8B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMbnday - November 26, 2001

Ray Bourque
jersey retired
by Avalanche
DENVER (AP) - The Colorado Avalanche
retired their first-ever jersey on Saturday night, hoist-
ing defenseman Ray Bourque's No. 77 sweater to the
rafters prior to the team's game against Edmonton.
Bourque played just 15 months in Colorado but
helped the Avalanche win a Stanley Cup last June
before retiring.
Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix called
Bourque "one of the greatest defensemen ever to
have played the game of hockey" in presenting
Bourque and his family with several presents, includ-
ing a painting of a Colorado mountain scene.
After a videotape of Bourque's Colorado high-
lights Bourque made a short speech to a cheering
crowd.
Bourque thanked the Avalanche for helping him
realize his "hockey dream, the ultimate prize which
is the Stanley Cup."
Bourque played 20-plus seasons in Boston before
asking to be traded to a contender, and was dealt to
Colorado on March 6, 2000.
Bourque had his Bruins sweater retired Oct. 4 in
Boston.
A 19-time All-Star during his 22-year NHL career,
Bourque thanked his teammates, particularly goal-
tender Patrick Roy and captain Joe Sakic.
"I watched Patrick set the NHL record for most
wins," Bourque said. "I watched Joe have an MVP
season and make incredible plays, but my favorite
pass was when he handed me that Stanley Cup.
"I am honored and humbled by this very special
evening."
The Avalanche went 12-2-1 immediately after the
Bourque trade and advanced to the Western Confer-
ence finals, then won the Cup after posting an NHL-
best 52-16-10-4 record.
"We had a good run while he was here," Sakic
said. "Those 15 months, it was incredible."
"It's not too often that you see a player come in for
less than two years and end up getting his jersey

Selig's contract could
be extended this year

NEW YORK (AP) - While Bud
Selig hopes the major leagues gets
smaller, his term as baseball commis-
sioner may get longer.
Though his plan to eliminate two
teams has been stalled by a Minnesota
judge, Selig called for owners to gather
again on Tuesday in Chicago - a
meeting where his term could be
extended.
A high-ranking team official, citing
conversations' with owners, said
Wednesday a formal agenda had not'
been received by all teams but the sub-
ject of an extension could be brought to
a vote.
Selig, whose family has controlled
the Milwaukee Brewers since 1970,
was unanimously elected to a five-year
term in July 1998 after serving as act-
ing commissioner for nearly six years.
He could not be reached for comment
Wednesday.
Selig attempted to keep the meeting
secret.
"The primary purpose is updating on
contraction," said Sandy Alderson,
executive vice president of baseball
operations in the commissioner's
AP PHOTO office.
e The meeting comes three weeks after
owners voted to fold two teams before
next season. Although the teams
rst the haven't been picked, the Montreal
ae num- Expos and Twins are the most likely
Quebec candidates, with Florida, Oakland and
8), J.C. Tampa Bay less-discussed possibilities.
However, a temporary injunction
urque's obtained last week by the Metropolitan
on June Sports Facilities Commission, which
part of operates the Metrodome, forces the
aid his Twins to fulfill their lease and play next
otten." season.
The Twins and baseball are appealing

the decision, a process that could take
months. Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz on
Wednesday gave the MSFC until Nov.
28 to respond to baseball's bid for a
speedy review, including its request to
have the case heard by Dec. 7.
Meanwhile, a squabble broke out
among owners and players on the
union's grievance to block contraction.
The sides can't agree on when to begin
the hearing before arbitrator Shyam
Das, with management wanting it to
start later than sooner. Das likely will
have to set the hearing date on his own.
With contraction plans dragging on,
Twins president Jerry Bell said the
team will soon have to start selling
tickets for next season.
"There's no question it's slowed us
down," he said from his office in Min-
neapolis. "It's not business as usual. We
have not sent out our season-ticker
renewal forms, lined up group sales, all
the things we'd be doing now."
Asked when the renewal process
would have to begin, Bell said "it's
probably more like weeks than
months."
Twins owner Carl Pohlad, frustrated
at the government's refusal to help fund
a new ballpark, volunteered to have his
team folded. Selig is attempting to
eliminate two teams, saying they are a
drain on baseball's revenues and have
little hope without new ballparks.
"It could be a sad day," said Min-
nesota state Rep. ,HJarry Mares, a
Republican who sponsored a Twins'
stadium bill last session.
"If they name the teams it will be
very difficult" to stop contraction, he
said. "Once you name the teams you're
basically giving your word and you bet-
ter follow through with that.'

