to collegiate coaches.
"Right now I don't know of any others that are doing the one-year contract," O'Day said. "We've pretty much been a dinosaur in that fact. We've moved out of the dark ages."
O'Day said the University of Montana can finally be on the same playing field as other univer-
Montana Kaimin
The controversy gained the attention of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and the New York Civil Rights Coalition, who both wrote to University President Lee Bollinger last week to back the hockey team's freedom of expression.
probation came after the team posted recruiting, filers considered by some students to be offensive; the filers included the phrase, "Stop being a p——"
Columbia hockey team gets suspension reversed
NEW YORK — After meeting with team representatives on Monday and Tuesday, the Columbia University Athletics Department reversed
Columbia Daily Spectator
Marlins manager fired replacement quickly hired
its decision to suspend the men's ice hockey club until next spring, according to a source close to the
MIAMI — Once the
The hockey team will be reinstated and will receive another punishment in place of the suspension, according to the source. The team's willingness to take responsibility for its actions strongly influenced the reversal.
MIAMI — Once the runner-up to Joe Girardi for the job of managing the Florida Marlins, Fredi Gonzalez became his successor.
4
The Athletics Department's original decision to suspend the team and put it on a two-year
The Marlins fired
Girardi, and five hours later announced that he'll be replaced by Gonzalez, third-base coach for the Atlanta Braves the past four years. Girardi's departure after only one season had been expected after his rift with owner Jeffrey Loria boiled over in an on-field confrontation two months ago.
situation.
Gonzalez, 42, interviewed with the Marlins a year ago after Jack McKeon resigned. Instead they hired Girardi, but his relationship with Loria and general manager Larry Beinfest soon soured.
Associated Press
Indians exercise contract options after bad season
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Indians quickly took care of some business following a disappointing season by exercising contract
options for 2007 on steady starter Jake Westbrook and utilityman Casey Blake on.
The club also declined a mutual option with third baseman Aaron Boone, making him eligible for free agency.
Westbrook and Blake were consistent in a season when the Indians won 15 fewer games than in 2005 and missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year.
The Associated Press
Los Angeles Lakers coach receives hip replacement
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.
— Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson had right hip replacement surgery.
Team spokesman John Black said there is
no timetable for the 61-year-old coach's return to training camp, which opened with assistant coach Kurt Rambis running the drills.
The 45-minute operation was performed at the Centinela Hospital Medical Center. Jackson, who will be re-evaluated next week, said Monday at the team's media day that he plans to be ready when the Lakers open the season Oct. 31 against Phoenix.
Associated Press
Clint Dempsey chosen player of the year
7
Clint Dempsey was chosen the U.S. soccer player of the year, honored for his scoring prowess this season.
He had four goals in nine games for the
United States this year, including one in the World Cup, and finished tied for the team lead in goals.
Dempsey, who made his debut with the national team at the end of 2004, has scored six goals in his 23 career matches.
The 23-year-old midfielder is in his third season with the New England Revolution. He was the MLS rookie of the year in 2004 with seven goals in 24 games.
Associated Press
Salary cap relief allows team a few new players
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Devils leading scoring Brian Gionta and four other veterans signed with New Jersey after the NHL gave the team
$3.5 million in salary cap relief by placing veteran forward Alexander Mogilny on the long-term injury exception list.
Defensemen Paul Martin and Dave Hale, backup goaltender Scott Clemmensen and center
Erik Rasmussen signed one-year contracts as the Devils finalized their roster without violating the league's $44 million salary cap.
Just last week it appeared that the Devils might have to trade some key players to get under the cap, but general manager Lou Lamioriello removed $7.1 million from the cap in the past three days by trading defenseman Vladimir Malakhov ($3.6 million) to San Jose and getting Mogilny and his $3.5 million salary qualified for the exception because of a hip injury.
Gionta, who set a team record with 48 goals last season, and Martin were the main beneficiaries of the new money.
Associated Press
NBA chooses new ball, Shaq says it's too slippery
NEW YORK — Some of the NBA's biggest stars say the new game ball is too sticky when dry, too slippery when wet.
wet, and too — well, not the old one.
The league is convinced it's better, no matter what the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade or Steve Nash have to say about it.
"Sure, you hear some comments that aren't as positive as the overwhelming majority of people that we tested the ball with," Stu Jackson, executive vice president of basketball operations, said Tuesday. "That's going to happen. Everyone that handles the ball loves the grip and the feel of the ball."
Not Shaq, who said the bail "feels like one of those cheap balls that you buy at the toy store, indoor-outdoor balls."
The NBA's old leather balls are being replaced this season by a microfiber composite model, the league's first change in 35 years.
Both O'Neal and Wade griped about the ball's slick grip when wet, and two-time reigning MVP Steve Nash said the ball has a tacky feel that makes shooting and certain types of passes tricky.
Associated Press
4