JurisprudenceOne week after Alabama was put on...

Jurisprudence

One week after Alabama was put on NCAA probation, a businessman claimed he did financial favors for Crimson Tide football and basketball players.

Boyd Sutherland told the Associated Press he sold thousands of dollars worth of custom wheels and tires to players on credit without collecting the debts. He also said he has paid overdue notes for players, given them special treatment by guaranteeing loans with finance companies, and given them merchandise.

“I’m just a die-hard Alabama fan,” Sutherland said Wednesday. “That’s exactly why I did it. You don’t think I’d do it for somebody from Auburn or Georgia Tech, do you?”

A Southeastern Conference official declined comment.

An NCAA spokeswoman said she didn’t know whether investigators looked into Sutherland’s claims during their lengthy review of the Alabama athletic program. The NCAA put the football team on three years probation last week for rules violations unrelated to Sutherland’s claims.

The NCAA Committee on Infractions will meet with Baylor officials today to review the school’s involvement in academic fraud within the basketball program.

The NCAA investigation could lead to sanctions against Baylor in a cheating case that was investigated by the FBI and resulted in federal charges for three coaches.

Assistant coaches Gary Thomas, Troy Drummond and Kevin Gray were sentenced to three years probation each for helping recruits cheat to get into Baylor.

A Raleigh, N.C., policeman’s interest in hearing about a game-winning soccer goal resulted in the arrest of the goal-scorer, police said.

Roy Lassiter, whose goal in the 68th minute gave his U.S. team a 2-1 victory over Benfica of Portugal at the Parmalat Cup in Raleigh, was arrested shortly afterward and charged in a three-year-old burglary case.

Police said Lassiter was charged with breaking and entering and forgery, with two other unnamed suspects. The burglary occurred the year Lassiter graduated from North Carolina State. Raleigh police Lt. Dennis Poteat said an investigator on his staff, hearing about Lassiter’s dramatic goal, remembered the case.

Miscellany

Defending NCAA basketball champion UCLA will play Santa Clara in the first round of the eight-team Maui Invitational on Nov. 20.

Colorado’s new pro hockey team disclosed its nickname today--the Colorado Avalanche--and displayed the team’s crimson, blue, silver and black logo for the first time.