NCAA Considering Controversial Move

Newspapers that print daily betting lines on college games could be denied tournament credentials by the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Committee.

Though the move is two steps away from enactment, it is being considered, and media groups have indicated they will fight it legally.

The nine-member committee, chaired by Kansas Athletic Director Bob Frederic, will hear a report on the matter from NCAA legal counsel Nov. 30-Dec. 1 in East Rutherford, N.J., in a session that will be attended by members of the Associated Press Sports Editors and the United States Basketball Writers Assn.

APSE President Paul Anger, executive sports editor of The Miami Herald, said there’s a major difference between the current policy and what has been addressed in relation to the betting line.

“This takes the current policy to a level where they’re interfering with news content,” he said. “I am not aware of them or anybody else ever trying to do this.”

Most daily newspapers publish betting lines on college basketball games. The Times does not.

Hockey

The NHL and its players’ union have set up another round of contract negotiations for next week, but Brian Burke, NHL vice president in charge of hockey operations, said “there is a very real risk there is not going to be a hockey season.”

Bob Goodenow, executive director of the NHL Players Assn., said he never agreed to the NHL’s cancellation of the 26 scheduled neutral-site games. The games were staged the last two seasons as a joint venture of the NHL and the union, with proceeds going to the players’ pension fund.

NHLPA spokesman Steve McAllister said Goodenow had discussed the status of the games with NHL negotiators but was not informed the games would be eliminated until the league included them among the 14 cancellations per team announced on Wednesday.

Baseball

Free agent Orel Hershiser met with the Dodgers regarding his future with the team and was told that though there is some interest, the club is continuing to evaluate its minor leaguers and not pursuing free agents.

Representatives of the baseball owners and striking players met jointly with special mediator William J. Usery in Washington to establish ground rules for resumption of collective bargaining talks, scheduled for next Thursday through Sunday.

Catcher Joe Oliver was unconditionally released by the Cincinnati Reds.

Golf

Jim McGovern shot a course-record seven-under-par 66 on the longer Plantation Course, and defending champion Fred Couples, Tom Lehman and Gary McCord each shot 66 over a shorter course to share the first-round lead in the Kapalua International in Hawaii.

Tennis

Martina Navratilova, overcoming careless errors and the power of Amy Frazier, rallied for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory to reach the semifinals of the Bank of the West Classic at Oakland.

Boris Becker defeated Guy Forget, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), to advance to the quarterfinals of the $2.25-million Paris Open. Other winners included Pete Sampras, Goran Ivanisevic and Andre Agassi.

Miscellany

Chris Mills told the Tucson Citizen that he has no knowledge of loans that his father, Claud, and a family friend, James Casey, are accused of having accepted while he was playing college basketball at Arizona. . . . The second race of the International America’s Cup Class World Championship of sailing in San Diego was canceled because of too much wind.

Names in the News

Baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against The Upper Deck Co., claiming the trading-card maker wouldn’t fulfill its contract with him because of his alcohol problems. . . . Center Shelly Clark of the Illinois basketball team was not indicted by a Champaign County grand jury on charges he broke into the apartment of a former girlfriend.