thursday, december 11,2003 "Life is so much better than fiction." Kansas City sports personality Jason Whitlock on the release of the Ricky Clemons tapes. what we heard off the bench the university daily kansan 13A Clemons: Coaches provided money The Associated Press COLUMBIA, Mo. — Former Missouri basketball player Ricky Clemons said in taped jail telephone conversations that two assistant coaches gave money to him and other players, the Columbia Daily Tribune reported on its Web site. Clemons also said he was told during a conversation with his attorney and one of the assistants to deny having received cash if a prosecutor asked about it, the newspaper reported Tuesday night. The tapes were released to the Tribune and to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which also posted reports on the contents on its Web site early yesterday, by Boone County Sheriff Boehm. Missouri coach Quin Snyder said in a statement released Tuesday night that he and his assistant coaches couldn't discuss the allegations because NCAA and internal university investigations, both previously reported, are still under way. Athletic director Mike Alden issued a statement saying that the contents of the taped conversations "represent only a small part of the review that is taking place." "Our basketball program has fully cooperated with the investigation and respects the due diligence that has taken place," Alden said. "I am confident in Coach Snyder's management of the Mizzou basketball program and I believe that he will address any problem areas that have been identified through this review process." The Clemons could not be reached for comment. But his former attorney, Wally Bley, of Columbia, told The Associated Press he never told Clemons to lie. Clemons Tribune reported it reviewed 24 hours of taped calls Clemons made from the Boone County Jail between July 16 and Aug. 14, when the former player was serving a sentence for two misdemeanors arising from a choking incident involving his former girlfriend, Jessica Bunge. On the tapes, Clemons is also heard saying at least two other players, senior stars Arthur Johnson and Rickey Paulding, a preseason All-American, also received money from an assistant coach. Yesterday, Paulding and Johnson issued identical statements through the athletic department denying that accusation. "All I can say is that we have not ever received any impermissible benefits, including cash, from any of our coaches." the statements read. Boehm, who released the tapes, declined comment to The Associated Press on Tuesday evening. Media organizations had asked Boehm for the tapes last summer, but the sheriff said then that he couldn't release them because they were part of an ongoing FBI investigation. The Post-Dispatch reported on its Web site Tuesday night that the FBI has ended its investigation and will not file criminal charges. The FBI told the newspaper, which added information on the tapes and their content early yesterday, that it had looked into a tip that someone tried to intimidate a witness in the criminal case against Clemons, and that Clemons was not the target of the FBI probe. Bunge told investigators in the domestic assault case that Clemons told her he received cash during visits to the Hearnes Center, the Tigers' arena. Asked about the accusation in a sworn deposition last March. Missouri assistant coach Lane Odom denied under oath any knowledge of payments to Clemons. The Post-Dispatch also reported that the NCAA is expected to review the tapes of Clemons' phone conversations while he was jailed. But in a telephone conversation from jail with Amy Stewart, the wife of Missouri Associate Athletic Director Ed Stewart, Clemons said while Bunge never saw him receive any money, the exgirlfriend did deposit the money into the bank for him. Clemons also said assistant coach Tony Harvey gave money to Johnson and Paulding, the Tribune reported. Missouri basketball spokesman Sam Fleury said both assistants were still on Snuder's coaching staff. "When I first got here, they did, they did everybody. I mean, they do A.J. and Rickey. If they need money, they'd go to Harvey. He, he'd get it for 'em," the newspaper quoted Clemons as telling Amy Stewart. Clemons, a junior-college transfer, was arrested in late January after he allegedly choked Bunge in a headlock and refused to let her leave his Columbia apartment for more than an hour. He was suspended from the team for a year, with conditions imposed by Snyder and Alden for his eventual return. But Clemons was kicked off the team in July after a judge determined he violated conditions for serving his sentence