FanFare 2/5/03

Briefly

Baseball

Former National League MVP Ken Caminiti was ordered to a state-run drug treatment facility Tuesday, giving him another chance to avoid jail time for cocaine use. Caminiti tested positive for cocaine use last week, prompting prosecutors to request his probation on a drug conviction be revoked.

Bruce Froemming has been hit with another punishment in the wake of his anti-Semitic remark about an umpiring administrator. Suspended for 10 days without pay for his derogatory comment concerning Cathy Davis, Froemming has been told to stay away from the Dodgers' adult baseball camp that begins Thursday in Vero Beach, Fla.

Astros pitcher Carlos Hernandez will miss the season following surgery on his left shoulder.

Basketball

Jayson Williams' trial for Feb. 18 was called off when an appeals court agreed to consider dismissing manslaughter charges against the former NBA star. An appellate panel is to hear arguments March 12 in Trenton from his lawyers and the prosecutor's office. The ruling was filed, without elaboration, by two appellate judges.

Local and national investors are interested in buying a majority stake in the Milwaukee Bucks but the league wants to keep the team in the city, NBA commissioner David Stern said. Stern said in Tuesday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he is confident this can be done. He did not identify any of the interested parties.

Football

New England Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel was dropped Tuesday from the list of candidates for the San Francisco 49ers' head-coaching vacancy.

Broncos kicker Jason Elam signed a five-year, $9 million deal that could allow him to finish his career in Denver. His $2.6 million signing bonus is one of the biggest ever for a kicker.

Hockey

Capitals right wing Jaromir Jagr became the 33rd NHL player to score 500 goals with his third of the game Tuesday night at Tampa Bay. Jagr reached the milestone at 7:19 of the second period when he scored on a shot from the top of the right circle during a power play. He also had two goals in the first period.

Former NHL tough guy Bob Probert is being treated for substance abuse, the league said Tuesday. Probert played 17 seasons in the NHL, the last eight with the Chicago Blackhawks. He also played for the Red Wings. In 61 games with the Blackhawks last season, Probert had one goal, three assists and 176 penalty minutes. In his career he had 163 goals and 384 points. His 3,300 penalty minutes in 93

As a professional hockey player, Tony Twist proudly served as a brawling "enforcer" on the ice. But when a comic book creator named a violent character after him, the former Blues star fought back in court. The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments on Twist's claim that the use of his name in the "Spawn" comic book series hurt his image and cost him endorsements and other business.

Motorsports

Driver Kyle Busch signed a contract with Hendrick Motorsports on Tuesday -- 24 hours after deciding not to join his older brother Kurt at Roush Racing. Busch will race in at least seven NASCAR Busch series events for Hendrick this season -- after he turns 18 on May 2 -- and will compete full time in 2004.

Olympics

Marty Mankamyer resigned as president of the U.S. Olympic Committee on Tuesday night, succumbing to pressure from officials in the world's most powerful Olympic organization. Mankamyer, the USOC's highest-ranking volunteer, submitted her resignation via e-mail to members of the organization's executive committee, according a news release from the USOC.

Tennis

Pete Sampras withdrew from the Siebel Open on Tuesday, further delaying his return to tennis after a long absence.

Myriam Casanova, a Swiss teenager who practices with Martina Hingis, beat Barbara Schett 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 Tuesday in the Gaz de France and will next face Serena Williams.

Verbatim

Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press, on once-downtrodden Tampa Bay winning the title: "The Red Sea has parted, elephants can fly, insurance companies are cutting their rates in half, and Michael Jackson will win man of the year."

Attorney Lee Plakas, to the Akron Beacon Journal, after the Ohio High School Athletic Association declared hoops phenom LeBron James ineligible for accepting complimentary Wes Unseld and Gale Sayers jerseys from a sporting-goods store: "The person who should be investigated is anyone in Ohio who spent $450 for a vintage Wes Unseld jersey."

On the air

College men's basketballCincinnati at Louisville, 6 p.m., ESPN

North Carolina at Duke, 8 p.m., ESPN

Gonzaga at Pepperdine, 11 p.m., ESPN

NBA

New Jersey at Philadelphia, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2

NHL

Blues at Stars 7 p.m., FOX-Midwest

CHARTER CABLE SPORTS KEY --CNBC (ch. 53), ESPN (42), ESPN2 (43), Lifetime (49)Fox-Midwest (45), Fox-Central (352), Fox-Pacific (353), Fox-Sunshine (351), Fox-World (350), FX(50), Golf Channel (46), MSNBC (55), Outdoors (38), Outdoor Life Network (74), Oxygen (75), Speed Channel (44), TNT (48). Listings and times are provided by the networks and individual stations and are subject to change.

Area events

High school girls' basketball

Sikeston at Oran, 8 p.m.