HALEY SET TO RETURN
CHARLES HALEY, whose back troubles were expected to force him into retirement, plans sign a contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys. Haley's agent said.
Kurt Robinson told The Dallas Morning News that the extension should help the Cowboys, who exceed the NFL salary cap.
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Haley, 33, is signed through 1999. He is
lion against the 1997 including a base salary of $2 million
As of Monday, the Cowboys were $3.4 million above the 1997 salary cap of $41.45 million. Doctors have advised him to retire.
SOCCER PLAYER COMMITS TO KANSAS
MEGHANN HAVEN, a senior forward at Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colo., signed a letter of intent to play women's soccer at Kansas next season.
Haven led her club team, the Columbia Impact, to championships at the WAGS Tournament in Washington, D.C., and the USA Cup in Minneapolis last season.
BRONCO WAFFLING
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1997
GARY ZIMMERMAN may not stay retired for long. The former Denver Broncos offensive tackle said Tuesday that he would consider returning in 1997 if his battered body allows him to.
surgery in January and told the
Zimmerman, 35, played 169 consecutive games with Minnesota and Denver until a shoulder injury forced him to miss two of the final three regular season games. He had shoulder
Broncos this month that he was retiring
PAGE 4B
While Zimmerman ponders his future, the Broncos are trying to find his successor at left tackle. They reportedly are close to trading for Baltimore's Tony Jones.
Albert Belle discloses loss from gambling on sports
CLEVE兰AND —Albert Belle said he recently lost as much as $40,000 gambling on pro football and college basketball games.
Belle, who joined the Chicago White Sox last fall, made the statement under oath Tuesday while answering questions for a deposition regarding his confrontation with Halloween pranksters, attorney Richard Lillie said.
Lillie said that he pursued gambling questions to attack Belle's credibility. During six years with the Cleveland Indians, Belle was suspended five times and received the largest fine in baseball history — $50,000 for beating a television reporter at the 1995 World Series.
In New York, Rich Levin, a representative for major league baseball, said that officials had just heard about the Belle deposition.
Baseball regulations prohibit a player from betting on major league games. A violation could result in suspension for one year or for life if a bet concerns the player's own team.
Lillie said Beille also testified that he made wagers with friends on golf and that he had paid off his gambling debts with money orders.
Tonya Harding crashes truck to escape abductor
OREGON CITY, Ore. — Figure skater Tonya Harding said she was abducted outside of her home yesterday and had escaped without serious injuries when she drove her pickup truck into a tree and fled.
GR Gordon-Ross / KANSAN
Diamond Williams, Kansas City, Kan., senior and KU spinner, practices her starts out of the block. Williams is one of the best sprinters on the KU track and is co-captain of the women's track team.
Tonva Harding
Harding said a bushy haired man abducted her early yesterday outside of her Oak Grove home and forced her to drive him to a nearby town. Damon Coates, representative for the Clacka-
mas County sheriff's office, said Harding had received minor injuries when her assailant slapped her.
The skater said she had escaped by driving her pickup into a tree along a country road, then running into the woods. She hid in the brush and, when her assailant ran past, ran back to her truck and drove into town.
David Hans Schmidt, Harding's agent, said the incident would not affect plans for Harding to begin a comeback with a three-minute skating exhibition Feb. 22 in Reno, Nev.
Nuggets hire Bristow as team's vice president
Bristow was an assistant coach for the Nuggets from 1984-90. He said he wanted to recapture the excitement of that time, when Denver reached the playoffs every year and won the Midwest Division twice.
DENVER — Allan Bristow, former Charlotte Hornets coach and Denver assistant, was named Nuggets vice president of basketball operations yesterday.
"I don't want to live in the past, but I want to link the past with the future," said Bristow, who replaced Bernie Bickerstaff, who left for a head coaching position.
Bristow said that the Nuggets had the nucleus of a good team in players LaPhonso Ellis, Antonio McDyess, Brivant Stith and Ervin Johnson.
"I feel we have a nucleus here of young players, the commitment of management," Bristow said. "All the resources are here to turn this thing around, to be competitive again."
Bristow served as coach of the Hornets for five seasons before he was fired last year.
Sprinter draws attention
While with Charlotte, Bristow had a 207-203 record.
