wednesday, march 31, 2004
sports
the university daily kansan 5R
Philadelphia guard out for season
The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — Allen Iverson is out for the rest of the regular season.
The Philadelphia 76ers announced yesterday that their All-Star guard would miss the season's final eight games because of persistent pain in his right knee — the same injury that kept him out of 13 of the last 19 games.
"It was better now to sit him down so it doesn't linger a lot longer," Billy King, team president, said. "It's probably best to get it where his knee is 100 percent. It's not a situation where Allen doesn't want to play. His knee just keeps swelling up."
An MRI showed a small lesion under Iverson's knee cap, but there was no meniscal or ligament damage.
The injury comes with the Sixers in danger of being eliminated from the playoff race. Philadelphia was 10th in the Eastern Conference, three
games behind eighth-place Boston heading into last night's game against Golden State.
King said Iverson's health would be re-evaluated if the Sixers make the playoffs.
"Worse case scenario, surgery would be an option if it does not calm down," King said. "Rest and rehabilitation hopefully will do it."
The injury was diagnosed Monday by New York Giants team doctor Russell Warren, who Iverson consulted for a second opinion.
King said the swelling affected Iverson's movement and quickness.
his agent, Leon Rose, were not immediately returned. Iverson was at the arena before the game, though he was not on the bench against the Warriors.
Iverson has now missed 27 games this season, the most in one season during his eight-year career. The underachieving Sixers have been ravaged by injuries this season, enough to cost rookie coach Randy Ayers his job after 52 games. Interim coach Chris Ford has battled with Iverson since taking over.
Messages left for Iverson and
Earlier this month, Iverson refused to come off the bench in Toronto after he was told he was not going to start.
King said those clashes had nothing to do with yesterday's decision.
"He wants to play. What he doesn't want is people saying he doesn't want to play because of Chris Ford." King said. "He loves to play basketball."
Iverson, a five-time All-Star, continues to be the subject of trade speculation in Philadelphia. He signed an extension before the season that lasts through 2008-09.
Iverson was the NBA's MVP in 2000-01, when he led the 76ers to the Eastern Conference championship for the first time since 1983.
The Sixers have been playing well recently without Iverson, the NBA's second-leading scorer with 26.4 points per game. The Sixers have won seven of nine and had a six-game home winning streak going into last night's game.
"We've been playing without Allen for a while now in hopes he would be back," Ford said. "You just keep playing. The schedule keeps coming."
He is scheduled to play for the United States at the Athens Olympics in August.
Pitcher friends start spring training
The Associated Press
TUCSON, Ariz. — Scott Elarton and Shane Reynolds are close friends and hunting partners. Their performances this spring could hardly be more different.
Elarton cemented his claim as the No. 4 starter in Colorado's rotation, and Arizona's Shane Reynolds had another shaky outing in the Rockies' 7-1 victory over the Diamondbacks yesterday.
"I've never been a good spring training performer," Elarton said. "I don't know what this spring will translate into. I'm not going to read anything into it, but I'm definitely glad I had a good spring. I felt I made progress pretty much every outing."
Elarton missed the entire 2002
season after shoulder surgery and spent much of last year in the minors.
"It's great to see him doing so well." Reynolds said.
Elarton gave up one run on four hits through six innings, striking out two and walking one. He also drove in three runs with singles in the fifth and sixth. Elarton threw just 71 pitches, 44 of them strikes.
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle wasn't around to see any of it. He was ejected by plate umpire Casey Moser for arguing balls and strikes in the top of the first.
Reynolds, who entered with a 16.36 ERA, had skipped two starts to work on his mechanics and study videotape. In his first outing in 10 days, he allowed six runs on eight hits in five and two-
thirds innings, striking out five and walking three, one intentionally.
Reynolds, who tried out a new pitch—a cutter—that was effective against left-handed hitters, thought this 97-pitch effort was at least an improvement.
"The outcome?" he said. "No, but as far as going out there and pitching into the sixth inning and getting my pitch count up and having some confidence, I guess, that was a lot better for me than the last few outings."
Manager Bob Brenly said Reynolds remains a candidate for the No. 4 spot in the rotation, a position that seemed more secure for the right-hander when spring training began.
all along not to handicap this thing."
"Ask me again Saturday," Brenly said. "We've been trying
Brenly said that Reynolds' stuff was good but that he was missing some spots. He also said that a veteran pitcher who relies on finesse often struggles in the spring.
"I feel I'll be ready when the season starts," he said. "Spring training is so different than the season."
Reynolds said he remains confident.
Diamondbacks reliever Oscar Villarreal, pitching for the first time this spring after recovering from a sore elbow, gave up a hit in one scoreless inning.
Brenly said that barring any setback he sees no reason Villarreal won't be on the 25-man roster when the season begins.
NFL tries to block Clarett draft ruling
The Associated Press
NEW YORK - A federal appeals court will hear the dispute over whether Maurice Clarett can enter the NFL draft less than a week before it takes place.
The NFL tried yesterday to convince a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that it should block Clarett's entry by staying the effect of a lower court judge's ruling that he be allowed in the April 24-25 draft, even though the former Ohio State running back is only two years out of high school.
The appeals panel instead agreed to set oral arguments for April 19 and suggested it might immediately rule whether Clarett can enter the draft, with a written ruling to follow explaining its reasoning.
NFL lawyer Gregg Levy told the appeals court he was satisfied with the plan.
"We want a decision before the draft. That's what's important to us." he said.
Pash said if the court rules in the NFL's favor before the draft, Clarett, Southern California sophomore Mike Williams and seven others would not be included.
Added NFL chief counsel Jeff Pash, speaking at the NFL meetings in Palm Beach, Fla., "We are very optimistic. We think it is a positive indicator of the seriousness with which the court of appeals is taking the argument."
Clarett's lawyer, Alan Milstein, convinced the appeals court not to stay the effect of the lower court ruling Tuesday, saying such a ruling would cause NFL teams not to take his client as seriously before the draft.
"They did not issue a stay," Milstein told The Associated Press. "They set forth an expedited briefing schedule. Nothing happened today that was unexpected. The court is just doing what it needs to do to work hard and get Maurice in the draft — and with plenty of time to do it."
minstein also rejected the NFL's suggestion Clarett would be unharmed if he was kept out of the draft by a stay, then permitted to enter a supplemental draft if the appeals court eventually rules in Clarett's favor.
Milstein said Clarett would lose leverage to negotiate a contract, as well as practice time and time to learn his new team's playbook, if he were not drafted in April.
Clarett announced his intention to enter the draft after U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin in February tossed out a league rule that a player must be out of high school three years for draft eligibility. She said the rule violated antitrust law.
The NFL then extended until March 1 the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft.
If the league gets a stay, then loses the appeal, it will hold a supplemental draft for Clarett and the others within 10 days of that decision. Pash said yesterday.
But those players already have forfeited their college eligibility.
Ohio State suspended Clarett before last season for accepting money from a family friend and for lying about it to NCAA and university investigators.
In 2003, he rushed for 1,237 yards and led the Buckeyes to a national championship as a freshman.
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