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Baseball Rumors & Notes

Twins OF Jacque Jones made his way around the room Sunday to say goodbye as he finished his three-day weekend in the Twin Cities on his way out the door at the Metrodome. "See you at spring training," he said, then added, "maybe." That has been the punch line all winter for Jones, a valuable if often overshadowed part of back-to-back division champions who has been on the trading block since the end of last season. Is he headed to his hometown San Diego Padres? Cincinnati? Arizona? Atlanta?

The Cubs do have a backup plan if they don't sign free agent Greg Maddux. They'll wait until midseason to see how the team is doing, and if they need some starting pitching, they are fairly confident they can find someone available.

The Milwaukee Brewers will stay in Milwaukee for the duration of their lease with the Miller Park stadium district and, hopefully, longer, according to baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.

Twins GM Terry Ryan said he never tried to trade outfielder Jacque Jones, despite reports otherwise. "Except for pitcherBrad Radke, who has a no-trade clause, any player on the team would be available for the right trade," Ryan said.

When Aaron Rowand arrives in Tucson next month as the White Sox's starting center fielder, he'll hardly be in need of training.

If the Marlins are going to play ball at a new stadium, it's hard to see how it could be in downtown Miami, the team's preferred location. Leading real estate brokers and local officials say potential sites have been snapped up by developers or are no longer feasible, for political or economic reasons. The latter include Bicentennial Park and the Miami Arena property, both owned by the city of Miami. The city has offered the team the Orange Bowl site, which is in Little Havana, to the west of the downtown neighborhood.

Longtime Twins great Rod Carew, the hall of famer who joined the team's front office last week, said Sunday he would support Pete Rose's Hall of Fame candidacy if Rose's lifetime ban from baseball is lifted by the commissioner. "I know I like him," Carew said. "If the commissioner said tomorrow he was going to reinstate him, I'd give him my vote." Hall of famer Harmon Killebrew, Carew's former teammate and a Twins special assistant, said he is not so sure he would support Rose but will withhold judgment until he is faced with that decision.

Despite winning the World Series in November, the Florida Marlins have sold fewer than 5,000 season tickets for 2004. How bad is that? The woeful Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers -- even the minor-league Sacramento River Cats, Dayton Devils and Buffalo Bisons -- have each sold more.

Disgraced baseball great Pete Rose admits in a magazine interview that he still bets on horses - and tells kids that gambling is a better vice than drugs, alcohol and domestic violence. But Charlie Hustle said he's more than sorry that he wagered on baseball, a transgression that might bar him from ever becoming a Hall of Famer. "I do feel shame. I lost my dignity. I am contrite," baseball's all-time hits leader says in an interview with U.S. News and World Report that hits newsstands today.

Shortstop Alex Rodriguez has been appointed captain of the Texas Rangers baseball team. "Captain" seems a little wimpy for a guy with a $252 million contract. But, at the same time the Rangers are terrible. How about a title like, "The Sultan Of Squat"? -- Comedy Writer Jerry Perisho.

He was a fiery and energetic player, who — after being banned for life from baseball because of a gambling scandal — spent years trying to get reinstated. That describes Pete Rose. But it also applies to George “Buck” Weaver, a member of the infamous Chicago “Black Sox” team that threw the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. Now, as Rose intensifies his efforts to be reinstated to baseball — admitting in a book that he bet on the game — the 77-year-old niece whom Weaver helped raise hopes he doesn't get forgotten.

NFL Rumors & Notes

After interviews with eight candidates, it appears Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis is close to settling on Dolphins offensive coordinator Norv Turner as his new coach. Davis met with Turner for a fourth consecutive day Sunday and is believed ready to begin finalizing a contract agreement, according to an NFL source close to the situation.

Kurt Warner wants to start, but the Rams can't guarantee a starting job to Warner or any player. It just doesn't work that way in sports. But if the Rams' brass is vacillating on Marc Bulger, they'd be crazy to remove their insurance (Warner).