Even though he only played a short while in Colorado, Ray Bourque's jersey was retired by the Avalanch
Saturday night. Bourque spent 20-plus seasons with the Boston Bruins before being traded to Colorado.

retired," Colorado defenseman Rob Blake said. "That
just shows how important he was to this team."
Roy said Bourque "deserves this honor for what
he's done in the game. He meant a lot for our team."
Every Avalanche player wore one of Bourque's
No. 77 jerseys during the warmup before Saturday
night's game. Bourque signed the jerseys, which will
be auctioned throughout the Pepsi Center with pro-
ceeds going to the New York Police and Firemen
Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund.

Although Bourque's sweater is the fi
Avalanche have retired, the franchise retired th
bers of four players when they were the (
Nordiques: Peter Stastny (26), Marc Tardif (
Tremblay (3) and Michel Goulet (16).
The Avs made the decision to retire Bo
number when he announced his retirementc
26. Lacroix said Bourque will "always be a
the Colorado Avalanche family" and se
"extraordinary contribution will never be forg

Browns record first shutout since return


CLEVELAND (AP) - Of all the lofty numbers
the Cleveland Browns put up yesterday, the most
impressive was a zero. Phil Dawson kicked four field
goals, Kevin Johnson caught a touchdown pass and
the Browns got their first shutout since returning to
the league with an 18-0 victory over the bumbling
Bengals.
"I'll be celebrating 'til Tuesday," linebacker Jamir
Miller said. "It's our first shutout, a milestone. My
first one in years and it feels great."
The Browns (6-4) forced seven turnovers, including
five interceptions, and got more than enough offense
to handle Cincinnati (4-6).
"We just feel terrible about ourselves," said Bengals
quarterback Jon Kitna, who was benched after com-
pleting just eight of 19 passes and throwing two inter-
ceptions in the first half.
Cleveland came in focused on stopping running
back Corey Dillon, who had averaged 144 yards in his
five previous games against the Browns. But despite
missing suspended tackle Gerard Warren, they held
Dillon to 63 yards on 20 carries.
"Cincy goes as Corey Dillon goes," Miller said.
"We knew if we could contain him that we'd have a
pretty good chance. Once we did that, we could really
go after them."
The shutout was the Browns' first since blanking

Arizona 32-0 on Sept. 18, 1994. And with five more
interceptions, Cleveland now leads the NFL with 25
picks after getting just 20 in the last two seasons com-
bined.
Miller said the shutout should do more than help
the Browns improve their rankings.
"People's perception of our team is changing,"
Miller said. "If it hadn't, it should now."
Johnson caught a six-yard touchdown pass in the
first half and Dawson kicked field goals of 23, 27, 22
and 33 yards as the Browns avenged a loss earlier this
season to the Bengals.
Tim Couch went 16-of-27 for 189 yards with two
interceptions. Cincinnati's best scoring chance ended
like all of the Bengals' other drives - with nothing.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, T.J. Housh-
mandzadeh returned a punt 86 yards before being
caught from behind at Cleveland's five-yard line. But
instead of giving Dillon the ball on first down,
Mitchell threw an incomplete pass.
Dillon picked up three yards on two straight tries
and the Bengals decided to got for it on fourth
down. Mitchell, one of the NFL's slowest quarter-
back's, tried to roll left, but was sacked for a nine-
yard loss by Courtney Brown and Dwayne Rudd.
"When we got the fourth-down stop, we felt like we
could put the goose egg up," Brown said.

Cornerback Corey Fuller said the Browns didn't
start talking about a shutout until the final few min-
utes.
"I went to the sideline and said, 'Let's shut them
out'," Fuller said. "We weren't really worried about
them scoring a touchdown after that."
Bengals coach Dick LeBeau benched Kitna at the
start of the third quarter. Mitchell, who had not taken a
snap all season, was 4-of-12.
Neil Rackers missed two field goals for the Ben-
gals, whose promising start this season is quickly fad-
ing with every loss.
"There's a little bit of doubt in everybody's mind
right now," Kitna said. "That's what happens when
you're not playing well."
The Browns made four trips inside the Bengals 20
in the first half, but didn't get their first touchdown
until just 26 seconds before halftime,
Kitna's pass was deflected and intercepted by Ray
Jackson, who returned it 52 yards to the Cincinnati
10. Two plays later, Couch hit Johnson in the corner
of the end zone. But the Browns missed the extra
point and led 12-0 at halftime.
Cincinnati, too, had difficulty moving the ball once
it got decent field position. Rackers missed a 43-
yarder in the first quarter, and then bounced a 46-yard
attempt off the left upright in the second.

