The Michigan Daily - Thursday, November 8, 2001- 1|A
Clippers' Odom admits to marijuana use
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Los Angeles Clippers
star Lamar Odom, under suspension for violating
the NBA's anti-drug policy for the second time in
eight months, tearfully admitted yesterday that he
used marijuana.
Odom, the Clipper's leading scorer last season,
was to serve the second game of a five-game sus-
pension Wednesday night when the Clippers faced
the Memphis Grizzlies. He is eligible to return to
his team on Nov. 16 against the Toronto Raptors.
The NBA does not disclose information about
the testing or treatment of any player in the pro-
gram, but Odom volunteered the information fol-
lowing the Clippers' shootaround. Odom's
coaches and teammates were present to show their
support.
"I chose to experiment with marijuana, that's
why I'm here right now," he said after stating he
doesn't have a drug problem. "I'll be receiving
counseling, that's not rehab."
Odom, who turned 22 Tuesday, choked up with-
in seconds of addressing reporters, and was
quickly comforted by teammates.
"I'm here today because I failed," Odom said.
"I'm disappointed in myself. I don't want to put
anybody in this position again. I'm sorry, but I
don't want everybody to feel sorry for me."
After his first five-game suspension was
announced March 7, Odom vowed he would never
again miss a game in such a manner.
"I made the mistake once, now it's twice," he
said. "I feel like I can get through it, I know I can
get through it, I'm strong enough. Nothing I can
say is going to make people believe me, I've just
got to do it."
Tearful throughout the 13-minute news confer-
ence, Odom said he didn't expect the kind of sup-
port he received "because I've been through this
before."
"This is genuine support," Clippers forward
Elton Brand said. "We came here collectively as a
group because we want to support him; he needs
us right now. We're going to continue when he
comes back to support him also."
Clippers coach Alvin Gentry also said the sup-
port for Odom would not waver.
"He's a good person, and everybody here
believes that," Gentry said. "We love him because
of who he is, and that's the way it's going to be.
We believe in him, we believe in him until the day
we die.
"All we can do is help any way we can: We've
got to make sure he's better as a person - the
basketball part is irrelevant right now. When
Lamar comes back, he's going to be a good play-
er."
Odom said some time away from basketball
might be beneficial.
"I don't know, maybe it will give me some time
to think, get past this," he said. "You can't dwell
on the past, you have to go through times of pain
to get to times ofjoy, I guess."
The Clippers, who brought a 1-3 record into
Wednesday night's game, beat Atlanta 109-86
without Odom on Monday night. They went 1-4
while he was on suspension last season.
In his team's first three games this season, all
losses, Odom made only 16 of 52 shots (30.8 per-
cent) while averaging 14 points, 10 rebounds and
3.7 assists in 38.7 minutes.\
The Clippers chose Odom with the fourth over-
all selection in the 1999 draft.
AP PHOTO
A teary-eyed Lamar Odom explains at a press conference that he has been abusing
marijuana. His coaches and teammates were on-hand to support him.
. Glenn is
cleared of
charges
WRENTHAM, Mass. (AP) -
Prosecutors have dropped a felony
"intimidation of a witness" charge
against New England Patriots wide
receiver Terry Glenn, but continue
to pursue an assault and battery
charge.
Prosecutors decided they didn't,
have enough evidence to prosecute
Glenn, according to David Traub,
spokesman for the Norfolk District
Attorney's office.
The charge was dropped late last
week.
Glenn's attorneys have filed a
motion to have the misdemeanor
assault and battery charge dis-
missed. A hearing on the motion
will be heard on Dec. 4. If the
motion is denied, The Patriots
receiver will have to go to trial in
February.
Glenn was arrested in May after
allegedly assaulting Kimberly
Combs, the mother of his son, at his
Walpole home.
Combs, though, has signed a writ-
ten affidavit in which she said
Glenn didn't assault, abuse or
threaten her.
But prosecutors pressed ahead
with the case, based on a statement
from Glenn's then 5-year-old son in
which he said, "Daddy pushed
Mommy."