Pats star Ty Law is simply making too much money. At the tail end of a seven-year, $49 million contract, he's scheduled to count $9.5 million against the cap in 2004 and a whopping $12.5 million in 2005. That's not the way these Patriots do business. These aren't Newbury Street shoppers, they're more in the Building 19 mode, looking for good stuff cheap

Bears coach Lovie Smith found his man in Chiefs quarterbacks coach Terry Shea, who will bring to the Windy City an insider's knowledge of the Air Coryell system. And while Shea, 57, won't take Trent Green or Priest Holmes with him to Chicago, he will bring the next best thing: the Kansas City playbook. While the West Coast offense remains the most popular NFL system thanks to its use in places like San Francisco, Philadelphia, Seattle, Green Bay and Tampa Bay, the Air Coryell style is growing in popularity.

In a recent interview with a Baltimore radio station, Art Modell - who recently handed over ownership of the Baltimore Ravens to Stephen Bisciotti - said he's "not interested in what people think of me in Cleveland." Later in the interview, Modell added this shot: "Obviously, people [in Cleveland] will never forgive me for the move. But I don't care." And Modell brushed off his latest rejection by Hall voters earlier this month. "The Hall of Fame is not my call," Modell said. "It's the call of the electors."

The Panthers are called the "Cardiac Cats" because 10 of their victories have been achieved by six points or less, and they've won four of their five overtime games this season.

Bill Belichick wouldn't even acknowledge any advantage his team might have because 28 players on the roster were on the 2001 team that won Super Bowl XXXVI, compared to only six Panthers with Super Bowl experience. "We don't care anything about that," Belichick said last night. "We're just trying to concentrate on the game. All our focus is on what we can do against the Carolina Panthers. No more, no less. That's our focus this week.

``I don't care what they say about (Pro Bowl running back) Stephen Davis,'' Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith said. ``(Carolina kick returner) Rod Smart is the real celebrity in our locker room.'' For most football fans, Smart's XFL nomme de guerre, ``He Hate Me,'' which he had stitched on the back of his Las Vegas Outlaws jersey, remains the most vivid memory of Vince McMahon's $40 million mistake.

At the edge of a Breaux Bridge, La., park where Jake Delhomme played peewee football, there's a cypress sculpture of a crawfish about the size of a refrigerator. There's no monument to the Carolina Panthers' starting quarterback, but that could change soon. Already, a local bar in the Cajun town of 7,500 has named a hamburger steak special for him. A musician is working on a song in his honor. A bank is putting up a Delhomme billboard. The marquee outside a restaurant reads: ``Congratulations Jake.''

If the Carolina Panthers trigger anything in the nation's sports consciousness, it's likely the litany of scandals and tragedies that dogged the team after its storybook beginning soured. Among the headlines: The conviction of wide receiver Rae Carruth for plotting the 1999 murder of his pregnant girlfriend, Cherica Adams; the death of former running back Fred Lane, who was shot by his wife in July 2000; the one-year suspension of first-round draft pick Rashard Anderson for violating the NFL's drug-policy; and a host of incidents involving drugs, alcohol and domestic violence.

Tom Brady on Bill Walsh comparing him to Joe Montana: "I'm obviously very flattered. But those comparisons are such a stretch. He's the best quarterback of all time, an unbelievable player. Won two Super Bowl MVPs, has four Super Bowl rings. He was incredible. When Bill Walsh says stuff you sort of go, 'Wow,' but there's a long way to go."

The NFL limits its teams to one three-day minicamp during the offseason, often held in May. However, a new head coach like Joe Gibbs may have two extra minicamps, according to Greg Aiello, the NFL vice president of public relations.

Does an extra week before the Super Bowl help or hurt a team's ability to prepare? Since Bill Belichick became the Patriots' head coach in 2000, New England is 5-5 in season openers or games following an off week. In five seasons as the Cleveland Browns' head coach, he was 4-6 in such games. While John Fox might not match Belichick's reputation, he is 3-1 in two seasons with the Panthers in games after bye weeks.