in a halfway house and ordered him to jail, where Clemons was able to make collect calls. This fall, he reenrolled at Missouri but isn't playing basketball. In another conversation with Amy Stewart, Clemons contended he was told during a meeting with Odom and Bley at the attorney's Columbia office to deny any knowledge of receiving money or clothes. Snyder has acknowledged giving Clemons a couple of pairs of shoes and two pairs of pants he received as promotional gifts and planned to discard. Falcons fire coach with one year left Defensive coordinator takes over for Reeves to finish Atlanta's year The Associated Press FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Dan Reeves was fired abruptly by the Atlanta Falcons yesterday with three games left in a disappointing season marred by star Michael Vick's injury. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will take over as head coach for the rest of the season. Falcons owner Arthur Blank told Reeves, the sixth-winningest coach in NFL history, that he would be fired at the end of the season but wanted him to coach the rest of the way. Reeves asked to be let go immediately. "When Arthur told me he had made the decision about the end of the year, I knew it had to come to a fullness today." Reeves said. "I'm an eternal optimist, so yeah, it was a surprise. But I'm also realistic enough about coaching to understand this is how it is in the NFL." Reeves, 59, is in his 23rd consecutive season as an NFL head coach, by far the longest tenure in the league, and he had one year left on his contract. Reeves led the Denver Broncos to three Super Bowls, losing each time. The Falcons fell from the playoffs a year ago to one of the worst teams in the league after Vick was hurt in the preseason. Reeves was let go after the Falcons (3-10) defeated Carolina 20-14 in overtime in Vick's first start of the season. As Blank answered questions from reporters in one of the team's meeting rooms yesterday, Reeves stood outside in the hall and exchanged handshakes and hugs with some of the players, including Vick. Afterward, Vick and the others walked to the locker room to prepare for practice. "Dan is a sweet guy, very sweet," Vick said. "He's a guy that really cares about his players. I think he went the extra mile tor us, and a lot of guys are going to miss him." Blank said he doesn't expect to hire a new coach until after the regular season. Phillips, a former head coach in Denver and Buffalo, isn't thought to be a leading candidate. "I want to be clear that this decision is not being made based on our performance this season, we're looking forward, not back." Blank said. "This is purely about the future of the organization." Among the possible candidates: ex-Minnesota coach Dennis Green and college coaches Bob Stoops of Oklahoma, Nick Saban of LSU, and Kirk Ferentz of Iowa. Green's former agent is Ray Anderson, the Falcons' executive vice president. Reeves won't be around for the rest of the season. He leaves with a career record of 201-174-2, including the playoffs. Reeves began the season with his 199th career victory, a 27-13 win at Dallas. Atlanta then lost seven in a row before Reeves finally got his 200th win at New York against the Giants on Nov. 9. Only Don Shula, George Halas, Tom Landry, Curly Lambeau and Chuck Noll won more NFL games than Reeves. Maryland outplays, upsets No.1 Florida The Associated Press GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida failed to make its claim as the best team on its home floor, let alone the whole country. Travis Garrison made a jumper for the winning points in overtime last night to lift Maryland to a 69-68 victory over the top-ranked Gators and give coach Gary Williams his 300th victory with the Terrapins. The Gators, who moved to No. 1 in The Associated Press' poll this week, fell to 5-1 and all but guaranteed there will be a new top-ranked team for the fourth straight week on Monday. It won't, however, be Maryland (5-2), which came in unranked - a standing that showed just how unscientific the polls are. Bigger, stronger and shooting better through the first 25 minutes, the Terraplins got big plays from John Gilchrist (18 points), Jamar Smith (12 points, nine rebounds) and Nik Caner-Medley (22 points, 13 rebounds) to build a 17-point lead. But they went on an amazing cold streak, failing to score a field goal over the final 9 minutes of regulation. In fact, their only two baskets over the final 16 minutes came on breakaway dunks after steals - and Florida tied it at 60 to send the game to overtime. Anthony Roberson (20 points) hit a 3-pointer and Matt Walsh took an outlet