Basketball
Northeastern probe found no evidence Lewis used drugs
An internal Northeastern University investigation turned over in a court battle over the sudden death of Boston Celtics star and Dunbar alumnus Reggie Lewis found no evidence that he used cocaine in college.
In a motion filed in the medical malpractice case, lawyers for Lewis' estate said "every credible witness with personal knowledge states unequivocally before the Northeastern Commission that Reggie Lewis never used cocaine."
The 1996 report has become central to the battle over responsibility over Lewis' death in July 1993. His widow, Donna Harris-Lewis, has sued Dr. Gilbert Mudge and three others, accusing them of misdiagnosing and mistreating the heart problem.
Mudge has countered that 16 days before Lewis died, the basketball star acknowledged having used cocaine, but said he had stopped. The lack of full disclosure early on made it impossible to make a proper diagnosis because Lewis hid his cocaine use, Mudge has claimed.
Harris-Lewis has denied her husband ever used cocaine.
The parties were in court yesterday to argue a request for a gag order and debate certain testimony. The trial is scheduled for April 26.
San Diego State: Steve Fisher, whose career as Michigan's coach ended as abruptly as it began, reportedly is on the verge of being hired as coach. The deal could be made final as soon as this weekend, Fox Sports News reported, citing sources close to Fisher who were not identified. Fisher, an assistant with the NBA's Kings, did not return two phone calls. Rick Majerus, who coached Utah to the national championship game last year, rejected San Diego State's job offer Monday night, and Gonzaga's Dan Monson also took himself out of the running.
Washington State: Paul Graham, an Oklahoma State assistant coach, got the head coaching job, replacing Kevin Eastman, who resigned three weeks ago after the Cougars suffered their third straight losing season.
Baseball
Fan falls 20 feet, hits head after trying to catch shirt
A 35-year-old man trying to catch a promotional T-shirt at a spring training game in Phoenix tumbled over a stadium railing and fell about 20 feet, striking his head and leaving a pool of blood on a rubber-covered cement runway.
Bill Slown of Phoenix, who had taken a day off from his job at an auto parts store to attend the Oakland Athletics' spring training game against the Chicago White Sox, was hurt between the fifth and sixth innings.
Oakland catcher A. J. Hinch was sitting near the runway, which leads to the A's clubhouse, and summoned team trainers. A's coach Bob Alejo phoned from the clubhouse for paramedics, who ran through the stadium and across the field during the game to tend to the man.
Slown was taken to Scottsdale Memorial Hospital. A nursing supervisor said he was under evaluation.
Soccer
Rothenberg: Women's league a possibility by 2001
A women's professional soccer league could be launched in the United States by spring of 2001, depending on the success of this summer's Women's World Cup and the 2000 Olympics, Alan Rothenberg said.
"A lot of people kind of just expect it," said Rothenberg, chairman of the board for the Women's World Cup organizing committee. "I'd like to see it happen."
Rothenberg said he envisions a league featuring between eight and 12 teams, stocked with American women and their top international counterparts playing during the spring and summer in such major markets as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.
Mania: The new Maryland Mania, a Columbia-based A-League team, will play host to two-time Major League Soccer champion D.C. United in an exhibition game May 26 at River Hill High School's stadium. The Mania, which will play its home league games at UMBC Stadium, is an affiliate of the Washington team, which won the first two MLS Cups and but was runner-up last season to the Chicago Fire. Tickets go on sale April 10.
Horse racing
Baffert colt Straight Man is 8-5 favorite in Derby prep
Lightly raced Straight Man, trained by Bob Baffert, was made the 8-5 favorite in a field of eight 3-year-olds and will start from the No. 1 hole in the $750,000 Gallery Furniture.com Stakes tomorrow at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.
The 1 1/8-mile race was known for 17 years as the Jim Beam Stakes.
Harness racing
Paraplegic finishes second in race at Los Alamitos O. J. Waddell achieved a larger victory when he drove an 8-year-old mare to second place in a $2,700 harness race at Los Alamitos in Orange County, Calif.
Waddell, 37, became the first paraplegic to compete in a parimutuel race, capping a 17-year licensing battle with California authorities and other drivers, who had expressed safety concerns.
"I think I showed them that I do belong," said Waddell, a former high school wide receiver who lost the use of his legs in a 1979 shooting.
Golf
Malignant tumors removed from McGee's neck, throat
Senior PGA Tour golfer Jerry McGee was resting after surgery to remove a malignant tumor in his neck and another from his throat.
McGee, 55, was operated on Wednesday in Pittsburgh.
Doctors performed a tracheotomy to aide his breathing after the surgery. It will stay in place for about five days until his throat incision heals. McGee will have six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
McGee had seven top-10 finishes in 1994, ranking in the top 31 in earnings during his first full season on the Senior Tour. He was on the PGA Tour from 1967 to 1981.
Et cetera
Browns thinking seriously about taking QB Smith No. 1
Any doubts that the Cleveland Browns are seriously thinking about taking Oregon quarterback Akili Smith with the first pick in the draft can be dispelled.
Smith became the first possible top draft choice to interview in Berea, Ohio, when he flew into town yesterday, talked with coach Chris Palmer and met team president Carmen Policy and owner Al Lerner.
He did not shy away from the fact that he wants to be the No.1 overall pick.
"I believe I'm the total package," he said. "I've got great arm strength. I've thrown touch passes. [I've got] mobility and quickness."
Dwight Clark, director of football operations, had raised eyebrows when he said the team had Smith and Kentucky's Tim Couch rated evenly atop the QB board.
But since Clark made that statement, the Browns have expressed awe at Smith's arm strength -- and brought him in ahead of Couch for an interview.
TV: Howard Katz, ESPN's vice president for production, is the new president of ABC Sports. Katz replaces Steve Bornstein, who became president of ABC earlier this month. At ESPN, Katz oversaw engineering and technical operations.
Auto racing: Dave Blaney won the pole for tomorrow's BGN Coca-Cola 300, a Busch Grand National race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. He drove his No. 93 Amoco Pontiac to a one-lap speed of 183.082 mph. That shattered the previous qualifying record of 180.054 set by Jeff Green before the inaugural race in 1997.
College hockey: A. J. Mleczko, a Harvard senior who led the nation in scoring, won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the nation's outstanding women's player.
The quiz
Bench marks
Duke's Mike Krzyzewski has won two national championships as a coach. Name the other two active men's coaches with more than one. (Answer, 11E)
Quiz answer
Bob Knight of Indiana with three and Denny Crum of Louisville with two.
Pub Date: 3/26/99