Quarterback Tom Brady defined a dynasty as a team that "you can count on to be at the top every year." He also said it takes more than three successful seasons to qualify for consideration. New England first has to take care of Carolina. Recall that Green Bay was headed toward a second straight title and establishing itself as a dynasty when it lost to Denver in Super Bowl XXXII. So were the 2001 Rams, who won Super Bowl XXXIV two years earlier.

TE Christian Fauria is among those Patriots making their first Super Bowl trip - a list including Larry Centers, Ted Washington and Tyrone Poole. Fauria already seemed to be basking in it yesterday, as he started taking pictures as he walked to the team bus in Foxboro and again last night when he faced the media.

Pats safety Rodney Harrison and his wife, Ericka, are expecting any day now. Harrison doesn't have to wear a beeper, however. He said his wife will join him in Houston.

At 8 o'clock tonight, the lights of Reliant Arena will dim, and 5,000 people will settle in for the first Olympic-style opening ceremony in the 38-year history of the Super Bowl. They will see coaches John Fox of the Carolina Panthers and Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots standing side by side, talking about Sunday's game for the NFL championship. They will watch as league commissioner Paul Tagliabue and former president George H.W. Bush raise the NFL flag to open Super Bowl week in Houston.

Dre' Bly knew when he agreed to a five-year, $24.5-million contract with the Lions as an unrestricted free agent last March that it might take awhile before he returned to the Super Bowl as a player. But his presence made an immediate impact on his new team. Playing with confidence in spite of the injuries that plagued the secondary, Bly matched his career high with six interceptions, forced five fumbles and had two touchdown returns, one on an interception and the other on a fumble.

On Jan. 27, 1991, at Tampa Stadium, Bills kicker Scott Norwood joined the ignominious ranks of Bill Buckner, Chris Webber and Ralph Branca as guys who cost their teams monumental victories. Today the 43-year-old Norwood is a financial adviser in Northern Virginia, his NFL career long behind him. Norwood admitted he often replays the field goal attempt in his mind.

NBA Rumors & Notes

The Clippers, Spurs, Suns and Knicks are among the teams that might make a pitch for Bryant. Would the Magic trade Tracy McGrady for Kobe Bryant? Why not, the way this season has gone? Would Bryant agree? Probably not. Would the Lakers take Tyson Chandler, a young active rebounder from Los Angeles, and Eddy Curry, who could backstop O'Neal, in a postseason sign-and-trade for Bryant? They probably would.

Should Marcus Fizer stay in Los Angeles after the Bulls play the Clippers on Tuesday? The agent for the little-used forward has been talking to teams about a trade, reportedly with the Bulls' permission. The Clippers believe they have a chance to sign Kobe Bryant when he becomes a free agent this summer and are looking to clear salary-cap space with expiring contracts. The Clippers also are said to be willing to part with combo guard Marko Jaric, who has another year on his deal. The Clippers also have been talking to the Hornets about taking on the expiring contracts of Bryce Drew and Stacey Augmon.

Al Harrington heard about last week's reports that he wants to be traded to New York, and he has a simple response. "It was nonsense," he said. A rumor out of New York made its way through the typical rounds of television, the Internet and talk radio that the Indiana Pacers forward wants a trade to the Knicks, where former Pacers coach Isiah Thomas is performing a makeover as team president.

Magic General Manager John Gabriel wouldn't comment on any trade speculation with Minnesota, although Juwan Howard said he would not be surprised if he were traded. The 'Wolves aren't the only team that has inquired about Howard.

There were rumours yesterday that the size-challenged Raptors are looking to bring in as many as four unemployed veteran NBA big men for workouts. A couple of them may show up in Toronto as early as today. Charles Oakley won't be one of them, but a couple of the names mentioned are Chris Gatling and Alton Ford.

