FanFare 11/13/02

Baseball

Dusty Baker's agent began preliminary contract talks Tuesday with the Chicago Cubs, hoping to reach a deal and bring the three-time NL Manager of the Year to Chicago.

Another home run by Barry Bonds couldn't prevent major league All-Stars from losing to their Japanese counterparts for the third straight day. Hours after winning his record fifth National League MVP award, Bonds hit a solo homer in the fifth inning of an 8-6 loss.

Basketball

Los Angeles Lakers backup center Soumaila Samake was suspended for five games by the NBA for violating the league's steroids policy. Samake, 24, a native of Mali in his third NBA season, will not be paid during the suspension, which began with Tuesday night's game against Atlanta.

Chicago Bulls forward Darnell Marcus Fizer, who was arrested on a felony weapons charge after police say they found a loaded gun in his vehicle, pleaded innocent.

Colleges

Bob Knight is suing Indiana University, alleging he lost more than $2 million in income since being fired by the school as its men's basketball coach two years ago. Knight contends he was fired without cause, without a proper meeting of university trustees and without a chance to defend himself. The lawsuit was filed in the Monroe County Circuit Court on Friday after talks between his lawyers and the school collapsed.

Football

The Chicago Bears placed wide receiver David Terrell on injured reserve Tuesday and also waived veteran tight end Fred Baxter while signing three other players. The Bears signed defensive end Bobby Setzer to a two-year contract, defensive back Travis Coleman to a three-year deal and defensive back Eric Joyce to the practice squad.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay acknowledged he had become dependent on prescription painkillers, and said he has overcome the problem since undergoing treatment this past summer.

Golf

Organizers of the Greater Hartford Open have raised enough money to hold the golf tournament in 2003, Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland said. Rowland has scheduled a news conference for today to announce the tournament has secured the necessary $4 million to keep it operating, a spokesman said.

Hockey

The family of the 16-year-old boy suing the New Brunswick Amateur Hockey Association over not winning the MVP award has been suspended from the league. Michael Croteau and his son, Steven, will meet with a lawyer to discuss their situation. The boy was suspended by the provincial amateur hockey association. There was no comment from the New Brunswick Amateur Hockey Association.

Horse racing

Three former fraternity brothers were accused of using telephone betting accounts and a computer to manipulate a bet that paid $3 million at the Breeders' Cup last month. Derrick Davis of Baltimore, Glen DaSilva of New York and Chris Harn of Newark, Del., all 29, were charged in U.S. District Court with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The men, who had been fraternity brothers at Drexel University in Philadelphia, surrendered to the FBI.

People

Five days later, we have a winner

Lloyd Scott sounds like he could use a fashion makeover -- as in his choice of running gear.

The former English firefighter and leukemia survivor finally crossed the finish line in the New York Marathon on Friday, five days after he started. Wearing an antique, 130-pound deep-sea-diving suit probably had something to do with it.

Scott didn't get the satisfaction of placing 31,000th or so because the race has an 8-1/2-hour limit for able-bodied runners, but his victory came elsewhere, as in raising funds to fight leukemia.

Scott, 40, who slept in firehouses at night during his five-borough run, carried an American flag in one hand and a Union Jack in the other when he arrived at the Central Park finish line.

As for his running apparel, Scott said "It's a good example of what it's like for cancer and leukemia sufferers because it's slow and painful."

Verbatim

Deion Sanders, NFL showboat turned CBS commentator, on players who sport long, braided hair: "Come on, you're looking like Milli Vanilli."

Maple Leafs winger Alexander Mogilny after hometown fans threw only six hats on the ice when he scored a hat trick last week: "Maybe it's just a sign that the economy is doing poorly."

-- From wire reports