Glenn is also in dispute with the
Phoenix celebrates city's first
championship with parade
WI
PHOENIX (AP) - Wild screams and confetti rained down yes-
terday on the World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks as
fans celebrated Phoenix's first major professional sports title with
a release of emotions that seemed to energize the whole city.
Bob Brenly, accompanied by the World Series trophy, salutes the
fans during yesterday's parade. Manager Bob Brenly and the Dia-
mondbacks' World Series trophy rode on the fire engine leading a
parade that snaked through downtown en route to a celebration
inside Bank One Ballpark, where Arizona defeated the New York
Yankees in a dramatic ninth-inning comeback Sunday.
"We're proud that you came out here and stood up to those Yan-
kees fans," Brenly told a packed crowd inside the ballpark. "Spring
training starts in 98 days. We'll be back up here a year from today."
Third baseman Matt Williams differed with Gov. Jane Hull, who
told the crowd there was no better feeling than a World Series vic-
tory.
"With all due respect to the governor, it does get better than this
if we win another one," Williams said.
An estimated 300,000 fans, most of them dressed in purple and
many waving American flags, lined the parade route, cheering and
waving wildly as the players rode past on 18 fire trucks.
People blew on horns and other noise makers and confetti fell
from some of the buildings.
"It was so difficult to try to get tickets to any of the playoffs or
the series games, we wanted to try to grab a little piece of this
experience," said Martin Bencic, a computer consultant from Peo-
ria, Ariz., who attended the midday parade with his two daughters.
Until the World Series victory, history hadn't been kind to Ari-
zona's professional sports teams. Of all the metro areas in the
United States that have franchises from all four major sports,
Phoenix was the only one without a title until this year.
AP PHOTO
AP PHOTO
Terry Glenn, shown here suiting up for his return to the Patriots in october, may
face trial as soon as February.
The city of Phoenix celebrates its first-ever
professional sports championship.
team over a four-game suspension
and the Patriots decision to withhold
most of his $9 million signing
bonus after he violated the NFL's
substance abuse policy. This after
Glenn asked to rejoin the team earli-
Glenn, who is out with a leg
injury, was cleared on Monday by
the Equal Opportunity Employment
Commission to sue the NFL on his
charge that the league failed to con-
sider his chronic depression when
Vaught cut;
retires due to
back problems
er this year. he was suspended.
NFL fines Robinson and Turley
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - It wasn't as bad as it could
have been - New Orleans Saints coach Jim Haslett
originally thought about cutting tackle Kyle Turley or at
least suspending him. But it was no slap on the wrist
either.
Turley was fined $25,000 for conduct detrimental to
the team during Sunday's game against the New York
Jets.
Turley has also agreed to undergo counseling at the
team's request.
Turley attacked Jets safety Damien Robinson when
Robinson grabbed the facemask of Saints quarterback
Aaron Brooks and twisted it. Turley ripped Robinson's
helmet off and threw it downfield, then made an obscene
gesture. His actions got him tossed out of the game.
They also drew a 15-yard penalty that ended the Saints'
final chance to tie or win the game. The Saints lost 16-9.
"The Saints do not condone such. actions," general
manager Randy Mueller said Tuesday. "We believe that
the amount of the fine is appropriate for the severity of
Kyle's conduct on the field. We understand that Kyle is a
very emotional player, but it is clear that the type of
actions he demonstrated last Sunday will not be tolerat-
ed."
Mueller said that Turley will not be suspended by the
Saints and is expected to play Sunday against the San
Francisco 49ers.
"Unfortunately Kyle's actions cost us a chance to pos-
sibly win a game," Mueller said. "I would hope that the
lesson learned here will bring our team together."
Turley also faces disciplinary action from the NFL.
Turley was composed, but not contrite, when he spoke
to the media Monday.
"It was a very emotional outburst on my part that I
need to be a little more mature about," Turley said. "Bikt
I cannot apologize for defending my quarterback and
trying to, basically, from my point of view, save his life.
The guy was seriously trying to break his neck."