Knicks President Isiah Thomas is working the league to find a fourth team in three seasons for Keith Van Horn. He's also trying to find a new home for Shandon Anderson and has talked to the Raptors about little-used Lamond Murray.

The Bulls have reached a settlement on injured guard Jay Williams' contract. It is believed to be for $3million, the amount on Williams' contract this season.

Hubert Davis is expected to sign a 10-day contract this morning with the Nets. Scott has not said how soon Davis will get into the lineup -- "It depends how he looks," Scott said -- but the Nets are eager to get his 3-point shooting onto the floor. Robert Pack played what will probably be his final minutes yesterday, closing out the final two minutes of the game. He likely will be cut today.

Look for the Celtics to terminate the remainder of Vin Baker's contract, worth approximately $35 million over 2 1/2 years, after his suspension for testing positive for alcohol.

The Bucks' Michael Redd is ninth in NBA scoring at 21.7 per game after hitting the Magic for 40. Redd, by the way, was picked by Milwaukee at No. 43 in the 2000 draft. That's after the Bulls selected Marcus Fizer, Jamal Crawford, Dalibor Bagaric, A.J. Guyton, Jake Voskuhl and Khalid El-Amin that year.

The Timberwolves are worried about Wally Szczerbiak, who is expected to return from a foot injury around the All-Star break, so they are making him available. But there are few takers because Szczerbiak has been injured consecutive seasons and is under base-year contract rules that make a deal difficult.

Coach Randy Ayers and Billy King, the Sixers' president and general manager, maintained that the root of the team's problem is defense. "I built the team thinking we had defensive players to go with offensive players," King said. "But, unfortunately, due to injuries, there haven't been those situations."

Dwyane Wade drives a Cadillac Escalade; lives in a five-bedroom, three-bathroom home with his wife, Siovaughn, and 2-year-old son, Zaire; has a shoe contract and TV commercial with Converse; and might appear in the upcoming movie Playground with fellow NBA rookies Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. But the Heat guard's money is no good in Miami. Every time Wade pulls out his wallet around town, some store owner or restaurateur slaps it away like a weak floater in the lane.

Chauncey Billups might not have so-called All-Star statistics, but has everything else to merit consideration for selection to the Eastern Conference team. Billups, the Pistons? starting point guard, is an All-Star in the true sense of the word. Not only does he perform well, but he also comes through when his team needs him the most.

Jalen Rose already had raised the Bulls' ire with critical comments to Toronto reporters last week in which he labeled the Bulls the worst team in the league. Jerome Williams, once so passionately identified with the Raptors' franchise that he wore their practice shorts under his Bulls game shorts after the trade, spelled out Rose's comment?which Rose denied making?on a greaseboard in the locker room before the game. He wrote, "Translation: With the worst players.

Allan Houston is hoping that Charlie Ward receives a loud ovation when he returns to the Garden tomorrow with the San Antonio Spurs. "I know that he'll be excited being back," Houston said.

Donyell Marshall on his former team the Bulls struggling with young players: "Those guys are playing in their third and [fourth] years, so it's not like they're getting thrown in the fire for the first time," Marshall said. "The team has been turned over to those guys, so you have to meet expectations. They want to name themselves the franchise. That's what they came in the league for.

Wizards guard Jerry Stackhouse, last season's leading scorer, who has not played this season following an arthroscopy to repair worn lining under his right kneecap in October, went nearly full speed running offensive sets with no defenders. He also took part in a drill where he bumped defenders lightly, with no counter-resistance. Coach Eddie Jordan said Stackhouse's workout looked promising but added that he did not foresee Stackhouse making his season debut anytime soon.

Now that Stephon Marbury is in place, the Knicks are offering young PG Frank Williams, who could become a nice player. He had become the starter there until Marbury arrived.

The much-anticipated return of Hornets forward Jamal Mashburn becomes a reality today, and not a moment too soon in the eyes of some teammates.