pass from Roberson to help the Gators take a 68-64 lead in overtime, but the Terps didn't give up. Caner-Medley hit a shot standing on the 3-point line to cut the deficit to two. D.J. Strawberry made a free throw, then, after yet another stop in a rugged, defensive game, the Terps worked the ball to Garrison, who spotted up and hit the game-winner. Maryland sealed the win by blocking Adrian Moss' shot with 1.1 seconds left. It was the Terps' ninth victory over a top-ranked program in school history, leaving them one behind UCLA for the all-time lead. Florida, meanwhile, fell to 0-2 in games after moving to No.1. The Gators fell 70-55 to Kentucky last February after moving to the top of the poll for the first time in school history. Many felt Florida was flat in that game. That wasn't the case this time. Maryland simply outplayed the Gators over the first half, and when Ekene Ibekwe hit a 3-pointer with 16 minutes left in the second half, the Terri- pans led 49-32. Florida played great defense to get back in it, but blew a couple chances to take the lead late. Moss and David Lee each missed two free throws in the final two minutes with the Gators trailing by one. That was just part of the general ugliness of this one. Suffering with an injured leg, Lee went 1-for-12 from the field and finished with nine points. Walsh shot 4-for-13. The Gators made only 31 percent of their shots after shooting better than 50 percent the first five games. So the Kansan thinks that North Carolina State has a better kicking team than we do. That has got to be the most obvious statement in the history of journalism. saturday Kansas athletics calendar Men's basketball vs. Oregon Feist Shootout 1 p.m. Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Mo. Women's basketball vs. Ball State 7 p.m. Allen Fieldhouse volleyball Coaches name Kansas' Lima to All-Region volleyball team Kansas volleyball player Josi Lima was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Region Team yesterday. The sophomore middle blocker, who was named Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year last season, averaged 3.15 kills and 2.02 digs per game. She also had a .313 attack percentage. "It was really a combination of Josi having another outstanding season and the team having great success this year. The two factors enabled one another," Kansas coach Ray Bechard said. "We look forward to having more Jayhawks earn this honor." The Sao Paulo, Brazil, native was one of nine Big 12 players named to the 2003 Central Region First-Team. Lima was also named to the 2003 All-Big 12 first-team for the second time in a row. She is the first Jayhawk to accomplish that feat. She joined junior middle blocker Ashley Michaels, who was named to the All Big 12 Honorable Mention Team. — Mike Norris football 29-year-old former Kansas athlete dies in car crash Free for All Call 864-0500 Former Kansas offensive lineman Scott Whittaker died Dec. 2 from injuries received in a car accident. He was 29 years old. Whittaker was a member of the Jayhawks from 1993-1996 under former coach Glen Mason, choosing Kansas over UCSE and Oklahoma. He helped lead Kansas to a 10-2 record in the 1995 season and a victory in the Aloha Bowl against UCLA. The team finished ninth in the nation in the 1995 season. The 6-foot-7-inch, 285-pound Whitaker was later signed as a free agent by the Oakland Raiders and spent two years as a backup with the team. He also played professionally for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe, earning a World Bowl championship, and on the L.A. Xtreme in the XFL's only season. "Those that were close to him recognize him as a fiercely loyal and great friend," former teammate Jason Brown said in an e-mail. Whittaker had not played in the past two seasons but was considering a comeback to football before his death. Jesse Newell PAMPER SOMEONE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH AN IMAGES GIFT CERTIFICATE! NOW OFFERING HOT STONE MASSAGE, BODY WRAPS & GLYCOLIC PEELS BASIC IMAGE - 1/2 Hour Body Massage * 1/2 Hour Express Facial * Manicure * Pulluline DELUXE IMAGE $110 - Cleansing Facial - 1 Hour Full Body Massage - Shampoo & Style - Manicure (Regular) * Pedicure IMAGES SALON & DAY SPA 9th & Louisiana • 843-2138 $150 ULTIMATE IMAGE - 1 Hour Full Body Maesage - Snacks & Beverage - Clarifying Spa Facia - Manicure (Hot Oil) - Spa Pedicure - Scalp Treatment $185 DESIGNER IMAGE Create your own image Package. Choose any combination of our ser- vices or purchase a gift certificate in the amount of your choice. Become an Orientation Assistant! 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