Trailing 16-9, the Saints marched to the Jets' 6-yard
line in the final minute of the game. On second-and-3,
Brooks ran to the 5-yard line only to be stopped by
Robinson, who grabbed Brooks' face mask.
"I figured I had him bent back when I heard Brooks
scream," Robinson said. "Then I let him go."
Turley had a different take on the situation.
"I came up on the play and the guy started twisting,
Aaron's head back and he started screaming," Turley
said. "I've never been placed in a situation like that
before where I see my quarterback getting his head
turned around like the exorcist."
Turley, who turned 26 in September, jumped into the
pile, grabbing Robinson and eventually his helmet. He
emerged without his own helmet, but still clutching
Robinson's, which he flung downfield before making an
obscene gesture. By that time the field was littered with
players, officials and yellow flags.
"I felt like Turley was trying to break my neck,"
Robinson said.
"They pulled my hair, the bunch of girls," Turley
responded. "I got turf burn on my head. I've never had
turf burn on my head. They were trying to get me when I
was down."
There were offsetting penalties for personal fouls, but
Turley, who was thrown out of the game, drew a second
15-yard penalty for throwing the helmet and making the
obscene gesture. That put New Orleans on the 20-yard
line and ended the scoring threat.
"Driving home (Sunday) night I was thinking about
cutting him," Haslett said. "Monday night, laying in bed,
I thought about suspending him. I didn't see the whole
incident on the field. Then I saw it on TV where Damien
Robinson was trying to pull Aaron's head off. Then I
talked to Aaron about it and Aaron said he thought he
broke his neck. So I can understand why Kyle did it to
that point."
The problem, Haslett said, is that Turley should have
dragged Robinson off Brooks and stopped there. Throw-
ing the helmet and making the gesture took it too far.
WASHINGTON (AP)
- Former Michigan
Wolverine and current
Washington Wizards for-
ward Loy Vaught, side-
lined with back
problems, retired on
Wednesday.
Vaught had surgery
three years ago and never
returned to form. He
complained of spasms in
his lower back during
training camp and was
placed on the injured list
at the start of the season.
Vaught won a national
championship with
Michigan in 1989 and
was drafted 13th overall
by the Los Angeles Clip-
pers in 1990. He played
eight seasons for the
Clippers before signing
with the Detroit Pistons
in 1998.
Vaught was traded to
the Dallas Mavericks last
year, then was part of the
eight-player deal that
sent Juwan Howard from
Washington to Dallas just
before the trading dead-
line.
Vaught played in 14
games for the Wizards at
the end of last season,
averaging 3.9 points per
game and 3.8 rebounds
per game. He averaged.
10.1 points per game and>
7 rebounds per game",
over his 1 1 NBA sea-'
sons.
Vaught had two years;
remaining on his con-
tract, which the Wizards-
have decided to buy out
for approximately $11-
million.
AP PHOTO
Loy Vaught rides the pine during what would be his final week
of playing professionally in the NBA.
BIG TEN
Continued from Page TIA
Big Ten. However, despite being the Big Ten's No. 1
offense, the Wildcats have allowed 30.3 points per game
(10th in the conference) and have lost the last three
straight. As if things weren't bad enough in Evanston,
star rusher Damien Anderson separated his shoulder
against Indiana and will not play this weekend. North-
western will become uncharacteristically one-dimen-
sional hs they rely heavily on the capable arm of senior
quarterback Zak Kustok.
The Hawkeyes boast the league's best defense and its
second-most accurate quarterback in senior Kyle
McCann (63 percent of passes completed). Each of their
four losses have been by less than 10 points. Kirk Fer-
entz's team is still looking for a big win, and they mayK
succeed against Northwestern, although that means less,
and less with each passing week.
While Iowa has it's share of injuries, the Hawkeyes -
have enough offensive know-how to blast through the;
gaping holes in the Wildcats' defense, and will have a
much easier time stopping Northwestern's running
attack without Anderson in the mix. Look for Iowa to
chalk up their first road win of the season, keeping their
bowl hopes alive and sending the Wildcats even deeper
into their downward spiral.
Iowa 28, Northwestern 21
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