—The Associated Press
Track transfer sets team goals for new season
By Matt Woodruff Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas track and field team owes a debt of gratitude to Dinuka Williams.
After all, she's the one who talked her sister Diamond, a captain on the women's team, into becoming a Jayhawk.
"She was going to school at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, but they didn't have the architecture school she wanted," Dimica Williams said. "We did some research, realized Kansas was a close distance and was what she wanted to do."
The sprinter enjoyed instant success upon her arrival, earning 1995 Big Eight Conference Newcomer of the Year honors and running the lead-off leg of the Kansas women's 4x400-meter relay team that placed first in the Big Eight outdoor championships.
"That was a big highlight, being first on the first Big Eight team I was on." Diamond Williams said.
Kansas track coach Gary Schwartz said that team unity was a
This year, Diamond Williams is focusing on her new role as co-captain and also getting the most out of herself and her teammates.
primary goal this season and that he was pleased with the way Williams had performed and led the team so far.
"I want to make the team more united, to have more team spirit and get the crowd fired up," Williams said. "We need to let them know that KU is here, and we're here to make a difference."
"She's one of the people who will have to step up, and she's performed very well for us so far," Schwartz said. "One of our goals this season is to get the captains to get everyone together and ready to compete."
Williams has a goal to place in the top three in the 55-meter race at the conference championships and for the relay team to run well.
"In the mule relay, I want to see us first, so go for the gusto," she said.
Williams said the team also was focusing on placing above Big 12 rivals.
the three-time state champion in both the 400- and 800-meter relay teams, broke the state record in the 4x100-meter relay and was a member of the National Honor Society.
When she's not competing on the track, Williams can usually be found designing homes and churches, which is what she plans to do after graduation. Majoring in architecture, she earned a 3.3 GPA, which is 0.8 above the average for other architecture students.
"We want to beat Nebraska, who usually wins (the conference championship), Colorado because they won last year and the purple people, K-State," she said. "We have a problem with the purple people."
Although she has enjoyed success at both track and academics, Williams said trying to find a balance between the two could be difficult.
"It's very hard and very time consuming," she said. "If I'm not in the (architecture) studio, I'm out on the track."
Dimika Williams said her younger sister had always been able to do what she needed to do to be successful.
During her two-year stay at Lincoln, Williams was the Dwight T. Reed Award winner for most outstanding female athlete and made the National College Dean's list.
At her high school, Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, Williams was
"I'm very proud of her," Dimika
Williams said. "She's a smart kid, she's got her priorities straight. She knows when it's time to study and when it's time to perform on the track."
Boredom, cable inspire columnist's own awards
Popular TV actors, athletes lend names to mock prizes
The ESPY Awards taught me one thing Monday night, actor Steve Gutenberg can still get a gig and Jm J. Bullock can't.
Although, during ESPN's annual ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) award ceremony my cable kept cutting off. Since I missed the majority of the ESPY's, I took the idea of a sports award show and made it my own.
The MOSAP (My Own Sports Award Program) would take place in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field at about 5 p.m. The awards would be named after athletes, movies, entertainers, television shows, characters and other things too difficult to explain that represent the award.
The World B. Free Award
- Sam Gash, running back,
New England Patriots.
SPORTS COLUMNIST
Here's how the first MOSAP's would go.
underappreciated athlete with a cool name. World B. Free was a vastly underrated player while he was in the NBA.
This award is given to an
Kansas guard Terry Nooner finished a close second. Former NBA player Uwe Blab received some votes even though he retired years ago.
The George Papadapolis Award - A tie between Boston Celtic forward Rick Fox and Utah Jazz center Greg Ostertag for their roles in the movie Eddie.
The Papadapolis is awarded to a professional athlete who displays a flair for acting. This award is named for former Detroit Lions lineman Alex Karras' character on the television show Webster.
The Alf Award - The University of California-
Santa Cruz Banana Slug.
This award is given to the most creative mascot. I know Alf is not a mascot but he is creative, I guess.
The Hardcastle and McCormick Award - The Green Bay Packers and their fans at Lamborne Field.
This award displays teamwork like the characters on the television show Hardcastle and McCormick. When a Packer player scores a touchdown and jumps into the stands, he is caught by celebrating fans. Now that's teamwork with a capital "T."