Bosnjak paid to get Yugoslavian recruits

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - A former
assistant coach at small colleges in
Michigan, Florida and Louisiana was
paid to help secure athletic scholar-
ships for Yugoslavian basketball
players, the Dayton Daily News
reported yesterday..
The newspaper said its investiga-
tion shows that families in
Yugoslavia have given Vladimir
Bosnjak hundreds and sometimes
thousands of dollars.
Bosnjak has helped at least 40
Yugoslavian basketball players get
scholarships.
Some coaches who recruited play-

ers through Bosnjak said they knew
he was charging families for finding
scholarships, the newspaper said.
Others said they never asked him.
NCAA colleges are prohibited
from using agents to recruit players,
and athletes could be ruled ineligible
for entering into such an agreement.
"They are taking advantage of our
system to make money. ... It's very
troubling," said Bill Bradshaw, the
DePaul athletic director and presi-
dent of the National Association of
Collegiate Directors of Athletics.
The newspaper said Bosnjak
worked as an assistant at Ferris

State, Louisiana Tech and Central
Florida Community College. He is
now in Libya coaching the national
team.
Louisiana Tech said he left the
school owing $1,662 and wittheld
his last payroll check. A year later,
the paper added, the state of Florida
issued a warrant for his arrest after
he allegedly wrote two bad checks.
Bosnjak, speaking to the newspa-
per in July in Belgrade, said he helps
poor athletes fulfill their dreams of
playing in America. He said his busi-
ness doesn't break any college rules.
"Really I'm not a money maker....
I bring good people, good humans
and good citizens who can definitely.
do the job on the court and off the
court. I never had any kind of viola-

tion over there.... I know the rules of
the NCAA," he said.
Bosnjak said he charges the fami-
lies for phone bills and faxes and
videotapes of the players, and he
gives the money back if he doesn't
find a college for them.
The 35-year-old Bosnjak said he
sends only average players to the
United States, those who can't play
professionally in Yugoslavia.
The Daily News said its examina-
tion found that agents, brokers and
middlemen in Yugoslavia are profit-
ing from athletic scholarships in bas-
ketball, soccer, volleyball and
swimming. Coaches are using mid-
dlemen to find players at small col-
leges and large universities, the
newspaper said.

AP~PHOTO
The 76ers had won all seven games with Allen Iverson in the lineup, but their
streak was snapped yesterday against Toronto. Iverson finished with 18 points.
76ersc lose first game.
with, Iverscon playing


t

TORONTO (AP) - The Philadel-
phia 76ers finally lost a game with
Allen Iverson on the court.
Vince Carter scored 30 points, and
Dell Curry added 18 as the Toronto
Raptors snapped the 76ers' seven-
game winning streak yesterday with a
107-88 victory.
Philadelphia started 0-5 while Iver-
son was recovering from elbow sur-
gery. The winning streak began with
Iverson's first game.
"Something unusual happened
today. We got outhustled," Iverson
said. "They just played better than us.
You have to tip your hat."
Iverson was 1-for-10 from the field
in the second half, finishing with 18
points and eight assists. Aaron McKie
had 23 points, and Derrick Coleman
had 21 for the 76ers, who played the

Raptors for the first time since elimi-
nating them in the second round of
last season's playoffs.
"Allen didn't have 50, and that was
a moral victory in and of itself,"
Carter said.
Curry said Alvin Williams and
Chris Childs made Iverson work for
his shots.
"They cut the lanes o the basket
off, and made him take ough shots,"
Curry said. "Philly won seven in a
row with him back, and that shows
what kind of presence he has on that
team."
Toronto, which shot 50 percent,
started the game with an 11-0 run.
The 76ers pulled within two, but
Carter scored nine points in the sec-
ond quarter, and the Raptors led by
nine at halftime.

Dinwiddie suspended
for Central Michigan

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Boise State
quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie was sus-
n~ndpl fn Qntnrrlv'c amp a ornivct

"He's been suspended because he
broke team rules and we're going to
lenve it at that" Hawklins said-

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