THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2007
SPORTS
9B
》 STEROIDS
Olympic gold medalist pleads guilty to conspiracy
BY TOM HAYS ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Olympic sprinter Tim Montgomery, once considered the fastest man on Earth until his world record was erased in the BALCO steroid scandal, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy in a multimillion-dollar bank fraud and money-laundering scheme.
"I sincerely regret the role I played in this unfortunate episode," Montgomery said in a statement following the plea. "I have disappointed many people, and for that I am truly sorry."
Montgomery's plea deal "reflects his minor role" in an alleged conspiracy and does not require him to testify at the trial of his former coach, Steven Riddick, and other co-defendants, according to his lawyers. That trial is scheduled to begin Tuesday.
Defense attorneys said Montgomery could be sentence
"I have disappointed many people, and for that I am truly sorry."
be sentenced to 37 to 46 months in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov.1. The U.S. attorney's office had no immediate comment.
TIM MONTGOMERY Sprinter
At Monday's hearing, prosecutor Danya Perry told the judge the government hadampleevidence Montgomery
conspired with others to deposit checks that he knew were counterfeit.
Montgomery, 32, was charged last year along with Riddick, and 11 others in an alleged conspiracy to deposit $5 million in stolen, altered or counterfeit checks at several banks over three years.
An alleged coconspirator, Ephraim Richardson, previously pleaded guilty to a single charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
The government had accused Montgomery of participating in a plot created by two other defendants who set up sham businesses to take checks stolen from banks and alter them or make counterfeits.
Montgomery allegedly deposited three bogus checks worth a total of $775,000. He also was accused of helping Riddick deposit others worth at least $905,000 and accepting a $20,000 fee for his role. Riddick, a 1976 Olympic medalist, has maintained his innocence.
Montgomery was a 2000 Olympic gold medalist and a former 100-meter world record holder. He retired in 2005 after he was banned from track and field for two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for doping linked to the investigation of BALCO, the lab at the center of a steroid scandal in sports.
Montgomery never tested positive for drugs, and has said he never knowingly took any banned substances.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
Columbus Blue Jackets' Nikolai Zherdev, left, of Ukraine, is knocked off balance by St. Louis Blues' Jay McKee during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio.
Last year's finalists out of Stanley Cup quest
NHL
BY IRA PODELL ASSOCIATED PRESS
One thing is certain: A new team will skate with the Stanley Cup this year.
And it could be a club from the East no one saw coming.
For the first time in the modern NHL era, neither finalist from the previous season made it back to the playoffs. So with champion Carolina and Edmonton out of the picture, the 16 remaining teams begin their pursuit of the crown.
The Southeast Division provided the winners on each side of the seasonlong lockout — Tampa Bay in 2004 and Carolina last year. The Lightning and Hurricanes earned top seeds in the Eastern Conference, then beat upstarts from the bottom of the West. Sixth-seeded Calgary got to Game 7 against Tampa Bay, and No. 8 Edmonton repeated the feat versus the Hurricanes.
If another bottom-rung club makes a run, don't be surprised if it's a team closer to the Atlantic Ocean instead of the Pacific.
"Every team is dangerous," said 19-year-old Sidney Crosby, from the fifth-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins. "You always look at teams that finish off strong. It's all about timing."
You don't have to look any farther than Long Island to see that. The New York Islanders appeared out of the playoff race following noncompetitive losses
just over a week ago to powerhouses Buffalo and Ottawa in the aftermath of goalie Dri DiPietro's concussion.
Yet, they bounced back with four straight wins and eked into the playoffs ahead of Toronto and Montreal on the final day of the season by beating New Jersey in a shootout. Now they have their sights set on top-seeded Buffalo, which earned 113 points and had the NHL's best record for the first time in team history.
top. The Central Division-winning Red Wings tied the Sabres in points, a season after capturing the Presidents' Trophy, but failed to repeat because they fell three wins short of the Sabres' NHL-high 53.
Out West, Detroit again is at the
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Blues' injuries halt playoff run
BY R.B. FALLSTROM ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. LOUIS — Jay McKee is excited about next season, but not for the same reasons as most of his St. Louis Blues teammates: After an injury-plagued first season with the team, he's still waiting to show his skills.
McKee was one of new management's big offseason free agent pickups last summer, but ended up playing only 23 games in the first year of a four-year contract.
"It was the most frustrating year I've had in my career," McKee said Monday during a day of team meetings and packing for the offseason. "It's great being here and I'm glad
I'm great being
it's here, but
I wish I could have provided more.
McKee led the NHL in blocked shots in 2005-06
"I wanted to come here and make an impact and help this team make the playoffs."
NHL
with the Buffalo Sabres. Last season he was always hurt, missing the first seven games with a knee injury, breaking a hand in mid-October while blocking a shot, and then missing another huge chunk of time with a hip injury to end the season.
McKee, who played in only one game after mid-January, appeared in 75 last season and has played in 605 games over 10 seasons. Team doctors want him to rest for another month so he can return at full strength next fall.
"I never really got my footing of what it's like to play with the guys," he said. "It'll feel next year like it's
JAY MCKEE St. Louis Blues defenseman
“It's great being here and I'm glad I'm here, but I wish I could have provided more."
Getting those players back stokes optimism surrounding a team that surged after Andy Murray was hired as coach in mid-December. The Blues were 12 games below .500 after only 32 games before Murray arrived and finished one game
Injuries to other key players hampered the Blues, who missed the playoffs for the second straight year but improved 24 points and finished one game below .500 after trailing the NHL in 2005-06. Goalie Manny Legace missed the last month with a knee injury and defenseman Bryce Salvador and forwards Martin Rucinsky and Dan Hinote also missed significant time.
"I'm so excited for next year, you have no idea," Legacy said. "It's going to be a good Cup run next year."
Jackman wasn't the only one brimming with confidence.
"If management goes out and gets one or two small pieces to the puzzle, I think we have a team that's a playoff team."
below the break even mark with 81 points.
"Look at some of the guys we were missing," said defenseman Barret Jackman. "Those are key additions right there without having to sign anybody new.
Forward Jamal Mayers said hed be "beyond disappointed" if the Blues weren't a playoff team next season.
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The Blues were 15 points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
my first year with the team."
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