Paul Silas has made it clear that he expects big things from Dajuan Wagner, the sixth pick in the 2002 draft out of Memphis. Silas thinks rookie LeBron James and Wagner can provide his team with an effective 1-2 offensive punch. That's why the Cavs didn't hesitate to trade Ricky Davis and his 15.3 points per game.

Latrell Sprewell has done wonders for team unity in Minnesota by buying catered lunches for the entire team after every home practice. Instead of each player leaving the facility separately, they stay to dine together. "So they'll have prime rib, steak, pasta, catfish,'' Coach Flip Saunders said. "I went to him and said, 'Maybe I can pay,' and Spree said, 'Nah, this is my thing. I'm buying it for the guys.' So they can come in; everyone sits around. They eat. They talk. That's helped a lot." Even guys who don't like each other will eat together if it's free -- even millionaires.

About 30 people protested the proposed sale and move of the New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn, N.Y., on Sunday outside the team's home arena. The protest came two days after the Nets' current owners agreed to sell the franchise to Brooklyn developer Bruce Ratner for $300 million.

Paul Pierce learned the power of the press in a good way this week. After it appeared here Wednesday that he'd gotten a stain on his prized Ty Law Patriots jersey and was unable to get the problem alleviated at the dry cleaners, an alert reader with connections came to the rescue. Fox Sports New England and WILD commentator Willie Maye read the note, put in a call and had a replacement by the end of the week

College Rumors & Notes

St. Joseph's senior guard Jameer Nelson, above, who averages 20.2 points per game, on junior Delonte West: "I wouldn't rather have anybody else -- from the NBA, college, the world -- in my back court. "

Oklahoma forward Kevin Bookout will be done for the season after shoulder surgery this week. That's another big blow for a team that started 10-0 but has since lost four games in a row -- three by more than 20 points.

Daytona Beach Seabreeze QB Xavier Lee, Florida's Mr. Football Award winner and one of the state's top recruits at any position, announced he will sign with Florida State at his team's football banquet Sunday night, calling Tallahassee "where my heart was."

For years, when someone went to the NCAA record book to find the longest men's basketball losing streak, the entry always read: 37 -- The Citadel, Jan. 16, 1954-Jan. 12, 1955. Look for the record now and you'll find this: 33 -- Grambling State, Dec. 6, 1999-Dec. 16, 2000. "They finally contacted me and said it was wrong," said Gary Johnson, the NCAA's assistant director of statistics. "That was one that had been in there for a long time."

Pitt running backs coach Dino Babers vacated his position after just one season to take an assistant's job at UCLA. Babers moves to his fourth job in five years, following stints at Arizona and Texas A&M, where he was the offensive coordinator in 2001 and ?02.

Odd Notes & Stuff

Paris Hilton and Julius Erving have something in common. Yup — they've both had sex in front of a video camera. The Dr. J video was delivered to PAGE SIX last week as the hoops hall-of-famer, 53, was headed into court again in his divorce from his wife of 31 years, Turquoise The tape was apparently shot several years ago. It shows Erving — who went to the NBA finals four times and led the Philadelphia 76ers to a title — in a hotel room wearing a sleeveless undershirt, boxers and metal-framed glasses. The Afro of his early years is gone, and the gray of his later years has yet to arrive.

The reasoning behind the move is simple enough: If WMVP-AM (1000) has any hope of competing with or surpassing WSCR-AM (670) on a consistent basis, it had to add another local show during the prime daytime hours when radio listenership is highest. But getting the new midday show with Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti on the air -- it was set to debut at 9 a.m. today -- was anything but a simple process.

As we mentioned last week, the big winner in the latest Cleveland radio ratings report is WTAM AM/1100 afternoon sports talker Mike "Yes Sir, Whatever You Say Sir, Mr. Carmen Policy, Sir" Trivisonno. But here's another: WKNR AM/850 morning sports talker Bruce Drennan, who added 19,100 weekly overall listeners during the past few months.