The Larry Nance Award - Kansas forward Nick Bradford.
Walt "The Wizard" Williams finished second
The Nance is awarded to an athlete who presents style on the court from the kneecap down. In one word, tubesocks.
The Deidre Hall Award - Heavyweight boxer Oliver McCall.
This award is named after the Days of Our Lives star who is known for crying.
On the TV show MacGiver, the star Richard Dean Anderson, could create something out of almost nothing. Dixon has been creating plays all season. She has been having an All-American season and edged out Seattle Supersonics guard Gary Payton, and Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders.
The MacGyver Award - Kansas guard
TameckaDixon.
The MacGyver is given to the athlete who is the best creator.
The Zubaz is given to the team with the ugliest uniforms. The Cavs are having a tough time with color combinations.
The Six Million Dollar Man Award - Michael Johnson
The Zubaz Award - The Cleveland Cavaliers uniforms during the last two decades.
This Award is given to the male athlete of the year. Johnson's win in the 200- and 400-meters was unbelievable.
The Bionic Woman - Dot Richardson.
This is awarded to the female athlete of the year Richardson helped the U.S. Olympic Softball
As Daily Show host Craig Kilborn would say,
"What did we learn today?"
Well, we learned that I have a lot of free time. We learned World B. Free is missed in the NBA, especially while he was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. We learned that there is a career for Sergeant Mahoney after Police Academy. And finally, we learned that "Circle gets the square," as Jm J. Bullock often heard on the Hollywood Squares.
Players hope fans don't get the blues
Gretzky to face off against St. Louis
The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS — For the first time since his short stint ended with the St. Louis Blues, Wayne Gretzky returns to face the team he jilted.
Mike Keenan, the team's former general manager and coach, rhapsodized about the Great One's talents when he pulled off a deal with the Los Angeles Kings Feb. 27, 1996, for three prospects and a first-round pick in this year's draft. Then he publicly ripped Gretzky's play during the plavoffs.
His ex-teammates never took it personally. They are hoping the fans don't boot tonight because Gretzky is wearing No. 99 for the New York Rangers.
"I think it'll be positive," Geoff Courtnall said. "Wayne wanted to stay here. Wayne wanted to play in St. Louis. No doubt about it."
In the summer, Gretzky was gone to New York. In December, Keenan also was gone — fired by the Blues.
"There's only one reason Wayne is not here, and he (Keanan) is gone," Brett Hull said. "Fortunately for (Gretzky), he saw what would have most likely been not a very fun time for him, so he moved on."
The man who has rewritten the NHL record book lasted just 31 games with the Blues, 18 in the regular season and 13 in the playoffs. For some Blues, the stint was so short that it is almost as though it never occurred.
"He's happy and doing well, and we're going in the right direction."
"It's almost got that feeling," Hull said. "It's so unfortunate that he still isn't here, but that's part of life.
The Blues are 8-6-1 with new coach Joel Quenneville, who might still be a Colorado Avalanche assistant if
Gretzky had stayed in St. Louis.
Wayne Gretzky
Gretzky can draw fans like no other player, and his arrival last winter meant an instant sellout for the Blues. The top nine crowds in the 30-year history of the franchise came in the brief Gretzky era.
"Who knows?" Quennevillied with a laugh. "It's a crazy business."
Gretzky's departure and unpopular deals made by Keenan have dragged attendance down. The team reduced prices for the cheapest seats from $25 to $15 for the last eight
The Blues had about 14,000 fans for Monday's game against Phoenix, but team officials are anticipating a sellout of about 20,000 to see Gretzky, Mark Messier and the rest of the Rangers.
home games. The Blues also decided to forego the usual practice of raising prices for the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Hull, who had lobbed for the Gretzky trade last year, said he wasn't really anticipating it.
"That doesn't make it special, it makes it ominous," Hull said. "The greatest player ever to play the game, with maybe the second-most prominent player — for sure one of the toughest to play the game with that much skill. It's a combo I'm not looking forward to seeing."
Gretzky was unavailable for comment. The Rangers, who last played at Florida on Sunday, practiced Tuesday in Miami and arrived yesterday in St. Louis.
Gretzky, 36, enters the game in the worst goal-scoring slump of his career. He has been stuck on 853 career goals for 17 games, and he last scored on Dec. 30.
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