3 Staffers at Detroit's WXYT-AM (1270) were informed Saturday of the sports-talk station's new daytime lineup, which will debut Feb. 2, the day after Super Bowl Sunday. Mike Valenti -- formerly of Lansing's WQTX-FM (92.7) -- and Detroit News columnist Terry Foster will take over the 10 a.m.-1 p.m. slot formerly filled by Damon (The Dog) Perry. The 1-3 p.m. slot will be filled by ESPN Radio's "Dan Patrick Show." Doug Karsch and Art Regner -- who now work early afternoons -- will move to 3-7, basically in the place of "The LockerRoom" (its hours were 4-7).

Kent Meyer, a 38-year-old landlord from Sioux City, Iowa, is the Handicapper of the Year for 2004 -- and has a $100,000 first prize to show for it. He won the Daily Racing Form-NTRA National Handicapping Championship, topping a record field of 261 players Saturday night.

Over the years, hip-hop has not only become mainstream, but is also an important tool for luring young people to the NBA, NFL and college sports. But is hip-hop on the mind of the average beer-slinging male fan between the ages of 25-54 who simply wants to watch the Super Bowl and dissect every play?

No announcement is imminent, but expansion remains on Major League Soccer's radar. The number of potential cities that could welcome a team seems to grow daily as the league looks to increase from its current 10 teams. Cleveland, San Diego, Houston and Oklahoma City have been mentioned previously. Last year, the rumor mill spit out Cleveland and Houston as the likely newcomers in 2005, with the Mexican club Chivas running the show in Texas.

The Rangers took the Garden ice yesterday to a slew of boos from nearly 8,000 uncharitable fans at SuperSkate VI, the team's annual on-ice benefit event. Yet as each player skated during the skills competition and celebrity game, they heard at least a smattering of cheers.

Good news for David Letterman, Barbara Walters, Matt Lauer, et al. Dan Klores, the crisis manager guru, has completed his two-month stint with video star/socialite Paris Hilton, which means the media blackout he demanded from his client, with the exception of a surprise appearance on "Saturday Night Live," is lifted, making Hilton a talk-show free agent.

Friends of Jennifer Lopez say she hasn't decided whether to give back Ben Affleck's 6.1-carat pink Harry Winston ring now that she's called off their engagement. But neither of them seems too bereft.

Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry played ice hockey Saturday afternoon with former members of the Boston Bruins. Kerry almost wasn’t able to play. They couldn’t find a helmet to fit over that hair. -- Comedy Writer Jerry Perisho

The city of Houston is expecting 120,000 visitors over the next week who will be attending the Super Bowl and its activities. The last time 120,000 bodies arrived in Houston in a week, they were fattened up, branded and shipped off for slaughter. So, not much has changed. -- Comedy Writer Jerry Perisho

Sen. Hillary Clinton's trouble with PETA isn't going away. The kerfuffle over her new sheared mink coat that her staff is trying to pass off as velvet has spurred PETA President Ingrid Newkirk to tell the horrific tale of "Mr. Velvet," a red fox who lost a leg to a steel trap.

Fan's of Bravo's "Inside the Actors Studio" may wonder why Barbra Streisand's interview, taped last fall, has yet to air. Rumors that Streisand delayed the show because she's unhappy with her appearance are false, says host James Lipton. "She was phenomenal," he says. "She was there for five hours — most shows last four."

Even in the cold, gray chambers of justice, Martha Stewart insists on gracious living. The accused insider trader is understandably on edge as she waits and waits in Manhattan Federal Court to see who will make up the jury of her peers. But the empress of entertaining can still control a few things - such as what she eats for lunch. "She wants comfort food," says our source, "but nothing with too many carbs. She's concerned that she's put on weight. She's concerned about how she looks when she arrives at court."

It's been almost three years since the accident that changed her life, but lead-footed Lizzie Grubman thinks the time is right to go all-out on the social scene. The petite blonde, now a talking head for CNN and Court TV, is celebrating her 33rd birthday Thursday at Marquee on 10th Avenue.

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